# Say hi to the new girl!!



## nevanerviss (Jun 9, 2007)

Hi guys!! Im Toni, and I just joined today. I've been a long time lurker, but decided to join because I have a ton of questions, but I'll start with something easy. I have never done woodworking before, but I weld and do fiberglass body work, so I'm no stranger to fabrication, just to woodworking. Which brings me to my question. I have a Craftsman (I know, I know) router model 315, and it has 2 collets, 1/4 and 1/2. Since I know nothing of how to use the thing, I decided to buy the cheaper 1/4 shank bits for practice. I put the bit in the collet, tightened down the nut, and went to take it out to try another bit, and it won't come out of the collet!!!  The nut comes loose from the router, but the collet won't come loose from the nut, and the bit won't come out of the collet!!! What am I doing wrong? 

I know I used the right collet; 1/2 is too big, and 1/8 if they even make them is too small... I tried to put the collet back in the router and thread the nut just a little bit to make sure it wasn't squeezing the bit shank, and tried to pry it out, but it won't budge... Please help...


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## curiousgeorge (Nov 6, 2006)

Welcome nevanerviss. Glad to have you aboard.
YOU aren't doing anything wrong. The bit is just stuck in the collet. I'm not familiar with the Craftsman router but have you tried putting the nut in a vise upside down and using a punch to drive the collet out of the nut? If you can get the nut and collet loose from each other the bit should come out of the collet. Even if you destroy the collet and or nut doing this you can just get another.


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## Dr.Zook (Sep 10, 2004)

Welcome to the Router Forums Toni. Glad to have another female join our forums. I hope you will become an active member and not be a lurker anymore.


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi Toni

Just one more thing you can try 

Put the nut back on the router but not to tight, then push the bit all the up, way out so the bit is above the base plate now put in two wooden blocks in the vise and clamp the bit in the vise now move the router around bit to break the grip on the router bit.
If it will not come out take a pry bar and with care pry on the base of the router and the top of the vise BUT with care it should come free.

Some Craftsman routers can be nasty to get the bit out if it's been clamped in tight.


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## challagan (Feb 7, 2006)

Welcome Toni to the router forums!

Corey


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## kp91 (Sep 10, 2004)

Sometimes if you don't have enough clearance below the bit (or you bottom it out) the collet can put a burr on the bit shank making it a pain to get out.


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## Joe Lyddon (Sep 11, 2004)

Toni, I'm glad you decided to join in... I hope you get your problem solved... sounds like it will be solved very soon...

*W e l c o m e . . A b o a r d !!​*


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## Bob N (Oct 12, 2004)

Great to have you with us Toni. You are the 2nd lady to jopin us in tthe past week or so. I am trying to get this wild bunch in line and shower and shave more ofetn now that we have ladies with us.  

Let's see clean shops too guys.


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## nevanerviss (Jun 9, 2007)

I've tried everything I can think of to get this thing out, but it won't come out!!! I've tried prying and crying, I even bought it flowers, but it's a no-go... I think I'm just gonna buy another 1/4" collet and call it a day... When I wanna use my round-over bit, I'll just put that collet in, but otherwise I'll use the "other" collet... My las resort is to take it to my job and have the maintenance guy heat it, but I don't want to compromise the structural integrity of the bit/shank/collet...


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi nevanerviss

Get your hair dryer out or a heat gun and give it a try,, they don't put out a lot of heat but they will do it...

Heat gun is the best...2 stage 

I use one to break the loctiie seal I have on some of my bits for my carvewright machine.
The Fac. put's it on and they can be a pain to change without the heat..
rap a wet rag just under the nut to keep the heat from going down ,(a type of heat sink)


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## Drugstore Cowboy (May 17, 2007)

Hi new girl --
You've already been given every suggestion I could have thought of -- and then some.
But a gentleman never sees a lady come into the room without doffing his hat and saying HI.

I will concur with what you have been told -- not likely anything you did WRONG -- I had a Craftsman that had a bad habit of seizing up like that.


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## harrysin (Jan 15, 2007)

I'm not familiar with you're particular router Toni but I find that 1/4" cutters frozen in the collet are common, the staged photo shows how I remove them. As a matter of interest I had remove this one using this method! A most important point to remember with this method is to hold the cutter!!!!


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## gregW (Mar 14, 2007)

Harry
it took me a minute to see the wrench that you have clamped in the vise to support the collet...that's a real good idea. 

Toni
If you don't have a vise you could just clamp the wrench to a table top, or even just lay the wrench across a couple of blocks and it should work as well.

Greg 





harrysin said:


> I'm not familiar with you're particular router Toni but I find that 1/4" cutters frozen in the collet are common, the staged photo shows how I remove them. As a matter of interest I had remove this one using this method! A most important point to remember with this method is to hold the cutter!!!!


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## Mike (Nov 22, 2004)

The 315 number is not the model number, it is common to all Craftsman routers. If you go to the website and copy the link which shows your router I will be able to tell you the model number. If it is red and silver it is a 26620 which is a clone of the Bosch 1617. The collet must be snapped into the nut before putting it on the shaft. If you dont do this it will bind every time with every bit. Same thing with the 1/2" and 3/8" collets. The good news is once you get the collet off the bit and snap it into place you will not have this trouble again.


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## nevanerviss (Jun 9, 2007)

The router's model number is 275000, and I finally got it out... I had to take a pair of channel locks on the collet nut, and a pipe wrench on the collet shaft, and turned in opposite directions, and the nut moved, which allowed me to extract the bit... It came with 2 collets, 1/4 and 1/2... The 1/4 was too big for the little hole that the collet goes into (I don't know what that's called), and from what I've seen, my router only takes 1/2 inch bits... To the best of my knowledge (and there isn't much), the 1/4 collet is not a converter sleeve... So, I think I'll have to go get some 1/2 bits, which ain't gonna be cheap... Thanks a lot for the suggestions, guys... 

I like this place... Mind if I stay a while??

Toni


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## harrysin (Jan 15, 2007)

The longer you stay the more you will learn. Whilst 1/4" routers have their uses, there is no substitute for a powerful 1/2" machine, especially one with soft start/variable speed. when you see the things that you make with it, the memory of it's cost will only be a faded memory.


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## Dr.Zook (Sep 10, 2004)

*Stay*



nevanerviss said:


> The router's model number is 275000, and I finally got it out... I had to take a pair of channel locks on the collet nut, and a pipe wrench on the collet shaft, and turned in opposite directions, and the nut moved, which allowed me to extract the bit... It came with 2 collets, 1/4 and 1/2... The 1/4 was too big for the little hole that the collet goes into (I don't know what that's called), and from what I've seen, my router only takes 1/2 inch bits... To the best of my knowledge (and there isn't much), the 1/4 collet is not a converter sleeve... So, I think I'll have to go get some 1/2 bits, which ain't gonna be cheap... Thanks a lot for the suggestions, guys...
> 
> I like this place... Mind if I stay a while??
> 
> Toni


Yes, please stay Toni. We need more active female members.


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## Joe Lyddon (Sep 11, 2004)

nevanerviss said:


> I like this place... Mind if I stay a while??
> 
> Toni


Toni, why would we mind having you around to help, etc.?

You are welcome to stick around as long as you want to!

I was wondering if you got the 1/2" collet completely OUT before trying to insert the 1/4" collet... the 1/2" er must come out first.


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## Julie (Sep 11, 2004)

Hi new girl... I'm an old girl (well not OLD, but one of the original members of this forum)

Sorry, Dr. Zook, I haven't been too active here, but I HAVE been using my router on a daily basis, along with all my other power tools.

~Julie~


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## Dr.Zook (Sep 10, 2004)

*Welcome back Julie.*

Ok Julie, we will let you off with a warning this time but next time!!!!!!!!!  Glad you are keeping active with your router tho. I have seen where you were lurking from time to time. Glad to hear from you. Don't be a stranger.


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## unlimitedwoodworker (Mar 3, 2006)

glad you got it out.
and welcome!
Jeff


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## harrysin (Jan 15, 2007)

Julie said:


> Hi new girl... I'm an old girl (well not OLD, but one of the original members of this forum)
> 
> Sorry, Dr. Zook, I haven't been too active here, but I HAVE been using my router on a daily basis, along with all my other power tools.
> 
> ~Julie~


It sounds like you are overdue at sending us some shots of you're work, I'm sure that it would shame lots of us into more regular posts.


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