Router Newbie--Missing Pieces?

<<Looks like you have a 1/2" collet and the nut that goes with it to be

threaded on the shaft, shown in photo you call spare chuck.
>>

Except that it won't go onto the shaft. I've tried! The collet sticks
out on the side with the threads and will not go into the shaft.

<<If they show an exploded view of the router in the parts manual, it
should help you.
>>

Doesn't have one. That would make it too easy. ;-)

Thanks for your reply.

<<It appears from the picture at the top right that the collet is in
the
shaft. The part you see in the end with the splits in it is the collet.
>>

Ok, since you all agree, then it must be so. ;-)

I thought it look collet-ish, but didn't match the other pictures I
had, and didn't seem willing to detach itself.

I'll give it another whirl.

Thanks everyone!

<<warning to tighten the nut without a bit in it. It maybe the same for
Botsch. Always read the manual before use. >>

Mine says *not* to tighten the nut without a bit in it. Was that what
you meant?

Anyway, collet appears firmly wedged in the shaft and I can't remove
it. May have to buy some 1/2" bits. ;-)

<<My guess is that your router has already been in the hands of an
end-user. >>

An astute conclusion: the unit is "factory reconditioned."

The trick with the cloth and pliers worked. Got the collet out. After
I put the 1/4" collet in, however, and put the nut on, it won't close
tight enough to hold the 1/4" bit.

This is why I waited a year to get started. The crawling before
walking is painful. ;-)

<<Put a cloth around the collet and twistout with some wide pliers. >>

That worked, thanks!

<<But, if You can't screw the nut on to the collet, then You can't use
1/2"
bits, or?>>

The nut goes on the 1/2" collet just fine, but I had bought a bunch of
1/4" bits months ago and I want to use them if I can. They're much
less expensive and while I'm experimenting, I don't want to destroy
expensive bits.

Thank you!

<You should have two nuts and two collets.
1/2" collet for 1/2" nut,ect >>

There are two nuts and two collets. One collet is 1/2" and the other
is smaller but bigger than 1/4". <sigh>

<<You need a book on the basics of getting to know the router in
detail>>

I do have one, but it covers a wide variety of routers and it's not
obvious how much applies to mine in particular. Now that you guys have
helped me identify my 1/2" collet, I can see pictures of it in the
book. I also see a picture of a 1/4" collet that looks just like the
one I have. But mine still won't hold the bit.

<<Unless its a 3/8" collet which also comes with most 1/2" routers.>>

Perhaps that's the case. My router book says that 3/8" collets aren't
included much any more, though. Maybe it's metric?

<<Looking closely at the (no collet) pic it would seem you have a
collet
within a collet?>>

No, it's just machined with the bevel at the top that looks like
another collet.

I'll just have to call the support line on Monday.

I appreciate your help!

Bosch says it's likely a 3/8" collet. At first, the nice person on the
phone said they didn't make 3/8" collets, but researched it and found
out differently.

Anyway, they're sending me a 1/4" collet. Nice people!

Thanks for your help.

On Sat, 28 Oct 2006 07:12:05 -0700, gesres wrote:


> Anyway, collet appears firmly wedged in the shaft and I can't remove
> it. May have to buy some 1/2" bits. ;-)

1) Wiggle it. If need be, insert the plain end of a drill bit into the
opening and wiggle it. Once it gets out, inspect it for smoothness and
LIGHTLY touch up any external divots you might find ... possibly machining
burrs at the slits ... with a bit of crocus cloth. Check the ID of the
shaft for corresponding nicks and address them too, LIGHTLY so as not to
destroy the over all circularity.

2) the pliers and cloth trick mentioned earlier would be my next step.
Just be careful not to squeeze the collet sides more than a VERY small
amount. If it cracks or distorts, it's unsafe junk. Pitch it and buy a new
one.

3) bend a piece of coat hanger wire with a t-handle at one end and
a short hook at the other. Insert the hook through the collet opening and
yank.

My guess is that your router has already been in the hands of an end-user.
I very much doubt that Bosch would ship it in this condition.
Likely somebody (you?) has pressed the collet into the shaft and THEN tried
to screw the nut on. That's how it got wedged in there to start with. The
nut with the collet already inserted would be the proper way to do things.

The3rd Earl Of Derby wrote:

>
> lol
>
> You need a book on the basics of getting to know the router in detail
>
> Unless its a 3/8" collet which also comes with most 1/2" routers.
>
> Looking closely at the (no collet) pic it would seem you have a collet
> within a collet?
>
> And if I'm right then you have 3 collets ie 1/2",3/8" and 1/4"

No wonder the bloody nut wouldn't screw on. lol

--
Sir Benjamin Middlethwaite

<[email protected]> skrev i melding
news:[email protected]...
> Bought a Bosch router almost a year ago, but didn't have time to work
> on the projects that I bought it for. Now that I do, I'm a bit stumped
> how to put it together (Never used a router before.) I think I'm
> missing parts. The shaft came with nut on it, but no collet that I can
> recognize. There was a separate chuck that appears to have a 1/4"
> collet, but I can't see how to attach it to the shaft. The directions
> recommend using 1/2" shanks, so I suspect I may be missing a 1/2"
> collet. I don't mind that, because I actually would prefer to attach
> the 1/4" chuck, since I have some of those bits.
>
> Here's a picture of the parts I have:
>
> http://www.boundvortex.com/images/Chucks.jpg
>
> Questions:
>
> 1) Am I correct that there appears to be a missing 1/2" collet, and
> 2) How can I attach the 1/4" chuck?
>
> Thanks
> (BTW, I have read the manual)
>

It seems like You have all parts. But with some routers, You have to snap in
the collet in to the nut BEFORE You put it in the router shaft. You will
feel it when the colett "clicks" into the nut. Now You can put the collet
with the nut into the shaft.

I can add, my router (Freud) has a warning to tighten the nut without a bit
in it. It maybe the same for Botsch. Always read the manual before use.

May-Brith

<[email protected]> skrev i melding
news:[email protected]...
> <<warning to tighten the nut without a bit in it. It maybe the same for
> Botsch. Always read the manual before use. >>
>
> Mine says *not* to tighten the nut without a bit in it. Was that what
> you meant?

I'm sorry I wasn't clear enough. My native language is Norwegian, and it's
30 years ago I learned English. So it's not always easy to explain. May
sentence about tighten the nut was meant to be *not* tighten.


>
> Anyway, collet appears firmly wedged in the shaft and I can't remove
> it. May have to buy some 1/2" bits. ;-)
>

But, if You can't screw the nut on to the collet, then You can't use 1/2"
bits, or?

May-Brith

[email protected] wrote:
> <You should have two nuts and two collets.
> 1/2" collet for 1/2" nut,ect >>
>
> There are two nuts and two collets. One collet is 1/2" and the other
> is smaller but bigger than 1/4". <sigh>

lol

You need a book on the basics of getting to know the router in detail

Unless its a 3/8" collet which also comes with most 1/2" routers.

Looking closely at the (no collet) pic it would seem you have a collet
within a collet?

And if I'm right then you have 3 collets ie 1/2",3/8" and 1/4"

--
Sir Benjamin Middlethwaite

My Hitacchi router has two nuts with the collet in each, 1/4 and 1/2. Collet
comes out with the nut. When I bought the 1/2 collet would not stay in the
nut, e-mailed Hitachi and they sent me a new oneright away.
"Bigpole" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> The second picture to the right looks like that the 1/2" collet is in the
> router without the nut used to tighten it.
> You should be able to remove it and install the 1/4" collet.
>
> Ted
> <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>> Bought a Bosch router almost a year ago, but didn't have time to work
>> on the projects that I bought it for. Now that I do, I'm a bit stumped
>> how to put it together (Never used a router before.) I think I'm
>> missing parts. The shaft came with nut on it, but no collet that I can
>> recognize. There was a separate chuck that appears to have a 1/4"
>> collet, but I can't see how to attach it to the shaft. The directions
>> recommend using 1/2" shanks, so I suspect I may be missing a 1/2"
>> collet. I don't mind that, because I actually would prefer to attach
>> the 1/4" chuck, since I have some of those bits.
>>
>> Here's a picture of the parts I have:
>>
>> http://www.boundvortex.com/images/Chucks.jpg
>>
>> Questions:
>>
>> 1) Am I correct that there appears to be a missing 1/2" collet, and
>> 2) How can I attach the 1/4" chuck?
>>
>> Thanks
>> (BTW, I have read the manual)
>>
>
>

[email protected] wrote:
<snip>
> 1) Am I correct that there appears to be a missing 1/2" collet, and
> 2) How can I attach the 1/4" chuck?
>
> Thanks
> (BTW, I have read the manual)
>

Looks like you have a 1/2" collet and the nut that goes with it to be
threaded on the shaft, shown in photo you call spare chuck.

If they show an exploded view of the router in the parts manual, it
should help you.

Lew

[email protected] wrote:
> <<My guess is that your router has already been in the hands of an
> end-user. >>
>
> An astute conclusion: the unit is "factory reconditioned."
>
> The trick with the cloth and pliers worked. Got the collet out.
> After I put the 1/4" collet in, however, and put the nut on, it won't
> close tight enough to hold the 1/4" bit.
>
> This is why I waited a year to get started. The crawling before
> walking is painful. ;-)

You should have two nuts and two collets.
1/2" collet for 1/2" nut,ect

--
Sir Benjamin Middlethwaite

Prior to buying very many plan on a way to both store & identify the
bits so they don't roll around in a drawer banging into each other!

On 28 Oct 2006 07:12:05 -0700, [email protected] wrote:

><<warning to tighten the nut without a bit in it. It maybe the same for
>Botsch. Always read the manual before use. >>
>
>Mine says *not* to tighten the nut without a bit in it. Was that what
>you meant?
>
>Anyway, collet appears firmly wedged in the shaft and I can't remove
>it. May have to buy some 1/2" bits. ;-)

8mm probably. Common in Europe.


<[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> <You should have two nuts and two collets.
> 1/2" collet for 1/2" nut,ect >>
>
> There are two nuts and two collets. One collet is 1/2" and the other
> is smaller but bigger than 1/4". <sigh>
>

The second picture to the right looks like that the 1/2" collet is in the
router without the nut used to tighten it.
You should be able to remove it and install the 1/4" collet.

Ted
<[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Bought a Bosch router almost a year ago, but didn't have time to work
> on the projects that I bought it for. Now that I do, I'm a bit stumped
> how to put it together (Never used a router before.) I think I'm
> missing parts. The shaft came with nut on it, but no collet that I can
> recognize. There was a separate chuck that appears to have a 1/4"
> collet, but I can't see how to attach it to the shaft. The directions
> recommend using 1/2" shanks, so I suspect I may be missing a 1/2"
> collet. I don't mind that, because I actually would prefer to attach
> the 1/4" chuck, since I have some of those bits.
>
> Here's a picture of the parts I have:
>
> http://www.boundvortex.com/images/Chucks.jpg
>
> Questions:
>
> 1) Am I correct that there appears to be a missing 1/2" collet, and
> 2) How can I attach the 1/4" chuck?
>
> Thanks
> (BTW, I have read the manual)
>

It appears from the picture at the top right that the collet is in the
shaft. The part you see in the end with the splits in it is the collet.

<[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Bought a Bosch router almost a year ago, but didn't have time to work
> on the projects that I bought it for. Now that I do, I'm a bit stumped
> how to put it together (Never used a router before.) I think I'm
> missing parts. The shaft came with nut on it, but no collet that I can
> recognize. There was a separate chuck that appears to have a 1/4"
> collet, but I can't see how to attach it to the shaft. The directions
> recommend using 1/2" shanks, so I suspect I may be missing a 1/2"
> collet. I don't mind that, because I actually would prefer to attach
> the 1/4" chuck, since I have some of those bits.
>
> Here's a picture of the parts I have:
>
> http://www.boundvortex.com/images/Chucks.jpg
>
> Questions:
>
> 1) Am I correct that there appears to be a missing 1/2" collet, and
> 2) How can I attach the 1/4" chuck?
>
> Thanks
> (BTW, I have read the manual)
>

[email protected] wrote:
> Bought a Bosch router almost a year ago, but didn't have time to work
> on the projects that I bought it for. Now that I do, I'm a bit
> stumped how to put it together (Never used a router before.) I think
> I'm missing parts. The shaft came with nut on it, but no collet that
> I can recognize. There was a separate chuck that appears to have a
> 1/4" collet, but I can't see how to attach it to the shaft. The
> directions recommend using 1/2" shanks, so I suspect I may be missing
> a 1/2" collet. I don't mind that, because I actually would prefer to
> attach the 1/4" chuck, since I have some of those bits.
>
> Here's a picture of the parts I have:
>
> http://www.boundvortex.com/images/Chucks.jpg
>
> Questions:
>
> 1) Am I correct that there appears to be a missing 1/2" collet, and
> 2) How can I attach the 1/4" chuck?
>
> Thanks
> (BTW, I have read the manual)

You have both the 1/2" and 1/4" :-)



--
Sir Benjamin Middlethwaite

[email protected] wrote:

> Anyway, collet appears firmly wedged in the shaft and I can't remove
> it. May have to buy some 1/2" bits. ;-)

Sounds about right ie good machining. :-)

Put a cloth around the collet and twistout with some wide pliers.

--
Sir Benjamin Middlethwaite