Lathe spindle ER Collet adapter build

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master53yoda

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I was looking at this site http://www.deansphotographica.com/machining/atlas/ER25/ER25.html where he put a ER collet head on his lathe, I'm planning on doing similiar to my 12 x 36 craftsman with the ER40 collets.I have 3 of the nuts coming, The ER40 goes to 1" and that is about what the bore on the spindle is. Has anyone done similiar with their lathe and is this description a good method to get the angles right for the collets. It looks like i can get all the collets that i want and not have anymore then about 100.00 involved. It looks to me like it is the best way to get quick acurate sets on shaft work. My son also said that one of the advantages to the collets is that they will not leave any clamping marks on the pieces.

As one of my ways of funding mys shop i do metal casting, I have had a number of request for different size hand wheels. I pour the hand wheels with a ZA27 alloy and that part is easy but getting little hand crank to put on them has been an issue for me because of the hastle of multiple setting of the shafting and the collets would really speed that up.

Art B
 
I made an er40 collet chuck for my 12x36 craftsman.
setting the compound
IMG_0072.JPG
boaring the chuck
IMG_0077.JPG
The finished chuck
IMG_0083.JPG

IMG_0072.JPG IMG_0077.JPG IMG_0083.JPG
 
today i got the ER40 collet set and unboxed it I ordered a MT2 to 3 adapter for the spindle and a MT2 collet chuck. MY thoughts were that i could use the adapter in the spindle until I got the ER40 collet chuck made and then the MT2 could be used in the tale stock or in my tool post. It would also allow me to put my surfacing tooling in the lathe if i wanted it for something.

I'm making a draw bar for it designed to knock out the MT2 as well as the MT3 adapter separately. I'm planning on Casting a handwheel with a nut and washer cast in for alignment and hand-tightening of the draw bar with the ability to put a wrench on the nut for final torque of the drawbar.

I am looking at 12L14 for the collet chuck, I'm wondering if there is any reason to heat treat the collet chuck , I have an electic kiln that I can use for heat treating.

IMG_20150124_215819.jpg
 
master53yoda said:
I am looking at 12L14 for the collet chuck, I'm wondering if there is any reason to heat treat the collet chuck , I have an electic kiln that I can use for heat treating.
Click to expand...

I don't know about heat treating 12L14 didn't think you could do that with that flavor of metal because of the sulfur content. I would make a spindle protector nut to remove (pull) the MT free from the spindle. I have some other MT items that i use in the spindle and once i smacked the end of the drawbar and moved my headstock down the ways. Just my thought. I have 2 lengths of spindle nuts to fit the large gap between the spindle and the part in the spindle because there is such a large gap with #3 MT tooling...Bob
 
The first pic is a MT #3 end mill holder and a std length thread protector.
The second pic is the same #3 MT end mill holder used with a thicker thread protector.
Third and fourth pic is my boring head since you had one in your kit. I made my own arbor and threaded it to match the head. Fifth is my drawbar on my boring head...Bob

milling3.jpg bolt slot.jpg threaded.jpg rtr2.jpg spindle inside parts.jpg
 
This is a fine expedient, however. Dial in the work in the collet in the 4-jaw and have at it.

P1040692_zpsfb42b66d.jpg

I keep one lathe (the Emco) set up with collets always and the Sheldon always set up with the 4-jaw. But if I don't want to disturb the setup on the small machine and have need of collets, this works great.

P1040692_zpsfb42b66d.jpg
 
I just finished drawing up an ER32 collet chuck for my mini-lathe.
 
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