On Jul 27, 8:59 am, Trevor Jones wrote:
Brent wrote:
Good day

Apologies in advance if this has been asked before, And it likely has

I have a Index model 45 Milling machine with a semi obsolete taper (#9
Brown and Sharpe) but it came with two collet adapters (Universal Y
and universal Z)

Am i nuts or do i only REALLY need a full set of Y or Z collets to be
able to hold almost any type of cutting tool and just get my endmills
or flycutters or boring heads or whatever other tooling with a
straight shank?

This would also possibly let me use the straight shank tooling in the
lathe if i got a collet holder for it?

I'm a hobby/home shop machinist and the LESS i spend on tooling or the
more stuff i can use the tooling i have for the more i have available
for projects. I have a preference for flexibility and quality over
lack of price. Am i nuts here or would a full set of collets allow me
to use any straight shank tooling in my mill or my lathe and focus my
spending on workholding type attachments like dividing heads and
rotary tables because i can recycle all my cutting tools across the
mill and lathe and focus on finding and buying workholding type
tooling instead of cutting type tooling

Am i nuts thinking that I should just be looking for Y and Z collets
and workholding tooling?

Thanks

Brent
Ottawa Canada

Little Machine Shop has an inexpensive set of BS taper collets
available. I have seen BS taper endmill holders out there as well.

You could also consider getting the spindles ground out to an R8 taper
and take advantage of a far wider selection of tooling. The cost benefit
of that one, will depend on who does the work, but it is one that I
would consider before I went out and bought a pile of tooling.
IIRC a price of around $250 US is banged around as a reference point.

Had to do a search for Universal Y and Z collets.http://www.gpcollets.com/universal_d...per_collet.htm

Take a look at a tool catalog. For holding end mills, you will only
need the sizes that end mills come in. The other sizes are really only
useful if they coincide with a diameter of a workpiece or tool that you
might use or need someday.

You could get by quite well with 1/4, 3/8, 1/2, and 3/4, for just
holding end mills and straight shank tooling, provided you shopped for
tools accordingly.

Cheers
Trevor Jones

Thanks for pointing me to the BS9 Collet set (I never saw them before
in Littlemachine shop)

it does sound like i am in the right ballpark for tooling though by
the sounds and looks of things. Between straight shank and R8 tooling
seems to be abundant.

Getting my spindle recut (which the manufacturer will do) seems a
prudent investment. and form looking aound it MIGHT be possible to
recycle things like an er32 collet set between my mill and my lathe
then if i buy two collet holders (One MT3 and one R8)


My only other question is other than endmills and a flycutter drill
chuck and perhaps a boring head what other tools are needed for most
regular milling tasks?

Am i wrong in thinking that those four cutting tools plus creative
workholding (Dividing heads rotary tables a good vise and lots of
creative clamping) can essentially make almost anything a home shop
machinist would need?

Thanks in advance

Brent
Ottawa Canada