# Router bits no longer fitting inside collet?



## Sheshu (Nov 7, 2012)

For some reason which I cant think what is my router bits no longer fit inside the collet. The collet hole is too small.

Does anyone know what the cause of this might be, I could be guilty of over tightening the bits? Is there anything I can try to do to fix it or should I just buy a new collet?

Something else is also happening which is the collet is getting stick inside the router when I go to take the nut off the collet and nut seperate leaving the collet inside the router and its quite difficult to get it off.

The only thing I can think of i might have done is over tightening and maybe not pulling the bit slightly up from the base before using it.


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## Gene Howe (Jul 10, 2007)

You may be right. It sounds like the collett may be deformed. I always insure that there is space under the bit shaft and, I do tighten really tight. So, I'm guessing the cause is not due to over tightening....tho I could be wrong on that.


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## friendly1too (Sep 25, 2004)

Could be a buildup of pitch or other residue. A good cleaning couldn't hurt.


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## jschaben (Jun 21, 2009)

Sheshu said:


> For some reason which I cant think what is my router bits no longer fit inside the collet. The collet hole is too small.
> 
> Does anyone know what the cause of this might be, I could be guilty of over tightening the bits? Is there anything I can try to do to fix it or should I just buy a new collet?
> 
> ...


Another possibility is if the nut was tightened with no bit, or to small of a bit. Might try removing the collet from the router, put the correct size bit in it and just let it rest that way for awhile, say overnite. It does sound to me like the collet has been deformed in some way.


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## gmercer_48083 (Jul 18, 2012)

Think Simple... If you turn on the router with no bit inserted and the collet nut loose the nut spins tight and may have jambed the collet into the motor shaft while it was crooked. This can distort the collet to be slightly oval making the bit harder to insert into the collet. Most the time the collet is still usable as long as there are no burrs on the collet or motor shaft.


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## OPG3 (Jan 9, 2011)

Get a new collet. Trash or recycle the damaged one. A bad one can spell D I S A S T E R. They are cheap and I would venture to guess that most router users keep spares on-hand. Keep collets clean and be cautious not to damage them. Running the router with the collet loose and no bit inserted should not be able to over-tighten your collet, because there is no torque in that (non) connection.


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