# Router/Collet head for DeWALT RAS



## Walnuthill (Nov 5, 2014)

Wondering if anyone has fitted a collet head, for instance an ER20 to a DeWALT radial arm saw?
Keen to know the spindle thread definition. Looks to be 1/2" UNC. But if any one could spec. the t.p.i. for me I would be grateful.
Only ever used the saw for crosscutting and dado`s. But recently joined the DeWALT RAS forum and have been presented with many idea`s that I am interested to implement.


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

Walnuthill said:


> Wondering if anyone has fitted a collet head, for instance an ER20 to a DeWALT radial arm saw?
> Keen to know the spindle thread definition. Looks to be 1/2" UNC. But if any one could spec. the t.p.i. for me I would be grateful.
> Only ever used the saw for crosscutting and dado`s. But recently joined the DeWALT RAS forum and have been presented with many idea`s that I am interested to implement.


I would think that the DeWalt forum would have all your answers and then some...


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## Walnuthill (Nov 5, 2014)

Yes! But does not hurt to have two strings to the bow.
Forum here is for routing and they are primarily sawing, so you never know?


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## MikeMa (Jul 27, 2006)

I wouldn't want to run a router bit on a RAS, largely because the 3450 RPMs is going to be way to slow, as well it just wasn't designed for that. What you may want to look for is molding head for the RAS.


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

I agree with Mike about rpm. I've tried a router bit on a drill press at 3000 rpm and the results were poor. The hole in the blade that goes on it is 5/8" I would think. I can't see them making an RAS that required special blades. As for pitch just hold a ruler up to it and count threads for an inch.


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## firstmuller (Aug 28, 2014)

I have used a 1/2 in drill chuck on my Sears radial arm saw but was using it do drilling. It will also fit on the Wards slow speed spindle and have a high speed (I believe it is 20,000 RPM) spindle and have a adapter that will use a 1/4 in bit in it but have not used it yet.
Allen


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## Walnuthill (Nov 5, 2014)

Thanks guys for info.
I have adapted the flycutter to the existing thread on the spindle. Result - not very exciting.


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

I think it is too slow. I built a home made horizontal router setup and I have it around 10 to 12,000rpm and it does a decent job. Shapers turn around 8000rpm min speed but of course the larger diameter bits are traveling faster at the rim. I would say you need to get up around that speed range to start getting acceptable results.


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## Phil P (Jul 25, 2010)

Walnuthill said:


> Thanks guys for info.
> I have adapted the flycutter to the existing thread on the spindle. Result - not very exciting.


Hardly surprising, really, the peripheral speed of the cutter is far too low. European DW radial arms were supplied with an internally threaded motor shaft end at the opposite end to the saw blade, but this was to take a 3-jaw chuck for drilling timber and nothing more (at least according to DW literature I have seen). For shaping they did make a profile cutter head, about 150 or 180mm in diameter which would replace the saw blade, but these did require a replacement guard (which they also sold at the time). These weren't really that good (the cut quality wasn't on a par with a router) and they were dropped some time in the 1980s AFAIK, although Craftsman in the USA and American saw made them for a lot longer (they come up on eBay from time to time, always sans guards). Out of interest they also made a steel bracket to fix onto the DW125/Dw150/DW175 models which replaced the blade and guard and carried a small router such as the Elu MOF96 or DW615/DW5=621/DW622 and converted the RAS into an overhead router. I had one at one time - it was OK, but nothing special

Regards

Phil


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## SantaJerry (Sep 26, 2018)

Firstmuller, in searching for the router adapter to fit on the 20,000rpm spindle of my Montgomery Wards PowerKraft, this is the first time I have read of someone having one. 
Did you get it to working for you? Would love to hear how well and possible see some photos of it.


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

Hi, SantaJerry; welcome!
That comment you were responding to was from 2014, in fact that whole thread was. Still, there was some good info in there.


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

Hi Jerry and welcome. I can't remember seeing Firstmuller on here for quite a while now. He posted back in Nov. 2014 (top left corner of each post) about this. He wasn't alone. A number of people have posted about finding the Monkey Wards collet over the years to fit the high speed shaft. Since Montgomery Wards did not manufacture saws it's likely the same saw existed under other brand names. Seems to me someone suggested it was something like 15/32 thread and fine pitch so quite odd. You can find the other posts (eventually) by using our Community Search function. Any post with Montgomery Wards should show up in a list from newest to oldest.


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## SantaJerry (Sep 26, 2018)

DaninVan and Cherryville Chuck, thanks for the welcome. 

I am finding the likelyhood of locating one of those collett adapters slim. Every MW saw I see listed for sale aI ask about it without success. 
I did get a reply last week from ToolKraft Parts. They are trying to find someone to fabricate some and suggest I check back with them in a month or so.


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## CharleyL (Feb 28, 2009)

I found the 1/4" bit adapter that I had at Sears, took it home and used it once on my 80's vintage Craftsman RAS, and gave up on it. Way to slow for routing. When I sold the RAS it want with the saw to the new owner. I also had and used the Craftsman molding head and it worked on the RAS, but the "pucker factor" was too great. It sounded like a siren when running and circulated the air in my shop well. I still have this molding head and have used it a couple of times in my Unisaw. It's not quite as scary in the Unisaw, but still not something that I enjoy using. I sold the RAS after it had only been used for extra work bench space for over 2 years, and I haven't missed it at all.

Charley


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## Olympiabeerman (May 26, 2020)

The dewalt dw618 router spindle has a 20mmx1mm thread count. You can use a simple 1mm thread file to fix simple stripping, and use a die if you really bunged it up. Don't try to reuse a damaged collet after you fix your spindle, or you'll screw it up again. Toss the old damaged collet(s) and get new ones.


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