Toolmaster Collet Puzzle

kd1yt

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I am the fortunate new owner of a nicely kept Cincinnati Toolmaster 1-B milling machine
http://www.hobby-machinist.com/showthread.php/26369-New-Toolmaster-owner?p=232947#post232947

Unfortunately, nowhere with the machine are any of the monoset/ superflex/ 3CH collets, and I am quickly learning that they are kinda unusual, scarce, and expensive. I am a hobbyist, new to all of this, with a limited budget.

I have been searching Google and reading threads about peoples' solutions to the monoset collet weirdness/ scarcity, but the technical levels of many of those discussions that I find are beyond my current depth of understanding

Would there be any big downsides to my getting a large (say 1.25) proper 3CH collet and then using that to "mount up" a more common straight shank collet chuck like an ER40? I know that I'd lose a bit of vertical working space, but I won't be working on anything vertically immense in any way where that should matter.

Or, would there be any way to adapt something like this into the quill of the Toolmaster, to be able to use the much more common ER-type collets - I 'think' based on my really incomplete understanding that the 40 taper is 7/24 and so is the primary taper of the quill for the 3CH-
http://www.dzsalesllc.com/er40-70-chuck-set-p/40-70-ccs.htm

Thanks for the help and for patience with the questions of someone who is just beginning to learn any of this.
 
I prefer my Cincy 1B over the Bridgeys at the Tech School where I'm taking machine classes.
My 1956 came without any collets as well.
There are multiple used collets available on Ebay from several different sellers.
I started buying them one at a time based on the most common shank sizes of the end mills I had or wanted to acquire.
I've had great luck with them holding well without any of the slippage problems I occasionally hear about with other collet systems.
Sure purchasing some other collet system might be an option worth looking at. But, remember that the more you add adapters the more error that is potentially introduced.
The biggest problem I had with the collets was the spindle nut. There is a washer built into the nut.
Not sure if it was dried grease or rust. But, initially it took some work to get that washer loose. Until then I couldn't get the collets to come out of the spindle.

Treat her right, and she will serve you well!
Please contact me if there is anything I can possbily do to assist you.

Daryl
MN
 
Thank you; when I first learned of the opportunity to acquire this machine, I was mildly disappointed that it wasn't a Bridgeport, just 'cause the name Bridgeport was so iconic that I thought that something else would be a second rate knock-off. But as I have been reading up, and especially in doing the partial disassembly for the move out of the cellar to get it home, this thing is a beast (and I am not referring just to its mass) with ruggedness and precision that are truly impressive. Now I am grateful that I ended up with this instead of a Bridgeport.

Before I reassemble it I am going to clean out the chips, gunk, and goo that were revealed in taking it down to subassemblies; none of it is unusually bad for a machine that has seen some use, but it's a prime opportunity to get all that nice and clean.
 
I prefer my Cincy 1B over the Bridgeys at the Tech School where I'm taking machine classes.
My 1956 came without any collets as well.
There are multiple used collets available on Ebay from several different sellers.
I started buying them one at a time based on the most common shank sizes of the end mills I had or wanted to acquire.
I've had great luck with them holding well without any of the slippage problems I occasionally hear about with other collet systems.
Sure purchasing some other collet system might be an option worth looking at. But, remember that the more you add adapters the more error that is potentially introduced.
The biggest problem I had with the collets was the spindle nut. There is a washer built into the nut.
Not sure if it was dried grease or rust. But, initially it took some work to get that washer loose. Until then I couldn't get the collets to come out of the spindle.

Treat her right, and she will serve you well!
Please contact me if there is anything I can possbily do to assist you.

Daryl
MN


I may be tottally wrong, but I believe that snap ring in the nut was only to retain the collet so it wouldnt fall onto the table and explode, they are fragile. I removed this
snap ring and it works just fine cause I machined my own collets and collet holders. To release end mill & collet just loosen the nut a little and lightly side tap the end mill
with the wrench and all is good.

sam
 
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