Anyone experience their bits binding in the collet, even when the collet is clean? What cause this and is there a fix for it?
1 Like
Two questions:
- Which collet is it?
- Have you measured the diameter of your tool’s shank with calipers?
3 Likes
It is the 1/4 collet from C3D and their bits. I’ve not measured either as I figured they would be the correct size for each other. All of my bits stick in the collet, not just one or two if that helps.
Generally, yes they’re supposed to work with each other, but sometimes there are small manufacturing variations in each. And endmills don’t come from the same machine shop as collets, so one or both may be independently out of spec. If you can verify that your endmills are 0.250" or smaller with calipers, I’d shoot an email to support. You might have a collet that is undersized ever so slightly.
3 Likes
The Makita/C3D collets are not attached to the collet nut. So when loosening the collet nut there is nothing forcing the collet/bit back down the inclined plane inside the router shaft. The spring action of the collet (the W cut pattern) should help bring your collet/bit back down but sometimes it does not.
So a quick fix would be to loosen your collet nut. If the collet/bit does not come loose have the collet nut on a few threads of the router shaft. Take a plastic handled screw driver and tap (NOT BEAT) on the collet nut a few raps. The spring action of the collet should help it slide down the inclined shaft. Be sure to put something under where the bit will fall so it does not get chipped when falling out.
The CNC machine is a dirty environment. Even if you clean your collet regularly dust and chips can get inside and act like sand paper. I use brake cleaner to clean out the router shaft and the collet and nut. I spray a qtip with brake cleaner and go up inside the router shaft to clean it out besides spraying. Just put something below your router to keep the much off your spoilboard. No lubrication should be used on the router collet nut, collet or router. The collet assembly should be dry and lubricant free. Just be sure if you are going to tap on the collet nut that you just tap tap and beat beat.
1 Like
When you remove the collet nut, does the collet and bit come out as well, and the bit is stuck in the collet like that?
Or, when you remove the collet nut, the collet and bit remain in the router/spindle and you have to pry them out?
2 Likes
When the nut and collet was new (just weeks ago) I would barely loosen the nut with the wrenches and the bit would slide out smoothly. Now, even after blowing it out with compressed air (90psi) I have to loosen the nut with the wrenches, then I can loosen it more with my fingers until it binds again. I have to use the wrenches again and the bit will just fall out of the nut/collet.
Prior to replacing the nut and collet a few weeks ago, the original set that came with the CNC back in August would do the same thing, but many times the bit would stay stuck in the nut/collet assembly.
Nothing ever gets stuck in the spindle shaft.
I can try just tap, tap, tapping it out. I’d rather it just come out smoothly on its own like it did at first though.
Did you ever tighten the collet, w/o a tool in it, in the router? That can compress it, causing this problem.
Either way, support will get this taken care of.
1 Like
Nope, never tightened it without a tool in it. I’ll contact support about it.