Router (safety) question

You want a good 60 to 70% of the collet's length "filled" with bit at a minimum. A dowel should not be required but....You may want to look at how your router is mounted (or the table thickness) or you may want to look at a longer bit (they make them) as a "proper" fix.

Good luck Rob

You could also get a bit with the bearing on the bottom instead of the top.

Lee,

You do not want to have the bit fully seated in the collet since it may end up with the collet not being able to tighten around the shank properly and the bit can come loose - not fun.

Next time you're at a hardware store, pick up a couple of 1/2" O.D. rubber O rings. Depending on the router collet, place one or two down in the collet. Now when you seat a bit, the shank will bottom out on the O ring.

Take a look at Pat Warner's site

Bob S.

Frank ...

Lee

Bob ...

I was gonna mention what Bob said...you shouldn't push the bit all the way into the collet, it's unsafe. The part of the bit where the shank ends and the cutter part begins may be a hair wider than the shank diameter, and the collet may be tightening on that part rather than the shank itself.

Also, if your router has a 1/2" collet, I would invest in some 1/2" bits. I bought a set of Woodline bits with 1/2" shanks, and noticed that the shank is about 1/4" to 1/2" longer than any of my old 1/4" bits. This gives you that much extra length, which works out better in a router table.

Tom