Quality Collet Chucks

[Brad93]

I’m after a good set of collets and a nice 40INT Collet Chuck.

Not interested in Chinese junk.

Currently looking at Vertex and Bison.

What collet set would be best? Is Cutwel still good/preferred? Or shall I go for whatever brand of chuck I go with?

Bison: http://www.rotagriponline.com/index...ges.tpl&pop=0&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=29

 

[Mark Davison]

I've had a few of the cutwel BT30 ER25 chucks recently and was very pleasantly surprised for the money (approx £20 each inc vat). Also a set of their standard runout collets. Pretty sure the BT40 ER32 chuck is the same price. If you are wanting an expensive chuck it would only make sense with high precision collet set ?

 

[mtt.tr]

Er collets or other?

I have found the cheap collet body's to be pretty bang on but the cheap collets are pretty poor

 

[pressbrake1]

Msc , buy generic balanced by bt40

 

[Brad93]

I’ve ordered two BT40 chucks, balanced to 15k RPM from Cutwel. They’re made by YG who make pretty good milling tools.

£19 each.

I’ve ordered a number of odd collets and will purchase a set - I‘ve got to Ring up tomorrow as it’s saying they’re on back order, yet all the individual sizes are in stock.

 

[Brad93]

I will need to make a drawbar. I don’t know what sort of steel to use though. The drawbar on the machine seems to be either polished or chromed Steel.

 

[northwest]

I will need to make a drawbar. I don’t know what sort of steel to use though. The drawbar on the machine seems to be either polished or chromed Steel.

Anything will do Brad, I have made them in the past from threaded rod. However, if you do that they will catch you out and nip you at some point. Best using a long bit of smooth something and making a long nut for one end and welding or pinning it on. The beauty of using a collet chuck is that you will rarely need to use the drawbar to swap chucks I keep a drill chuck on a straight shank just in case I need to drill something on the mill quickly and rather than swapping out the whole collet chuck I just stick the drill chuck in a collet.

 

[Agroshield]

If you are to make the drawbar, consider making the hex on the end the same size as that used for your clamping kit. One spanner fits all.

 

[Hopefuldave]

My drawbars are cheap threaded rod and work well enough - a long couplling nut pinned on to hold with one spanner, a flange nut and big washer below it for the final tighten, allows for different lenths of tail on the holders and means you don't have to spin a nut half a mile

Dave H. (the other one)