How to free a stuck router bit

[Todd Brewer]

I have a Milwaukee 5625-20 router in a router table. I broke part of the carbide off trying to get the bit out. How do you free up a stuck bit? I don't think I was too aggressive when tightening the bit. I eventually got it out but I didn't like what I had to do (prying, tapping with a hammer, more prying, more aggressive tapping with a hammer...). Is it the router? Is there a better 2.5 - 3.5 HP router out there that makes bit removal less of a problem? I am putting together another router table and I'm open to router recommendations. If it's not the router, how do you free a stuck bit?

[Dave Richards]

Did you get the collet nut totally free from the router?

Whatever router you get you should look at the Eliminator RC chuck. I have one on the DW621 in my router table and the XL chuck on the DW625 on the Router Boss. Definitely a good accessory to have. I use a ball-end driver to tighten the screw.

[Rob Mathis]

Normally I loosen the nut then rap on the nut and this should allow the bit to come free.

[glenn bradley]

The Milwaukees have a self-releasing chuck. You loosen the top nut, then loosen it an additional turn or so and it will get tight again. Wrench it loose a second time and the bit should release.

[Chris Fournier]

Easy. Cut a piece of hardwood and put a slot in it slightly wider than the shank of your bit. Place this piece of wood between the bit and the collet nut. Now loosen the collet nut and the wood will snug up against the bit, keep loosening and the bit will be popped out of the collect by the nut. No harm no foul! I have 1/4" and 1/2" wood "bit poppers" in my router drawer. Never broke a bit.

[Bruce Wrenn]

You can also use open end wrenches as a "pickle fork."

[Rob Feldner]

Anything with a collet, threads, or anything with a mating surface, likes to be clean. Try spraying things down (or dampening a rag) and getting things clean with every bit change. A kerosene/oil mix works well for me, folks here will likely have other suggestions. Bits still sometimes get a bit stuck, but tapping with a block of wood ought to loosen things up.

[Mark Wooden]

Your collet and chuck have to be clean- polished clean. I slot a piece of 1/4" dowel, and slip a piece of red Scotchbrite into it . Then I start the router, with the collet removed, and get it to full speed. I the shut the router off and quickly push the scotchbrite/dowel in while it's spinning down. I repeat this until the chuck is clean & polished.Don't do it with the router running. I then chuck the dowel in a drill, slide it into the collet and polish the outside of the collet. Some blue tape wrapped around the Scotchbrite helps to wedge it tightly enough to spin. Then I take the tape off and polish the inside of the collet. When it's all cleaned, I put Butchers White Diamond paste wax on the outside of the collet only, no place else. This will keep the collet releasing in the chuck. Wax anywhere else will cause slippage.
Always remove the bits after you're done. They come out easy when everything is warm, not so much so when they've been sitting. If you have one stuck, make enough cuts with it to get it all warm, unplug it, take the collett nut off and tap it sideways firmly wth a wooden hammer handle , never anything heavier or harder. I've had next to no stuck bits once I was taught the above by an older millworker over 20 years ago.
Good luck!
And Chris' idea for the 'bit poppers' is excellent. I'm going to copy that one.

[ken masoumi]

No one mentioned it so I will,I thought a common practice to put a bit in a router chuck is to pull the shank up by 1/16" after it bottoms out,then tighten the chuck,it should be less likely to get stuck.
May be you know this but I'm just a newbie here and don't know who the seasoned woodworkers are,mentioned it in case you were not doing it. I now have a small/thin "O" ring in the chuck.

[Ole Anderson]

No one mentioned it so I will,I thought a common practice to put a bit in a router chuck is to pull the shank up by 1/16" after it bottoms out,then tighten the chuck,it should be less likely to get stuck.
May be you know this but I'm just a newbie here and don't know who the seasoned woodworkers are,mentioned it in case you were not doing it. I now have a small/thin "O" ring in the chuck.

I drop a Rocklers 1/4" rubber "SpaceBall" in the chuck before I tighten it. Never a stuck bit in my Hitachi M12v table router. And it is not a self release type of chuck.

[Mike Wilkins]

Great suggestions all. For future reference please inspect the router bit shaft prior to installation into the collet. The least bit of dirt/rust will bind the shaft to the collet innards, making easy release difficult. I had a handfull of router bit shafts with rust after removing them from a box full of rain water. Hit them all with Scothbrite and WD40 before attempting to use them. It is also a great idea to regularly clean the collet with a brass brush or gun cleaning brush to clean out all the gunk/dirt.

[Todd Brewer]

A lot of great suggestions! Thanks!