VEVOR 7X14 Lathe converted to a dedicated horizontal mill.

[SouthernChap]

When you get the collets, make sure you check all the slits and the bore for any burrs and manufacturing debris; because of the design of ER collets, any muck or burrs in the slits can lead to inaccuracy.

A clean and tidy ER collet is a happy collet.

 

[steelcat]

When you get the collets, make sure you check all the slits and the bore for any burrs and manufacturing debris; because of the design of ER collets, any muck or burrs in the slits can lead to inaccuracy.

A clean and tidy ER collet is a happy collet.

Thanks for the tip!

 

[steelcat]

I got the new collet chuck today and installed it. It fit like a glove and ran very smooth with no vibration.
I also did a mockup of a cross slide poor man's DRO.
I have mixed emotions on if I really need it for this application? A lathe yes, but this thing I don't know.
I should get the new milling attachment this week.

 

[steelcat]

Whoops!
Forgot the pictures

 

[steelcat]

When you get the collets, make sure you check all the slits and the bore for any burrs and manufacturing debris; because of the design of ER collets, any muck or burrs in the slits can lead to inaccuracy.

A clean and tidy ER collet is a happy collet.

I took a close look at all the ER 32 collets and they looked good except for one so I cleaned them all.
I see on the cases the collets came it says they are AAA
Collets. Whatever that means? Should I relube them
after cleaning

 

[SouthernChap]

I took a close look at all the ER 32 collets and they looked good except for one so I cleaned them all.
I see on the cases the collets came it says they are AAA
Collets. Whatever that means? Should I relube them
after cleaning

Oh, AAA? I don't know. I've not noticed that on my collets (I have a set of import fellas and a couple of Sandvik and one Kennametal collet that I got off eBay).

The oily stuff probably wouldn't be lubrication. It'll be something used to prevent rusting on its journey to the user.

If you're concerned about corrosion if say you have high humidity in your shop or something like that, then you can, every so often just give the surfaces a little light machine oil (my dad always used sewing machine oil, I have a rather big box of bottles of 3in1 that I'm using up, so I use that for any unprotected steel) and let the oil sink in and give it a wipe to gwt any excess off (you don't want the grippy bits of a collet to be slippery!) and that should cover you.

 

[steelcat]

Gotcha thanks!
I am thinking that the AAA rating is just a marketing gimmick but I don't know for sure.

 

[homebrewed]

I took a close look at all the ER 32 collets and they looked good except for one so I cleaned them all.
I see on the cases the collets came it says they are AAA
Collets. Whatever that means? Should I relube them
after cleaning

No grease! It will trap swarf & potentially mess up your collet TIR.

 

[steelcat]

No grease! It will trap swarf & potentially mess up your collet TIR.

Thanks!
I am going to leave them alone if I have any rusting then I will give them a light coat of rem oil.

 

[VicHobbyGuy]

I also did a mockup of a cross slide poor man's DRO.
I have mixed emotions on if I really need it for this application?

My suggestion: wait on the DRO until you've done quite a bit of milling with the lathe. I found that a combination of just working up to (hand) layout lines, and using a dial indicator with either a clamp-on or magnetic attachment worked OK. When I got a (mini) mill, I did add a DRO and I can't imagine working on the mill without it. If you haven't done that already, perhaps adding good (and convenient) locks on the carriage and cross slide would be good projects - you will need those, for sure. Here's a pic of enlarging the dovetail on an aluminum toolholder with my Vevor setup: