Friends, I had a bit of a mishap last night and I am hoping some of you might be able to offer advice. I purchased a new Triton 3 1/4 HP router and was using a 1/2 inch shaft rabbeting bit with appropriate bearing to cut a 1/4 inch rabbet along the edge of a piece of pine scrap that was clamped to the edge of my workbench. I set up everything according to instructions, began the cut, and all was going well until I felt something breeze past my leg. I stood in shock watching the bit spin like a top on the floor of my basement shop. It spun so fast that the retainer screw worked loose and it began to spit out screw, washer, and bearing before I regained the presence of mind to turn off the router, walk across the room, and stop the bit. Thankfully, there was no damage to my person, and the bit seems to be miraculously unscathed. Unfortunately, as the bit worked its way out or the router collet, it dove down through the piece of scrap and into the apron of my workbench liberally removing the wood as it went. But it is easier to patch the bench than my leg, so I feel lucky.
My question is, what could I have done wrong? I tightened the collet and I prevented the bit from bottoming out in the collet. I was doing a regular cut (i.e. not climb cutting). I double checked the diameter of the shaft and it is indeed 1/2 inch. I had only used the router once before with the 1/2 inch straight bit that Triton includes, and it worked fine. I'm frankly a little afraid to try again, so any advice would be appreciated.
RustyC.