Router help!

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=Adam=

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Hi guys!

I have recently acquired an Elu MOF 96E router which I was told was a 1/4".

I ordered some router bits from amazon and today I tried fitting them as I needed to make a centre for the hole on the router table, but when I went to fit them to the router, they appear to be much smaller than the collet.

To make sure I didn't get a 1/2" router I got a 1/2" bit out but that was much to big!

I am not sure where I am going wrong, there didn't seem to be an adaptor in the box for the bits so I am completely lost!

I will try and get some pics up to show what I mean!

Can someone shed some light on this please!

Thanks!


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I am here: http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=51.668977,-4.055069
 
Adam'

You'll find the 8mm shank cutters are not so susceptible to vibration when you have to make deep cuts, such as when dovetailing. I don't buy 1/4 inch shank cutters these days unless it's the only way I can get a certain cutter size or profile.

To use your 1/4 shank cutters you can buy a 1/4" collet, which will fit the router. (Look at your manual and you can see how they fit in).

Hope I'm not trying to teach egg-sucking!

HTH :)
 
Hi Adam,

I think your router is the same as mine Dewault 613 this came only with 1/4 in collet I need a 8mm one so got a trend 8mm to fit it they do a 1/4 inch replacement so it should fit

Hope this helps you Olwyn
 
Hi Adam

I have a Mof 96E more than 20 years old now. I used to sell them and unless it is a VERY old router, it will be 6mm standard collet not 1/4". The 8mm collet came with the router as standard so it seems the 6mm must be missing from yours. You can check the sizes with a vernier guage if you have access to one and the collets are freely available (try ebay).
trend and dewalt will both fit the elu.

Bob
 
Adam,

I can't say I have come across a 6mm collet for an Elu MOF router. hence I don't have a collet of that size.
Mine both had 1/4 collets as standard, but I bought 8mm collets for them. Since then I have bought only 8mm shanked cutters, unless the size of cutter itself, or the profile, is only available with a 1/4" shank.

My Elu 177E can be fitted with any size collet of course, and in addition to the 1/2" collet, the 8mm is the one I use with my Leigh Jig, when using the smaller cutters. Some of these cutters are available with 1/4" shanks, but as I said, the 8mm shank vibrates less, when you have to make a deep, one-pass cut.

I am not sure, but I think the 6mm shanks are for the smaller, 'palm-held' routers, and formica trimming routers.

HTH :)
 
Have you bought 1/4" or 6mm bits? I suspect they are 6mm unless have come from the USA. Strictly speaking, they are not exactly the same size ( 1/4" shank is about 0.35mm larger) but a 6mm collet should handle both ok. 1/4" have a tendancy to stick in the collet so remove the bit when finished working - It's good practice to always do that anyway!
I wouldn't buy a s/h collet BTW as it may have been overtightened

Bob
 
Thanks Lons!

I think I will just buy a new collet as they only appear to be £6 on the trend website!

I ordered 1/4" bits from amazon and they do say that they are 1/4" on the box too, I think I will need to have a measuring session later in order to make sure that I have got the right sizes haha!

Thanks for the info guys!

Also another question with regards to the router!

It only came with one rod for the guide, now I am assuming that these are just normal cold drawn steel rods that could be bought from B&Q or similar and cut to length, does that seem right or do I have to buy the proper ones due to the size?
 
=Adam=":vu9ssait said:
It only came with one rod for the guide, now I am assuming that these are just normal cold drawn steel rods that could be bought from B&Q or similar and cut to length, does that seem right or do I have to buy the proper ones due to the size?

I only had one rod for my DW613 and used to make do with a legnth of threaded rod I got from Toolstation.

Not ideal perhaps, but it worked. The router is in a table now :)
 
Adam,

I believe the rods are just bright-drawn mild steel, that has been blued. If you have a stockholder handy, I should take the rod down there and ask them to match it. You might have to settle for bright-drawn steel, but it will be essentially the same material;. Just a different colour.

I wouldn't advise the use of a wooden dowel of such slender proportions.
 
I have the same router and to use it with two fences needed longer rods than the standard ones. I bought a 1m length of stainless steel rod for next to nothing at Bauhaus (I know you don't have Bauhaus in the UK, but B&Q then :wink: ), and cut it in half. Works fine. I'm fairly sure the rods are 8mm diameter.

Regarding collets. Since my Elu was bought in Norway it came as standard with an 8mm collet but I have supplemented with a 1/4" collet (same reason as HTH) which I think I got from Wealden http://wealdentool.co.uk/acatalog/Online_Catalogue_Collets_685.html
I've also recently bought a DW621 which came with an 8mm collet and the 1/4" collet from the Elu fits that exactly. So if specific Elu collets are unobtainable you could instead buy one meant for a DW621. This is confirmed by Wealdens collet selection chart which lists the same type for both Elu MOF96 and DW621.

Mark
 
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