Real Climb Cuts

Make sure when you are putting you bit in the router you are not bottoming it out. This could keep the bit from being secured. Also make sure your router's depth adjustment is locked.

Are you sure that the 1/4" bit is tight not climbing up out of the collet?

Is your lift locked down good? Or is it the bit that is creeping out of the collet? Are you using a metric 6mm bit in a 1/4" collet,or vice versa? Is this the same bit in both router set ups, might try a different bit if it is,or mike the bit and see what diam the shank is, sometimes the shanks are a little undersize on the off shore bits.

Herb

I had a problem like this with a Rockler lift, which relied on a compressed rubber washer to hold the height adjustment. I suggest you also drop a half inch grommet in the collet and bottom the shank on that. Bottoming in the collet itself is not a good idea. What kind of lift are you using?

Use 1/4 slotter. They're built radially, will not clog.
Very efficient cutting, like a saw blade

DesertRatTom said:

I had a problem like this with a Rockler lift, which relied on a compressed rubber washer to hold the height adjustment. I suggest you also drop a half inch grommet in the collet and bottom the shank on that. Bottoming in the collet itself is not a good idea. What kind of lift are you using?

Click to expand...

I just talked to the guy who bought that lift you speak of, and he said he just tightened the lock nut on the locking cam of the Rockler lift and he hasn't had a problem with it.

Don't you think a 1/2" hi grommet is a little much in the collet? I would think more like a 1/8" thick would be better. IMHO

I think Pat has the best solution, the right bit for the right operation. I make the same mistake ,I get in the mind set that one particular bit will do all kinds of operations,when there are bits that will do specific operations better.

Herb

By George, I think you are correct and that I am using the incorrect bit. Now if only there was a holiday coming up where grown children gave gifts to their Dads then I could ask for a slot cutter!

Until your kids get the hint, use your table saw as a slot cutter.

This problem is by no means rare, and has featured on this forum before. I had an issue with a 1600W Ryobi, where the two-flute bit would wiggle out no matter what I did (was not bottomed out, either). The bit was good on three other routers, two of the same make but different models. New collet made no difference. The agents were able to replicate the problem, replaced the whole machine, but the problem persisted. Must have been a dud batch of spindles.
The router is lying unused, hopefully until I visit some geography where a musclechuck or equivalent is reasonably affordable (our exchange rate is putrid there was a time when it was close to 2 US$ to one Rand, now Rand 12.70 to the greenback).
+ 1 for using a slot cutter for that particular purpose.