Newbie question. Is there a recommended depth or rule of thumb on how far to insert the endmill into the collet when using the Sweepy v2.0 dust boot?
Do you insert it all the way in until it stops or just to the top of the flutes?
I have the Shapeoko 3 XXL with the Dewalt router and the Sweepy 2.0 dust boot. The dust boot is up as high on the router as it will go and the endmill (Carbide #201) inserted all of the way in. There is approximately 3/8" of the endmill below the bristles on the dust boot and I am preparing to drill the 3/4" holes for a 32 x32 wasteboard.
Is this the correct setup or should the endmill be lowered down to the top of the flutes in the collet?
You don’t want it all the way in until it stops - the collet moves upwards slightly as it tightens, and having the endmill already jammed at the top can prevent proper tightening. You don’t need much room, but you do need a mm or 2.
Some endmills have an indication on the shank for the deepest they should be inserted, so don’t go any deeper than that. You should never have any part of the flutes into the collet, the collet should be gripping uncut shank.
Other than that, you just want the end of the endmill to be at the top of the collet or deeper. If you can, having less ‘stick-out’ will typically mean the endmill is more rigid and less likely to magnify any runout that you have.
The sweepy can also be adjusted downwards - so long as the clamp region is still on the body of the router, it’s fine.
I tend to insert it all the way and then back off some. That amount depends on the boot. I like to have no more that 1/4 to 1/2 inch of the bit exposed below the sweepy if possible. I have the regular and the deep sweepy and I will often push a job part way through and switch from the deep to the regular as the bit gets lower in the material and the deep sweepy gets too close to the surface.
My vac is much quieter with the deep sweepy so I prefer to have that on when possible.
You need to insert a bit until it reaches the top of the collet. The collet is cut to form a W. As you tighten up the collet nut the collet and bit are forced up an inclined plane inside the router shaft. The top of the router shaft is rough cut and when inserting a bit further than the top of the collet is ok but never all the way up. As previously stated the collet and bit travel slight upwards in the router shaft. If the bit bottoms out in the router shaft it can rotate out of round and may not tighten up fully.
When loosening the collet nut on Makita/C3D routers nothing pulls the collet back down the router shaft but the spring action of the W cut into the collet. If the bit does not drop down then tap the collet nut with a plastic handled screw driver a few raps and the spring action of the collet will loosen its grip and the bit will come out. Make sure you have the collet loosened enough to let the collet come down. The Dewalt routers have a Porter Cable style collet and the collet nut and collet are connected and loosening the collet nut pulls the collet and bit back down the inclined plane on the inside of the router shaft. Only tapping and not HITTING the collet nut is sufficient to loosen a stuck bit.
Always clean your collet and nut. I use Brake Cleaner to clean both. You can spray some brake cleaner on a qtip to get up inside the router shaft. Keeping the collet nut and router shaft clean and dry is important to make sure your router bits tighten properly. Bits of saw dust get inside the router shaft and collet and nut. You can use other chemicals like mineral spirits or acetone but Brake Cleaner works fast and dries almost immediately. Keep it clean and dry, no lubricants or your bits will slip and become galled by the internal movement and ruin the bit and the grip on it.
when I need to thoroughly clean something, I just go to the medicine cabinet and use some rubbing alcohol, mostly I just knock things against the MDF baseplate and wipe off w/ a rag
some guidelines say a collet has a minimum insertion of 80% of its length filled with shaft — this can be helpful when one needs a bit more stickout (my preference is to have the end of the tool even with the end of the collet — it’s just easier and should position marking/wear consistently so that it can be more easily watched for) — some folks will choke up on long tools, just don’t allow them to rub at the top of the router shaft, that will cause thermal expansion and the tool pushing out which can be disastrous
some tools will have min./max. insertion marks — make sure to adhere to such guides