Subject: Re: Collet closer: make or buy?

From: [email-masked] (Mike Rehmus)
Date: 17 Jan 1995 22:12:45 GMT

In <[email-masked]> [email-masked] (James 
Kirkpatrick) writes: 

>
>
>I'm getting a newer, larger lathe, and one of the options I looked
>at was a 5C collet closer.  Jet wanted $619 (on sale); MSC lists
>a Royal closer for about $400.  These prices are steep enough to
>consider making one, and there was an article in a back issue of
>Projects in Metal (in 1990 I believe) about making one.  One of
>the problems I see with the do-it-yourself version is that the
>adapter (Mores-to-5C) is not hardened and ground, like I assume
>the commercial ones are.
>
>Has anybody made their own closer?  How did it work out?
>
>Jim
>

I've made one for my 6" Craftsman.  I did not use 5C collets because of 
the size of the spindle.  I used ETR collets (sometimes called Acorn 
collets) because they use a nut over the front to close the collet and 
do not occlude the spindle bore.  The collets cost about $20 each but 
cover twice the range as the 5C and seem to be more accurate than all 
but the $25 5C examples.

I did not use any hardening process and after a year, I see no wear on 
the spindle-mount part that I made (I bought their nut).  

Best,

Mike

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From: [email-masked] (James Kirkpatrick)
Date: 17 Jan 95 13:41:38 MST

Jim

---

From: [email-masked] (Bruce Holder)
Date: Fri, 20 Jan 1995 17:10:19 GMT

James Kirkpatrick ([email-masked]) wrote:
: I'm getting a newer, larger lathe, and one of the options I looked
: at was a 5C collet closer.  Jet wanted $619 (on sale); MSC lists
: a Royal closer for about $400.  These prices are steep enough to
: consider making one, and there was an article in a back issue of
: Projects in Metal (in 1990 I believe) about making one.

  What's your time worth to you?  I wouldn't hesitate to make a
handwheel closer (in fact, that's about number four on my list), but
if I were changing collets frequently enough to need the the lever
type, I think I'd swallow hard and buy one.

: One of
: the problems I see with the do-it-yourself version is that the
: adapter (Mores-to-5C) is not hardened and ground, like I assume
: the commercial ones are.

  How often will you be swapping collets?  Will the closer be used
by other people who don't know (or care) how much time it took you
to make it?  I can't even count the number of tooling projects I've
seen in HSM where the author said, "This isn't hardened like the
commercial ones, but I can handle it more gently than it would be
handled in a production shop, and at the rate I use it, it's not
going to wear out."

  Alternatively, you could harden and grind it, or buy hardened 4140
(RC 26 - 30), which is soft enough to machine, but hard enough to
resist some wear and tear.

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From: [email-masked] (Ed Richley)
Date: 23 Jan 1995 18:19:05 GMT

not sure I agree with a comment that was made here.....

At work we have lever type closers, and at home I have a handwheel type.
I got the handwheel closer direct from South Bend, for about $400...btw.
Anyway, as I see it, if you're changing *collets* often, I prefer
the handwheel...it's much quicker. However, if you're changing *parts*
in and out of the same collet often, the lever is quicker. I see
the lever as a "production" convenience, and really not necessary
for the type of work I do at home where every part is different...

Of course, none of this applies to the original question about make vs
buy. Making one would be a real challenge, but sounds like a lot of fun.

Ed

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From: [email-masked]
Date: Mon, 23 Jan 1995 22:12:23 GMT

Bruce Holder ([email-masked]) wrote:

: : One of
: : the problems I see with the do-it-yourself version is that the
: : adapter (Mores-to-5C) is not hardened and ground, like I assume
: : the commercial ones are.

:   How often will you be swapping collets?  Will the closer be used
: by other people who don't know (or care) how much time it took you
: to make it?  I can't even count the number of tooling projects I've
: seen in HSM where the author said, "This isn't hardened like the
: commercial ones, but I can handle it more gently than it would be
: handled in a production shop, and at the rate I use it, it's not
: going to wear out."

  Actually, a lot of them say, "Never hardened it but it has lasted me
x decades with moderate use."   Thats long enough for me.  Besides,
given the cost of collets, and the cost of replacing the spindle on my
lathe, I'd rather have the adapter wear out faster and put no wear on
the afore-mentioned items, I'f I had a choice.