# STUCK BIT -- Bosch 1604A stuck with a 1/4" shank junky roundover bit



## corbind (Apr 17, 2012)

SUMMARY: ¼” shank roundover bit stuck in my router! 

ROUTER: Bosch 1604A fixed base (bought new in 1999)
GRRRRRR! I have used this fixed base router once since I’ve always just used my other router. Anyway, in January ‘12 I put a small roundover bit in the Bosch used it one night. Tonight I went out the to put in my brand new Whiteside 2009 roundover bit but I can’t get the old, crappy bit out!

I did not know about the not tightening bits when all the way to the floor of it, to back it out 1/8” or so. I used the wrenches to loosen the nut but it loosened not too much before it went against the flanges of the roundover bit so can’t be loosened anymore!

So I got two pieces of scrap wood, a large vice grip and tried to pull it out. Hilarious. Not even budge. Since I don’t care if the bit breaks (it’s crappy) I tapped the end of it with a vice grip three times. That moved it but CLOSER into the router! Man I was not expecting that.

Hmmm, that must mean I did leave a little room between the shaft and the bottom of the collar or whatever. Anyway, now the collar is like against the flange of the bit. I just don’t want to wreck the router and we can destroy the bit if necessary.

Okay guys, time for your help. What shall I do? :laugh:


----------



## Matador58 (Jan 28, 2012)

Hi corbind ,

You have yourself in a bit of a pickle .
In the first photo where I see the router 
bit is right down on the collar . You could 
try jamming a screw drivers in each of 
those gaps of the flange as tight as you can 
then tighten up the nut again as far as it will
go that should keep the flange away from the 
router bit shaft . Tap the router bit shaft using 
a hammer and a small steel bar use a bit of 
WD40 spray oil to help to loosen it hopefully 
the router bit come out . I'm not sure if that 
will work . Good luck hope you can get it out 
without damaging your router .

Cheers Graham .


----------



## N'awlins77 (Feb 25, 2011)

If Graham's idea doesn't work, and you're willing to sacrifice the collet nut, to save the router, first use some small pieces of rags and clog up the vents in your router, then get
a Dremel, or some small cut-off grinding wheel and grind away some of the bits "wings" right where they meet the collet nut. Thus giving room for the nut to unscrew a bit. If you're real careful, you may not even mess up the nut too much. 

I had a customer do this with a shell reamer that walked up in a collet in his Bridgeport mill and he couldn't get it out. This was on a bit of a larger scale, so he was able to save his collet nut. Don't know if you can control a Dremel that well on a smaller scale. But buying a new nut is cheaper then the router!! Good luck!!


----------



## mgmine (Jan 16, 2012)

Don't this at home but I have done it and was able to free a stuck bit. Clamp the bit in a vice and turn on the router. The spinning router frees up the stuck bit and you can pull it out.


----------



## Admin (Feb 13, 2012)

mgmine said:


> Don't this at home but I have done it and was able to free a stuck bit. Clamp the bit in a vice and turn on the router. The spinning router frees up the stuck bit and you can pull it out.


UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCE TRY THIS METHOD:fie::fie::fie::fie::fie::fie::fie:

The dremel is the way to go, then take the collet nut off, grab with some vice grips and pull out the bit


----------



## Mike (Nov 22, 2004)

The first step is to spray the collet with PB Blaster and let it start to work on the rust that has formed inside. This product is the best I have worked with and I think I have tried them all. After it has had time to work use your wrenches and keep loosening the collet nut until it comes off. You might also try holding the shaft with the wrench and turning the bit with your vice grips. By tapping the bit in you have broken it free and now it is just sticking. If all else fails take your router to a Bosch service center. If the bit shank is rusty when it comes out you should most lkely replace the collet. Make it a habit to remove bits as soon as you are done using them.

Do not plug the router in and turn it on while the bit is in a vice!


----------



## Mike (Nov 22, 2004)

The Bosch 1600 series routers are real work horses and come in several variations. You can download the parts diagram and users manual from our router reference section. You must order parts based on the numbers on your router since 3 different collets were used on these models.


----------



## japa62 (May 9, 2012)

Hi corbind,


Matador58 said:


> Tap the router bit shaft using
> a hammer and a small steel bar use a bit of
> WD40 spray oil to help to loosen it hopefully
> the router bit come out.


With Graham here on the WD40 or Penetrating oil. One thing about penetrating oil is let it soak in. Give it a small attempt at loosening by the multiple methods avail. If no progress, a little more soaking. I've removed some of the most stuck/rusted etc nuts with patience and a little (don't over spray, makes the situation worst) soak.

James


----------



## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi

I suggest you put a small pair of vice grips on the bit and use a slide hammer puller on it, a tap or two and it will come up..then back the nut off..

15 Piece Slide Hammer and Puller Set 
Slide Hammer - Great Deals on Slide Hammers at Harbor Freight


==

==


----------



## OPG3 (Jan 9, 2011)

> Don't this at home but I have done it and was able to free a stuck bit. Clamp the bit in a vice and turn on the router. The spinning router frees up the stuck bit and you can pull it out.


I agree with the "Don't do this at home" and would add: "Don't do this anywhere". This forum is no place to play hurtful jokes on people. Someone might actually take you seriously. If you do this, you are dumber than a stump! That is a great way to get hurt! Take the router to a qualified repair shop - this is an everyday chore for those guys. I'll bet you that they will remove it harmlessly while you go down the street for a milk shake and a hamburger, and if you buy a $3.00 item, the repair will probably cost you nothing!
*DO NOT DO THE VICE TRICK! KEEP THE ROUTER UNPLUGGED UNTIL YOU GET IT BACK HOME!*


----------



## 57759 (Apr 8, 2011)

I realize pictures can be somewhat deceiving but is there a reason the nut can't be used to jack the cutter out?


----------



## N'awlins77 (Feb 25, 2011)

Robert, those two flats on the router spindle are very easy to strip if you try to force it too much. Then he's really screwed. Or you stretch your wrench.


----------



## stanzee (Dec 9, 2010)

SandburRanch said:


> I realize pictures can be somewhat deceiving but is there a reason the nut can't be used to jack the cutter out?


That was going to be my suggestion also. It will probably be easier after a soak time using a penetrating oil.


----------



## corbind (Apr 17, 2012)

I'm not sure which method to use yet. Since I don't care if the bit gets destroyed, using my Dremel to cut the router "wings" off sounds nice. I hope the router steel is not that hard but I'd expect it to be REALLY hard, well, cuz it's a router bit!

I have only the wheels that came with the Dremmel. They are tiny almost ceramic wheels. Will that cut through steel? I should get some pics of those as well. I'll research Bosch dealers around here, too, if the Dremel does not work.

My brother has a 20 year old 6" bench grinder maybe that would rip the wings off easier than a Dremel. I'm hesitant to put any penetrating oil or lubricant for fear it will forever be in there and make it hard to hold router bits again. I have garage door lube in an aerosol can. It's silicon-based I believe. I should have gone out to the garage to look before posting.


----------



## Mike (Nov 22, 2004)

You really have three choices: take it to a Bosch service center; follow the suggestions given to you and try the PB Blaster or other penetrating oil and perhaps a slide hammer; ask a question, ignor the responses and mess up your router. Which choice sounds good to you?


----------



## corbind (Apr 17, 2012)

Would cutting perpindicular to the router bit shaft (the small bit of area between the collar and the router bit wings) with a band saw work? I don't know if band saws have the power to cut through the shaft of a router bit. Or a recip saw which I do have....


----------



## Mike (Nov 22, 2004)

You will not be able to cut the carbide with a band saw. Your bit has already moved down in the collet so it is just sticking. Use some pentrating oil; having tried all the brands on the market PB Blaster has worked the best for me. It only takes a tiny spray to help loosen your bit. You can remove any type of penetrating oil with some alcohol on a cotton swab once it is loose.


----------



## KenBee (Jan 1, 2011)

I can't add to the suggestions given to release the bit but one thing I didn't see mentioned is, Once the bit is out of the collet get a brass brush made for cleaning collets and give it a thorough cleaning. I religiously use canned air before and after I use a brass brush on my collets once I remove the bit.


----------



## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi

Just in case your bit is still stuck pull your dremel tool out and cut on the back side on the wings on the bit,, but don't and try and cut the carbon steel once you have cut the steel on both wings take a hammer and tap them the carbon steel will snap right off then you can turn the nut off.


good luck
==


----------



## greenacres2 (Dec 23, 2011)

PB Blaster would be my choice as well--very small shot, let stand for an hour, another very small shot, another hour. Then, try to use the collet nut to jack it out. If it doesn't start to move somewhat easily--try the 2 shots/2 hours once more. 

I've used PB Blaster do a lot of what i thought were hopeless tasks. Not as oily as many products and cleans up remarkably well. Helps that it can be used in very small quantity. Most difficult thing in using it is being patient enough to let it do its job--same problem i have with applying multiple coats of finish!!

Good luck.

earl


----------



## PAD3 (Oct 20, 2013)

Having experienced a stuck bit or two, I think I would just continue to loosen the collet nut until the bit comes loose. The nut will eventually push the bit out. Make sure wrenches are secure when you apply pressure. You have the mechanical advantage. A drop or two of rust remover will help. Let it do it's work.


----------



## MAFoElffen (Jun 8, 2012)

A lot of people "here" in this forum repair machinery. A lot of people here have experience with repairing routers. A lot of people here have experience with stuck colletes/router bits.

Just me- I would not cut anything off the bit. What (really) is that going to give you?

If it were under warranty, I would get with Bosch to take care of it. I know some companies will take care of oddity's that happen out-of-warranty.

Here's how colletes are supposed to work- The shaft is machined out for the collete. It is straight in with a taper inside that, further in. There is a slight taper inside the collete nut. As you tighten the nut, the collete gets caught between thoses tapers and tightens.

There is a slight shoulder on most colletes, where the Bosche is included, where that shoulder is a ridge that grabs onto the inside diameter of the collete nut... so as the collete nut is loosened, it release any forces from the arbor nut, but also tries to pull the collete back out of that arbor's taper (from the arbor shaft).

If you can get some kind of rust penetrant/lubricant, that may help. Although I find PB Blaster is a good rust penetrant... It really isn't a good lubricant. For a good combination between the two, I use a product called Aero-Kroil. It has a way of working itself in threads and between things.

Anyways, if the nut moves, sometimes you can tighten it until the nut pops back into that collete's groove. The loosening will then pull that collete loose from it's taper. Sometimes not.

If not, then sometimes you can whack the bit towards the arbor shaft and it woill osen between the bit and the collete or the collette and the arbor shaft... sometimes not.

When not, if the bit has a shoulder to it, if you can loosen the nut, then you can use the nut to jack the collete/bit out. If you have a shoulder left to the bit, you can use that to pull on or pry. If you cut that off, then you use that as a chance to do that.

Do not pry between the bit and collete if the nut is tight. Aslo do not pry between there if the bit is completely loose. You, ruin the threads. But if the nut is loose from the collete and you can get the collete nut lose to within 2-3 threads of being off, then it is not touching the collete and is no the threads enough not to distort them while prying... Does that make sense?

You could use a slide hammer, if you have enough to get around on the bit and be able to get around between the bearing land in th motor case. You would have to do some disassembly to be able to do that.

You could cut the collete nut off, but most people don't have the skill to do that without ruining the threads on that arbor shaft. It takes some skill. care and patience. Then tap on the end of the bit towards the arbor and sometimes it will release. (if the user properly left some room between the end of the bit and the hole in the arbor). But, if bit is bottomed in the arbor shaft or if the collete still doesn't release from the taper, what do you really have left to do to release the taper

At that point, I would say you need to make a decision whether the repair is going to cost more than the router is worth or if anything beyond that would make the router beyond repair. Heating the shaft or swagging the taper to release it, IMHO, would make the router unrepairable (by most people). If you pound on it too much (tapping or slide hammer) then you have concerns with the bearings or distortion of the shaft.


----------



## lennyk (Nov 26, 2008)

What about heating and cooling ?
You could use one of those canister torches to heat up the bit and hope the expansion will break the rust bond. 

As an extreme measure you can heat the nut and collet first then use a butane lighter refill and spray the bit with that to cool it immediately.
This way the bit will shrink whilst the collet is still hot and expanded from heat.
I have done similar to remove the the stator that motor windings are on.


----------



## Mike (Nov 22, 2004)

Lenny, since this thread is a couple years old I am guessing the bit has been removed by now.

A torch applied to the bit would melt the housing on a 1604 router.


----------



## Bob and Bernie Bob (Feb 15, 2014)

Mike, it would be interesting to know if he got it out. From your picture I assume you can separate the base from the motor. That would give you room to work. I would take a heavy body old knife or one from a thrift store and use an angle grinder to make a slot wider than the bit shank near the handle.. 

Spray the bit and collet with your favorite lubricant.

Lay the router down with a wood block under the nut. Hold the knife blade between the nut and the wings of the bit with the slot lined up with the bit shank and hit the back side of the knife with a hammer. If that didn't loosen it and the knife is stuck tight, use a vise or C clamp to force the knife in more. 

If it isn't free by the time you hit the bottom of the slot, back out the nut and/or add spacers and do it until it is. Bob


----------



## Mike (Nov 22, 2004)

Most of the time when we get a "stuck bit" thread it is because the second release has not happened on a self releasing collet. No matter how clearly it is spelled out in the manual this will always happen. Leaving your bits in your router invites rust to make them stick. PB Blaster is my go to solution.


----------



## corbind (Apr 17, 2012)

Yea, got the old bit out and the new one in late May '12. Without you guys here at the forum I would have been pretty much screwed. Glad for all the kind advice to get me out of the jam.

The new bit is wonderful and I was able to make some nice work with it. Also learned here from you guys to get a bigger bit to do better work. Life's good!


----------



## Mike (Nov 22, 2004)

"I love it when a plan comes together." 

*Note from Moderator: This thread was closed due to its age.
if you have any advice or comments, please start a new thread.*


----------

