PC collet bottom?

[CNT]

I went to WWS last month and really learned few things. One was with a router table, put a rubber piece inside the collet so that I can switch back and forth with (CMT) router bits and it will remain same height (for cabinetmaking). So I went to ACE and bought some faucet pieces. Drop one in the collet, still too deep. Anyone know about this? Before I call PC, does anyone have a solution for this? a deep rubber piece? What?

One thing I am thinking is that since PC has been around for long time, shouldn't they, by now, see a "need" for a collet lock (and a better offset wench)? I got PC 7518.

Chuck

[CW]

I have an 8529. It has a shaft lock and comes with an offset wrench. I've heard this bit about the rubber piece before. You will be disappointed. The PC collets are a rather snug fit. The force needed to push it into the cullet will compress the rubber. No way to tell how much but will be different each time you change bits. Best you can hope for is close. If you put something solid like a piece of steel under it, the collet will never close right and you run the risk of the bit coming loose though the bit will go in at the same height every time. Now that I think about it, a block of about 90 durometer urethane would probably work. Height variations would probably be no more than about .005.

[Bob Heveri]

I have the same router in my table. I just cut a 7/8 inch piece of half inch dowel and placed it in the collet and placed the rubber piece on top of it. Now the 2 bits match up perfectly. I don't use the dowel and rubber piece with other router bits, just the CMT offset tongue and groove bits.

Bob Heveri

[CNT]

So, you suggesting that I do not use the rubber in the collet and use the plastic template every time I switch the stile and rail router bits? I just thought it was neat to switch the bits and keep the router in it's "set" place. I find myself often noticing the depth has changed from door to door, even project to project.

Chuck

CW wrote:

[CW]

I just doubt that you could achieve any better than about .010 repeatability in settings. This may well be good enough for what you are doing but I can think of circumstances were it wouldn't be.