5c Collet Sets - Budget & Sizes

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BigSpike

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I am in the market for a 5C collet set. Since I'm not doing rocket surgery, a low cost import set will probably be more accurate than I am.
I would like to start out with a 1/16th's set & later fill in with 32nd & 64th's.
Can anyone tell me why nobody appears to sell infill sets? By this I mean just the 32nd collets or the 64th collets, or even the 16th collets. There are many many sellers offering 1/8th sets, 1/16th sets etc. but what then?

If you cannot afford a full 64th's set to get started, are the only options to buy every other collet individually or buy another set and have duplicates?

For example Enco sells 17 different 32nd sizes at $10.12 each. So a 32nd infill 'set' would cost $172.04. The difference between the 1/16th set at $148.89 and the 32nd set at $291.05 is $142.16 or $29.88 less to buy the 32nd's to begin with. To later add the 64th's sizes, 35 more at $10.12 each would be $354.20.
1/16th set $148.89 + 32nd infill $172.04 + 64th infill $354.20 = $675.13
or $187.78 more than the full 64th's set at $487.35.

Buying one or two at a time as needed further inflates the cost per collet when shipping is factored in.

Of course these are cheap imports, quality collets are way more.

Opinions? What do others do?
 
BigSpike said:
I am in the market for a 5C collet set. Since I'm not doing rocket surgery, a low cost import set will probably be more accurate than I am.
I would like to start out with a 1/16th's set & later fill in with 32nd & 64th's.
Can anyone tell me why nobody appears to sell infill sets? By this I mean just the 32nd collets or the 64th collets, or even the 16th collets. There are many many sellers offering 1/8th sets, 1/16th sets etc. but what then?

If you cannot afford a full 64th's set to get started, are the only options to buy every other collet individually or buy another set and have duplicates?

For example Enco sells 17 different 32nd sizes at $10.12 each. So a 32nd infill 'set' would cost $172.04. The difference between the 1/16th set at $148.89 and the 32nd set at $291.05 is $142.16 or $29.88 less to buy the 32nd's to begin with. To later add the 64th's sizes, 35 more at $10.12 each would be $354.20.
1/16th set $148.89 + 32nd infill $172.04 + 64th infill $354.20 = $675.13
or $187.78 more than the full 64th's set at $487.35.

Buying one or two at a time as needed further inflates the cost per collet when shipping is factored in.

Of course these are cheap imports, quality collets are way more.

Opinions? What do others do?
Click to expand...

I bought a set of 1/16" increment collets from Enco several years ago. Have never had a need for a 32nd or 64th collet. I'd buy the 1/16" set then fill in with additional collets on an as needed basis. You might be surprised that you will only need a few of the others.

Tom S.
 
I bought a 1/32" set and a 1/64" set for a couple of lathes from CDCOtools.com for $112 & $198 respectively. I've been very happy with them. CME-tools.com has a 33 pc. set from 1/16" - 1 1/16" (by 32nds) for $99. My CDCO sets ran from 1/8" - 1 1/8".

Bruce
 
I am just sticking with the sixteenth sizes for now. Almost all the stock (95+%) I want to put in a collet will fit what I have. If I want to go further, and try to fit oddball remnants, metric stock, and whatever, I will buy a full ER collet set instead. Even with all the 64th's you will have poor fits at sizes halfway in between the nominal sizes of the 5C 64th full set. The ER sets can be cheaper anyway...
 
I use the x/64th collets frequently, as something like holding the threaded end of a rod often requires a the next size down. The 5C has a very minimal clamping range. I started out with a 32nd set and then had to back fill, I used different vendors and Shar's was pretty reasonable for single collets. As mentioned there are several eBay vendors, that sell a 57 piece 64th set for around $250 shipped. The 5C collets usually have a higher TIR then something like ER collets, but the 5C collets are usually rated at 0.0006" or better. Good enough, the non set-tru type non-adjustable back plate Chinese 5C chucks have a pretty bad TIR, I have had several and they are about 10X worse than the collet. About the only half way decent "inexpensive" True-Set or set-tru 5 C chuck that is sold by LathMaster, it works quite well. http://www.ebay.com/itm/5C-TRU-SET-LATHE-COLLET-CHUCK-D1-4-MOUNT-FREE-SHIPPING-US-/122025780618
Otherwise Gator or Bison, which will run twice the price.
 
If you're going to buy a set, I'd recommend you buy a 32nd set, as it covers all the nominal sizes, plus the occasional oddball ones. I'd also recommend you buy a decent set, as some of the really cheap one aren't sprung properly, and can have run-out worse than a 3 jaw. You might be fine like most people or you might end up with a bunch of lemons.

even a 64th set won't cover everything, as a lot of people recommend +0 -0.005" when selecting a collet. Hardinge will happily sell you collets in 1 thousandth increments if you like. The other option is what a lot of machine shops use, emergency collets.
 
thanks everyone
I think I will go with the 32nd set from CME
unless someone has issues with the quality?
 
the 32nd's set will suit you well.

i bought a 16th's set and a few emergency collets as well as some step collets of different diameters, it covers most of my needs.
if i should happen to need another size i don't have, i'll buy one & charge the collet to the job and keep it when the job is done!
 
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