Morse taper collets

[Goldigger]

Does anyone use Morse taper collets for holding end mills?
I'm looking at using 3MT collects to hold end mills on my mini mill, what's the verdict on this?
I need to increase the amount of head room for use with a rotary table and 4 jaw chuck.

 

[Florian]

Another advantage is increased rigidy; there will be less chatter marks because the endmill is hold directly in the spindle.

You will have to pay attention not to tighten the drawbar too much. If you do so, you will have to use a heavy hammer to loosen the collet. (But thats the same as with the other equipment with morse taper...)

Florian

 

[Lakc]

Unless you cant avoid it, its always best to use endmill holders rather then collets. Drawbar 3MT collets are not the easiest to find, but have become more popular in catalogs lately.
When you need that extra room, go ahead, but try and keep to light cuts, as the helix of the endmill tends to pull itself out of collets. This is especially true when milling with the side of the cutter. Watch for long cuts going deeper because of this.

 

[Stan]

I used MT3 collets in a Benchmaster mill for about fifteen years without any problem. I did all my roughing cuts with a 3/4" end mill and hogged off as much as the lathe could handle.

I made a compound screw drawbar by putting a fine thread in the top of the spindle and on the top end of the drawbar. That eliminated any hammering to loosen the collet. The fine thread give you a lot of pull with little torque on the wrench to tighten and just reverse the wrench to push the collet out.

 

[Andrew_D]

I have a set of MT3 collets for my mini-mill as well as a ER-25 chuck. I'm missing a couple of ER collets and occasionally need the head room, as you mention.

I find that I really have to torque the collets down quite a bit to avoid the end mills pulling out, whereas the collet chuck and drill chuck only need a slight tightening to seat the MT taper in the spindle. It is a bugger to loosen though!

I bought a set of 1/8" - 3/4" x 1/16" from LMS. Actually, I think I bought the 1/8" increment set first, then found I needed a couple of the 1/16" ones later, so ordered their 1/16" set that fills in the gaps.

Andrew

 

[Goldigger]

Getting 3MT collects in the UK, doesn't seem to be problem.
RDG tools, Arceuro Trade, chronos and rotagrip all sell them.
Here's rotagrips ebay store where ill get mine from, http://stores.ebay.co.uk/Rotagrip-L...d=106928419&_trksid=p4634.c0.m14.l1581&_pgn=1

I'm only looking at using the collects when I'm using the rotary table with chuck mounted when I don't have enough head room, ill revert back to my posilock mill holder when its not an issue.

Thanks

 

[tel]

I rarely use anything other than MT collets for holding end mills - 3MT in the mills and 2MT in the Myford - they've never given me any trouble.

I do have one of those posi-lok thingies, but it doesn't often come out of the box - uses up too much space.

 

[Stan]

I should add a disclaimer to my previous post. All my experience with MT3 collets and end mills is on a small mill where it takes a long time to fill a garbage can with chips. I am not suggesting that anyone use this setup on a mill where you have a conveyor belt to move the chips away, but the original question was for a mini mill.

 

[Dan Rowe]

I used my mill with only R8 collets to hold the milling cutters for years untill I had a job that needed cutter changes. As I had several to make I bought milling holders so I had a repeatable Z setting for the whole run of parts.

I still mostly use collets to hold the milling cutters and I have never had any problems.

A Z axis indicator for setting the cutter would have also worked with a bit more trouble.

Dan

 

[Goldigger]

Are the MT collets like using the ER collets, will say a 12mm collet accept a 11mm and 12mm cutter? Or does a 12mm collet only work with a 12mm shanked cutter?

TIA

 

[Maryak]

GD

Morse taper collets only work with morse tapers, e.g. the MT1 collet works with a male MT1 taper on the end of the drill, mill, reamer, etc. Same for MT2 and on.

Hope this helps.

Best Regards
Bob

 

[Goldigger]

GD

Morse taper collets only work with morse tapers, e.g. the MT1 collet works with a male MT1 taper on the end of the drill, mill, reamer, etc. Same for MT2 and on.

Hope this helps.

Best Regards
Bob

I thought you could put a straight shanked end mill in the morse taper collet?? so if its a 12mm collet i can put a 12mm straight shanked end mill in it?

I understand that i need a MT3 for my MT3 spindle on my SX2

 

[tel]

I thought you could put a straight shanked end mill in the morse taper collet?

That is correct Gold (or do we call you Mr Digger?). To answer your previous question, NO, there is no 'range' to speak of with Morse collets - they hold the stated size and that's about it.

And yes - the taper goes in the socket in your spindle and is tightened up with the drawbar.

 

[Goldigger]

That is correct Gold (or do we call you Mr Digger?). To answer your previous question, NO, there is no 'range' to speak of with Morse collets - they hold the stated size and that's about it.

And yes - the taper goes in the socket in your spindle and is tightened up with the drawbar.

Thanks Tel, thats what i thought...

Jay

 

[Maryak]

GD,

My apologies for leading you astray I don't know what I was thinking and I put it down to another senior moment. :

Note to self..........Please ensure brain is fully engaged before typing.

Best Regards
Bob

 

[tel]

I put it down to another senior moment. Roll Eyes

...either that or too much issue rum!

 

[bezalel2000]

GD,

My apologies for leading you astray I don't know what I was thinking and I put it down to another senior moment. :

Its a sad thing that senior moments never come as compensating pairs

like - you never forget where the keyboard is when you need to i.e when you need time for brain to engage. :

 

[steamer]

I'm betting on the rum too Tel.... ;D

Dave

 

[Chazz]

Due to budget constraints when starting this hobby, :-[ I started with set of affordable MT3 collets (3\8" x 16 TPI draw bar style). Since then, I have acquired MT3 'Endmill' holders that have a set screw.

Case in point (for me) ;D, I got the Hemmingway retracting tool holder 'kit' requiring 2 dovetails, (modified to directly mount to my AXA QCTP) and the dovetail cutter, try as I might didn't seem to be doing much, then I realised, the cutter was slipping out of the collet! ???

Since then I have donated my collets more so to my lathe (MT3 spindle as well) to hold drill rod (silver steel?) stock for machining where I want to get "Close and Personal" with the work.

The only time I use collets in my Mill\Drill now, is when 'Jobber' drill bit with drill chuck won't clear the work piece to allow me to insert the drill bit.

So, I guess to answer the original post, yes, I use MT3 collets, 90% to hold stock in my lathe, 10% to hold drills\mills in the mill due to clearance issues.

That's Life
Chazz

 

[Maryak]

I'm betting on the rum too Tel.... ;D
Dave

Thanks Guys :bow: :bow:

There's an old Navy saying along the lines of :

I joined the Navy for Wine Women and Song

All I got was Rum Bum and Bull$h1t

Obviously the last line works for me

Best Regards
Bob