Hi,

Firstly - thanks to all those who took the time to reply to my
previous enquiry (Bridgeport milling questions).

I also purchased an old Colchester Student 6 and this was supplied
with a 3 jaw chuck, a 4 jaw chuck and these (which I'd never seen
before)

http://www.mgarner.co.uk/IMG_1413.jpg

There are 12 sprung collets, numbered "EC2....EC13", all seem in good
condition - the jaws move freely and spring back with good force.

After a little digging, it appears they're quite highly regarded for
precision work although I'd welcome your comments.

I've only ever used a standard 3 jaw chuck before and this has been
perfectly adequate for my hobbyist needs. I can't forsee any
"precision" work in my future and wondered if I'd be better selling
these and using the money for other tooling.

What do you think?

Thanks & regards,
Mike

"MikeG" wrote in message
...
Hi,

Firstly - thanks to all those who took the time to reply to my
previous enquiry (Bridgeport milling questions).

I also purchased an old Colchester Student 6 and this was supplied
with a 3 jaw chuck, a 4 jaw chuck and these (which I'd never seen
before)

http://www.mgarner.co.uk/IMG_1413.jpg

There are 12 sprung collets, numbered "EC2....EC13", all seem in good
condition - the jaws move freely and spring back with good force.

After a little digging, it appears they're quite highly regarded for
precision work although I'd welcome your comments.

I've only ever used a standard 3 jaw chuck before and this has been
perfectly adequate for my hobbyist needs. I can't forsee any
"precision" work in my future and wondered if I'd be better selling
these and using the money for other tooling.

What do you think?

Thanks & regards,
Mike

That looks like a real nice collet set. probably worth quite a bit. This set
has a HUGE advantage over the more common 5C type in that they grip a range
of sizes so you need less collets to cover all possible part diameters.

I use collets all the time, they hold the part right on center. Three jaws
often are more than .002" off center when you check. if you have an adjust
true type three jaw this can be improved but it will be off again at another
diameter. Another solution for accurate work in a three is soft jaws - you
bore the jaws accurate first. Both these solutions take way more time than
just using a collet.

Your call on whether you need collets. I know you'll have a need for
accurate work at some point.

karl

On Fri, 12 Dec 2008 07:52:00 -0600, "Karl Townsend"
wrote:


"MikeG" wrote in message
.. .
Hi,

Firstly - thanks to all those who took the time to reply to my
previous enquiry (Bridgeport milling questions).

I also purchased an old Colchester Student 6 and this was supplied
with a 3 jaw chuck, a 4 jaw chuck and these (which I'd never seen
before)

http://www.mgarner.co.uk/IMG_1413.jpg

There are 12 sprung collets, numbered "EC2....EC13", all seem in good
condition - the jaws move freely and spring back with good force.

After a little digging, it appears they're quite highly regarded for
precision work although I'd welcome your comments.

I've only ever used a standard 3 jaw chuck before and this has been
perfectly adequate for my hobbyist needs. I can't forsee any
"precision" work in my future and wondered if I'd be better selling
these and using the money for other tooling.

What do you think?

Thanks & regards,
Mike

That looks like a real nice collet set. probably worth quite a bit. This set
has a HUGE advantage over the more common 5C type in that they grip a range
of sizes so you need less collets to cover all possible part diameters.

I use collets all the time, they hold the part right on center. Three jaws
often are more than .002" off center when you check. if you have an adjust
true type three jaw this can be improved but it will be off again at another
diameter. Another solution for accurate work in a three is soft jaws - you
bore the jaws accurate first. Both these solutions take way more time than
just using a collet.

Your call on whether you need collets. I know you'll have a need for
accurate work at some point.

karl

He has collets that fit his lathe? He would be an idiot to sell them
quite frankly.

I concure...sooner or later he WILL have a need to turn something that
has already been turned and needs to be maintained concentric.

They are worth their weight in gold when you need one.


"They couldn't hit an elephant at this dist..."
Maj. Gen. John Sedgewick, killed by a sniper in 1864 at the battle of Spotsylvania

MikeG wrote:
Hi,

Firstly - thanks to all those who took the time to reply to my
previous enquiry (Bridgeport milling questions).

I also purchased an old Colchester Student 6 and this was supplied
with a 3 jaw chuck, a 4 jaw chuck and these (which I'd never seen
before)

http://www.mgarner.co.uk/IMG_1413.jpg

There are 12 sprung collets, numbered "EC2....EC13", all seem in good
condition - the jaws move freely and spring back with good force.

After a little digging, it appears they're quite highly regarded for
precision work although I'd welcome your comments.

I've only ever used a standard 3 jaw chuck before and this has been
perfectly adequate for my hobbyist needs. I can't forsee any
"precision" work in my future and wondered if I'd be better selling
these and using the money for other tooling.

What do you think?

Thanks & regards,
Mike

I bought a set in really good condition, many of the collets looked
unused, about 5 years ago for £365 off ebay. They do come in handy but
haven't really paid for themselves yet but are nice to have around. If
you think you could live without them then possibly invest in a new 3
jaw chuck, first checking the state of your old one. My Harrison M300
came with a 160mm (6 1/4") Pratt Burnerd chuck but it was worn so I
bought a new 160mm Bison Toolmex chuck and backplate and have been very
happy with it. It was only standard grade but when I checked a test bar
for run out at the chuck it measured 0.01mm TIR. I haven't checked
further away or different diameters but it has proven more than accurate
enough for my needs at the moment.

On Fri, 12 Dec 2008 17:48:36 +0000, David Billington
wrote:

MikeG wrote:
Hi,

Firstly - thanks to all those who took the time to reply to my
previous enquiry (Bridgeport milling questions).

I also purchased an old Colchester Student 6 and this was supplied
with a 3 jaw chuck, a 4 jaw chuck and these (which I'd never seen
before)

http://www.mgarner.co.uk/IMG_1413.jpg

There are 12 sprung collets, numbered "EC2....EC13", all seem in good
condition - the jaws move freely and spring back with good force.

After a little digging, it appears they're quite highly regarded for
precision work although I'd welcome your comments.

I've only ever used a standard 3 jaw chuck before and this has been
perfectly adequate for my hobbyist needs. I can't forsee any
"precision" work in my future and wondered if I'd be better selling
these and using the money for other tooling.

What do you think?

Thanks & regards,
Mike

I bought a set in really good condition, many of the collets looked
unused, about 5 years ago for £365 off ebay. They do come in handy but
haven't really paid for themselves yet but are nice to have around. If
you think you could live without them then possibly invest in a new 3
jaw chuck, first checking the state of your old one. My Harrison M300
came with a 160mm (6 1/4") Pratt Burnerd chuck but it was worn so I
bought a new 160mm Bison Toolmex chuck and backplate and have been very
happy with it. It was only standard grade but when I checked a test bar
for run out at the chuck it measured 0.01mm TIR. I haven't checked
further away or different diameters but it has proven more than accurate
enough for my needs at the moment.

Hi Dave,

Thanks for your reply.

I think I'll keep them. You seem to be a smart cookie and if you paid
£365 for a set they must come in handy at some point! The lathe only
cost £600 (including the chucks and tooling) so they're not eating
anything if I keep them in a draw.

Regards,
Mike

MikeG wrote:
On Fri, 12 Dec 2008 17:48:36 +0000, David Billington
wrote:


MikeG wrote:

Hi,

Firstly - thanks to all those who took the time to reply to my
previous enquiry (Bridgeport milling questions).

I also purchased an old Colchester Student 6 and this was supplied
with a 3 jaw chuck, a 4 jaw chuck and these (which I'd never seen
before)

http://www.mgarner.co.uk/IMG_1413.jpg

There are 12 sprung collets, numbered "EC2....EC13", all seem in good
condition - the jaws move freely and spring back with good force.

After a little digging, it appears they're quite highly regarded for
precision work although I'd welcome your comments.

I've only ever used a standard 3 jaw chuck before and this has been
perfectly adequate for my hobbyist needs. I can't forsee any
"precision" work in my future and wondered if I'd be better selling
these and using the money for other tooling.

What do you think?

Thanks & regards,
Mike


I bought a set in really good condition, many of the collets looked
unused, about 5 years ago for £365 off ebay. They do come in handy but
haven't really paid for themselves yet but are nice to have around. If
you think you could live without them then possibly invest in a new 3
jaw chuck, first checking the state of your old one. My Harrison M300
came with a 160mm (6 1/4") Pratt Burnerd chuck but it was worn so I
bought a new 160mm Bison Toolmex chuck and backplate and have been very
happy with it. It was only standard grade but when I checked a test bar
for run out at the chuck it measured 0.01mm TIR. I haven't checked
further away or different diameters but it has proven more than accurate
enough for my needs at the moment.


Hi Dave,

Thanks for your reply.

I think I'll keep them. You seem to be a smart cookie and if you paid
£365 for a set they must come in handy at some point! The lathe only
cost £600 (including the chucks and tooling) so they're not eating
anything if I keep them in a draw.

Regards,
Mike

Yikes, £600 for the Student, tooling, and the multisize collets, that's
a damn good deal, not far off buy the collets and collet chuck and we'll
throw in the lathe. Have they got any more stuff for sale?.
I spent many hours on Students (lathes) when I attended the local tech
college, they're a nice machine. What sort of condition is yours in?.
A mate of mine got a Raglan Little John for £25, he had been looking for
a house and the seller had the lathe and needed to get rid of it. My
mate didn't buy the house but went back later and haggled over the lathe
knowing it had to go so had the leverage to get a good price. I've also
heard of similar cases were a garage had to be cleared and lathes were
free to anyone that could take them.

On 2008-12-12, MikeG wrote:
Hi,

Firstly - thanks to all those who took the time to reply to my
previous enquiry (Bridgeport milling questions).

I also purchased an old Colchester Student 6 and this was supplied
with a 3 jaw chuck, a 4 jaw chuck and these (which I'd never seen
before)

http://www.mgarner.co.uk/IMG_1413.jpg

There are 12 sprung collets, numbered "EC2....EC13", all seem in good
condition - the jaws move freely and spring back with good force.

Nice collet chuck and collets. Looking at the threads on the
back of the chuck, I presume that your lathe's spindle is a L-00 or
larger.

After a little digging, it appears they're quite highly regarded for
precision work although I'd welcome your comments.

I've only ever used a standard 3 jaw chuck before and this has been
perfectly adequate for my hobbyist needs. I can't forsee any
"precision" work in my future and wondered if I'd be better selling
these and using the money for other tooling.

What do you think?

Have you ever tried mounting in a chuck something which was
already to final diameter in your chuck and turning an extra feature
concentric with the existing OD?

3-jaw chucks are known for having noticeable runout when you try
to do something like that. If you measure a runout of 0.003" or less on
a 3-jaw chuck, you have an exceptionally good one.

4-jaw can be adjusted to tune out the runout -- but it takes
time.

In particular, the collet chuck is useful when making multiple
parts from bar stock which will fit through the spindle.

My 12x24" Clausing has a lever closing drawbar for 5C collets,
and I tend to use them whenever possible, only shifting to a chuck for
larger workpieces (the 5C stops at 1-1/8" diameter for short workpieces,
and 1" diameter for through feed stock), or when something is of
irregular shape or needs to be cut to make an eccentric, both of which
call for the 4-jaw chuck.

I would say keep them. (Or sell them to me, if the spindle nose
truly is L-00. :-) But you will regret selling them.

What is the size of the EC-13? Is that in mm, or something
else. They look larger than my 5C collets. If the count is in 1/8"
steps, then you can handle up to 1-5/8" diameter. Maybe even larger.

Good Luck,
DoN.

--
Email: | Voice (all times): (703) 938-4564
(too) near Washington D.C. | http://www.d-and-d.com/dnichols/DoN.html
--- Black Holes are where God is dividing by zero ---

On 2008-12-12, MikeG wrote:
Hi,

Firstly - thanks to all those who took the time to reply to my
previous enquiry (Bridgeport milling questions).

I also purchased an old Colchester Student 6 and this was supplied
with a 3 jaw chuck, a 4 jaw chuck and these (which I'd never seen
before)

http://www.mgarner.co.uk/IMG_1413.jpg

There are 12 sprung collets, numbered "EC2....EC13", all seem in good
condition - the jaws move freely and spring back with good force.


Very handy to have collets that will accomadate both hex and round stock.
I replaced my 5C setup for the bernerd setup about 10 years ago and could
not be happier.

Best Regards
Tom.

On 13 Dec 2008 04:08:05 GMT, "DoN. Nichols"
wrote:

snip

What is the size of the EC-13? Is that in mm, or something
else. They look larger than my 5C collets. If the count is in 1/8"
steps, then you can handle up to 1-5/8" diameter. Maybe even larger.

The EC2 is marked as:
1/16" 3/16" 1.6mm 4.8mm

The EC3 is marked as:
1/8" 1/4" 3.2mm 6.4mm

and they then increase in 1/8" increments, finishing with the EC13
which is marked as:

1 3/8" 1 1/2" 35mm 38.1mm

On 2008-12-13, MikeG wrote:
On 13 Dec 2008 04:08:05 GMT, "DoN. Nichols"
wrote:

snip

What is the size of the EC-13? Is that in mm, or something
else. They look larger than my 5C collets. If the count is in 1/8"
steps, then you can handle up to 1-5/8" diameter. Maybe even larger.

The EC2 is marked as:
1/16" 3/16" 1.6mm 4.8mm

The EC3 is marked as:
1/8" 1/4" 3.2mm 6.4mm

and they then increase in 1/8" increments, finishing with the EC13
which is marked as:

1 3/8" 1 1/2" 35mm 38.1mm

A very nice range. I wonder whether there is an EC1 handling 0 to
1/16"? Anyway -- as it is, it would allow me to use workpieces through
the spindle up to 1-3/8" -- the maximum bore of my spindle.

Thanks,
DoN.

--
Email: | Voice (all times): (703) 938-4564
(too) near Washington D.C. | http://www.d-and-d.com/dnichols/DoN.html
--- Black Holes are where God is dividing by zero ---

On 13 Dec 2008 04:08:05 GMT, "DoN. Nichols"
wrote:

On 2008-12-12, MikeG wrote:
Hi,

Firstly - thanks to all those who took the time to reply to my
previous enquiry (Bridgeport milling questions).

I also purchased an old Colchester Student 6 and this was supplied
with a 3 jaw chuck, a 4 jaw chuck and these (which I'd never seen
before)

http://www.mgarner.co.uk/IMG_1413.jpg

There are 12 sprung collets, numbered "EC2....EC13", all seem in good
condition - the jaws move freely and spring back with good force.

Nice collet chuck and collets. Looking at the threads on the
back of the chuck, I presume that your lathe's spindle is a L-00 or
larger.

After a little digging, it appears they're quite highly regarded for
precision work although I'd welcome your comments.

I've only ever used a standard 3 jaw chuck before and this has been
perfectly adequate for my hobbyist needs. I can't forsee any
"precision" work in my future and wondered if I'd be better selling
these and using the money for other tooling.

What do you think?

Have you ever tried mounting in a chuck something which was
already to final diameter in your chuck and turning an extra feature
concentric with the existing OD?

3-jaw chucks are known for having noticeable runout when you try
to do something like that. If you measure a runout of 0.003" or less on
a 3-jaw chuck, you have an exceptionally good one.

4-jaw can be adjusted to tune out the runout -- but it takes
time.

In particular, the collet chuck is useful when making multiple
parts from bar stock which will fit through the spindle.

My 12x24" Clausing has a lever closing drawbar for 5C collets,
and I tend to use them whenever possible, only shifting to a chuck for
larger workpieces (the 5C stops at 1-1/8" diameter for short workpieces,
and 1" diameter for through feed stock), or when something is of
irregular shape or needs to be cut to make an eccentric, both of which
call for the 4-jaw chuck.

I would say keep them. (Or sell them to me, if the spindle nose
truly is L-00. :-) But you will regret selling them.

What is the size of the EC-13? Is that in mm, or something
else. They look larger than my 5C collets. If the count is in 1/8"
steps, then you can handle up to 1-5/8" diameter. Maybe even larger.

Good Luck,
DoN.

Hi DoN,

Thanks for your detailed reply.

You absolutely nailed it with your comment about adding an extra
feature. I turned some spikes for garden lights and missed the rebate
on one. When I remounted it in the 3 jaw and attacked it, it was so
badly off centre that I had to part it off and start again. At the
time, I thought it was just my lack of ability - now I know it was
down to lack of "clue" too :-)

Your reply, and other's, have been most helpful. I've decided to keep
them just in case.

Kind regards,
Mike

"
I've only ever used a standard 3 jaw chuck before and this has been
perfectly adequate for my hobbyist needs. I can't forsee any
"precision" work in my future and wondered if I'd be better selling
these and using the money for other tooling.

What do you think?

Thanks & regards,
Mike


Mike - keep them - a 3 jaw chuck is not very useful if you want to cut
tubing (for example, cutting brass tubing to make ferrules) because it will
crush it - a collet will not. So in addition to being more accurate, a
collet will do things a chuck will not. Another use for a collet is to hold
threaded rod (or some other threaded object) without destroying the threads.

If you figure you will at some point need to buy collets, you are probably
better off keeping what you have