Collet chucks-opinions

[Chico]

I'm toying with the idea of getting a collet chuck with a dedicated 3/4 x 16 fitting. So far I've looked at the Chronos and Axminster versions but not actually physically held them. Any opinions on those or any other that I have not found yet?

 

[marcros]

I have the Beall one. Very good, but a bit spendy.

 

[Chico]

Aye it is "very spendy" indeed.

 

[marcros]

Very well made though, and no mt2 tang on it which some have.

Times may have moved on, but when I got mine a few years back, there were few other options (I don't think that there were any others in er20). The choice between no collet chuck and that one still means I regard it as good value. I also bought it in the usa which helped.

 

[Dalboy]

I have this one and find it very good for my needs mine originally came from Axminster tools but they no longer do this model. With mine it can fit either a 1" X 8 or an 3/4" X 16
I would avoid MT taper fitting ones unless you have a through hole to lock it in place with a draw rod

 

[Lons]

I have a Chronos chuck which has been excellent though I can't remember what I paid.

 

[Chico]

So , two fellas who are happy with the Chronos/SCT. That is a start, tell me do you just fit things hand tight or do you bother spannering?

 

[Dalboy]

So , two fellas who are happy with the Chronos/SGT. That is a start, tell me do you just fit things hand tight or do you bother spannering?

I use the two bars and just pinch up the wood in mine because anything you are chucking up tend to be on the smaller size you don't need much pressure with the tools to cut it too shape, if you find it is starting to move in the chuck then just give it a small tighten with the bars

 

[Lons]

So , two fellas who are happy with the Chronos/SGT. That is a start, tell me do you just fit things hand tight or do you bother spannering?

I use the two bars and just pinch up the wood in mine because anything you are chucking up tend to be on the smaller size you don't need much pressure with the tools to cut it too shape, if you find it is starting to move in the chuck then just give it a small tighten with the bars

I do exactly the same. I don't use mine often but very useful when the time comes

 

[Chico]

Cheers for that, getting a bit more of a feeling for it now.

 

[J-G]

So , two fellas who are happy with the Chronos/SGT. That is a start, tell me do you just fit things hand tight or do you bother spannering?

I made my own ER32 size to suit my Myford Super 7 - which I also use to turn wood! - and I would never consider tightening just by hand. As Dalboy has said, don't consider a taper fitting unless you have a hollow spindle and a draw-bar.

Mine is fitted more than 50% of the time that I'm on the lathe and I often prepare larger blanks in a chuck by turning a 20mm spigot (the largest dia that the ER32 can take) as a first job.

I also find it useful to turn square stock held in the round collets often by just knocking the corners off on a linisher. In my last project I turned some Ebony down to 0.4mm dia !

 

[Chico]

Looks like it will be the SCT/ Chronos one a wider grip range, Lons and Dalboy what is the physical size of it?

 

[Lons]

Looks like it will be the SCT/ Chronos one a wider grip range, Lons and Dalboy what is the physical size of it?

Mine is the SCT ( but 33 x 3.5 though as for my Axminster lathe ). Chuck is around 80mm long x 60mm dia.
Think the insert supplied might be 3/4 x 16can't remember

 

[Chico]

Thank you.

 

[Robbo3]

I have had both & they are fine.
The Axminster Junior uses ER20 collets which go up to 13mm whilst the Chronos uses ER32 collets which go up to 19 or 20mm. Each collet has a 1mm gripping range so you have to be fairly accurate when sizing the grip area of the work.
The Chronos isn't as well finished as the Axminster but is probably the better value for money. They both do their job equally well.

 

[Chico]

Cheers for that Robbo, wonder if Chronos are going to have a "Sale"?

 

[marcros]

I got a full set of er32 collets from eBay. I presume that a similar set of er20 are available. I couldnt guarantee that I have used every one but I have used most of my set over a couple of years. It was far cheaper than buying a few individually.

 

[graduate_owner]

Here is another possible solution. I wanted an ER collet system for my metal lathe and my milling machine. An R8 ER40 chuck for my mill was not so expensive second hand, but for my metal lathe (Colchester with L0 fitting) the chuck was way out of my price range, considering the amount of expected use.
OK, so, back to woodturning. I bought an ER40 chuck second hand off ebay, the cheapest I could find and it happens to be a BT40 fitting which doesn't match anything I have, BUT I can mount it in a metal chuck on my wood lathe (and my Colchester, which was the main reason for buying).
So it is a case of fit a 3 jaw self centring metalworking chuck to my Viceroy lathe, which as it happens, came with the lathe (lucky me) Use the chuck to hold the collet chuck. Now while the job is being done, the collet chuck stays in the 3 jaw chuck, and the work is removed and replaced as necessary only from the collet. Therefore the built in inaccuracy of the 3 jaw chuck for removal and replacement of the work is bypassed. The 3 jaw chuck is not touched until the work is complete.

ER40 collets go up to 26mm I think, so a decent size there. Of course you need more of the collets to complete the range, and I don't have a complete set yet, but for clamping wood, I just turn to the size of collet I have where possible. Otherwise it's a case of buy another collet.

In terms of metal work, the drawback is I don't have a hole through the collet chuck for longer work, but I am thinking of modifying the BT40 to allow for this. Trouble is the chuck is pretty hard.
K

 

[graduate_owner]

I should add here that both the Colchester and the Viceroy are substantial lathes so the weight on the headstock is not an issue. There is the extra overhang though which shortens the distance between centres, and could introduce some extra run out.

K