5C Collet Spin Indexer, $100, Calgary, AB

[JustaDB]

5C Collet Spin Indexer | Power Tools | Calgary | Kijiji

Unused 5C Spin Indexer. A must have for any milling machine. Busy bee has them for $129 + Tax. Amazon $123. This one for $100 or make me an offer. Please check out my other ads for other odds and ends from my mid-summer spring cleaning efforts. Thanks.

www.kijiji.ca

 

[YYCHM]

 

[jcdammeyer]

I have one of these. The only issue is I have to put a piece of paper on it before I used the clamps to anchor it to the mill table. Otherwise it tends to move. If you already have 5C collets it's really handy. If you don't have 5C collets it might be better to look at some sort of rotary 4th axis that can take ER collets and be computer controlled.

 

[PeterT]

These are actually very handy but many of the clones were/are of not-great quality. There are upgrade articles where people have treated them like a casting kit & improved them. All depends on where they cut corners & to what degree. The casting base can be improved by re-machining the base, ideally on all 4 sides for maximum mounting utility, either in a mill vise or on a table. But first grip an accurate dowel & measure if the housing/spindle axis is canting one way or another so you can deal with the typically warped base & make all the corrections simultaneously. Sometimes the spindle draw tube is sloppy. If all you are doing is drawing in the collet/part & locking the angle, it might be tolerable. But if you are attempting to spin it while machining that can be a dicey operation on these. Very light feed, fits need to be very slop free including the mickey mouse axial collar. I use it 100% as an indexing (meaning position locked) devise.

I haven't seen an ER version of these but doesn't mean they don't exist. Just realize that 5C have some advantages. They allow longer stock to extend outboard through the tube because its engaging on the other collet threads. ER shanks are typically solid or only recessed for a short length but a tube should be possible. One can also get many 5C accessories like machinable collets or internal holding or backplates to mini chucks...

The gold standard Suburban these might be based on, but OMG the cost!