5C or ER Collet Chuck

[Gray62Participant @gray62]

I am currently contemplating the construction of either a 5C or ER32 collet chuck for my lathe.

 

I appreciate that ER collets may have a better gripping performance over a small range of size however ER collets offer square, round and hex collets wich gives them a distinct advantage. Also it is possible to purchase a 5C to ER32 collet adapter frm ArcEuroTrade.

So, my question is – which is the best choice in terms of versatility and accuracy and what experiences do any of you have of the options selected.

 

thanks in anticipation

 

CB

[Gray62Participant @gray62]

Which is the best

[Anonymous]

Errrr, 5C offers square, round and hex?

 

Confused of Cambridge!

[Tony Pratt 1Participant @tonypratt1]

Hi, exactly what size of lathe have you got? I think you meant that 5C collets are also avaliable in hexagon and square as well as round, ER collets have a fair gripping range but 5C only really work gripping bar at the nominal collet size.

Do you intend doing much square and hexagon work? Lots of questions to ponder and my experience of collets is that the ER series seems to grip better but that might be imagination on my part.

Tony

[Gray62Participant @gray62]

yes you’re correct Tony, I did mean 5C offers square, Hex and round, and yes, I do have a need to machine small hex and square part accurately so in that sense , 5C seems the way to go, with an ER32 adapter for better grip on round when necessary.

 

CB

[dcostaParticipant @dcosta]

Hello CB (and all)!

 

I’m in the process to chose an chuck (or adapter) to use my 5C collets in a 150mm Vertex type rotary table.
On account of my shoulders (tendinitis) I need to make the set as light as possible and this is the reason why I’m trying to replace a 125mm three jaw chuck by a 5C collet system.
So I’ve been looking for an adapter or chuck that being lighter than my three jaw chuck also doesn’t protrudes too much from the rotating table.
The most common 5C chuck in the market is 107mm long which I dislike.
So, I would like if You (or any one knowing) tell me if there’s some alternative to the chuck – and I’m thinking in something like the ER32 Lathe Collet Chucks wich Arc Euro Trade (AET) sells.

Also, I would greatly appreciate if somebody having the 5C chuck, like the one from AET, will let me know its aproximate weight to compare with the 125mm chuck.

 

Thanks in advance

Dias Costa

[KWILParticipant @kwil]

ER collets are available with a square at the base for holding taps

[Steve GarnettParticipant @stevegarnett62550]

Posted by Dias Costa on 06/02/2011 00:11:21:

Also, I would greatly appreciate if somebody having the 5C chuck, like the one from AET, will let me know its aproximate weight to compare with the 125mm chuck.

 

 

Can’t tell you the exact weight, but I’ve had Chester’s 5C collet chuck (the key operated one) in my hands recently, and even on a backplate, it’s considerably lighter than the equivalent 125mm 3-jaw; there’s a lot less metal in it. If you wanted to put this on a rotab, I would have thought that this would be considerably easier than mounting and aligning the 3-jaw.

 

I looked at the detailed spec of a decent 125mm 3-jaw chuck, and the amount of detail it goes into is considerable. But nowhere did I see any indication of the chuck’s actual weight at all. Plenty of information about how much weight it could hold, certainly, but nothing actually useful in this context!

 

There’s a Warco one here that looks as though it might fit the bill, assuming that you could find a satisfactory way of mounting it.

Edited By Steve Garnett on 06/02/2011 10:55:04

[dcostaParticipant @dcosta]

Hello Steve!

 

Thank You for Your help.

 

You said:

Can’t tell you the exact weight, but I’ve had Chester’s 5C collet chuck (the key operated one) in my hands recently, and even on a backplate, it’s considerably lighter than the equivalent 125mm 3-jaw; there’s a lot less metal in it. If you wanted to put this on a rotab, I would have thought that this would be considerably easier than mounting and aligning the 3-jaw.

Fortunately You confirm my suspicions and hopes

 

You said:

I looked at the detailed spec of a decent 125mm 3-jaw chuck, and the amount of detail it goes into is considerable. But nowhere did I see any indication of the chuck’s actual weight at all. Plenty of information about how much weight it could hold, certainly, but nothing actually useful in this context!

 

I e-mailed Arc Euro Trade (AET) few days ago asking information about the weight.

Let’s hope they answer me soon.

————————————————————————————-

Several months ago I bought a 5C set of round and hexagonal collets plus some adapters. But at that time I didn’t consider the hipothesis of using it on the 150mm rotary table. Till now I only use the 5C collets with the adapters, mainly the “Stevenson’s indexing head” and the “Collet block set”.
With the purpose of applying it to the 150mm rotary table, I recently bought a ER32 collet set and a lathe collet chuck 95 diameter.
As You know the maximum diameter the ER32 admits is 20mm while the 5C set I bought admits 28mm.
In the other hand the ER32 adapter seems to me, in terms of dimensions, somewhat disproportionate (smallish) when put over the rotary table.

Best regards

Dias Costa

 

 

 

Edited By Dias Costa on 06/02/2011 14:46:06

[dcostaParticipant @dcosta]

Hello KWIL !

 

Thank You for Your help.

 

You wrote:

ER collets are available with a square at the base for holding taps

Can You , please, elaborate on the matter or/and point me some URL where I can get information on those collets?

 

 

Best regards

Dias Costa

 

[KWILParticipant @kwil]

Dias,

 

http://www.cutweltools.net

 

K

[dcostaParticipant @dcosta]

Hello KWIL !

 

Once again, thank You for Your help.

 

http://www.cutweltools.net

Couldn’t find this address. However the following address seems to be the correct:

http://www.cutweltools.co.uk

 

Though, if this is the correct address, I was unable to find there information about ER collets with that feature. The site is not too eloquent about their products…

Anyway I already bought a ER32 set of 21 so I am served.

It was just by curiosity to understand how that feature could be applied.

 

 

Best regards

Dias Costa

[KWILParticipant @kwil]

http://www.cutweltools.co.uk/files/ww/Accessories-Spindle.pdf page in cat is G39

[dcostaParticipant @dcosta]

Hello KWIL !

 

Now I can see it. I was completely ignorant of this possibility.

 

Thank You for Your help.

 

Best regards

Dias Costa

[KWILParticipant @kwil]

Only too pleased to help.

 

K

[dcostaParticipant @dcosta]

Hello KWILL.

Hello Steve.

 

 

Just to spread the knowledge, I let here information kindly sent to me by Arc Euro Trade about the weight of 5C and ER32 chucks.

 

1 – The weight of the 5C Collet Chuck is 5kg.

2 – The weight of the ER32 Lathe Collet Chuck is 1.5kg.

 

Now I can decide.

 

Best regards

Dias Costa

 

[Author]

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