Router Collet slippage

[Stwood_]

I'm with rwe on the glazing problem. Ocasionally I scuf the bit shanks if theylook like they have slipped. And also scuf the collet area if need be.
I've been running PC routers for about 20 years now and haven't had hardly any of this problem. Have never broke nor wore out a collet

[castguy2003]

One trick I learned in the machine shop was to give the shanks of mill cutters, router bits, anything that went into a collet, a coat of Dykem layout dye. It really helps the grip.

[blacklab]

Good thought, rwe, ...think I'll delay the purchase and ream with 220. Was thinking the glaze was good, greater surface-to-surface, but see now I wasn't thinking. Be good to think one of my favorite companies produced product and design to last a lifetime.

Took a look at Elaire, Bill.... Good prices and made in USA, thanx

[chips ahoy]

One question,are you the former "Lablover" from a looooooooooong time ago?If so welcome back.

Mel

[Aram]

Maybe an obvious point, but did you take the collet off and examine it? I had the same trouble when one of mine cracked.

[H_B]

most of what i've read (and done) seems to support NOT having the shaft all the way down in the collet so that as you tighten it up there's a small bit of room there...   One of the recent catalogs I got (router bits from ???) even sells a little rubber ring to drop down into the opening, but you can do the same thing with a small o-ring.  

And no, i've never had a properly tightened router bit come loose or out on it's own.

[JGrout]

most of what i've read (and done) seems to support NOT having the shaft all the way down in the collet so that as you tighten it up there's a small bit of room there...   One of the recent catalogs I got (router bits from ???) even sells a little rubber ring to drop down into the opening, but you can do the same thing with a small o-ring.  

And no, i've never had a properly tightened router bit come loose or out on it's own.

you are partially correct 


You need the collet to be filled completely with the bit shaft and  your clearance needs to be between the bottom of the motor half of the collet and the end of the router bit shaft; that is where the room for the o ring is . IOW collets do not bottom in the motor half, there is clearance built in so it can wedge in as it is tightened

Joe

[EdL]

What Joe just said.......the other thing I see is overtightening, it doesn't take all your strength to tighten a properly functioning collet.

During my time spent in cnc machining that was the number 1 reason for collet failure. Got to be a joke in the office, it was always the same operators bringing in busted collets.

Ed

[Curlycherry]

It happens at the worst times. Last weekend I was helping a friend with his gigantic white oak U shaped bar top for his kitchen. This monster is 14' long on one side, 12 on the other and over 10 across the bottom. We were all glued up and putting dog bone clamps in the bottom between the parts that would be clamped on site. We were routing the hole for the LAST dogbone clamp and suddenly the router bit shot out of the router and into the wood and right down through it. We were working on the backside and it shot right through the top side. It took us over 5 hours of work to surgically remove that bad board and get it back where we were before. Each piece of the counter weighs over 200 pounds so not exactly something we can run though a jointer to get a clean edge again.

[Downwindtracker2]

On my Craftsman POS Super Router, the motor shaft wore. soft steel. I tried changing collets, it didn't help.