Collet Questions

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November X-ray

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With all the recent threads on collets, can someone tell me what all different types there are out there readily available?

I know there are 3C, 5C, ER-XX, MT-X, R-8, Cat-XX and probably several others, but what is your opinion for the best all around collet for use in a hobby machinist shop? I know 5C has a square and hex block set along with spin indexers and other type holding fixtures, but how about 3C?

I realize ER collets have a greater gripping range than say a 5C, but what would be other advantages/disadvantages to consider?
 
"With all the recent threads on collets, can someone tell me what all different types there are out there readily available?"



That could take days to type all of that info out.

For a home shop, all you'll really need is 5C; or R8.

Later on, you can explore all the other collets.
 
There are two typical uses for collets, workholding and toolholding. Different collets are better (or at least more commonly used) for one or the other

The most common for toolholding

1) R8
2) Morse Taper
(Those two are really dictated by what your spindle taper is)
3) ER-XX (which are commonly used for both workholding and toolholding)

The most common workholding

1) 5C
2) ER-XX


The larger tapers (CAT-40/50 BT40 30 taper, etc) are not collets (rather, there are not collets to fit them directly). Typically you would get a collet holder (I've only ever seen ER collet holders) for your machine taper.

5C collets are more common in industrial machines. There are lot of fixtures that take them, as well as collet chucks. They have a pretty small clamping range, so you need more of them, but they will hold larger stock than ER collets, and they have square, round, and hexagonal shapes. 3C is basically the same as 5C, but with a smaller format, and smaller size range. They are less common, and therefore more expensive.
 
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