Direct Collets or Collet chuck

[topconker]

Just bought my milling machine and now about to start tooling it up, (Xmas pressie).
Not sure which way to go, direct collets or collect chuck set, what's the opinions guys?

TC

 

[woodpig]

It depends on what taper your machine has and which collet chuck you have in mind. Chucks can be more convenient but a simple collet directly in the mill will be more rigid and will preserve your Z height. I use both methods.

 

[topconker]

It's a MT3.

 

[Wildman]

get a clarkson chuck and set of collets for it, standard collets can allow endmills to creep our whist milling.
As I learnt to my cost.

This rotary table is otherwise only used a few times and can double as a dividing head as it mounts both vertical and horizontal.

it cold be for sale if any interest. I think it is a 6"

What mill do you have?

 

[topconker]

I've bought a Bernardo KF20 Super.
Thing they are made in Austria.

 

[woodpig]

None of the milling cutters I've bought over the past ten years have been threaded so a Clarkson chuck wouldn't have done me any good. I bought an ER32 chuck for my mill eventually as I already had a chuck and full set of ER32 collets for my Lathe. I started out though with indivual MT3 finger collets in both metric and imperial which I still use occasionally. One of my favourite mill tools though is a Fly cutter with a MT3 shank.

Does your mill have a self ejecting draw bar? If not a chuck may be a good option if you can afford the head space.

 

[topconker]

The draw bar screws down into the chuck or collet, I think it will pull all the way out.
Is that what you mean?
TC

 

[woodpig]

If you have a captive or self ejecting draw bar it will eject the collet when you unscrew the draw bar. If it's a plain draw bar you'll likely need to give it a tap with a hammer to eject the collet. This can be hard on the bearings on small mills.

 

[topconker]

Then no, I have to tap the top of the draw bar to remove the collet/chuck.

 

[seaco]

I use an ER32 collet chuck set and a few collets I have never had creep from either, my mill is R8 which may or may not make a difference as I've never used an MT3 collet but I can't really see it making much difference as long as they are seated properly.

If I had to choose I would have separate collets for each size but that gets pretty expensive so my mixture gets me by...

 

[topconker]

Thanks Lee,
Looking at the chuck set it gets pretty expensive so I'm beginning to think about separate collets for the small amount of use they will probably get.