Hey guys,
I am playing around with my router while I wait for my controller and noticed that all of my bits have a 1/8" shank. The collet that came with my router is a 1/4". Should I have received a 1/8" collet as well with my X-carve or is that sold separately?
Hoping I didn’t misplace it when I was unpacking.
It was an optional accessory.
Looks like the kit did indeed come with a 1/8" collet adapter. Just had is buried in my box of clamps. False alarm.
1/8 Collet would be much better then adapter, they are available separately. Presion Collets are the best
As previously mentioned, use www.elairecorp.com
Good stuff.
Just out of curiosity, what issues did you guys have with the adapter? Was it prone to binding up?
They almost always introduce run-out. Run-out - Wikipedia
I bought the DWP-1250. $20 bucks.
They also lead to broken bits, sometimes in the collet itself.
My collet adapter was inside the Spindle Mount box
Most likely caused by run-out.
Agreed but broken bits are scarier and it should be stated. High speed rotating metal breaking and flying around…if thats not enough to spend a tad more for a true collet then I don’t know what is!
Definitely.
So is the collet sold by www.elairecorp.com better then the one 1/8th collet sold on the inventables web site? It is definitely cheaper.
I bought the Elaire, very well made comes with a nut too
Better is relative. I believe the Inventables is a PreciseBits collet which has a lower static runout than the Elaire collet. Elaire doesn’t really state their TIR. So, from a static runout perspective, the Inventables collet is better but is the difference worth the added cost? For me, it wasn’t it but I’m also not going for super precise dimensions and cuts.
I have had both style of collets for the Dewalt 611 and from my experience I can say not only will the precise bit collet have a lower run out but it will be easier to remove form the router. I would occasionally have the elairecorp collet stick in the router and I would have to use a screwdriver and a dead blow hammer and tap it out, this would make me very uncomfortable as I felt like it was going to drive the router shaft out of the router. Since I have moved on to the precise bit collets they are easier to install and remove and I feel like they have better contact, also I have never had a bit “stuck” in the router where I had to forcefully drive it out.
you can buy a kit with both or buy just the nut or the collet, they also interlock. I just quit using it after about the third time I had to hammer it out.
I bought the elairecorp collets first because of price, but after using the precise bit collet at work I just went with them and never looked back.
yeah it happens sometimes. Just got to keep moving forward.
What collet sizes do you use?