# Tapping Chuck



## mozz (Jan 30, 2020)

Hi all, first time on your site and hoping for some help. Bought a 'tapping chuck' for the lathe from ebay. Made in China, of course, looks well made with 7 collets, BUT no instructions!! Have asked seller but of course no answer there, he has my $$....:: . Googled it, nothing. It has a collet spanner but I cant make it do anything ! -..so if anyone would be good enough to guide me how to use please, it would be appreciated thanks..:


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## FOMOGO (Jan 30, 2020)

Looks like there should be two pin holes in the collar nut to fit your spanner. Back off the collar, install insert, and tighten collar. give a test run at lowest possible speed, and let us know how it goes, and welcome to the forum. Mike


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## mozz (Jan 30, 2020)

Hi Mike, thanks for that. I have previously fitted the collet to the body and fitted a tap into the collet, all good. What I can't figure is how to adjust the collet with the spanner. The spanner fits into the holes like you said BUT the collet won't turn either way ???? There is what looks like a wire C clip arrangement that may have to come off before the collar turns  now that i think about it more.....will check tomorrow when its daytime lol  Thanks


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## ErichKeane (Jan 30, 2020)

I don't have that tapping chuck, but I wonder if the collet isn't all the way in?  It appears to me that the silver knurled part of the collet should be snapped closer to the black one.  Could it just not have 'clicked' in yet?  I could imagine that putting the collet under tension and making the adjustment not work.

Alternatively, see if the silver part twists to unlock the adjustment.


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## macardoso (Jan 30, 2020)

It was my understanding with these chucks is that the tap holders are fixed size and not adjustable. Then they snap into the body of the holder. No spanner adjustments needed


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## higgite (Jan 30, 2020)

Deleted.

Edit: I was wrong. I hate it when that happens.

Tom


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## BGHansen (Jan 30, 2020)

Looks like you have a tension/compression tapping head similar to the Tormach below.  I attached the instructions from Tormach in the PDF.  They sell a few varieties, instructions for this style are on pages 5-8.  

I'm curious how it works out for you.  My understanding is the spring "slop" in the head is to allow the spindle to turn at a different rate than the feed advance.  Where that's important on the Tormach 770 and 1100 series is the spindle speed is approximate, not 100% accurate.  I could set my spindle to turn at 100 RPM and feed the Z at 10 inches per minute and expect to cut 10 threads per inch.  But a spindle speed of 100 might be 105 or 95, so I'm not turning the spindle at the same rate as the Z-feed on the head.  The T/C head is keyed so the head and arbor turn together, but they can slip on the Z-axis to allow the head to float down or up the arbor.  There's around 3/4" float on the Tormach one shown below.

I'm thinking you'll want to leave your tail stock unlocked to the bed in use.  Jam the tap in the hole of your chucked work, jog the lathe to advance the tap.  Let the tap pull the tail stock along the bed.  Stop the spindle and reverse the lathe to back out the tap.  A tap held in a drill chuck would work the same, would just take a little longer to change sizes.

Of course, I could be totally off base and maybe what you have is an auto-reverse Procunier type head.

Bruce


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## pontiac428 (Jan 30, 2020)

The spanner is for adjusting the clutching action on the ANSI/Bilz type tap collets pictured.  Everything else (tap, collet, arbor) should just snap together.  It's a good system.


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## mozz (Jan 30, 2020)

macardoso said:


> It was my understanding with these chucks is that the tap holders are fixed size and not adjustable. Then they snap into the body of the holder. No spanner adjustments needed


Hi, there are 7 different collets for different size taps. There is supposed to be a clutch adjustment on the collet to allow slippage....so I am told.


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## mozz (Jan 30, 2020)

pontiac428 said:


> The spanner is for adjusting the clutching action on the ANSI/Bilz type tap collets pictured.  Everything else (tap, collet, arbor) should just snap together.  It's a good system.


Ahh yes, the question is how do I adjust the clutching action ??? cheers


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## mozz (Jan 30, 2020)

BGHansen said:


> Looks like you have a tension/compression tapping head similar to the Tormach below.  I attached the instructions from Tormach in the PDF.  They sell a few varieties, instructions for this style are on pages 5-8.
> 
> I'm curious how it works out for you.  My understanding is the spring "slop" in the head is to allow the spindle to turn at a different rate than the feed advance.  Where that's important on the Tormach 770 and 1100 series is the spindle speed is approximate, not 100% accurate.  I could set my spindle to turn at 100 RPM and feed the Z at 10 inches per minute and expect to cut 10 threads per inch.  But a spindle speed of 100 might be 105 or 95, so I'm not turning the spindle at the same rate as the Z-feed on the head.  The T/C head is keyed so the head and arbor turn together, but they can slip on the Z-axis to allow the head to float down or up the arbor.  There's around 3/4" float on the Tormach one shown below.
> 
> ...


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## mozz (Jan 30, 2020)

Hi Bruce, You are spot on mate this is the one. I thought that spring clip would have to come out to adjust the slippage of the clutch. Anyway, I have printed off pages 5-9 and will have a play ....thank you very much for helping me on this. Hard to believe instructions don't come with the unit. PS I only paid $180 on eBay for mine..same as the one on your pic for $450 !! 

Cheers mate
Moz


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## pontiac428 (Jan 31, 2020)

mozz said:


> Ahh yes, the question is how do I adjust the clutching action ??? cheers


The clutch is set by varying the preload on a stack of bellville washers that act against a notched plate that holds ball bearings against a notched seat.  How much preload will depend on the job.  Too little and the threads will be short, too much and the tap will keep on going to its fate or until you stop the spindle.  You remove the retaining clip and adjust the preload from the face of the tap collet body, pretty self-explanatory once you see what you're trying to accomplish.


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## BGHansen (Jan 31, 2020)

mozz said:


> Hi Bruce, You are spot on mate this is the one. I thought that spring clip would have to come out to adjust the slippage of the clutch. Anyway, I have printed off pages 5-9 and will have a play ....thank you very much for helping me on this. Hard to believe instructions don't come with the unit. PS I only paid $180 on eBay for mine..same as the one on your pic for $450 !!
> 
> Cheers mate
> Moz


I bought my Tormach set off eBay for $150 delivered.  Couldn't hit the BUY IT NOW button fast enough!  You'll like the setup though I think it's probably more useful on a CNC mill.

Bruce


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