Warco WM250....ER40 collet question

....i have recently bought a second hand Warco WM250 lathe in excellent condition...hardly used..The headstock spindle in MT4....I’m thinking about getting an ER40 MT4 collet Chuck as a direct fit for more accurate work. Would this be a good idea?...Thanks...

Better to get a flange mount then you can hole long work without the MT4 getting in the way.

+1 for flange mount, mounting on a backplate machined on the lathe ensures good alignment.

I've found the 3-jaw that came with my WM250V to be very good, and if I need even better concentricity I have a set of soft jaws.

Maybe there are advantages I don't know about, but to me, a set of collets looks like a lot of faffing about for modest benefit.

Not worth buying an MT4 mounting collet chuck, lose the benefit of hole through spindle. As Nick says, a flange mount chuck is a better bet. If the WM250 is anything like the Myford S7 it won't have a full length MT4 taper anyway so a standard taper wouldn't fit! I probably use my MT4 collets more often than 3 jaw now I have them.

Thanks guys...you’ve answered my question...👍

Sorry, that should have said "ER40 collets" rather that MT4! The other point about a taper mounted collet chuck is it provides another opportunity for run-out.

If you want concentricity, use a 4 jaw chuck and clock the work. Collets were intended for repetition work, so a bit expensive to use for holding one off jobs. Likely to take longer to change the collets than to adjust the jaws on a 3 jaw, but possibly not quite as accurate as clocking in a 4 jaw, (although quicker changing workpieces)

Depends whether you are pursuing a hobby or are time pressured, as if on piecework.

A complete ER40 set up, will cost more than a 4 jaw chuck, and unless flange mounted, will not allow work to pass through the Mandrel.

Depends on what you intend to do, and how much you are prepared to spend.

Howard

Thanks Howard..👍

Well, as I've said elsewhere, I have an ER40 flange mount collet chuck on my big bore S7 and it gets used most of the time rather than 3J 4J or the Myford collets. I would not be without it.

I use my mill's er32 MT3 collet via a MT3-5 converter on my chester conquest from time to time. It depedns what sort of jobs you mess about with but there are times when it's the best alternative (for me) such as a good hold on threaded ends of parts. I don't have enough reason to go for a backplate mounted one.

There is another alternative (on my to-do list) and that's to make up a collet holder with a straight shaft and through hole. The closing ring is cheap enough to buy and the holder is no big deal to make and then hold and clock that in the 4-jaw for repetition work. Indeed I have done that just gripping the body of my ER32 in the 4-jaw.

pgk