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Collet Tightening RF-30 Clone
- Thread starter Tomc938
- Start date
I tighten my collet off the mill (fixture), then tighten drawbar by holding the spline with a wrench I made and turning drawbar.
For ER40, there is just no practical way of getting the torque on the collet with it in the machine...... or perhaps I'm missing something.
For ER40, there is just no practical way of getting the torque on the collet with it in the machine...... or perhaps I'm missing something.
What do you have for a fixture?
Tomc938
Ultra Member
Oh so close. But like this: (missing one small feature)
That's strange no wrench flats on the R8 shank what the heck were they thinking
You could grind or maybe mill some flats on it
I can't picture wrenching the spindle spline as you attempt to torque the collet nut being very effective.
Tomc938
Ultra Member
I agree! Maybe if the Rock or someone like that did it, but the Rock I ain't.That's strange no wrench flats on the R8 shank
Maybe Kevin can post a picture of his fixture. As a newbie, I would hate to mill on a semi-precision tool, given my (mostly) unprecision skills.
Of course I am open to any and all suggestions.
Not only that but if the splines get buggered the quill will, at the very least, bind when you try to use it.
These machines (mine included) really need a spindle locking mechanism.
I was thinking with a proper spline wrench. A spindle lock on these things would be god blessing, neither my mill nor lathe have one.
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I don't think that's common. Are there two flats such than you could apply a large wrench?
DPittman
Ultra Member
Yes 2 flats 180 degrees to each other. I've never actually used them and don't have a dedicated wrench that fits it.
Well it's not a spindle lock per say but would be useful at times.
There appears to be a lot of material on your ER40 tool holder to machine flats for a counter spanner.
I would go that route vs a spindle lock. If the lock is strong enough, the weak point may become the little alignment screw inside the R8 taper. If you are lucky, it will just shear. If you are not, it will shear, jam and really gouge the inside of your spindle.
Always sacrifice the ”cheap” component; in this case the ER40 collet holder.
I would go that route vs a spindle lock. If the lock is strong enough, the weak point may become the little alignment screw inside the R8 taper. If you are lucky, it will just shear. If you are not, it will shear, jam and really gouge the inside of your spindle.
Always sacrifice the ”cheap” component; in this case the ER40 collet holder.
Another option could be to drill a .192 or .250 hole just deep enough to use a collet style wrench. That is as long as the area is machinable.
e.g.
Attachments
I use a piece of 5/8 steel plate with a square milled out that fits the flats on my er40 collect holder (my version of that holder DOES have the flats). I set the holder in (tail first), then torque away. My first version broke (i had a 3/4 tang on the one side of the square the trying to torque to 100+ ft-lbs bent it and I landed on my ass. I went beefier on the second one.
The plate is bolted to my welding table..... and the table weighs almost 300 lbs. so it is good for the amount of torque needed.
Tomc938
Ultra Member
That is a very good point!
A .250 hole sounds like the way to go. The only way I have to hold end mills in my machine is via the collet, so hard to mill the flats on the adaptor when it is in the machine...
Thanks everyone for the feedback. I now have a. way forward.
1/2" R8 collets can be had for cheap. Even BB isn't all that bad Buy Collet 1/2in. R8 at Busy Bee Tools Even cheaper from AliExpress. You'll probably want a set of R8 collets down the road as they take up the least amount of tool mounting room which can be troublesome with a RF30. I've been collecting them one collet at a time. 1/2" and 3/8" will handle 90% of your needs.