Collet and bit stuck in Elu MOF177

if the bit is bottomed out in the shaft the waters will get muddied...

for tapping use wood, brass hammer or facing hammer...
no steel tools allowed...

Heat will often break the bond that is holding them...
A soldering iron works very very well for this...
more concentrated heat...
in the same vein you could go w/ cold... pack the bit/collet in ice for a while...

rotate the bit/collet while lightly tapping on the side of the collet...
Hold the router with the loosened collet nut resting on the workbench or the edge of a board and tap/rap the nut (not the bit and not the shaft) a couple of times.
still not working???
do the same to the collet on it's shoulder w/ the nut off...

Problem: Giving up when the nut tightens up after initially loosening
Prevention:
Although it might sound funny if you're familiar with self-releasing collets, these experts tell us they've helped countless customers who simply needed to continue loosening their collets after feeling them initially loosen. Self-releasing collets—usually identifiable by a snap ring or other device that holds the collet and nut together—have two "break" points: the initial one, and then about two turns later another that releases the bit.

Problem: Dirty collet
Prevention:
Blow out the collet regularly with a blast of compressed air. If needed, clean the collet and threads with a soft brush and mineral spirits. (For a self-releasing collet, you might have to remove the snap ring to disassemble it.)

Problem: Dirty bit shanks
Prevention:
Wipe router bit shanks with a cloth and mineral spirits; lightly polish with ultra fine grit abrasive or polishing compound to remove rust or tough grime.

Problem: Over-tightened nut
Prevention:
You don't need to tighten a collet nut as much as you would bolts while assembling a machine, such as a tablesaw. Instead, tighten the nut only about one-eighth of a turn after it snugs up.

Problem: Bottomed-out bit
Prevention:
When installing a bit in the collet, push it to the bottom, and then pull it back up at least an 1⁄8 " before tightening. This gives the collet some room to expand downward while compressing a firm grip on the shank.

Problem: Leaving bits in a router too long
Prevention:
If you're not using a bit and it's been in the collet more than a few days, remove it from your router. Humidity can cause rust even inside a collet, and that can seize a bit shank inside the collet.

Stick486 said:

if the bit is bottomed out in the shaft the waters will get muddied...

Click to expand...

I went to edit what I said but the edit feature had timed out...
let's rewrite what I said...

If the bit is bottomed out in the shaft the waters will get muddied and the degree of difficulty just increased...

for tapping, use wood, brass hammer, wood mallet or a facing/dead blow hammer...
NO STEEL TOOLS ALLOWED!!!...

Heat will often break the bond that is holding them...
A soldering iron works very very well for this...
it'll be a more concentrated heat and not damaging anything like the router or it's bearings...
when you apply the heat stand the router up so your bit is pointing up... no sense in cooking the bearing or other vitals...
in the same vein you could go w/ cold... pack the bit/collet in ice for a while...
this time w/ the bit pointing down...
no sense in putting/getting water in the motor...

Hold the router with the loosened collet nut resting on the workbench or the edge of a board and tap/rap the nut (not the bit and not the shaft) a few times or more...
still not working???
do the same to the collet this time, tapping on it's shoulder only w/ the nut off...
be mindful of the shaft's threads...

if all of this fails – a stud puller is a last resort and you can bet your last dollar you will need a new collet and router bit...