Hi Steve, My name is Victor from Mexico, love your show; you know? The problem you had with your router happen to me last week, I fix it cleaning the collar (I believe that's the English name of it) hehehe, and all of the parts involved in the grabbing of the bit, apparently the wood dust was causing the problem. This is the very first time I ever write a comment on UA-cam, I've been watching you build things for the last five years and also your older videos, keep up with the great work you do, God bless and thank you for inspiring us to keep wood working.
Thanks Victor, I am going to try doing a deeper clean within the area the Collete (small metal piece that holds the bit) Also I've experienced the bit getting stuck in the collete, but sprayed with wd40 and it came out with a bit of motivation (pulled on it with pliers under the sharp blades portion)
The easiest way that I've found to hang double doors like you have, is to make 1 large door, screw in all 4 hinges, then remove it and cut it in half. Doors always align, even with me being a little on the clumsy side.
Steve thank you for your videos. I'm 55, not mechanically inclined, but you have sparked an interest in woodworking. I'm excited that it will be my new hobby. I'm working on getting a miter saw then I'm going to order your class.
I find myself constantly checking my notifications all day for a new WWMM video, I can't get enough. I've watched damn near everyone of them from the past. We need more videos Steve!
Let it know it's replaceable. I did that with my sewing machine. lol It *knew* I ordered a new one and it's time was limited. I threatened to full on "Office Space" on it. ;)
Was going to suggest this. Steve should also take the opportunity to get a better collet than the crappy ones that come with budget routers, rather than just getting another OEM collet.
Thanks for showing the door falling. That sort of thing happens to me too much, and it never happens to Norm Abram. Glad to know pros like yourself are human.
I know this video was posted a while ago, but YES (refering to My Shot)!!! I watched Hamilton for the first time ever a couple months ago and not a day goes my where I listen to or have one of the sound track songs stuck in my head. This MADE MY DAY, THANK YOU!
My router came with both a 1/4" and a 1/2" collet. I had read about not bottoming out the bit and also read (Don't know where.) that a 1/2" O-ring dropped in ahead of the collet eliminates that problem, at least with a 1/2" bit. That way you also do not need to wonder whether you have the bit inserted far enough. I have been doing this for years and have not had any trouble. Love the videos. You and another woodworker from somewhere up north in MI are both very helpful and entertaining. Keep it up.
God morgen ! Another week, with things that goes well, and that goes wrong. Still i enjoy to see your videos, every day. To see that it is not only me that see the door falls over, and break a corner. I am happy you find a way to fix it. Thank you for making this corona-periode mush easier to get thru. I hope you will have a good, safe and fun weekend. Best wishes from Jan in Norway
When I first got my router, this was happening. Advice I saw, aside from backing off the bit, was to ensure the bit is clean and the bit and collet are both free from dust. I can't say for sure this was my problem, but I haven't had the problem since (though this was recently)
I’ve had the exact same issues. Particularly with my 1/4 collet insert for my 1/2 router. Dust causes lots of problems. I’ve also taken to cleaning my shanks every time before I insert the bit
@Capt. Ken The trick is to roll up a little bit of paper towel and jam that down into the router collet. Then the bit can never bottom out and the paper towel will compress as you tighten the collet.
@Capt. Ken I have loads of O rings. I've had paper towels in my router collets for decades too. It just works. But if stuffing a collet up with an O ring makes you happier then so be it. One wad of paper towel fits all. I don't worry about them falling out either. No one ever has and if it does wadding up another piece of paper towel isn't that all fired hard to do. Why I bet in a pinch any kind of paper would work. But for some odd reason I always use paper towel. I've rolled it and just made snot balls out of it. That don't seem to matter either. Just so long as you pack the bottom of the collet. You want it about as deep packed as the bore is wide. So for a quarter inch collet pack the bottom quarter inch. You'll never compress it enough so the collet won't compress it more either. It's just paper.
@Capt. Ken I stuffed a wad of paper towel in my old Hitachi M12V 20 years ago now. It's still there. Where I live humidity runs high. It is not an issue.
my ryobi plunge router depth lock was slipping , so i bolted a small car jack under the router and bolted my ryobi table to a sheet of ply ...job done ..keep up the fun steve
I'm 25 and never made any woodworking but still watch every video you upload, even the old old ones. Subscribed for about 3 or 4 years now. Just realized that when I was a kid I love watching my grandfather build wooden stands or cabinet for our house. Seeing him plane wood and cut using a saw was mesmerizing as a kid. I'm not saying you're like a grandpa hahahaha you're quite young for that yet. Love that you continue to upload!
Router Fix! I had the exact same problem. Before I fixed it though, I ordered a new router as I thought I wouldn't be able to, besides the router was probably 30 years old. It was a Craftsman that I inherited from my father. Anyway, when routing panels, the size of the chamfer was changing. I thought it was the knob/clamp that locked the motor height into the base. As it was an old router, I chalked it up to being worn out. Later, I decided to clean and lubricate it anyway. I moved the router up and down. It didn't move smoothly. I shot some WD40 into the grooves and wiped numerous times until all the sawdust and gunk was out. Then, I lubed the bolt and knob that clamps the base to the motor. That now works smoothly. Next I took the collet off. I cleaned and lubed that too. Probably junk in the threads. The junk in the threads in three locations were keeping the router from being tight. Once they were cleaned and lubed, it was tight again. Problem Solved! Think about it. Routers are simple machines. They spin a bit. The motor locks at a certain height. The collet is just a screw. Not hard problems to solve. Dirt and grime is the cause of many mechanical failures. Keep your machines clean and they will serve you well.
glad you brought this topic up my router's done the same thing to me before I always thought it was my error I'm glad I know now it's not this helps a lot thank you
I enjoy how this style of video making shows a lot more of the ins and outs, including the challenges that comes with woodworking. They’re informative and relatable
I think we all have busy schedules and sometimes only making a few cuts is all we can doin a day. So seeing that reality is refreshing. When I first got into woodworking YT videos made it seem like things go much more quickly than in reality, and made me feel like I wasn’t making any good progress.
Steve, Many years ago I had a similar problem when I had inadvertently bought a 6mm shank bit rather than a 1/4'" perhaps check the sizes and / or buy new collet.
Steve - your videos keep getting better. I love how the more human elements are coming through in the latest videos, the cool effects and the stories. There's so much life that happens during the projects you video and it's so entertaining to watch the little things unfold.
The look on your fave as the door hit the floor was priceless. That's the stuff that always happens to me. If it can go wrong, it will.... The repair was great. Thanks for the hello's and sharing the video/film with us.
👍 Another Great video. Love watching theses types of videos. I am a woodworker and I have learned a lot from you. Thank you so much for doing theses videos. Have a great day!
Old door: Delaminating, router slip, bondo repair New door: Router slip, dropped, delaminating, corner repair Kidding aside, this is what happens to me on the regular. I am just glad I'm not the only mere mortal. Thanks for showing the mistakes and the work-arounds! Your repair looks awesome, unlike the one made on the previous door. P.S. How does an Australian toilet greet people? Bidet Mate!
It is very tempting to comment before watching the video when you arrive at video as an early viewer! And about losing footage : I hadn't problem with memory cards but what I learnt the hard way was , NEVER shift delete things on trim enabled SSD! The mistake cannot be fixed!
You should definitely do a few live streams of your next project. Stream 1: The cam is pointed at the glue drying Stream 2: the cam pointed at the paint drying I bet you would have a few viewers. You could also hype it up for a few days.
I used to work in a shop that used Porter-Cable routers. I used to break them, trying to tighten the base to the motor. That's where I always had slippage with Porter cables. The first router I bought was a Ryobi and I had the problem with the bit slipping in it so I took it back and never bought another one. Now I use Bosch. Never had a problem.
It's really fascinating watching someone's slow descent into madness. This vlog series has been a chronicle of what happens to a man in quarantine for too long! I feel ya Steve, hang in there buddy, we'll get through this!
I built the same router lift that you have. I found that the vibration and pull of the bit cutting into the wood caused the bolt to turn, pulling the bit up. Happened on dado and spiral cut bits all the time. I finally built Jay Bates' router lift and haven't had the issue since.
I had this issue in the past with a Craftsman plunge router. I pulled the bit, lightly sanded the shank, cleaned the collet and the pocket it fits into, and then wiped everything with WD-40. It's worked pretty good after that.
Dealing with frstrating days is a part of making. Not everyday is perfect. Makes the final product all that more special. Keep up the amazing and inspiring work.
You got me, Steve! when you turned the sound off on the video, I caught it right away and thought my Bluetooth headset was having issue and kept backing up the video. I could not for the life of me figure out what was wrong. Other videos and my Rhythmbox worked fine. Finally after (embarrassed to say)2 6 minutes later I realized what you did. You cast a spell on my headset to eternally never hear the secret you told everyone else. I cried a little but came terms with it eventually. Now I understand why you really call the show "Woodworking for Mere Mortals."
Just love your down to earth delivery style and dry humour Steve, many thanks for all the time you put into your Films ha ha ha. you have been such a pleasure to watch over the years... Cheers :)
Think you’re right about using large bits on small routers. I tried to cut T-molding grooves using a 1/4” bit on a laminate router. Sure enough, no matter how hard I cranked down on the chuck, the blade kept drifting away from center. Very frustrating. Lesson learned.
Had same problem with Porter Cable router. Occurrence that comes to mind was with a 1/4” spiral bit and attributed it to the bit “climbing” up as it cut the work piece.
Steve, on the router failure, check the router collet. I had a similar issue and it was collet failure. The biting points of the collet were not directly opposing which allowed the shaft of the bit to "wiggle" and move within the collet. Just a thought.
I also have that problem with router bits. I bought a pretty cheap Mastercraft router a few years ago and a big multi pack of router bits, some with 1/4" and some with 1/2 shafts. The router itself takes 1/2" but came with an adapter for the collet to take 1/4" bits. That adapter is just worse than useless, it's only a couple minutes until the bit starts slipping out no matter what I do. Finally got fed up and bought a 1/4" trim router this year. 1/2" bits go in the 1/2" router and 1/4" bits go in the 1/4" router. As long as I don't stray from that it's not perfect but it's much better.
Happened to me a couple of times; once while routing 1/4 inch dado's for a box, and another time routing juice grooves for a cutting board. I didn't know how to fix it in the moment, but ever since I've made it habit to free the collet of sawdust before routing, it hasn't happened since.
If you have a 1/4” shaft and the bit is a 3/4” bit, then it will slip every time. You should have a 1/2” shaft for anything bigger than 1/2”. also you need to slow the speed of the router too when you have a bit bigger than 1/2”, it’s a lot of mass for the router, and if you have the speed all the way up, then it will slip, as well as burn your router out.
I have to be honest... I would DEFINITELY be dumping my saw dust in the compost. I'm convinced saw dust is good for a compost, even plywood dust. IMO, the benefits greatly out weigh any negatives. Also, not only is sawdust great for composts but I throw it in flower beds, gardens, even potted plants. I spread it everywhere, glue and all! Worms love it! Plants love it! Best of all it's convenient! I'll let you know if I grow a tail or 6th digit... but so far the only difference I've noticed is nice damp soil and worms the size of garter snakes.
Router bit slippage ! I was trimming a circle with the 3/4 ply sitting on cookies on the bench. Unknown to me. the bit slipped down and by the time I wised up, I had carved a 1/4 half moon into my bench top. Lucky me! The bit could have escaped and done a lot more damage in all 14 directions including me. I lived with the glaring evidence for about two years, and finally my pride couldn't stand it. I bought a Birch table top from woodcraft. It was a beautiful 1.5 thick laminated Birch 2x2s. That sat, and nicely covered my old P/W top, but it was now 1.5 inch higher , so I had to buy another for the other side of my mitre saw station, whcch also had to be raised . The gist is that I just proved that "Pride is the heaviest burden." Only I wasnt through with it yet. With the oak edges I put on them, the bench was now about two inches wider which I soon realized meant that reaching the tools on my pegboard wall was now a very awkward stretch. That meant that all tools had to be removed,as well as the pegboard with 2x3 studs installed and pegboard replaced. not only that, but the two electrical boxes now had to be also pulled out 2.5 inches. Talk about things going downhill !!! Now where was I? Oh yes, it was a large Porter Cable router that let go of the Bit! No, the collett wasn't worn. The router was not far from brand new. I'm telling all of this so that others will take care & not get hurt. Humility doesn't look so bad now. School of hard knocks. I'm having trouble trusting that router now as well.
Another great video - just love how you show us all the mistakes too.. that's how woodworking is in real life... and as another comment said - just put the crappy side against the wall/ceiling etc.
Oh thank God! I thought I was the laziest woodworker in the history of dust. I'll work for a while but if things aren't exactly "flowing", I'll just stop and go inside to watch some videos about the issue I'm having trouble with - rather than destroying hundreds of dollars worth of wood just because I feel like I "should" be able to do this or that. So thanks. I feel about a thousand times better about myself thanks to your honesty. 🤣😅😆
I have an old Craftsman 2 H.P. Router that’s 1/4” and have never had an issue with bit movement; it also has run every 1/4” shaft bit I’ve put in it. I also have a 2 1/4 H.P. Dewalt router with both 1/2” & 1/4” collets which I’ve switched to as it handles a wider verity of bits; it hasn’t slipped a bit yet. I have had the router bit slip down in the router table but I think it was the mechanism of the lift.
I have a place in the corner of my yard that I put my sawdust, becomes the outdoor cat box for my cats. Perfect! Also get some small rubber grommets for the inside of the router. That way the bit doesn't bottom out. Sommerfeld Tools sells them or at least you can see what I am referring to. Works wonders.
Great work, Steve! 😊 About problems like that, you solve them with AC glue. It makes the wood harder and it sets pretty quickly. 😉 Stay safe there with your family! 🖖😊
Just got a router and appreciate the note on not letting the bit bottom out. Also, really digging your new approach to these videos. OH and your movie recommendations were awesome, my wife and I are going through them one by one. Tonight is the Velocipastor!
I love seeing the real world things, the accident with the door and the speaking with the postwoman. These little things are very common in the real world and I identify myself with them.
In the military, there is a concept called "reconnaissance by fire" whereby you shoot at where you think the enemy might be and when they shoot back you know exactly where they are. I feel like you "measured by cutting" those rabbets.
Had the same problem with the collet a week back! I found debris in the slots of the quarter inch collet. Used a long blade xacto knife and compressed air and now to works fine. (Bosch router)
When you do woodworking long enough you will have those days. When you first start woodworking everyday is like this. Silly problems after silly mistakes. You handled it gracefully lol
Try cleaning the bit shaft and collet with alcohol. That helped for a while. I had the same problem with my porter cable router using 1/4" bit shafts and they would slip. Tried buying new bits as well. Finally had to buy a new collet.
Had the same thing happen to me with a dovetail bit, and long story short, if there's a part of the bit contacting the wood which *isn't* cutting, the combination of vibration and tension can pull the bit out. In my case, I was trying to cut 1/2" deep dovetails with a 1/2" bit, and even a few thousandths of an inch of non-cutting surface contact was enough to start the bit moving. And this was with a brand-new bit, so I knew it was sharp enough.
Keep it together Steve. Also, I couldn't help but think of the original door with the busted/repaired corner... same thing must have happened. It's definitely a curse. Stay safe buddy (mate? guy? dude?)
Love these videos and watching your slow decent into randomness! :-P (The meta talking about the video was my fave.) Glad to see you put the Aussie "G'day" in there as well - here's some love from Down Under. :-)
Had the same problem with a Porter Cable router. It ended up being the cheap 3/8 inch collet I bought on Amazon. My 1/4 and 1/2 inch collets worked fine.
Steve I had that problem with a router. I discovered the collett would get stuck. Every time changed bits I had to pull the collett out and slide the new bit onto the collett then screw it down tight. I finally put some lube on it and is working fine now
As you push the material against the bit, the entire spindle canters slightly and causes an upward drag as it wants to corkscrew up. If the shank is too smooth, the upward tug lifts it out of the collet. Take a file or grinder to the shank and rough it up a bit, stops it from sliding. Also slow down the feeding of material into the bit
A couple things on your router: the collet could be worn or dirty and not providing proper grip; the shank of the bit could be worn or scratched or dirty so the collet does not lock on it properly; your depth adjustment on the router lift could be loose (as another listener commented). If you look closely at your router bits you will see the shank flares out a bit right where the cutting edge starts, so you are correct not to seat the bit all the way into the collet. If the bit is fully seated the collet is actually locking onto the flared part of the shank and thus likely to slip.
YES! I have that with my router all the time! It doesn't matter what bit I use either. Straight bit, rabbet bit, roundover bit, all the same. It seems like maybe it works better freehand than in the table, bit I've had it shoot a bit out before while running. Not fun. Based on some other comments, and that It's almost impossible to remove the bits unless I do it right away, I think the collet and bit shanks are just caked with rust. Thanks guys for the tips! And thanks Steve for bringing it up!
I have experienced that router bit slip problem, especially on a router table. Because the router is sitting upside down wood dust had fallen down on the collet and after a few changes of the bit the dust build up prevented the collet from completely clamping down on the bit. Just thoroughly cleaned out the dust and fixed the issue
This is happening to me as well on a 1/4 inch hand router I bought at a garage sale for about 5 bucks. I'm pretty sure the collet is worn out. Trying replacing the collet (that's what I'm going to do). If that doesn't work, it might be time for a new (also what I'm most likely going to have to do).
You sure you are not using 6mm shanked bits, not 1/4" therefore 6.35mm shank? The collet might be tightened down as far as it goes, but not gripping the shank tightly?
Most routers have a locking mechanism you set after you set the depth. That prevents side movement and changing depth. Also, there is a correct direction you cut which depends on the grain.
Hey Steve, thanks for your channel; long time fan and subscriber! I had this happen a few times. Cheaper bits sometimes have a slightly undersized shank, so you can never tighten it down enough. That`s a possible cause i heard about and I now buy better quality bits. Another possibility is you might need to replace the collet. That fixed the problem for me. A collet for one router was 20 bucks and another was 50. Ouch!!
Im digging your hair....especially on the second day of this video. It looks like it’s a little higher these days. Very Conan O’Brien of you! Thanks for all of the quarantine videos! I watch every episode!
I must confess that I was rooting for a F bomb when you dropped the door. It would have been one of many if I had done that. 🤬 Looks like you fixed the corner quite successfully. 👍🏼
Hi Steve, My name is Victor from Mexico, love your show; you know? The problem you had with your router happen to me last week, I fix it cleaning the collar (I believe that's the English name of it) hehehe, and all of the parts involved in the grabbing of the bit, apparently the wood dust was causing the problem. This is the very first time I ever write a comment on UA-cam, I've been watching you build things for the last five years and also your older videos, keep up with the great work you do, God bless and thank you for inspiring us to keep wood working.
Thanks Victor, I am going to try doing a deeper clean within the area the Collete (small metal piece that holds the bit)
Also I've experienced the bit getting stuck in the collete, but sprayed with wd40 and it came out with a bit of motivation (pulled on it with pliers under the sharp blades portion)
The easiest way that I've found to hang double doors like you have, is to make 1 large door, screw in all 4 hinges, then remove it and cut it in half. Doors always align, even with me being a little on the clumsy side.
That's wicked smart
Brilliant
You just blew my mind
I will be using this on my current project when I get to the doors! Muchos Merci's!
There are very few hinge styles that that will work with unless you access to the back side of the cabinet.
I love the way you lean into the awkward and quirky. It keeps me coming back! Thanks for making it fun AND useful!
Steve thank you for your videos. I'm 55, not mechanically inclined, but you have sparked an interest in woodworking. I'm excited that it will be my new hobby. I'm working on getting a miter saw then I'm going to order your class.
Buy used whenever you can! Usually half the cost for twice the quality.
Don't buy the class used though. Can't beat the smell of Steve in a new class.
Tommy Boy - a new class but a dirty shirt he’s worn for three days!
@@BLenz-114 y'all are hilarious! I'm planning on getting the HF miter saw.
I find myself constantly checking my notifications all day for a new WWMM video, I can't get enough. I've watched damn near everyone of them from the past. We need more videos Steve!
Well thanks!
Me too!! And then I missed this one by a DAY!!! Stinking UA-cam betrayed me!!
You could try insulting the router. Call it names. Establish your dominance.
Let it know it's replaceable. I did that with my sewing machine. lol It *knew* I ordered a new one and it's time was limited. I threatened to full on "Office Space" on it. ;)
Honestly though I always found calling maintenance on the equipment got it to work fine as long as they came and watched it....
You mean Collet names?
Had the same problem with a porta cable 1/2" router. The collett was worn. Replaced it & no problems going forward.
My thoughts too. Collett won't cost much either.
yes, what steve describes looks like a worn-out collet in his router table.
Was going to suggest this. Steve should also take the opportunity to get a better collet than the crappy ones that come with budget routers, rather than just getting another OEM collet.
Could also be a 6 milimeter shank bit that has been sold as a 1/4 inch shank.
@@jinxkwb Buy a collet for a Bosch router and tell me how cheap they are.
Thanks for showing the door falling. That sort of thing happens to me too much, and it never happens to Norm Abram. Glad to know pros like yourself are human.
I betcha Norm doesn’t edit his own footage. I hear they are very generously staffed at WGBH.
I just wanted to thank you, my house recently burnt down amd having your videos to watch gives me something to look forward to.
lol your profile pic - I thought it was a hair on my screen and it wouldn't come off; sorry to hear about your home burning down
Thanks for keeping your films or videos honest. The unfortunate mishaps, that we all do, are real. I know the struggle Steve.
"Put the crappy side toward the w̶a̶l̶l̶ ceiling." - Steve Ramsey
Just what I was thinking.
Exactly -- and all my projects face against the wall / ceiling ...
Yep. 👍
Hahaha!!! Exactly what I thought!
@Michael Fox mount it upside down and backwards...then install it in the lawnmower shed.
I know this video was posted a while ago, but YES (refering to My Shot)!!! I watched Hamilton for the first time ever a couple months ago and not a day goes my where I listen to or have one of the sound track songs stuck in my head. This MADE MY DAY, THANK YOU!
My router came with both a 1/4" and a 1/2" collet. I had read about not bottoming out the bit and also read (Don't know where.) that a 1/2" O-ring dropped in ahead of the collet eliminates that problem, at least with a 1/2" bit. That way you also do not need to wonder whether you have the bit inserted far enough. I have been doing this for years and have not had any trouble.
Love the videos. You and another woodworker from somewhere up north in MI are both very helpful and entertaining. Keep it up.
God morgen ! Another week, with things that goes well, and that goes wrong. Still i enjoy to see your videos, every day. To see that it is not only me that see the door falls over, and break a corner. I am happy you find a way to fix it. Thank you for making this corona-periode mush easier to get thru. I hope you will have a good, safe and fun weekend. Best wishes from Jan in Norway
I would try replacing the collet, it may just be worn out.
When I first got my router, this was happening. Advice I saw, aside from backing off the bit, was to ensure the bit is clean and the bit and collet are both free from dust. I can't say for sure this was my problem, but I haven't had the problem since (though this was recently)
Steven "ensure the bit is clean and the bit and collet are both free from dust" you got it.
I’ve had the exact same issues. Particularly with my 1/4 collet insert for my 1/2 router. Dust causes lots of problems. I’ve also taken to cleaning my shanks every time before I insert the bit
@Capt. Ken The trick is to roll up a little bit of paper towel and jam that down into the router collet. Then the bit can never bottom out and the paper towel will compress as you tighten the collet.
@Capt. Ken I have loads of O rings. I've had paper towels in my router collets for decades too. It just works. But if stuffing a collet up with an O ring makes you happier then so be it. One wad of paper towel fits all. I don't worry about them falling out either. No one ever has and if it does wadding up another piece of paper towel isn't that all fired hard to do. Why I bet in a pinch any kind of paper would work. But for some odd reason I always use paper towel. I've rolled it and just made snot balls out of it. That don't seem to matter either. Just so long as you pack the bottom of the collet. You want it about as deep packed as the bore is wide. So for a quarter inch collet pack the bottom quarter inch. You'll never compress it enough so the collet won't compress it more either. It's just paper.
@Capt. Ken I stuffed a wad of paper towel in my old Hitachi M12V 20 years ago now. It's still there. Where I live humidity runs high. It is not an issue.
I don't know if you edited out the swearing, but you handled that with grace. Way better than I would have. Well done!
Steve. I apologize. But you dropping the door made me laugh out loud. I think it is the look of mayhem on your face as it happened.
Haha...the terror!
@@SteveRamsey ha ha, "The tear-out".
I only laughed because I associated it with the type of luck I generally have. ☺️
Hold up, pentagram with a skull in the center? Did I miss something?
Best part of the "film."
Thank you Steve! Your videos are fun and I appreciate the rants and banter.
my ryobi plunge router depth lock was slipping , so i bolted a small car jack under the router and bolted my ryobi table to a sheet of ply ...job done ..keep up the fun steve
I'm 25 and never made any woodworking but still watch every video you upload, even the old old ones. Subscribed for about 3 or 4 years now.
Just realized that when I was a kid I love watching my grandfather build wooden stands or cabinet for our house. Seeing him plane wood and cut using a saw was mesmerizing as a kid.
I'm not saying you're like a grandpa hahahaha you're quite young for that yet.
Love that you continue to upload!
Router Fix! I had the exact same problem. Before I fixed it though, I ordered a new router as I thought I wouldn't be able to, besides the router was probably 30 years old. It was a Craftsman that I inherited from my father. Anyway, when routing panels, the size of the chamfer was changing. I thought it was the knob/clamp that locked the motor height into the base. As it was an old router, I chalked it up to being worn out. Later, I decided to clean and lubricate it anyway. I moved the router up and down. It didn't move smoothly. I shot some WD40 into the grooves and wiped numerous times until all the sawdust and gunk was out. Then, I lubed the bolt and knob that clamps the base to the motor. That now works smoothly. Next I took the collet off. I cleaned and lubed that too. Probably junk in the threads. The junk in the threads in three locations were keeping the router from being tight. Once they were cleaned and lubed, it was tight again. Problem Solved! Think about it. Routers are simple machines. They spin a bit. The motor locks at a certain height. The collet is just a screw. Not hard problems to solve. Dirt and grime is the cause of many mechanical failures. Keep your machines clean and they will serve you well.
glad you brought this topic up my router's done the same thing to me before I always thought it was my error I'm glad I know now it's not this helps a lot thank you
I enjoy how this style of video making shows a lot more of the ins and outs, including the challenges that comes with woodworking. They’re informative and relatable
I think we all have busy schedules and sometimes only making a few cuts is all we can doin a day. So seeing that reality is refreshing. When I first got into woodworking YT videos made it seem like things go much more quickly than in reality, and made me feel like I wasn’t making any good progress.
Steve,
Many years ago I had a similar problem when I had inadvertently bought a 6mm shank bit rather than a 1/4'" perhaps check the sizes and / or buy new collet.
Steve - your videos keep getting better. I love how the more human elements are coming through in the latest videos, the cool effects and the stories. There's so much life that happens during the projects you video and it's so entertaining to watch the little things unfold.
The look on your fave as the door hit the floor was priceless. That's the stuff that always happens to me. If it can go wrong, it will.... The repair was great. Thanks for the hello's and sharing the video/film with us.
👍 Another Great video. Love watching theses types of videos. I am a woodworker and I have learned a lot from you. Thank you so much for doing theses videos. Have a great day!
Old door: Delaminating, router slip, bondo repair
New door: Router slip, dropped, delaminating, corner repair
Kidding aside, this is what happens to me on the regular. I am just glad I'm not the only mere mortal. Thanks for showing the mistakes and the work-arounds! Your repair looks awesome, unlike the one made on the previous door.
P.S. How does an Australian toilet greet people?
Bidet Mate!
It is very tempting to comment before watching the video when you arrive at video as an early viewer!
And about losing footage : I hadn't problem with memory cards but what I learnt the hard way was , NEVER shift delete things on trim enabled SSD! The mistake cannot be fixed!
G'day from Australia Steve. Love watching your videos. Keep up all the good work 👍.
I had the same issue. I cleaned the collett using denatured alcohol and a cotton swab. I clean it periodically and have had no further problems.
You should definitely do a few live streams of your next project.
Stream 1: The cam is pointed at the glue drying
Stream 2: the cam pointed at the paint drying
I bet you would have a few viewers.
You could also hype it up for a few days.
It would be as interesting as the fireplace videos...
I would watch
I'd watch
yeah would be nice, i would watch this instead of going to work or even at work and just call it a quality check :-D
Check out the ASMR videos (search youtube for "ASMR"). Someone will watch.
Faulty router shanks, psychedelic camera angles, simple glue repairs, Hamilton, the USPS. This video has everything!
I used to work in a shop that used Porter-Cable routers. I used to break them, trying to tighten the base to the motor. That's where I always had slippage with Porter cables. The first router I bought was a Ryobi and I had the problem with the bit slipping in it so I took it back and never bought another one. Now I use Bosch. Never had a problem.
That was some real emotion. I was certain we were going to see our first *bleep* when that door fell.
I know that in my mind I said "fuuuuuuuuck!"
It's really fascinating watching someone's slow descent into madness. This vlog series has been a chronicle of what happens to a man in quarantine for too long!
I feel ya Steve, hang in there buddy, we'll get through this!
You are not alone I have also had a bit slip. I found things work better after I cleaned the call it out, it tends to suck up to the sawdust.
I built the same router lift that you have. I found that the vibration and pull of the bit cutting into the wood caused the bolt to turn, pulling the bit up. Happened on dado and spiral cut bits all the time. I finally built Jay Bates' router lift and haven't had the issue since.
I had this issue in the past with a Craftsman plunge router. I pulled the bit, lightly sanded the shank, cleaned the collet and the pocket it fits into, and then wiped everything with WD-40. It's worked pretty good after that.
Dealing with frstrating days is a part of making. Not everyday is perfect. Makes the final product all that more special. Keep up the amazing and inspiring work.
It is not how we deal with success that defines us but rather how we handle failures.
You got me, Steve! when you turned the sound off on the video, I caught it right away and thought my Bluetooth headset was having issue and kept backing up the video. I could not for the life of me figure out what was wrong. Other videos and my Rhythmbox worked fine. Finally after (embarrassed to say)2 6 minutes later I realized what you did. You cast a spell on my headset to eternally never hear the secret you told everyone else. I cried a little but came terms with it eventually. Now I understand why you really call the show "Woodworking for Mere Mortals."
Just love your down to earth delivery style and dry humour Steve, many thanks for all the time you put into your Films ha ha ha. you have been such a pleasure to watch over the years... Cheers :)
Thanks for the answer to my question of composting the waste / sawdust. It is a shame, in the rubbish it is then!
Think you’re right about using large bits on small routers. I tried to cut T-molding grooves using a 1/4” bit on a laminate router. Sure enough, no matter how hard I cranked down on the chuck, the blade kept drifting away from center. Very frustrating. Lesson learned.
Steve, depending on the company the glue they use for plywood is green. Columbia Forest Products, I think their glue is soy based.
I really love these videos, Steve. Thanks! and keep them coming.
Had same problem with Porter Cable router. Occurrence that comes to mind was with a 1/4” spiral bit and attributed it to the bit “climbing” up as it cut the work piece.
Another Great Update Steve !
Steve, on the router failure, check the router collet. I had a similar issue and it was collet failure. The biting points of the collet were not directly opposing which allowed the shaft of the bit to "wiggle" and move within the collet. Just a thought.
I’m watching this at 2:37 am. So goodmorrow is the most fitting greeting.
I also have that problem with router bits. I bought a pretty cheap Mastercraft router a few years ago and a big multi pack of router bits, some with 1/4" and some with 1/2 shafts. The router itself takes 1/2" but came with an adapter for the collet to take 1/4" bits. That adapter is just worse than useless, it's only a couple minutes until the bit starts slipping out no matter what I do. Finally got fed up and bought a 1/4" trim router this year. 1/2" bits go in the 1/2" router and 1/4" bits go in the 1/4" router. As long as I don't stray from that it's not perfect but it's much better.
Happened to me a couple of times; once while routing 1/4 inch dado's for a box, and another time routing juice grooves for a cutting board. I didn't know how to fix it in the moment, but ever since I've made it habit to free the collet of sawdust before routing, it hasn't happened since.
If you have a 1/4” shaft and the bit is a 3/4” bit, then it will slip every time. You should have a 1/2” shaft for anything bigger than 1/2”. also you need to slow the speed of the router too when you have a bit bigger than 1/2”, it’s a lot of mass for the router, and if you have the speed all the way up, then it will slip, as well as burn your router out.
I have to be honest... I would DEFINITELY be dumping my saw dust in the compost. I'm convinced saw dust is good for a compost, even plywood dust. IMO, the benefits greatly out weigh any negatives. Also, not only is sawdust great for composts but I throw it in flower beds, gardens, even potted plants. I spread it everywhere, glue and all! Worms love it! Plants love it! Best of all it's convenient! I'll let you know if I grow a tail or 6th digit... but so far the only difference I've noticed is nice damp soil and worms the size of garter snakes.
Router bit slippage ! I was trimming a circle with the 3/4 ply sitting on cookies on the bench. Unknown to me. the bit slipped down and by the time I wised up, I had carved a 1/4 half moon into my bench top. Lucky me! The bit could have escaped and done a lot more damage in all 14 directions including me. I lived with the glaring evidence for about two years, and finally my pride couldn't stand it. I bought a Birch table top from woodcraft. It was a beautiful 1.5 thick laminated Birch 2x2s. That sat, and nicely covered my old P/W top, but it was now 1.5 inch higher , so I had to buy another for the other side of my mitre saw station, whcch also had to be raised . The gist is that I just proved that "Pride is the heaviest burden." Only I wasnt through with it yet. With the oak edges I put on them, the bench was now about two inches wider which I soon realized meant that reaching the tools on my pegboard wall was now a very awkward stretch. That meant that all tools had to be removed,as well as the pegboard with 2x3 studs installed and pegboard replaced. not only that, but the two electrical boxes now had to be also pulled out 2.5 inches. Talk about things going downhill !!! Now where was I? Oh yes, it was a large Porter Cable router that let go of the Bit! No, the collett wasn't worn. The router was not far from brand new. I'm telling all of this so that others will take care & not get hurt. Humility doesn't look so bad now. School of hard knocks. I'm having trouble trusting that router now as well.
Another great video - just love how you show us all the mistakes too.. that's how woodworking is in real life... and as another comment said - just put the crappy side against the wall/ceiling etc.
Oh thank God! I thought I was the laziest woodworker in the history of dust. I'll work for a while but if things aren't exactly "flowing", I'll just stop and go inside to watch some videos about the issue I'm having trouble with - rather than destroying hundreds of dollars worth of wood just because I feel like I "should" be able to do this or that. So thanks. I feel about a thousand times better about myself thanks to your honesty. 🤣😅😆
I have an old Craftsman 2 H.P. Router that’s 1/4” and have never had an issue with bit movement; it also has run every 1/4” shaft bit I’ve put in it. I also have a 2 1/4 H.P. Dewalt router with both 1/2” & 1/4” collets which I’ve switched to as it handles a wider verity of bits; it hasn’t slipped a bit yet. I have had the router bit slip down in the router table but I think it was the mechanism of the lift.
I have a place in the corner of my yard that I put my sawdust, becomes the outdoor cat box for my cats. Perfect! Also get some small rubber grommets for the inside of the router. That way the bit doesn't bottom out. Sommerfeld Tools sells them or at least you can see what I am referring to. Works wonders.
Great work, Steve! 😊
About problems like that, you solve them with AC glue. It makes the wood harder and it sets pretty quickly. 😉
Stay safe there with your family! 🖖😊
Just got a router and appreciate the note on not letting the bit bottom out. Also, really digging your new approach to these videos. OH and your movie recommendations were awesome, my wife and I are going through them one by one. Tonight is the Velocipastor!
I had a similar issue years ago and I believe I fixed it with a new precision collet from precise bits.
I feel bad for enjoying watching Steve's slow descent into madness from quarantine
I love seeing the real world things, the accident with the door and the speaking with the postwoman. These little things are very common in the real world and I identify myself with them.
In the military, there is a concept called "reconnaissance by fire" whereby you shoot at where you think the enemy might be and when they shoot back you know exactly where they are. I feel like you "measured by cutting" those rabbets.
You record your videos. Glad I could help!!!
Your neighbor lady is amazing
Oh man, that look of pain as you examine the damaged door. I felt that, buddy! I've been there!
Had the same problem with the collet a week back! I found debris in the slots of the quarter inch collet. Used a long blade xacto knife and compressed air and now to works fine. (Bosch router)
This is why I watch your videos Steve. You don't pretend to be perfect and you drop stuff on the floor just like the rest of us!
experienced woodworker slip, I have a rubber grommet in my collat and it works for a good tightening bits
When you do woodworking long enough you will have those days. When you first start woodworking everyday is like this. Silly problems after silly mistakes. You handled it gracefully lol
composting part. never thought about that. good one!
Been there and had that happan yesterday, I finally used the Table saw to make my rabits.
Try cleaning the bit shaft and collet with alcohol. That helped for a while. I had the same problem with my porter cable router using 1/4" bit shafts and they would slip. Tried buying new bits as well. Finally had to buy a new collet.
Had the same thing happen to me with a dovetail bit, and long story short, if there's a part of the bit contacting the wood which *isn't* cutting, the combination of vibration and tension can pull the bit out. In my case, I was trying to cut 1/2" deep dovetails with a 1/2" bit, and even a few thousandths of an inch of non-cutting surface contact was enough to start the bit moving. And this was with a brand-new bit, so I knew it was sharp enough.
With the router trouble and dropping the cabinet door, this is one of the most REAL vlogs so far. Sometimes ya just have days like that...
Keep it together Steve.
Also, I couldn't help but think of the original door with the busted/repaired corner... same thing must have happened. It's definitely a curse. Stay safe buddy (mate? guy? dude?)
Dude you’re funny .. thanks for keeping it real ... love your stuff .. thanks ✌🏽
I see betrayal on house on the hill in that closet. Great game!
Came to comment on that as well. Seems on-brand for Steve.
I spied Balderdash.
Love these videos and watching your slow decent into randomness! :-P (The meta talking about the video was my fave.)
Glad to see you put the Aussie "G'day" in there as well - here's some love from Down Under. :-)
Had the same problem with a Porter Cable router. It ended up being the cheap 3/8 inch collet I bought on Amazon. My 1/4 and 1/2 inch collets worked fine.
Steve I had that problem with a router. I discovered the collett would get stuck. Every time changed bits
I had to pull the collett out and slide the new bit onto the collett then screw it down tight. I finally put some lube
on it and is working fine now
As you push the material against the bit, the entire spindle canters slightly and causes an upward drag as it wants to corkscrew up. If the shank is too smooth, the upward tug lifts it out of the collet. Take a file or grinder to the shank and rough it up a bit, stops it from sliding. Also slow down the feeding of material into the bit
I felt your pain on the dropped door! Good job carrying the emotion and nice repair.
A couple things on your router: the collet could be worn or dirty and not providing proper grip; the shank of the bit could be worn or scratched or dirty so the collet does not lock on it properly; your depth adjustment on the router lift could be loose (as another listener commented). If you look closely at your router bits you will see the shank flares out a bit right where the cutting edge starts, so you are correct not to seat the bit all the way into the collet. If the bit is fully seated the collet is actually locking onto the flared part of the shank and thus likely to slip.
YES! I have that with my router all the time! It doesn't matter what bit I use either. Straight bit, rabbet bit, roundover bit, all the same. It seems like maybe it works better freehand than in the table, bit I've had it shoot a bit out before while running. Not fun. Based on some other comments, and that It's almost impossible to remove the bits unless I do it right away, I think the collet and bit shanks are just caked with rust.
Thanks guys for the tips! And thanks Steve for bringing it up!
I have experienced that router bit slip problem, especially on a router table. Because the router is sitting upside down wood dust had fallen down on the collet and after a few changes of the bit the dust build up prevented the collet from completely clamping down on the bit. Just thoroughly cleaned out the dust and fixed the issue
This is happening to me as well on a 1/4 inch hand router I bought at a garage sale for about 5 bucks. I'm pretty sure the collet is worn out. Trying replacing the collet (that's what I'm going to do). If that doesn't work, it might be time for a new (also what I'm most likely going to have to do).
It would be absolutely amazing to get an updated router table video
You sure you are not using 6mm shanked bits, not 1/4" therefore 6.35mm shank? The collet might be tightened down as far as it goes, but not gripping the shank tightly?
Good point. Can be hard to tell them apart.
This is a good point.
especial if the bite was an Asian made bites
Happened to me - bought a very cheap bit set, wasted my money, yet again. You would think a person would learn, but not me.
@@jeffreythompson9549 I got an expensive set and it does the same thing. They were 1/4" shaft.
LOL, I just came from the "ONLY" 9 clamps you need video. Good thing you did not throw those clamps away. ;)
Luckily you laid out more doors than needed. Funny how things have a way of working out.
Sawdust makes great flock for tabletop modelers!
Most routers have a locking mechanism you set after you set the depth. That prevents side movement and changing depth. Also, there is a correct direction you cut which depends on the grain.
Hey Steve, thanks for your channel; long time fan and subscriber! I had this happen a few times. Cheaper bits sometimes have a slightly undersized shank, so you can never tighten it down enough. That`s a possible cause i heard about and I now buy better quality bits. Another possibility is you might need to replace the collet. That fixed the problem for me. A collet for one router was 20 bucks and another was 50. Ouch!!
Im digging your hair....especially on the second day of this video. It looks like it’s a little higher these days. Very Conan O’Brien of you! Thanks for all of the quarantine videos! I watch every episode!
I must confess that I was rooting for a F bomb when you dropped the door. It would have been one of many if I had done that. 🤬 Looks like you fixed the corner quite successfully. 👍🏼