Stuck router bit!

tap it back and forth , ( not on cutter knife ) as you turn it .

-- david ,new mexico ,allheart

I’m with Dave just tap it with a peice of wood on the side(s)

-- Jim from Heirloom Woodshop, custom furniture maker, woodworking school, heirloomwoodshop.com

is this a common thing to happen?

-- If you can't fix it with a hammer, you've got an electrical problem!

looks like it got some sap in it , or if it sits awhile it can pick up moisture from the air and rust toghether .
when you get it out just clean things and lightly sand , and you should be good to go !

-- david ,new mexico ,allheart

If the bit is broken. Screw the bit in a vise and then lightly tap the collet. If you have a chunk of brass, it would be a great piece to tap, otherwise maybe a dowel of a block of wood.

-- What happens in the workshop stays in the workshop. No wait that doesn't sound right. Karson Southern Delaware karson_morrison@bigfoot.com †

Hit with penetrating oil and let sit for a couple hours. Tap as directed above. May help to bump the collet insert out then you can sit the bottom of the bit on a block of wood then tap the insert from above with something non-marring, wood, brass, leather hammer etc. Bits usually get stuck because they are bottomed out in the collet then tightened. Always pull the bit up and 1/8 inch or so before tightening. Good luck, BTKS

I’ll ditto BTKS and do not overtighten. This also causes collets to stick like that one.

-- Jerry--A man can never have enough tools or clamps

When I get a bit that is difficult to remove I take the collet off and tap the bottom of the bit with a wooden dowel. This has always worked for me. I also use “O” rings on the router bit shaft to keep them from seating too deep. You can buy 1/2” and 1/4” inside diameter o rings from the big box stores plumbing department for about $2 for about 20 O rings.

-- Each and Every step of any project should be considered your masterpiece if you want the finished product to reflect the quality of your work. Greg Little

If the above suggestions do not work, clamp a 1/4” open end wrench in a vise. Remove the bit and collet and slip the bit’s shank (bit facing down) onto the wrench. Take a (flat) 3/16” or 1/4” punch and insert it through the bottom of the collet until it contacts the base of the bit’s shank. Tap gently with a hammer until the bit drops out.

Good luck.

-- Dave; Lansing, Kansas

Hi Neodogg,

A frozen bit is usually caused by one of two things. Corrosion or a burr that has formed on the shank of the bit.
If you leave your bit in the router for an extended length of time, the pitch, dirt or sawdust can cause the bit and/or collet to rust making it difficult to get them apart.
A burr is usally formed by a worn collet. A worn collet will not hold the bit securely, allowing the router bit to spin in the collet and causing a burr to form.
So look closely at your bit shank and collet after you get them apart.
Keith

-- Keith, Charlotte, MI www.julyswoodworks.com www.TheBenchDawg.com

Another way is to put the spindle nut back on, put a wrench head or two betweein the spindle nut and the bottom of the bit, then unscrew the nut to apply upward pressure (while holding the shaft of course).

Try spraying some lubricant (teflon would probably best) then tap the collet. Once you do get it out, be sure to clean the collet and inside the spindle really well to help prevent it from getting stuck a second time. If the bit is stuck in the collet, simply put it in a vice and tap the bottom of the shank with a punch and mallet.

-- "At its best, life is completely unpredictable." - Christopher Walken

I had exactly the same problem with an old router I had.I eventually heated it with a hot air gun paint stripper type .Theres no need for flames etc just warm it up the expansion will cause it to free .Alistair

-- excuse my typing as I have a form of parkinsons disease

sorry for the off-topic comment, but i am a dog lover (and more specifically a boston lover! i have one, he is my baby lol) and i just had to say, that is one gorgeous boston….champion sired i assume? would like to see more pics of the little guy if you have em =)

as for the thread topic, i’ve had it happen a bunch of times…these guys all give great advice and i don’t have anything i can add on…hope you get it worked out! i know how much it sux to try and work but you can’t use your tools! ahhh, it’s the worst! even more than having all the tools ‘n not doing anything with them i think….lol

A trick I use with the old abused routers at work it to leave the above mentioned gap. I go a little more than the above 1/8th of an inch. When I simply can not get the bit out of the collet, the I carefully hit the bit down into the collet. 9 out of 10 times this does the trick.

-- P.O.C.

Ok, my two cents, :-) when I get a bit stuck, usually in my laminate trim router, I leave the collet nut on, but loosen it, then I take a small finish hammer and tap the nut on all four sides (also helps if you have the router so that the bit is hanging down) for me this has always worked.

If the bit stays stuck in the collet itself, some penetrating oil normally frees that up.

-- James

the day is mine! I got the bit out! I sprayed some wd-40 and let it sit over night, then this morning I taped it ever so gently with a punch and out it popped! Thanks to all you made suggestions.

-- If you can't fix it with a hammer, you've got an electrical problem!

Neodogg, I am very happy that you got the bit unstuck, however I have a reccomendation so that this does not happen again.
There is a trick to that collet design, that nut is not supposed to have come off like that.
You are supposed to install the nut onto the collet, and when it is put together, the nut will ride on the groove that you can see on top of the collet.
It is very important that when you install the bit don’t bottom it out, bring it up, about 1/8” and for the love of GOD don’t overtighten it, after the nut cannot spin any more a 1/4 turn more is enough to hold the bit super tight. That collet design is a very good one since it has 4 fingers for a 1/4” shank.
When you want to take the bit out first untight it then it will free spin until the nut hits the top of the groove
at which point a little effort with the wrench and the nut will free the collet.
By the way to assemble the nut onto the collet you have to do it with the collet outside of the router, press on the fingers of the collet while pushing down onto the nut until the nut snaps in on the groove.
After that they become a unit and you can start using it correctly.
Hope this helps and I didn’t confuse you.

Happy routing.

Thanks jerryz for the insight, I’ll try it, sounds logical

-- If you can't fix it with a hammer, you've got an electrical problem!

Tap a tapered screwdriver in the slots of the collet, this should help wedge it open..

Also make sure the inside of the collet is clean. Clean it out like you would a gun.

-- -** You are never to old to set another goal or to dream a new dream ****************** Dick, & Barb Cain, Hibbing, MN. http://www.woodcarvingillustrated.com/gallery/member.php?uid=3627&protype=1