Unusual small 3mm Collet which I think is Crawford

[Ian PParticipant @ianp]

In my collection of 'it will come in useful one day' I have a plain bearing spindle that accepts this collet. Unusually the front of the collet has three flats that allow it to be tightened from the front (there is no drawbar hole).

Parallel part of body is 6mm diameter and the thread is M5 fine, overall its about 40mm long. It has the mirrored 'C' logo which I think is Crawford and also has 1801 stamped on it.

I'm curious what this type of collet was used for

Ian P

[Ian PParticipant @ianp]

A mystery to me anyway.

[old martParticipant @oldmart]

It has the Crawford logo on it. Tightening from the front seems strange as you would have to have a special triangular spanner, and there is the expected slot milled to engage a pin in the spindle bore to stop it turning. I have the Crawford catalogue somewhere on a pc and will look for any info.

No luck on the lathes UK website, but I have found the catalogue on disc, but will have to look at it tomorrow.

Edited By old mart on 26/04/2023 21:37:55

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

These look rather similar: **LINK**

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/233860519713

MichaelG.

[Ian PParticipant @ianp]

Definitely a similar method of tightening but its less than ideal from an engineering point of view as the spanner is twisting the tines of the collet. Even odder in my case is that this particular collet was holding a LH 3mm drill.

The spindle is solid and has the female thread at the bottom of the tapered bore but I can only presume whatever was being drilled did not put too much load on the spindle.

In the next day or so I will post pictures of the spindle unit and some other parts that I have, I have a feeling its Swiss (possibly Schaublin) and probably from a 'auto' lathe.

Ian P

[old martParticipant @oldmart]

I have just looked at the 1980's Crawford catalogue and cannot find any 1801 part number.

The photo also shows part of another number ending in 94.

Edited By old mart on 27/04/2023 17:53:43

Edited By old mart on 27/04/2023 17:54:37

[Author]

Posts