Coventry Easy Change Tooling

[Deleted]

Happy Easter everyone,

I have a Warco WM16B and am looking at getting the "Coventry Easy Change" tooling system for it. My concern is my machine has a 3MT spindle bore and the Easy Change with 3MT has a tang rather than threaded for a drawbar and I am worried about it pulling out while milling. Has anybody got any views on this concern?

Regards

Paul

[uuu]

You would definitely want a drawbar. Drilling would be OK with a tang - continuous force holding the taper in, but milling would be frightening.

Could you put a bit of round stock in it, so you can hold in the lathe and turn off the tang and thread it?

Wilf

[ettingtonliam]

When I (briefly) owned an easy change tooling system, I was using it on a drilling machine, where the tang was logical. No, I wouldn't use tanged tooling for milling, thats asking for trouble. Possibly there is a drawbar version of the easy change, if so thats what you need.
If the 3MT is soft, then you could saw off the tang and drill and tap for a drawbar, or maybe the taper unscrews and is interchangeable.
Is this new equipment, or used/abused off ebay?

Regards

Richard

[uuu]

Clarkson brochure does not show a drawbar option in 3MT - only tang. Illogical.

Wilf

[ettingtonliam]

Do Clarkson claim its suitable for milling?

[uuu]

Here's the catalogue: Catalogue

They show pictures with a milling cutter - and list shell mill adapters.

Wilf

[Deleted]

Apr 12, 2020 9:47:32 GMT ettingtonliam said:

When I (briefly) owned an easy change tooling system, I was using it on a drilling machine, where the tang was logical. No, I wouldn't use tanged tooling for milling, thats asking for trouble. Possibly there is a drawbar version of the easy change, if so thats what you need.
If the 3MT is soft, then you could saw off the tang and drill and tap for a drawbar, or maybe the taper unscrews and is interchangeable.
Is this new equipment, or used/abused off ebay?

Regards

Richard

Hi Richard,

I am looking at buying new, I just find it strange that they do not do a drawbar option. I am going to contact them directly t find out if it can be modified.


Paul

[Deleted]

Apr 12, 2020 15:03:17 GMT uuu said:

Here's the catalogue: Catalogue

They show pictures with a milling cutter - and list shell mill adapters.

Wilf

Hi Wilf,

That's the catalogue that I have,it does say in it to contact them if an item is not in the range. So here goes.

Paul

[ettingtonliam]

Apr 12, 2020 15:03:17 GMT uuu said:

Here's the catalogue: Catalogue

They show pictures with a milling cutter - and list shell mill adapters.

Wilf

Thats true, but the picture with the milling cutter is with an R8 shank holder. I still think the tanged 3MT version was/is intended for use with drills in a drilling machine, and won't be suitable for milling. It will be interesting to see if they do a 3MT drawbar version.

[Deleted]

Apr 13, 2020 9:49:08 GMT ettingtonliam said:

Apr 12, 2020 15:03:17 GMT uuu said:

Here's the catalogue: Catalogue

They show pictures with a milling cutter - and list shell mill adapters.

Wilf

Thats true, but the picture with the milling cutter is with an R8 shank holder. I still think the tanged 3MT version was/is intended for use with drills in a drilling machine, and won't be suitable for milling. It will be interesting to see if they do a 3MT drawbar version.

I have messaged them to see if they do. In the meantime I am looking at the Tormach TTS.

[uuu]

You'll have to figure out how many, and what sort of toolholders you need. I guess they're expensive. I've got my BT30 stuff second hand on ebay.

I use four holders, mostly. One has an edge finder permanently mounted. Then one drill chuck and two ER25 collet holders. The drill chuck is mostly used for centre drills as, with a normal drill in it, I run out of height. The collet holders are much more compact.

Wilf

[coniston]

Apr 13, 2020 12:53:28 GMT @orville said:

Apr 13, 2020 9:49:08 GMT ettingtonliam said:

Thats true, but the picture with the milling cutter is with an R8 shank holder. I still think the tanged 3MT version was/is intended for use with drills in a drilling machine, and won't be suitable for milling. It will be interesting to see if they do a 3MT drawbar version.

I have messaged them to see if they do. In the meantime I am looking at the Tormach TTS.

I'll be interested to know the outcome, my mill is also 3MT and I get fed up keep changing to a drill chuck and back again. The idea of having different tools already available is really good.

Chris D

[Roger]

This is what I currently have in my EasyChange tool rack. I find this is just about enough, but I could use perhaps another row.
Three of these were blanks that I've machined for different purposes. The slitting saw holder on the back row is one, the sprung centre and wobbler on the middle row are the others.
The front LH one is for Morse Tapers, but I think I've only used it for that once. It is used all the time though, but for attaching the small magnetic base you see me using for the clock.
So about half of them are ER32 collet types, and you can see the two sets of collets, those are in the wooden boxes. I've also bought extras for 1/8", 1/4", and smaller metric sizes as well as several 6mm and 4mm ones which are used for different tool sizes on the same shank.
This setup must have saved hundreds of hours of messing about changing tools, but it does come at a considerable price.

I wouldn't want to go back to the old Clarkson chuck and drawbar setup for switching between drilling and milling.

20200417_174132 by The train Man, on Flickr

[Deleted]

Hi All,

Having looked more deeply into the Easychange system I am going to look elsewhere as the cost is far too much to justify it for my use.

Thanks for all the input.

Paul

[Deleted]

Update on the EasyChange, they do a 3MT holder with 12mm drawbar option. It is expensive £269 plus VAT but having looked at other options is in my opinion the best available and is of an industrial quality, the holders are not cheap either but I do not think I will need too many.