Shopsmith Forums

Today I was putting a 1/2" deep X 1/4" wide groove on the edge of a piece of walnut. I was using a spiral up cut in the router table. At about 12" into the cut, the sound changed drastically. Stopped the router and found that the bit had raised (relative to the table) about 1/4"or so.
I changed to a down cut spiral and the same thing happened.
I can't tighten the collet any tighter.

Any suggestions?

Oooops. I meant to say 1/4X14. Not 1/2X1/4.

pkni wrote:Oooops. I meant to say 1/4X14. Not 1/2X1/4.

Screwed up again:mad: .........1/4X1/4 is correct

You don't happen to have a SSAR do you? That would be the famous Sear Self Adjusting Router....

OK let's get down to business, three things come to mind, one, the bits are new and you didn't clean them first. Second the inside of the collet and the inside of where the collet sets needs to be cleaned, if the first case is true then so is the second. Third the collet is damaged and needs to be replace.

Of course it could be a lot of other things... but I would start with those three.

BTW don't believe the Sear thing cause I have a couple of them, including the one that people say is famous for that problem and I don't see it... I also know several others that own that model and they don't have the problem either. Maybe some do but not all and some of that is because of the thee items I listed before.

Ed

Thanks Ed.
I don't think it's the collet, itself. BTW, it's a PC router. My 1/4" sprials are on 1/4" shanks, of course. So, I gotta use the adapter. The adapter doesn't move. The bit moves inside the adapter.

I just finished up the cut with no more problems. I REALLY:eek: tightened the collet, though.

You remember my lament about exceedingly time consuming changeover? That's why I didn't use the dado blade for this cut.

Good point about the bit position but never ever bottom a bit in the router. Lot of bad things about that.

You will not see the collet move, the bit moves in the collet.

Some people have had bits that were undersized by a far amount that is also something to check.

However most times it a dirty collet or protective coating on a new bit. BTW if you want to check out:
www.routerforums.com

You can join up and ask the question there if you like.

Ed

reible wrote:Good point about the bit position but never ever bottom a bit in the router. Lot of bad things about that.

You will not see the collet move, the bit moves in the collet.

However most times it a dirty collet or protective coating on a new bit. BTW if you want to check out:
www.routerforums.com

Ed,

you might want to edit that underlying url. the display link is correct but the underlying link has a transposition.

also, since you just told me that several things I've been doing are wrong, would you care to point out a thread here or there that has "For Dummies" level howto for setting the bit depth in the collet and for cleaning a new bit? actually, that level may be too advanced the way my brain has been working(?) lately :-(

for movement purposes, does an adapter collet count as a collet (immovable) or bit (movable)?

Ivan

Ed, you said that the problem may be that the router bits are new and hadn't been cleaned before use. I don't use my router real often but when I get a new bit I have never cleaned the shank before use. Is there a specific reason that they need to be cleaned before use?
Bayside Bob, Calif

I have seen where a collet will slip on some bits when they start to get worn and in a pinch you can use alittle contact glue on the shank of the bit. A 1/4x1/4 plow should not pull that much stress on the bit to make it walk......when that happens in our shop we replace the collet, they do wear out.