router collet

**pelletman** · 05-21-2007, 01:34 PM

Hi Everyone,

Anyone know where i can get a collet for a porter cable trim router, i am looking to go from 1/4'' to 1/8'' bits. i find alot of collets but not 1/8''

thanks tom

Have a nice day

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**milhead** · 05-21-2007, 04:48 PM

Hi Tom;

I've just used a 1/4 to 1/8 collet adapter for holding the 1/8th shafts. It ain't perfect but has worked really well for me.

Miller

**sdantonio** · 05-22-2007, 09:26 AM

Most of your collet adapters are nothing more than split bushings. You can pick them up a dime a dozen at Mcmaster-Carr. The problem is that even the best of collet adapters aren't made with the greatest of care and you will probably have a sizeable runout. Typically this is a random thing and you might just get lucky. This probably won't be a huge problem unless your doing really high precision cutting (which is beyone most router tables and would really require a really well tuned mill with zero lash and a really well mapped out leadscrew) or unless you are routinely using 1/16 or 1/32 mills.

Precision bits, for example, recomends a TIR of <.0005, most router manufacturers have a spec or <=.005 (at least that is the spec on my Bosch). A standard collet adapter can increase your runout to .020 or more (I'm being conservative... Precision Bits quotes this as .030).

If you really want to be acurate about this pick up a dial gauge, put a bit in the router, bring the dial gauge up next to the bit, spin the bit slowly and check the rouout. Then pick up a bunch of collet adapters or bushings. Do the same thing to select the best out of the bunch. Then when you've done that, pick up a few cheep 1/16 mill bits and run them in your favorite woods at a variety of DOC's and feed rates. When they start breaking then back off a little and you'll know how fast you can push them in the future with that particular collet adapter.