By continuing to use this site, you agree to our use of cookies. Find out more
Forum sponsored by:
Forum sponsored by Forum House Ad Zone

Collet Chuck set.

All Topics | Latest Posts

Search for:  in Thread Title in  
Ed Duffner27/09/2011 22:29:09
863 forum posts
104 photos
Hi Everyone,
 
I am new to the Model Engineer forums and also to machine tools. I've recently purchased a milling machine and a 2MT collet chuck set to go with it. I've included some photos below.
 
The issue I have is, if I rotate the collet so that it slides further into the chuck, the clamping nut will screw on all the way without tightening the collet and the collet spins around freely.
 
The only way I can get a collet to tighten onto a cutting tool is to put the collet in so that "Side A" (in the bottom photo) rests against the grub screw. But this seems a very insecure way to hold a collet.
 
Could somebody kindly explain how this particular chuck is supposed to hold its collets please? I can take more photos if necessary.
 
Many thanks,
Ed.


Inside view showing the side mounted grub screw.
 
 

 

Phil P27/09/2011 23:04:22
851 forum posts
206 photos
Can you confirm that you have inserted a screwed shank cutter into the collet ?
 
The idea is that the centre hole in the back end of the cutter bears against the male centre in the chuck. The grub screw is there to prevent the collet turning when you tighten it up, and the shoulders should go down past the grub screw.
 
Edge A should never touch the chuck body, all the end load is through the actual cutter and onto the male centre.
 
Have a google for "Clarkson Autolock Chuck" and you will find more info.
 
Phil
michael cole27/09/2011 23:05:50
166 forum posts
Hi Ed
I use the same collect chuck. The end of the cutter is ment to be supported by the point in the chuck body. What i normally do is screw in cutter is threaded end is just short of coming through the threads in collect. Insert collect in body so your Edge A is as inserted as far as it can. tighten up nut hand tight give the cutter a final turn then tighten nut with wrench. Does not have to be very very tight. The grub screw is to stop the shoulders on the collect rotating..
 
Mike
Steambuff27/09/2011 23:29:39
avatar
544 forum posts
8 photos

I have the same collet system.. it's a Quick Release Collet, I got mine from Axminster in the UK.
It will only work with screw shanked milling cutters ... Axminster also sell these. (I have yet to find another UK source at a reasonable price)
 
I was told that you screw the cutter into the collet a few turns and then insert into the body and tighen up the body nut by hand, then finish screwing the cutter in and then pinch up the body with the spanner supplied. (If you screw the cutter all the way in first, you won't be able to tighten it in the body)
 
Dave
 
Ed Duffner28/09/2011 00:02:44
863 forum posts
104 photos
Phil, Mike and Dave,
 
Many thanks for your replies and help, I understand now . I bought milling cutters with a plain shank. I misread the info on the Warco wbsite about the chuck being interchangeable, which just means that it's possible to use imperial or metric collets in the same chuck.
 
Regards,
Ed.
Ian S C28/09/2011 14:06:00
avatar
7468 forum posts
230 photos
I made a holder for plain shank cutters that fits in a 3/4" collet in my chuck. It consists of a bit of steel (from the junk box) turned to 3/4" dia and screw cut and center drilled at one end, then turned around in the chuck and drilled to fit the shank of the cutter, the cutter has a flat gound on the side, so a hole was drilled in the side of the holder to correspond with the flat, thiswas tapped 1/4" UNF. I can also fit a HSS countersink in it. Itr was made to cover an emergecy when I did'nt have a cutter with a screw shank. Theres usually a way of doing these things if you have to. Ian S C
David Littlewood28/09/2011 18:30:02
533 forum posts
Posted by Steambuff on 27/09/2011 23:29:39:

I have the same collet system.. it's a Quick Release Collet, I got mine from Axminster in the UK.
It will only work with screw shanked milling cutters ... Axminster also sell these. (I have yet to find another UK source at a reasonable price)
 
Tracy Tools sell sets of screwed shank milling cutters at quite low prices. They are very readily available, though normally not as cheap.
 
David
Steambuff28/09/2011 18:59:57
avatar
544 forum posts
8 photos

Many Thanks David ... I'll take a look
Ian S C29/09/2011 10:26:44
avatar
7468 forum posts
230 photos
A threaded extention, a size larger in dia could be silver soldered on to the plain shank in a similar way to the one that I made held together with a grub screw, just an idea if you must use that collet chuck. Practical??? Ian S C
Steambuff29/09/2011 12:00:53
avatar
544 forum posts
8 photos
Thats an idea .... or even tap the ends ... oouch !!!
 
I prefer that collet chuck as I don't have to keep removing the taper & drawbar when I want to change cutters (i.e from 6mm to 10mm to 16mm etc)
 
Never have liked hitting the end of the drawbar with a hammer. (Yes I have a small Sieg Mill)
 
Dave
 
Ed Duffner29/09/2011 17:56:52
863 forum posts
104 photos
Thank you guys for the great ideas.
 
I did have an idea of making a cutter extension, threaded at one end, with a boss on the other. I'd grind a flat on the end of the cutter's plain shank which would be secured by a grub screw or two through the side of the boss.
 
At the moment though I'm very much a novice with machine tools and a few other skills e.g. silver soldering. Until I build up my skill set I'll err on the side of safety and not try to make an adaptor, I'd always be thinking... is it going to hold? or, will it break? . I also don't have a lathe just yet (a future acquisition).
 
 
Thanks again,
Ed.
 
PS. I have now ordered a 2MT ER25 collet chuck and collets which takes threaded or plain shank cutters.
NJH29/09/2011 19:03:34
avatar
2314 forum posts
139 photos
Hi Ed
 
Posted by Ed Duffner on 29/09/2011 17:56:52:
Thank you guys for the great ideas.
 
I did have an idea of making a cutter extension, threaded at one end, with a boss on the other. I'd grind a flat on the end of the cutter's plain shank which would be secured by a grub screw or two through the side of the boss.
 
This is just what I did to hold those mini - cutters (less than 1/4" and come with a flat on the shank) in my Posilock chuck.
It works well but you must be sure that the shank of the holder and the hole for the cutter are concentric.
 
Regards
 
Norman

Edited By NJH on 29/09/2011 19:04:30

Tomfilery29/09/2011 19:36:27
144 forum posts
4 photos
Steambuff makes an interesting point re hitting the drawbar with a hammer.
 
To avoid doing this on my Axminster MicroMill, I drilled the top part of the mill spindle (which is soft, unlike the morse taper part) using my pistol drill and tapped it M12. This allows a short bar to be inserted (obviously after the long one has been removed) and an M12 bolt screwed down against the bar, forcing the chuck out of the taper - saving hammering which always feels likely to damage the machine.
 
Regards Tom
Ian S C30/09/2011 11:15:55
avatar
7468 forum posts
230 photos
I did tap a thread onthe end of the shank of a 1/4" drill, and put a center hole in it, then resharpend it to work as an end mill. With a drill you can do this as the shank is not hardened, but an end mill is hard all over. Ian S C
Geoff Theasby30/09/2011 11:53:27
615 forum posts
21 photos
My Warco milling machine recommends the use of a rubber hammer to help extract milling cutters and collets from the taper.
I haven't bought one yet, so I don't know how effective one would be, but perhaps you shouldn't screw down the drawbar too much either.
 
Regards
Geoff
Ed Duffner02/10/2011 01:26:42
863 forum posts
104 photos
Hi Geoff,
 
I use(d) a rubber mallet on my WM-16 and find that I cannot loosen the drawbar with it even with moderately heavy blows and not having the drawbar overtightened in the first place. I may switch to an aluminim dolly and regular hammer or a nylon hammer.
 
Regards,
Ed.
David Littlewood04/10/2011 18:03:03
533 forum posts
My Emco FB2 mill has an external thread on the upper end of the spindle. The drawbar is a very long hex socket capscrew; to remove, there is a threaded cap (with a hole in the end big enough for an Allen key) which screws on the external thread, then with a big Allen key in the drawbar and a spanner on the flats on the cap, you can force the drawbar up against the cap, which pushes out the 2MT tooling.
 
One problem is that half the tooling you buy has an M10 thread, the other is 3/8" BSW. I got overt this by making a 3/8" BSW drawbar, with a hole in the upper end, into which I Loctited a turned-down M10 capscrew. Rather to my amazement and gratification, this has survived about 20 years of use.
 
David

Edited By David Littlewood on 04/10/2011 18:03:59

Mark P.04/10/2011 20:19:23
avatar
634 forum posts
9 photos
Posted by Ed Duffner on 02/10/2011 01:26:42:
Hi Geoff,
 
I use(d) a rubber mallet on my WM-16 and find that I cannot loosen the drawbar with it even with moderately heavy blows and not having the drawbar overtightened in the first place. I may switch to an aluminim dolly and regular hammer or a nylon hammer.
 
Regards,
Ed.
Hi Ed,I have a WM16 mill,I use the self-ejecting method ie.wind the drawbar out of the chuck / collet against the drawbar retaining nut.
regards Pailo.
Ed Duffner05/10/2011 16:56:56
863 forum posts
104 photos
Hi Pailo,
 
Many thanks for the tip, I will give it a try.
 
Regards,
Ed.

All Topics | Latest Posts

Please login to post a reply.

Magazine Locator

Want the latest issue of Model Engineer or Model Engineers' Workshop? Use our magazine locator links to find your nearest stockist!

Find Model Engineer & Model Engineers' Workshop

Sign up to our Newsletter

Sign up to our newsletter and get a free digital issue.

You can unsubscribe at anytime. View our privacy policy at www.mortons.co.uk/privacy

Latest Forum Posts
Support Our Partners
cowells
Sarik
MERIDIENNE EXHIBITIONS LTD
Shopping Partners
Subscription Offer

Latest "For Sale" Ads
Latest "Wanted" Ads
Get In Touch!

Do you want to contact the Model Engineer and Model Engineers' Workshop team?

You can contact us by phone, mail or email about the magazines including becoming a contributor, submitting reader's letters or making queries about articles. You can also get in touch about this website, advertising or other general issues.

Click THIS LINK for full contact details.

For subscription issues please see THIS LINK.

Digital Back Issues

Social Media online

'Like' us on Facebook
Follow us on Facebook

Follow us on Twitter
 Twitter Logo

Pin us on Pinterest

 

Donate

donate