Your Opinion please

34_40

Just a beginner
H-M Supporter Gold Member
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Nov 2, 2013
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With the tax return coming soon, I've decided that I would like to get either a dividing head like the B&S "0" size or.. a collet block setup. One of those setups that have the 2 collet blocks, a mount / holder that can clamp to the mill table and an assortment of collets.

Anyone have a preference? What would you buy first? TIA...
 
I chose the collet block set, then found out that they could be had in ER40 style, which collets I had several of. I'm not sure I'm going to the that (ER40), since I built an adapter to accept R8 collets in my 5C blocks.
 
My first metalwork machine was a lathe. I purchased the 5C collet blocks (hex and square) and a set of 99 5C collets (32nds increments). I have used the collet blocks often in my projects.

I now have a mill and would love a dividing head, but for my projects I use collets more often. The 5C collets in the lathe and R8 collets in the mill.
 
The question depends upon which,in your type of work,you are likely to use most often.

And this would be one of those times where, I just don't know, what I don't know..... my ultimate goal is to create a couple steam and later gas engine models.

Thanks for all the replies so far!
 
I have collet blocks, a spin indexer, a rotary table, and a dividing head. The collet blocks are by far the cheapest, and I use them about 10 times more often than the other fixtures. They are quick and easy to use compared to the others, which are definitely needed for some jobs.
 
I'm in the same position (except that the tax return is basically gone, having bought my wife a new car (and I inherited hers which was a nice upgrade for me, and happy wife = happy life), and a couple smaller things for my shop). Of course I want the whole set of every possible tool that will work in my machines, but I have concluded as Bob said that the collet blocks will be the most useful of the fixtures for the type of work I want to do, and the collets will be useful for many other functions down the road. Rotary tables and dividing heads are very useful for specific tasks (and can also accomplish the same as the collet blocks for a lot more money), but everyone I talked to on the subject said that they are used far less often than the blocks.
 
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