Dakota Precision Collet Extension

[mpooley]

Hi all
Has anyone used one of these?
Im very interested but would like to know your views first please.


Dakota Precision Collet Extension (XTENSION)

http://www.rutlands.co.uk/cgi-bin/psPro ... 0,1%7C4%7C



Mike

 

[mailee]

I have one Mike. They do work and are a good idea, however they do take some setting up first time as they need balancing to your own collet. It took me a while but I eventually found the right spot and scribed a mark on both the extension and collet so I can put it back in the same place each time. There is one hell of a vibration without doing this. HTH. :wink:

 

[maltrout512]

Hi Mike I agree with what mailee said. I bought a quick change collet from woodrat and you have to set the balance up. Other wise you do have a vibration problem.

 

[mpooley]

Ok thanks

I assume you mean varying the depth of the extender in the collet alters the balance?

mike

 

[Lord Nibbo]

I've never had any vibration issues with mine. The price seems excessive until you find out how easy and quick it is to change a cutter, no spanners just one allen key. What amazes me is how well it grips a cutter with out the need to over tighten the allen screw.

 

[Steve Maskery]

I've got one, wouldn't be without it, and it was a lot more expensive than that when I bought mine!

S

 

[Digit]

I don't use one. By removing the base from my router, along with the built in depth adjuster before mounting it permanently in the table, the standard collet passes through the top.

Roy.

 

[paulm]

I Have one and love it, no problems setting up for me, use it in my T11 in the table and the combo of that router with the above table adjustment and the XX makes the table so easy to use, absolutely transforms it, recommended.

Cheers, Paul

 

[mpooley]

Have ordered one today!

Thanks all

Mike

 

[mpooley]

Have ordered one today!

Thanks all

Mike

Got it!

I dont seem to have any balance problems but I've not tried it in anger yet- will do that tomorrow.

Thanks all


Mike

 

[Steve Maskery]

Mike
I've never had balance problems either. Perhaps we are just lucky!
One thing you might like to know. The thread on it is imperial. One turn = 1/16".

If you work in metric, it would be more convenient if one turn were 1mm, wouldn't it? It's not like that

But.

If you take a circle of card about 75mm / 3" diameter and mark out 227 degrees on it, that's how far to turn the handle to get 1mm of rise or fall.

So my disk has a slit and central hole, I slip it over the crank ( the one in the table rather than the one operating it - I thought I'd get that one in first) and line it up with one of the radii marked on the disk, I can then easily turn it to a precision of 0.1mm (27 deg) which is marked on the disk.

Cheers
Steve

 

[TobyB]

Just to add to the comments above - I read this thread and thought "ah ha!" ... and just like PaulM says ... my T11 in a table is transformed, not having to push to the extremes of the plunge, and more importantly, changing bits is easy rather than fiddly. Vibration? Maybe I'm just lucky too ... no signs whatsoever so far.

Highly recomended!

Cheers

Toby

 

[Fergus]

I bought one last week after reading positive posts on here. And also have no vibration...had to enlarge my table insert a teeny bit but no vibration or anything. Great bit of kit

 

[paulm]

Glad you like it guys

Cheers, Paul

 

[George_N]

I have also just taken delivery of a Dakota Precision XX from Rutlands. Ordered online at lunchtime on Friday and delivered on Saturday morning...Well Done Rutlands. It certainly looks like a substantial chunk of metal and well machined. I set it up this morning, as per the instruction sheet and checked the runout, which was around 0.004" (probably as good as I normally have with my TrendTech router). This is about half of the max permitted on the spec sheet and it gives vibration free running with my biggest bits. I have only tested it with a 1/2" roundover bit so far but the quality of cut appears to be as good as it was without the XX fitted. Being able to change bits above the table will be a great advantage and the extra reach means I can use a coping sled with my rail and stile bit set, which will be safer than using a push block against the fence.