On 8 Jul 2005 21:40:11 -0400, (DoN. Nichols)
wrote:

In article ,
Eric R Snow wrote:
On 7 Jul 2005 23:55:28 -0400, (DoN. Nichols)
wrote:

[ ... Taig ... ]

I've got one, and like it for small work. Note that the
standard collets for it are not particularly impressive, so I am glad
that I also bought the watchmaker's spindle for it when I got it (some
years ago at a hamfest, and without the "Taig" label on it anywhere --
before I had even *heard* of "Taig". :-)

I already had the watchmaker's collets, as I also use them in
the watchmaker's spindle for the Unimat SL-1000. Note that one
difference between the two spindles is that the Unimat one also has the
tapered exterior surface to open the expanding stepped collets for
holding inside of rings, while the Taig one has a threaded exterior
which matches the thread for the normal spindle to accept chucks and
faceplates.

[ ... ]


[ ... ]

Thanks for the reply DoN. I know a guy with a Unimat. I used it and it
was pretty flexible. As to collets, the collets for my Levin are not
the same as the ones the Taig watchmakers spindle uses.

They should be -- WW series collets. I think that the Levin
ones may have slightly different thread form for the drawbar, but the
rest is the same. I've got some old Levin collets in addition to the
ones which I got for my Unimat SL-1000 watchmaker's spindle, and those
work well in the Taig watchmaker's spindle.

That's too bad
because then I'd already have 80 collets for the machine. I've looked
at the collets on the Taig web site. They don't have a large selection
but seem to stout enough. What in particular did you not like about
their collets?

They did not have a drawbar, just a nut which shoved them into
the normal lathe spindle. They are not hardened, but just made from
mild steel. They come only in a very few sizes, plus one which has
never been drilled so you can make your own in a specific size. (After
which, you would need to set up the slitting saw to slit them so they
can close.) They don't have the range of the ER collets, nor the
self-extracting groove to engage a lip on the closer nut, so they have
to be driven out from the other end of the spindle. All in all, they
were nothing but a minimal excuse for collets.

Now -- remember that this machine, while it *looks* like a Taig,
never had the "Taig" nameplate on it (though I have gotten a second of
the Taig 4-jaw chucks, after modifying the original to use on my
Compact-5/CNC, and it looks identical to what I have.)

It may be that the official collets which Taig now offers are
better than what I have.

It may also be that the watchmaker's collet spindle is no longer
offered.

As to tapers, most of the tapers I do on small pins
would be short enough for the compound. I did think about a taper
attachment. Maybe there's a market for some.

O.K.

Enjoy,
DoN.
The collets for the Levin are "D" collets. I'll look up the specs if I
can find them and see if they have the same taper. I don't think they
do though. The "D" collets only go up to 5/16" (8mm). Don't the WW
collets have a larger capacity?
Eric