So I just got introduced to Tormach's Tool System.
http://littlemachineshop.com/Instructions/U10044M_Tormach_Tooling_System.pdf
http://littlemachineshop.com/Instructions/DS10052_TTS_Catalog.pdf
I think it's a really cool idea and was looking into how I could do something similarly. There's a few adaptations for my specific application:
To me this all adds up to doing a system using ER-32 collet chucks and using an MT3 collet.
I can get ER-32 collet chucks with a few different shank diameters. I'd then modify either the MT3 collet or the ER-32 collet chuck to ensure the chuck and spindle mate.
I'm trying to decide on what diameter shank I'd like to use. I work in metric and have all metric tooling, so am trying to decide if using Tormach's 3/4" shank would be advantageous at all. It would allow me to use Tormach's tools if I liked, but would be the only 3/4" thing in my shop. If I DID decide to go 3/4", I can pick up five ER-32 collet chucks for $120.
I can get ER-32 collet chucks with 20 mm stub shanks, which look like they'd do the job. MT3 collets normally go up to 18 mm. I've found an 'oversized' 20 mm collet from a few sources and went ahead and picked one up to see how I like it.
I'm curious about the 20 mm collet being considered 'oversized'. It'll be thin, and I'm wondering if that will affect the performance of the system.
3/4" is 19.05 mm, so a 3/4" collet won't be a far departure for a metric shop, and I can get the collet chucks in 3/4". Tormach makes a 'special' 3/4" MT3 collet for their system, which I assume is just a bit shorter on the face to ensure the tools mate to the spindle face instead of the collet. It uses an inch-sized draw-bar instead of the M10 used by all of my other tooling, so that's not terribly appealing to me.
I'm also looking into other diameters. Maybe I could find ER-32 collets with 16 mm shanks, but would the smaller shank be more detrimental than the thinner collet of the 20 mm shank version?
Any thoughts?
http://littlemachineshop.com/Instructions/U10044M_Tormach_Tooling_System.pdf
http://littlemachineshop.com/Instructions/DS10052_TTS_Catalog.pdf
I think it's a really cool idea and was looking into how I could do something similarly. There's a few adaptations for my specific application:
- My mill takes MT3 collets
- I've already go a full set of ER-32 collets and collet chucks
- I've got ER-32 collet chucks for MT3 to fit my mill and the headstock of my lathe and MT2 to fit the tailstock of my lathe
- There's a nice ER32 chuck which fits my lathe and allows material pass-through
To me this all adds up to doing a system using ER-32 collet chucks and using an MT3 collet.
I can get ER-32 collet chucks with a few different shank diameters. I'd then modify either the MT3 collet or the ER-32 collet chuck to ensure the chuck and spindle mate.
I'm trying to decide on what diameter shank I'd like to use. I work in metric and have all metric tooling, so am trying to decide if using Tormach's 3/4" shank would be advantageous at all. It would allow me to use Tormach's tools if I liked, but would be the only 3/4" thing in my shop. If I DID decide to go 3/4", I can pick up five ER-32 collet chucks for $120.
I can get ER-32 collet chucks with 20 mm stub shanks, which look like they'd do the job. MT3 collets normally go up to 18 mm. I've found an 'oversized' 20 mm collet from a few sources and went ahead and picked one up to see how I like it.
I'm curious about the 20 mm collet being considered 'oversized'. It'll be thin, and I'm wondering if that will affect the performance of the system.
3/4" is 19.05 mm, so a 3/4" collet won't be a far departure for a metric shop, and I can get the collet chucks in 3/4". Tormach makes a 'special' 3/4" MT3 collet for their system, which I assume is just a bit shorter on the face to ensure the tools mate to the spindle face instead of the collet. It uses an inch-sized draw-bar instead of the M10 used by all of my other tooling, so that's not terribly appealing to me.
I'm also looking into other diameters. Maybe I could find ER-32 collets with 16 mm shanks, but would the smaller shank be more detrimental than the thinner collet of the 20 mm shank version?
Any thoughts?