[nyamupepema]

I stumbled upon this forum in my quest to find out if there could be someone who experienced the same problem I have. I bought a second hand Powerplus X093 plunge router and kept it for more than a year without bothering to use it. When I decided to use it I discovered that the the collet could not come out of the abor or router shaft. It has a 1/2 inch collet and when I tried to install a 1/2 inch router bit it could not fit either. I think the previous owner sold it for that reason. I tried youtube but I found nothing relevant. I will be so thankful if anyone can help solve the issue.

Thank you in advance.

Edmund

 

[DaninVan]

Hey,NYetc; welcome! Perhaps you could fill out something about yourself in the bio? No need for anything that you consider an online risk, but at least a first name to call you(?)...
Sounds like the collet nut is cross threaded. Does it turn at all? Or just not far enough to allow you to insert/remove a bit?

 

[Biagio]

Hi Nyamupepema,
I do not know what your specific problem may be caused by, but I remember deciding not to buy the same router, because it only took 6mm and 12mm bits, not 1/2 “. It is possible that the previous owner forced in a 1/2” bit, thereby distorting the collet, and jamming things up.

I do have a Powerplus jigsaw and a biscuit joiner. Not the worst tools I have owned, but well-priced at the time I bought them (No longer) and plenty of muscle.
Vibrate like hell, though, and the biscuit joiner does not have soft-start or retractable pins, so moves from position as soon as trigger is pressed, and again when the blade engages the wood. But OK for my limited needs.

Don’t know where you are located, but if you can post a photo of your collet, something else might spring to mind.

 

[sreilly]

Welcome aboard Edmund. As Dan said it could be cross threaded. If the router is in otherwise good shape and all else looks fine you could replace the collet with an original or get a Muscle Chuck for that router.

 

[Biagio]

I see the South African supplier now lists 8mm, 12mm and 1/2” collets.
@sreilly, unless the shaft and thread are the same as some known brand, it will be difficult to get a Musclechuck that fits. Also, here that router costs < US$ 100, at today’s exchange rate. The cheapest Musclechuck on the Musclechuck website is more than that.

 

[TenGees]

Some collets are imperial and others Metric. Tightening a collet with no bit or too small of a bit can damage (squash) it. Some collet nuts aren't meant to come off, they loosen the collet when they hit the retainer. On those there may be a clip that needs to be removed before they'll come off.

 

[Cherryville Chuck]

It sounds to me like someone tightened the collet nut down without having a bit in the router. That would do two things:
-One it would force the collet down into the forcing cone and if tightened enough would get it stuck there.
-Two it would squeeze the collet to the point where you wouldn't be able to get a bit in it.

Remove the collet nut and see if there is any of the collet sticking out past the end of the armature shaft. If there is then use a pin punch or something that won't dent the collet and tap on the collet with it and rotate. Keep doing that and see if it will loosen. If that doesn't work then you will need to find something that will hook the bottom of the collet and try to pop it out that way. If you could find someone with a slide hammer like one of these: https://duckduckgo.com/?t=ffab&q=slide+hammer&iax=images&ia=images and then find a small tip with a hook on it that might pop it out. Auto body repairers use one that hooks onto the head of a sheet metal screw which they screw into a dent and then use the hammer to pull the dent out.

 

[roxanne562001]

Welcome to the forum

 

[nyamupepema]

Thank you so much Biagio. I am sure the previous owner forcefully did something and jammed up the collet as you suggest. I will try to take it apart if I manage to get the tech manual.

 

[nyamupepema]

Thank you very much Cherry! That is most helpful, I will try your tip and revert.

 

[nyamupepema]

Thank you TenGees. That is a cool piece of intelligence, especially for a newbie like me.