[mrwoodhead]

Hello All,
I picked up woodworking during Covid and a noob to it. So pardon me if this is a silly question.
I bought a used Ryobi R160 router. The manual says it accepts bits with 1/4" shank. I just bought some 1/4" shank bits to go with it. However, the collet seems to be small for these bits. I have measured the shank of the bits and they are 1/4".
I am also noticing that when i loosen the collect nut (the black nut around the actual collet), the collet teeth do not open. Is that normal? I would have thought as i am loosening the collet nut, the collet itself should open up for the shank. Wonder if I am doing something wrong. I am new to routers so kind of lost.

I have attached some photos. Thanks for any help.:smile:

 

[jw2170]

Welcome to the forum.

I would check the size of the collet.

Previous owner may have changed it for another (metric?) size.

Did the router come with any cutters you could compare for size?

 

[sreilly]

Welcome to the forum and yes, check as James advised because the collet could have been changed. And don't force anything as that wouldn't be normal and you could damage the existing collet.

 

[swarfmaker]

Welcome. On that model the collet is part of the shaft and cannot be replaced. Somebody tightened the collet nut on the collet without a router bit in the shaft. One remedy is to screw on the nut only half way and then gently tap in a bit (dont do this without the nut on) using a piece of leather or soft wood as a buffer.

 

[roxanne562001]

Welcome. On that model the collet is part of the shaft and cannot be replaced. Somebody tightened the collet nut on the collet without a router bit in the shaft. One remedy is to screw on the nut only half way and then gently tap in a bit (dont do this without the nut on) using a piece of leather or soft wood as a buffer.

Welcome to the forum. Please add your name to your profile. We are a friendly bunch here. I am with Ronald on this one. It looks like someone over tightened the collet without a bit in place. His approach should correct the problem. I had an old Craftsman that I picked up at a flea market that had the same problem. I fixed it as Ronald stated.
Hope that Helps!!
Roxanne

 

[Danman1957]

Welcome Mr Woodhead

 

[thomas1389]

Welcome to the forum, Mr. woodhead. Mr. Sliver should speak up soon and I'm sure he'll agree with Ronald and Roxanne.

 

[old55]

Welcome to the forum.

 

[mrwoodhead]

Thankyou all for the great suggestions. Strangely enough, I thought i had setup email notifications for this forum. Turns out I didn't. 🤦‍♂️
I managed to slip the 1/4 inch bits into the collet although they are a pretty snug fit in there which makes me wonder if the collet in the stock form was that tight. I used it for the first time yesterday to cut a speaker hole out using a straight bit. Must admit it was quite fun. However, it seems the bit is now stuck in the router. I tried using Ronald and Roxanne's advice, but no luck so far. I sprayed some WD40 in the collet last night to see if it loosens it over night. Still seems to be pretty stuck. What i find strange is that the nut can come out loose free from the collet without opening up the collet. As Ronald pointed out, apparently this was part of this model design.

 

[roxanne562001]

I would grab the shank of the bit below the cutter with a pair of vise grips. Work the bit side to side slightly. You can also try tapping the bit in a little bit. Then try to remove it.

 

[mrwoodhead]

Thanks Roxanne. That did the trick. I tapped it in first and the use a vice grip to turn it side by side. Finally got it out. Thanks again.
Is there anything i can do to prevent it from happening to other bits? The collet on this one seems to be pretty tight.

 

[roxanne562001]

Clean the inside of the collet it may have some rust. maybe use a 1/4" wooden dowel. Make sure you don't bottom out the bits when you install them. I us an o'ring to prevent the bit from going in to far. . As you use it more it should loosen up some. Glad you were able to get it out. Make sure you read all the safety threads on the forum.

 

[Marco]

Here is a link with some suggestions Stuck Bit. With your router not the norm I would use a glove and the little bit of heat method. If you do get the bit out clean/brush the collet and it may prevent more stuck bits. Good luck.

BTW, good job on cutting out the hole.