Recommendations on a Plunge Router?

[Meph]

Well my wonderful wife bought me the Bosch kit for Father's day.  I actually mentioned it to her once more than a month ago and she managed to get the right one.  So...any recommendations for bits to start with?

[TopJimmyCooks]

indispensable bits:  get name brand from hardware store or online.
get a decent 1/2" guide bearing flush trim bit - preferably 1" long.  for trimming cab sides, etc.
get a laminate trimmer bit if you're going to do laminate- these are cheap.

less critical bits:
get a cheap 10 or 20 bit assortment from harbor freight or similar for infrequent use- panel pilot, chamfers, ogees, hinge mortising. 

This is the bare minimum bit selection.  Obviously, the more you spend the better your results and ease of use will be. 

[yaksplat]

buy this flush bit, works great on wood and plexi:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0000225YD/ref=pe_175190_21431760_cs_sce_dp_1

this for t-molding:
http://www.amazon.com/Freud-63-150-16-Inch-Cutter-16-Inchdepth/dp/B0002TUCZW

[walker_tr9]

Hello yaksplat.

I've been using the Bosch router.  It is pretty nice.  But I think I messed up my collet.  I was routing a groove with the plunge router, and so I was using a groove/flute bit naturally.  But the length of the cutter was quite long, so when I put the bit in, I backed it out 1/4 in (as they say).  But I don't think that was enough for this bit.  The cutter end of the bit went a fair bit inside the collet (because it is so long).

Anyway, sawdust got inside the collet.  So when I go to take the thing off, I end up taking the nut off, but leaving the bit and collet still in the shaft!  I know I know.  I probably shouldn't be able to even do that, but I did.  Anyway, I managed to get that mofo bit off, but I scratched the collet up pretty bad.

So I should just get a new collet/nut?  The main motor and shaft are fine.   Also, I assume that in the future I should always have enough of the cutter sticking out so that no sawdust gets inside, right?

[yaksplat]

Wow, I'm surprised the nut came off the collet.  That one's new to me.   Your best bet is to pick up a new collet and toss the old one.  There's normally a min insertion depth line on the bits.  Make sure that the but is inserted past that and not so deep that you're going to expose the inside of the collet.  I'm assuming that the sawdust bound up in there pretty good. 

As long as there's no damage to the main shaft, you're okay and no permanent damage was done.

Good luck and be careful.

[walker_tr9]

Thanks.  Yeah, I think it was the sawdust.  I certainly had to twist fairly hard to get the nut off, but I thought that the collet would come with it.  Oh well.  The main shaft looks fine.  Would a Freud bit have a longer base, so I wouldn't have to worry about exposing the inside of the collet?  This bit I was using was from a pack of 14 or so MLCS bits.

Actually, how tight am I supposed to tighten the nut when I install a bit?  It's possible I may have over tightened it.  I think you're supposed to use one hand only, but my grip isn't super strong, so I usually get both hands on it.  Is there some kind of analogous "three-finger tight" rule here?