I wonder if I am the only one who has been doing it wrong.

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powertools

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Iv'e got a Bosch router that I have had for a long time and most of the time I use a round over bit and don't change it very often.
Today I wanted to change the bit and as usual I had a job to get the last used bit out of the router and did some research including reading the instructions and it turns out that for all these years I have the collet the wrong way round in the nut.
 
Steve Maskery":c1z3z0mn said:
I really don't understand how that is possible!
S
PS, Yes it really is just you :)

I with Steve on this, I don't know how you could do that. I don't think any of my routers would hold a bit with the collet the wrong way around. :?:

Mick
 
Certainly not possible on the small bosch I have or the couple of cheapos I use for odd jobs.
They all have a collet shank diameter considerably smaller than the top of the taper as does the 1/2" router with a captive collet/nut system in my table. I'm intrigued as to what pattern collet allows that to happen.
 
Well trust me you can do this and I doubt that I am the only one who has.
The collet is flat at one end and tapered at the other I had the tapered end faced into the nut so it looked rather like a drill chuck and this held the bit no problem but when trying to remove the bit it just griped it harder.
As for handtools the only hand tools I have used today are the collet nut spanner, a hammer and punch to remove the stuck bit.
 
I just have to go out and have a look to see if I can do that.....I have three Bosch routers and will let you know......not something I have ever even imagined.... #-o

Jim
 
Not sure the nut or spindle would have enough thread to allow that on mine 1/4" one, and the 1/2" one, never separated the parts.

Must have been handy for table use though, i imagine the bit could be stuck out slightly further than normal....! Not that i will try it!
 
Photo shows collet and nut the way they should be grove on tapered end of collet shows that it has been the wrong way round for years.
I may well have been a pratt here but I don't sit here and just make this up.
With the collet the wrong way round it makes no difference to the way the router works but makes it hard to change the bit.
 

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I imagine the force of you pulling on the bit is somewhat less than the force on a bit cutting whilst rotating at 30K RPM?
 
studders":2ocko0mv said:
I imagine the force of you pulling on the bit is somewhat less than the force on a bit cutting whilst rotating at 30K RPM?


I may well have got this wrong aswell but I would have thought that the force on a router bit except a dovetail bit would be upwards and not down.
 
I've heard/read that very small router bits are prone to upwards (away from the collet) force, so much so that they pop out if you're not careful. I don't really know much about the way in which forces work on other bits but have always assumed they would fly horizontally, maybe that's wrong though?
 
I think I'd replace everything possible at this point, to avoid a nasty accident.

You can get collet nuts and collets themselves for most Bosch routers fairly easily. I've got one Bosch that's around 15 years old (spares still available from Miles), but spares for the newer stuff are usually available from any decent Bosch supplier (i.e. not a DIY shed!).

If the female cone (in the router's spindle) is damaged, as it may well be, then you could have a bigger problem, but if it's slight, you might remove any burr with a gently applied 1/2-round file of the right size (or rats'-tail).

Dafter things happen, and you've got away with it, so I'd just mark it up to experience and move on!
 
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