Small chuck for small parts

[BigEyeBob]

Check out Bangood.com they have er32 collet chucks that mount on mini lathes with a back plate,either 90mm or 100mm IIRC .Chinese but good quality for the money .They have the collets as well .

[indian joe]

I told you fellers a fib ---I bought ER20 stuff instead of ER32
smaller - cheaper - works good

[Jedman]

Greg , For what it sounds like you are doing with a mini lathe, a drill Chuck is all you need to make screws, short firing pins, ect. You can get a Chinese made chuck with a MT 3 shank for under $20 that will do anything your light duty mini lathe is designed for.
ER series collets are OK but from each size to the next they wount hold every diameter in between, they are pretty specific to what size they will hold. A drill chuck will do more, cost less, and be faster.

Jedman

[jmorris]

I was thinking of getting a small drill chuck with a straight shank and mounting it in the three jaw chuck to hold smaller diameter stock.

I have done this a number of times. Lots of 1/4” & 3/8” drill chucks out there that have 3/8-24 threads. You can cut the head off a long fine thread bolt and clam that in your 3 jaw or machine your own arbor.

I also have a couple I threaded the bolt into a file handle. Allows me to hold small parts by hand. Like sharpening a small tungsten for TIG welding.

[kenton]

Greg , For what it sounds like you are doing with a mini lathe, a drill Chuck is all you need to make screws, short firing pins, ect. You can get a Chinese made chuck with a MT 3 shank for under $20 that will do anything your light duty mini lathe is designed for.
ER series collets are OK but from each size to the next they wount hold every diameter in between, they are pretty specific to what size they will hold. A drill chuck will do more, cost less, and be faster.

Jedman

ER collet have a large grip range, usually 1/32 or 1mm (.0394"). They grip best at their nominal size but will grip through their entire travel.

[Jedman]

ER collet have a large grip range, usually 1/32 or 1mm (.0394"). They grip best at their nominal size but will grip through their entire travel.

I have a set of ER 25 collets that range from 1/8", 3/16", 1/4", 5/16", 3/8", 7/16", 1/2", 5/8"
there are a lot of sizes they wount hold. I know you can get a 15 pic. set that are 1/16 apart but by time you buy that set and the tool holder, and draw bar you have half the price of the lathe.
On a mini lathe he probably wouldn't use anything larger than 3/8" and maybe as small as .062.
Making screws , pins , ect you don't take more than a .003 cut , we're talking very light duty.

Jedman

[indian joe]

I have a set of ER 25 collets that range from 1/8", 3/16", 1/4", 5/16", 3/8", 7/16", 1/2", 5/8"
there are a lot of sizes they wount hold. I know you can get a 15 pic. set that are 1/16 apart but by time you buy that set and the tool holder, and draw bar you have half the price of the lathe.
On a mini lathe he probably wouldn't use anything larger than 3/8" and maybe as small as .062.
Making screws , pins , ect you don't take more than a .003 cut , we're talking very light duty.

Jedman

Jedman
That must be a heckuva cheap lathe you got

on ebay right now
set of ER20 collets 1mm to 12mm = $21.15
ER20 x MT3 collet holder(chuck) = $15.99
both free shipping total = $37.14 US
hardly gonna break the bank -- make the drawbar its only a long bolt and a couple washers
If the mini lathe would take it I would go for a 5/8th inch parallel shank chuck instead of (or as well as) the MT3 - but the spindle bore might not take that 5/8th shank??

[kywoodwrkr]

Jedman
That must be a heckuva cheap lathe you got

on ebay right now
set of ER20 collets 1mm to 12mm = $21.15
ER20 x MT3 collet holder(chuck) = $15.99
both free shipping total = $37.14 US
hardly gonna break the bank -- make the drawbar its only a long bolt and a couple washers
If the mini lathe would take it I would go for a 5/8th inch parallel shank chuck instead of (or as well as) the MT3 - but the spindle bore might not take that 5/8th shank??

Second this approach.
Bought the ER32 holder and ER16 straight shank holders - both. The first ER16 holder was a screwup and bought MT3(Morse Taper 3) not useful for my task at hand.
C20 ER16A 100L Collet Chuck Holder CNC Milling Extension Rod Straight Shank $9.95 delivered.(in a month!)
Useful in mill as well a lathe.
YMMV

[targetfreak]

"Little Machine Shop". Google the web address. (just to keep from being blocked on this forum)
They make THE BEST small machine tool accessories, for reasonable prices. Been using them for years.
A three-jaw chuck does not run true, unless one is very lucky to get an oddball.
ER collets are expensive and require adapters, and don't work on all machines.
3C and 5C collets, and Morse Taper (MT) collets might just mount directly into your headstock.
Can't recommend LMS enough! They are superb people.

[uscra112]

Agree about Little Machine Shop. I've been using one of their quickchange toolposts on my benchtop for well over ten years now. Bought another for my South Bend 10" Heavy toolroom lathe when I finally installed it in 2013, and it's also been flawless.

[targetfreak]

Agree about Little Machine Shop. I've been using one of their quickchange toolposts on my benchtop for well over ten years now. Bought another for my South Bend 10" Heavy toolroom lathe when I finally installed it in 2013, and it's also been flawless.

I just bought from them a boring head for milling (with the R8 collet fitment). Very well made, and it works. Previously I got MT and 3C collets, and the same QC toolpost.