[woodworker2]

Hi, I am about to purchase a cnc router, and I will be using it more for drilling through wood and aluminum than cutting. I have a hitachi variable speed router. It takes a standard 1/2" diameter bit and has a 1/4" collet as well. How do I get typical drill bits mounted in the router? I use 15/64", 3/16",
5/16" and letter Q drill bits, along with freud hole fostner bits, typically 1/2" and 3/4" which usually have a 3/8" diam. shaft.

[Lionclaw]

I use a 1/8" endmill for most of my cutting and hole drilling. Someone else will probably have a better answer for you though with regard to drill bits. With a small endmill however you should be able to cut any hole with a diameter equal to or larger than the endmill with a G2 instruction. I believe Enco sells some bits that are both drill bits and end mills as well.

[joecnc2006]

If you want to use different size bits then you need to get collet adapters, ehich will havd I.D. what you want and an O.D. of 1/2" I got one for the hitachi router to use 1/6" bits, i will have to remember where i got it from but there are several places.

[Jayson]

Hi woodworker2,
As joe2000che says, you will need collets that fit your drill bits. If you have a lathe you could make them or get someone to make them for you. Its not all that hard to do it just takes a bit of setting up to get them correct. I use a cheap router on my machine and have made around 5 different sized collets for it. This is the best solution IMHO.

Regards,

Jayson

[ger21]

You should NOT use drill bits in a router. They're not designed to spin at such high speeds and using them at those speeds is dangerous. Also, at 8000 rpm, a 3/4 forstner bit will get so hot it will be useless in about 30 seconds or less.

[wcarrothers1]

I'm with Ger..

But Porter cable routers are avaliable with 1/4 3/8 and 1/2" collets (least for my monster 3-1/4hp 1785 router)

Which is cool since that alows me to use the 3/8" shafted end mills I have in the router...

although like ger said bits that big can't spin at even the slower end of a variable speed routers range.. Becides the heat a router motor bearings are not designed to take vertical loads like that. They mostly take horizontal loads..

But anywho..

b.