Chris Knight
Established Member
Several folk here have praised the Xtreme Xtension, including me. I bought mine mainly for use in the router table where the combination of the extra length and the quick bit changing ability makes it a very desirable accessory.
However for use off the table and particularly in the Woodrat, the extra length can be a handicap and for this reason I bought a PC Eliminator Chuck. I got mine from the USA agent for Woodrat ( http://www.thecraftsmangallery.com/Merc ... =W/CTGY/RC ) who were the cheapest source I found ($50 plus postage).
(Naturally Woodrat don't sell these things themselves - they're still out to lunch :roll: )
The photo below gives an indication of the relative size of the chucks in use and as can be seen the Eliminator chuck on the right only adds 15mm to the effective bit length, compared to 35mm for the Xtreme Xtension. This makes the chuck very usable for the Rat.
Like the Xtreme Xtension it comes with instructions that are designed to help you minimise any extra vibration caused by using the thing. (Basically this involves tightening the chuck in different positions around 360 degrees to find where the resulting set up is least out of balance) In practice, I found that on my DW 625, this was not a problem and although I followed the procedure, vibration was very low in any position - I had a hard time deciding if I had found a "sweet spot"
Bits are secured in the chuck using a one eighth inch allen key. I have a long T-bar key for this which makes it suitable for reaching under a router table top easily. It is not a ball-ended key so needs to be aligned rather more precisely than the key that came with my Xtreme Xtension - and I am not absolutely sure the recess in the cap screw is long enough to accomodate a ball-ended key. In the case of the Eliminator chuck, you need to provide your own key.
In short, this chuck does exactly what I wanted and makes bit changing quick and easy.
However for use off the table and particularly in the Woodrat, the extra length can be a handicap and for this reason I bought a PC Eliminator Chuck. I got mine from the USA agent for Woodrat ( http://www.thecraftsmangallery.com/Merc ... =W/CTGY/RC ) who were the cheapest source I found ($50 plus postage).
(Naturally Woodrat don't sell these things themselves - they're still out to lunch :roll: )
The photo below gives an indication of the relative size of the chucks in use and as can be seen the Eliminator chuck on the right only adds 15mm to the effective bit length, compared to 35mm for the Xtreme Xtension. This makes the chuck very usable for the Rat.
Like the Xtreme Xtension it comes with instructions that are designed to help you minimise any extra vibration caused by using the thing. (Basically this involves tightening the chuck in different positions around 360 degrees to find where the resulting set up is least out of balance) In practice, I found that on my DW 625, this was not a problem and although I followed the procedure, vibration was very low in any position - I had a hard time deciding if I had found a "sweet spot"
Bits are secured in the chuck using a one eighth inch allen key. I have a long T-bar key for this which makes it suitable for reaching under a router table top easily. It is not a ball-ended key so needs to be aligned rather more precisely than the key that came with my Xtreme Xtension - and I am not absolutely sure the recess in the cap screw is long enough to accomodate a ball-ended key. In the case of the Eliminator chuck, you need to provide your own key.
In short, this chuck does exactly what I wanted and makes bit changing quick and easy.