Collet chucks

[alpha1]

Can you get collet chucks for the Axminster wood lathes.

 

[flexi]

I believe so....I use collets in my mandrel holder

 

[howsitwork?]

You can get ER32 collet chucks on 2Mt size if that’s the sort you mean?

 

[d_bondi]

Why not skip the MT2 adapter and get a collet chuck that threads directly onto the spindle (eg. 1 x 8 TPI but depends on lathe model).

One less item to add to potential runout.

 

[MikeO]

Axminster Tools make a Junior Chuck that threads onto headstock. It uses ER20 collets.
Using Morse Taper you can go up to ER32

Axminster Woodturning Junior Chuck

The Axminster Junior chuck is the first true collet chuck to be produced with woodturners specifically in mind. In this chuck we use our successful ER20 engineering collets which are precision machined to grip evenly along their whole length without...

www.axminstertools.com

 

[monophoto]

Yes, you can buy ER32 collet chucks that screw directly onto the headstock spindle.

Here in the US, there are (or at least were) three suppliers. Penn State sells a set that screws directly onto a 1"x8tpi spindle, and Craft Supplies sells what looks like the same set except that it is threaded for 1 1/4" x 8tpi spindles. Both come with adapters to fit other spindle sizes, and five imperial-dimensioned collets that span the range of 1/4" through 3/4". The Beall Tool Company also offered a set, but they retired last year and sold their product line to Lee Valley in Canada. I don't know if Lee Valley is continuing the collet chuck product.

You can also purchase standalone ER32 collet chucks from various suppliers. And you can buy collets individually or in sets. Buying a set is usually the least expensive admission to this game. One thing to note is that collets have a fix, and rather small, compression range - typically about 1mm. In the case of imperial-dimensioned collets, this means that sets typically have gaps between 'standard' collets. You can purchase individual collets to fill these gaps if necessary. However, metric-dimensioned sets typically include more collets that seamlessly move between diameters; therefore, there are no gaps and you don't need to look for individual collets later.

 

[Curly]

Lee Valley is making and selling the Beall Collet chucks in 4 thread sizes.

Beall Collet Chuck Sets - Lee Valley Tools

www.leevalley.com

Your other option is to buy an ER32 collet chuck from a metalworking supplier like Chronos or ArcErotrade and making/have made a threaded adaptor. Maybe a faceplate if a good quality could be used.

Search Results - Chronos Engineering Tools

www.chronos.ltd.uk

Arc Euro Trade Ltd - Search Results

www.arceurotrade.co.uk

Note if you use a Morse Taper type chuck you must use a draw bolt to hold it in the headstock.

Pete

 

[21William]

Why not skip the MT2 adapter and get a collet chuck that threads directly onto the spindle (eg. 1 x 8 TPI but depends on lathe model).

One less item to add to potential runout.

Sadly they don’t sell direct thread ER32 collet chucks in the UK. I have suggested this omission to Axminster tools but they don’t seem interested. I’m aware you can get them in Germany and the USA but shipping makes it expensive.
I’ve adapted the 100mm flange mount ER32 chuck from my metalwork lathe to also fit my wood lathe.

ER32 Lathe Collet Chucks - Arc Euro Trade

ER32 Lathe Collet Chucks: will fit any lathe with a suitable spindle flange or backplate. They are ideal for SC2 & SC3 mini-lathes and larger SC4 and SC6 lathes

www.arceurotrade.co.uk

 

[DuncSuss]

Note if you use a Morse Taper type chuck you must use a draw bolt to hold it in the headstock.

A further disadvantage of using a Morse Taper style collet chuck is that you don't have the option to push the rod of material through the hole in the drive spindle.

I typically make nib sections from 15mm diameter black ebonite, and with the rod pushed through the headstock I use exactly the amount to make a section, with no waste until the rod gets down to the last inch or so.

 

[wim kluck]

According to me is the hole in the drive spindel 9mm here in europe. I use a m33 colletchuck and And I bought the loose collets somewhere on Ali for cheap
Her my collet chuck https://drechslershop.de/maschinen/spannen/spannzangenfutter/1863/spannzangenfutter-set-er32
The brand is Burt

 

[Curly]

According to me is the hole in the drive spindel 9mm here in europe. I use a m33 colletchuck and And I bought the loose collets somewhere on Ali for cheap
Her my collet chuck https://drechslershop.de/maschinen/spannen/spannzangenfutter/1863/spannzangenfutter-set-er32
The brand is Burt

I wouldn't normally disagree with such authority such as yourself. But it depends on the lathe one has. My Nova has a through hole of roughly 14mm in both the headstock and tailstock. My Grizzly midi lathe (generic 12" x 20") has 10mm through holes the the headstock and tailstock. Both lathes use number 2 Morse tapers with the Nova having a 1 1/4" x 8 thread and the Grizzly a 1" x 8 thread. Every maker gets to decide to do something a little different depending on their mood and colour of socks they are wearing.

Your Burt is a nice chuck.

Pete

 

[Bill Mooney]

Like flex your I USA my pen mandrel. I have an Axi evolution mandrel which takes collets up to 20mm diameter.

 

[Lons]

I have a nice collet chuck set that screws direct to the thread of my Axi 1416 so it's threaded 33 x 3.5. I bought it a number of years ago from Chonos Ltd and it's decent quality, I don't know if they still sell them but maybe worth a bit of searching. Mine has imperial size collets up to 3/4" but they're E32 as far as I remember so could buy metris if needed.
If you can find a threaded chuck that was one of the other popular sizes you can get adapters fairly easily.

 

[mChavez]

Almost a year too late to join the discussion, but I second the Chronos. They still sell them. Mine arrived yesterday and it's a little work of art for a very reasonable price. They even had one for my lowly 3/4"x16 headstock!
It does need a set of metric collets to complement the 5 imperial ones that come with it though.

Axi is ER20 and you might struggle to find larger diameter collets for it. Also it's shorter than ER32 (duh) - if you're unlucky to have an MT1 headstock bore, an ER32 collet gives you an extra 15mm of length to mount inside the chuck, which doesn't sound like much, but I think it makes a difference when it comes to pen-sized blanks for sections, caps and barrels.

 

[mChavez]

Oh, and do not buy MT-mounted chucks. Same reason as why you're not supposed to mill on a pillar drill, and you don't see MT (at least without a drawbar) in a milling machine: MT is not designed to take sideways load, and will work itself loose in the socket. You can only reliably use an MT-mounted chuck for turning if it's supported by the tailstock.

And yes, I've done a fair amount of milling wood on the pillar drill, and I've done some turning on an MT-mounted jacobs chuck. Sometimes you get away with it, and sometimes they fall out and wreck your workpiece, tools, and potentially fingers .

 

[Dalboy]

You can use a morse taper type in the head stock as long as you use a draw bar to secure it so if buying one check it has a thread in the end of the morse taper

 

[mChavez]

Yep, but not all lathes have a hollow headstock and using a drawbar in a hollow shaft will, presumably, prevent you from holding work inside the headstock, so I'd still go with threads.