Well, if the wedge idea didnt work, it would seem to me what you now have is an expensive paperweight. This is why I no longer lend out tools. I learned a very expensive lesson loaning my subcompact tractor to a "friend".
Stuck Router Collet
- Thread starter AllanD
- Start date
I ordered some 16x1.5 mm nuts from bolt depot last night. We'll see. Worse case will be ordering a new armature. I think they were about half the price of a new router. I have about 8 routers but this is the one that fits a jig I use for cabinet shelf pin holes among other jigs.
I think you have only a couple choices left and one is to send the 1010 to Festool service which is very good and aside from cost of parts is reasonable and they are quick. Or you could order a new armature and do the repair yourself. My reasoning is the possibility of it being friction welded together which is rare but possible only because of all the different ways you tried should have caused the collet to pop out or at least move some. As a last ditch you could try to and I know a gent in Hudson who used this method before on a 1000 is set the 1010 in the freezer for 30 minutes and then take a torch and apply heat to the threads for only a minute which then should break the collet free with the persuasion from a hammer.
Thanks Rick. I have a very small torch I can use with the oxyacetylene so that is worth a try.
An update just to keep you folks entertained: I was able to get the locking hole cleared enough today to be able to get a drift in it.
As it turned out, yeah, the bit was obviously solid carbide. I tried drilling it but the drill bit got eat up. I then tried a diamond hole saw bit that I usually use for cutting holes in glass. The first twisted off, the second made enough progress I was able to drive out most of the one of the pieces of bit shank and drive out the broken tip of the nail set. At least now I can stabilize the shaft.
An update just to keep you folks entertained: I was able to get the locking hole cleared enough today to be able to get a drift in it.
As it turned out, yeah, the bit was obviously solid carbide. I tried drilling it but the drill bit got eat up. I then tried a diamond hole saw bit that I usually use for cutting holes in glass. The first twisted off, the second made enough progress I was able to drive out most of the one of the pieces of bit shank and drive out the broken tip of the nail set. At least now I can stabilize the shaft.
Here's what I would try -
Make a jig to support the shaft from the hole back. Metal would be best as it is a heat sink and not allow the windings to get too hot.
Lock a set of lock tights on the collet - you will need to act fast and the lock tights will be a small amount of heat sink for the collet.
Heat the threaded area where the collet is (but not the collet itself) with a propane (not oxy) torch all the way around the shaft as fast as you can - you want to heat the shaft more than the collet so you have to outrun the heat capacity of the collet. Depending on the type of steel the shaft is the CTE will be between 10 and 18 ppm/C. If you can get 5-10 degrees difference, the shaft will open up several mils.
With all the (necessary to this point) hammering on the shaft, I wonder if it will still run true.
Make a jig to support the shaft from the hole back. Metal would be best as it is a heat sink and not allow the windings to get too hot.
Lock a set of lock tights on the collet - you will need to act fast and the lock tights will be a small amount of heat sink for the collet.
Heat the threaded area where the collet is (but not the collet itself) with a propane (not oxy) torch all the way around the shaft as fast as you can - you want to heat the shaft more than the collet so you have to outrun the heat capacity of the collet. Depending on the type of steel the shaft is the CTE will be between 10 and 18 ppm/C. If you can get 5-10 degrees difference, the shaft will open up several mils.
With all the (necessary to this point) hammering on the shaft, I wonder if it will still run true.
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my guess is if the nut was loose, or missing, then the bit spun and generated enough heat in the shaft to weld the collet and bit into the router shaft. I think you'll be looking at a new shaft, collet, and nut if you intend to get this one back up and running!
Thanks for posting the very interesting photos. I sure hope you find a successful solution. Problems like this are always challenging and sometimes don't end as well as we would like.
Success. Got a 16x1.5 nut on the shaft, tried clamping the collet with vice grips and unscrewing nut. The vice grips slipped off as I expected. So went ahead and found a nut that just fit over the collet and welded it on. When I unscrewed the nut on the shaft it finally forced the collet out. All is back together and working fine with a new collet.
Great repair sequences of escalation. Its not always this involved but every now and then....
You did a wonderful job of documenting the process.
You did a wonderful job of documenting the process.
I don't know Mark. I plan on quizzing my son more about it. I found it with the collet nut off and the broken off bit in place but stuck. The crud on the collet may be mostly from when I was drilling out the locking hole and using a lot of cutting fluid.
Thanks Bob, I thought it might help others if faced with similar problem or at least for everyone's entertainment.
Thanks Bob, I thought it might help others if faced with similar problem or at least for everyone's entertainment.
