Milling Machine Collet

[thomaswm]

I have an Autolock type chuck that came with my Centec 2A, hence on a 2MT.
The collet [only one, ] looks very like an autolock, but there is a second taper at the rear rather than a couple of spigots or a flatted disc.
Anyone know what type this is, or taper specs, please?

TIA..................Tom.

[wayne]

Hi Tom

Post a Photo of the chuck and collets, Qualcuts are very similar to the Clarkson, but different on the collets location, it sounds as if it might be a clair, did any of the cutters have a funny looking end (that fits into the chuck)

Dose the body of the chuck have a metal ring on the outside with three equally spaced holes round the edge, the purpose is when the chuck is fitted in the quill, and this ring is wound back in to the quill to give better support. If there is no ring or provision for a ring on MT2 Its not a Qualcut Or A Clarkson Autolock.

Of course there’s the Osborn Titanic chuck but I have no Knowledge of these, or it cold be from a smaller supplier or a foreign copy

Hope this helps
Wayne
Ps Thers is a centec user group on yahoo and once your a member you can down load the manuals for free

[thomaswm]

Thanks for your interest, Wayne,
Pics here www.flickr.com/photos/26139838@N02/sets/72157615473736906/

I have also put in a section of the chuck body.

Nut A/F is 1.7" There is no sign of the ring you describe. Also there is no centre for the rear of the cutters. (I suppose the rear taper takes care of the alignment)
Collet takes standard cutters (20tpi)
Collet marked 1/2 Q938 and entwined Cs as on picture.

2MT shank marked DORMER MEDIUM No2 MTS SERIES2

Tom.

[thomaswm]

Link seems to only half work!

Paste the whole line into the address and it will take you to the pictures.

Tom.

[02jcole]

Don't know what type of collet, but recognise the logo as being "Crawford Collets", perhaps try a google search?

James.

[thomaswm]

Thanks, James,

I did a Google and the company is still there, as part of 600 group.
Their current online collet catalogue shows nothing like my chuck, but then the chuck is probably the same age as my Centec mill!

I may try an email to see if they still have the taper specs, although a collet I made by fit and fiddle works OK.

Thanks again................Tom.

[2tenths]

Mar 17, 2009 14:41:29 GMT thomaswm said:

Thanks, James,

I did a Google and the company is still there, as part of 600 group.
Their current online collet catalogue shows nothing like my chuck, but then the chuck is probably the same age as my Centec mill!

I may try an email to see if they still have the taper specs, although a collet I made by fit and fiddle works OK.

Thanks again................Tom.

Hi

Give Crawfords a ring, there is/was a very helpful chap there who has a "little notebook" with all the old/obsolete collets in. Helped me a few years ago to identify a capstan lathe for which they supplied the collets. Turned out they were from 1942.

They will make them but don't ask them the price. Do not ask me how I know this

Regards

Tony

[wayne]

Hi Tom
As suggested above speak to Crawford’s, get the model of chuck and collets, but then give the second hand tool suppliers a ring, if they are an odd type you may get a set for next to nothing. They will be glad to get rid of them.

If the price is silly, look round for a good MT2 Clarkson or similar you can get a good deal if you look and read between the lines, I recently paid £35 for a Clarkson Mt2 on ebay with imp and metric collets, spanner, box and instructions in as new condition, it was described as having a tang on the arbour, the tang screwed off but it put buyers off. Even cheaper I paid £10 for a good Clarkson MT2 chuck and 1 collet but no spanner or box from a large model engineer supplier. Another alternative is ER chuck collets I purchased mine from CTC in Honkong, he sells on ebay


It may also be worth mentioning to be cautious of some collets that look the same but have a different number stamp on them. I do know of an example of a problem with look alike ma99 collets as Crawford also do one very similar but there is only 4 thow difference between them, but over time the difference damages the chuck when in use.

Hope this helps

Wayne

[thomaswm]

Thank you very much, everyone!

I contacted Crawford, who passed me on to a company R & J Workholding who took over a plant closed by Crawford, but where the chucks were originally made.
There, a very helpful chap ( after exclaiming "Blimey, that IS old!" ) gave me the dimensions and taper angles I was after. The chuck is a type Q so if anyone sees any on fleabay, let me know!!

All my best regards..................Tom.

[02jcole]

Glad to have been of help, this is what this forum is all about ;D ;D ;D