Milwaukee Collet Question

[bill_lumley]

I have just installed the Milwaukee router on my bot and discovered I am not sure how bits go into it . I loosened the collect nut and tried putting a 1/2" bit into it and it was way to tight to take the bit so I removed the collet nut and still no luck . I tried pulling the collet out with my fingers but it appears lodged in there . The PC was quite simple in this regard as it would release the bit and you could easily insert a new bit but it appears there is a trick to the Milwaukee that escapes me and is not described in the manual . Should the collet have come out when I released that collet nut ?

Thanks Bill

[paco]

Bill,

some of my bits shank fit tighter than others; mostly when the collet is new. Try different bit brand if you can. Some bits have their shank to a perfect square cut while other have a small chamfer which help slide the shank in the collet. Still, you may have ran into a bad collet but try the above and see have happen. One idea if you think the collet is a little too tight; take a small CED bit (say 1/8") on a 1/4" shank and slide the bit in the other end of the collet taking care not to cut yourself.

Funny cause I prefer to have my bit tight and stay while in the collet when I snug in the chuck... I hate adapters for this reason.

[sawkerf]

Bill, is the collet in one or two pieces? Sounds like it isn't snapped together correctly. Make sure you press the collet into the rim of the nut so that it turns freely within the collet nut. I have five or six collets in both 1/4" and 1/2" and they are all loose fitting around the bit. Keep in mind these are "self-releasing" collets, meaning they have two stages of tightness. For example, when you initially loosen the nut, it turns freely for a few turns then you have to use the wrenches again and then the bit falls out easily. It could be that you have it too tight before hand. I always try to insert the bit while the collet is only catching a couple of threads on the shaft. Hope this helps. You'll love the differance in the MK router! My MK brushes went out this past week and I was afraid I was gonna have to go back to the old PC, YIKES! Thank God for spare brushes! Kip

[john_r]

As Kip said make sure your collet is snapped into the nut...not the router. It should be one piece made out of the two...nut and collet. I did this one for a few days trying to pry the collet out of the router after loosening and removing the nut, before I realized.

[bill_lumley]

I took the router back off the bot to have a closer look (it is hard to seee when mounted). The opening of the collet is about 1/16" less than 1/2" so no matter what 1/2" bit I try nothing is going in that opening . The collet and nut are not connected in anyway as they should be . The nut slides right over the collet when I put the nut back on and I can screw the nut right to the end of the thread and it doesn't come close to closing in on the collet . It appears that when the collet was mounted at the factory it was driven home so it is completly closed up and not able to engage the nut at all . I will have to take it to my local service center and have them sort it out as I don't want to damage a new collet trying to get it out and then have them blame me for doing it . The unit is completely new and should not be in this state .

[bill_lumley]

Problem solved - I just took a pair of slip joint plyers and grabbed the collet being careful not to mar the inside surfaces and twisted it out . I was then able to easily snap the nut on and voila I now have a working assembly . You learn something new every day


Thanks everyone