Any good sales on Beall collet chuck? (I know Beall again, sorry)

[stevers]

Sales on/where to find Beall chuck? (I know Beall again, sorry)

Hi All,
Just need your help and input for a minute. I have researched for a while, done a search in the archives, read dozens of posts, found a ton of great info and decided to go for broke and pick up the Beall collet chuck.

The first thing to determine is if it can be had separate, (anywhere other then from Beall) then acquire the collets from 800watt on E-bay. I like the idea of an 18 piece set because I would like to become more involved in segmented shell casing work, like in Don Ward's tutorial. Along with other things that may require diff sized collets.

So my inquiry is to determine if anyone knows of any deals or dealers/suppliers with good prices? (as a set or separately) I have looked at Hartville Tools and Beall. Does any one else sell the Beall system?

I hope I didn't duplicate too much on this post. I found a "lot" of great info by searching "buy collet chuck". I am just hoping for some more recent info on the subject. Most of the useful posts I found were at least several months old.

Thanks to all for the input. And of course, if anyone wants to sell me their chuck, let me know.:rotfl::devil::rotfl::devil:

 

[Randy_]

http://www.packardwoodworks.com/Mer...=CTGY&Category_Code=lathes-acc-spec-beallclet

 

[stevers]

Thanks Randy.

 

[BRobbins629]

Email 800Watt - he can probably get you the holder as well.

 

[Daniel]

Steve, From someone that has both a Beall and an 800watt chuck I would also just e-mail 800watt to see if you can get one from him. I bought the Beall chuck and then got another chuck and the collets from 800watt (two different lathes so I needed both chucks) the only reason I bought the Beall chuck was it was the only one I could find that would fit my 3/4"X16tpi head stock spindle. I use the 800watt chuck more and have never had an issue with it's quality.

 

[stevers]

Thanks guys. I e-mailed him (800watt) yesterday, waiting to hear from him. Testing to see how long this may take. A little slow is one thing, weeks or months is not acceptable for me. I can get stuff from a lot of vender's and it can be shipped next day and to me in a couple. I am not known for my patience. I'll give him a day or two, then I'll look elsewhere. I E-mailed Beall last night at midnight and there was a response on my computer this morning at 5:30 AM. Those are the folks I tend to go with, even if it means paying a little more. I am a very patristic person. You do right by me and you will have my business.

 

[Daniel]

Steve, I am like you. Service is worth something and i don't do the patience thing either. I had no problem with 800watt as far as having my items shipped like some have. I also never tried to e-mail him. I went with the Beall for my wood lathe because they had just the chuck to fit my lathe. The price for me was not as much of an issue as wanting what would work the best. adapters and stuff just add more reasons for things to be off.

 

[stevers]

Well, I did it. I just finished ordering the chuck from Beall and the 18 piece collet set from 800watt.
The way I see it, for just under the price of the Beall "set", I got the 18 piece set of collets and the chuck. The collets from 800watt were $60 plus $16 shipping and the chuck from Beall was $88.75 w/ship, so $164.75 for both. For the Beall set with shipping was $168.75. So I saved $4 and will have 13 more collets. Good deal, I must say. As long as the collets are as good as you all say they are. Of course, you have never steered me wrong before.
Thanks for all the help. I'll report back with a review once I have a chance to use them.

 

[Glass Scratcher]

Thanks guys. I e-mailed him (800watt) yesterday, waiting to hear from him. Testing to see how long this may take. A little slow is one thing, weeks or months is not acceptable for me.

Snippage

If and when you hear back from 800watt about the er32 chuck, would you mind posting. I am also looking for just a er32 collet chuck.

 

[stevers]

Sure thing Charles. I ordered the 18 piece collet set from him yesterday, (Tue). Have heard nothing yet. Was hoping for a response today, at least a notification that he received the order. I hope this works out.
I ordered the chuck itself from Beall.

 

[HawksFeather]

I have no knowledge of 800watt, but I have been lucky enough to visit the Beall business a couple of times. It was a real treat meeting Mr. Beall and I enjoyed talking with him and having him show me around. After visiting there, I am convinced that I am getting what I pay for when I purchase something from them.

I am not throwing rocks at others, just stating that I really do like the items I have gotten from Beall Tools.

Jerry

 

[Daniel]

Steve, As I recall I didn't get any sort of reply from 800watt. what he has in great prices he makes up for in customer service, lol. I also had not problem at all in getting my order. I think it came in about a week. I have read several comments from others that had long waits but as far as I know everyone eventually gets what they paid for.

 

[jttheclockman]

Does 800watt have a web site??? Have no idea who you are talking about. I too have the Beall chuck and would be intyerested in going the same route with buying the collets and the chuck seperatetly. I assume they are interchangable being it was mentioned., right???

 

[stevers]

Yes John, they are interchangeable. They are both ER32. He does sell some other sizes, so be sure you get the ER32's. Here is a link to his eBay page.

 

[Randy_]

Just a note about 800watt..... I emailed him a while ago about supplying ER32 collet sets in metric sizes. Was surprised to get a reply which was to the effect that he would do it and they would be available by now. I have reviewed his offerings on eBay and have not seen them there yet.

Even if you buy his large set in 32nd inch increments, there are still a few gaps in the grip range of the set. (Probably not a big deal for most users; but might be important for some.) For those who are still in the buy mode, you might contact him and see if he has the metric set of collets yet.

 

[VisExp]

Randy, he has the metric. 18 piece 3mm to 20mm

http://tinyurl.com/3gu7xh

 

[jttheclockman]

Please explain something. I see he has an 18 piece #2 MT set for $70 and on the next page he has the what I think is the same set for $80. Am I missing something. Another question is why is it important to have such fine incremented jaws??? Can someone give an example?? Thanks.

 

[Randy_]

John: I don't know the answer to the first part of your question. This is not the first time that I have seen auctions by 800watt for items that appear to be identical but are $10 different in price. I have always chalked it up to a simple typo.

To your second question, the short answer is that for wood turners, a full set of collets in 1mm increments is probably not necessary....unless, perhaps, they are needed by pencrafters who drill rifle cartridges to make pens.

What you need to remember is that a collet is basically a metal working tool that has been adopted by the pencrafting community. Round metal stock comes in many different sizes and if you wish to be able to machine all of them, you need to have collets that will grip all of them. There are some work-arounds; but it is just more convenient to have a full set of collets.

Depending upon what type of work you plan to do, there can be some disadvantages to a MT collet chuck vs. a Beall type chuck. Be sure you fully understand the differences between each type of chuck and buy the one that best suites your requirements.

 

[Chuck Key]

For those who are still in the buy mode, you might contact him and see if he has the metric set of collets yet.

Here is a set of 19 metric collets for $41.86. I have purchased a couple of items form this seller and am happy with the product and service. My mail person always takes a second look at the USPS signature forms when they note the Hong Cong mailing address

http://cgi.ebay.com/FULL-ER32-COLLET-SET-19-PCS-CNC-MILLING-LATHE-NEW-A07_W0QQitemZ110284558571

 

[Randy_]

John: That is an incredible price..........but when you add in the shipping, it is pretty much a wash with what 800watt is offering. 800watt is about $8 cheaper; but you "SHOULD"
be getting 2 extra collets from your guy. I say "should" because there is a little confusion in his ad. Says the collets go from 1mm to 20mm; but also says 19 collets which is one shy of what it should be???

For most of us, the 2 extra collets are not of much consequence since very few will ever need either a 1mm or 2mm collet. And dealing with someone in Hong Kong has potential problems if warranty work is involved or you need to return the material.

Thanks for point out this resource, it may be that for other products this would be a good source; but for the collets, it doesn't appear to be a terribly good deal unless someone really needs the tiny collets.

 

[Chuck Key]

That is an incredible price..........but when you add in the shipping, it is pretty much a wash

There is always the option of picking them up anytime a person is in Hong Cong otherwise this just does not sound like a bad deal.
...:airplane:
........:airplane:
...:airplane:

 

[Daniel]

I just e-mailed them about what shipping prices we could get on a group buy type situation. shipping could get as low as $4.00 a pound with a large enough order. I'll let you all know what I hear back. I basically wrote them that shipping on other bulk orders from china is in the range of $6.70 a kilo. IN order to get that sort of price the shipment has to be about 25 lbs though. just some quick thinking on my part but if it all works out I think a MT3 chuck and the 19pc collet set could end up around $40.00 total cost. I'm not to sure about the weight of an entire set though so will have to see how that works. It could all get messed up if it will not mail priority flat rate.
Anyway this is much closer to what I was hoping to find when I first thought of a group buy for collet chucks.

 

[Randy_]

Daniel: I weighed my Beall chuck and collets. The chuck weighs just a bit more than a pound and collets weigh about 130 grams apiece. The Beall chuck won't weigh exactly the same as a MT chuck, of course; but will probably be in the ballpark. Anyway, that works out to about 6.9 pounds so you would have to get at least 4 orders to make your 25 pound minimum.

P.S. Did you think to ask him to verify whether it is a 19 or a 20 collet set. Not a big deal for 99.9% of those who might be buying; but I am curious as to which is correct.

 

[stevers]

Here is a set of 19 metric collets for $41.86. I have purchased a couple of items form this seller and am happy with the product and service. My mail person always takes a second look at the USPS signature forms when they note the Hong Cong mailing address

http://cgi.ebay.com/FULL-ER32-COLLET-SET-19-PCS-CNC-MILLING-LATHE-NEW-A07_W0QQitemZ110284558571

I saw this one, or one similar. The co. was from China. I chose to go with 800watt because he is from the USA. Even thought the product he sells is most likely from China, the seller is American. (from the US anyway) I choose to do what I can to by from the US. I also felt it would be quicker to go local and with a smaller co. I received an E-mail back from 800watt the next day when I wrote and asked a question about shipping. I haven't received an E-mail confirming my order though. I realize some folks don't send confirmation notices. So I am sort of in the dark as to when he actually ships and I have no ability to track the order as of yet. I will let you all know when I hear something or receive my order. Beal sent me a confirmation E-mail and I accidently deleted it. My wife saw it and told me it is schedualed for delivery next Tue.

 

[Randy_]

I ordered a set of collets from 800watt several years ago and they took 5 or 6 days to arrive. Just a guess on my part; but it might be that the people who saw extended delivery times had the misfortune to order an item when it was on back-order.

It is a major annoyance when the guy doesn't send emails, but maybe the reduction in email staff is one of the reasons he has such good prices??

Normally, I wouldn't deal with a vendor like that; but his prices are so good and his rep for quality and reliability is so high here at IAP that I bought from him anyway. And given a choice, I would rather buy a Chinese product from an American source than from Hong Kong, Let them take the risks involved with the importation part of the process.

 

[Daniel]

Randy, Got a reply that they only sell on e-bay??? not sure how that applies to there shipping charges but in the end they do not sound to interested.

 

[stevers]

I ordered a set of collets from 800watt several years ago and they took 5 or 6 days to arrive. Just a guess on my part; but it might be that the people who saw extended delivery times had the misfortune to order an item when it was on back-order.

It is a major annoyance when the guy doesn't send emails, but maybe the reduction in email staff is one of the reasons he has such good prices??

Normally, I wouldn't deal with a vendor like that; but his prices are so good and his rep for quality and reliability is so high here at IAP that I bought from him anyway. And given a choice, I would rather buy a Chinese product from an American source than from Hong Kong, Let them take the risks involved with the importation part of the process.

Another good point. And thanks for helping put my mind at ease. The chuck from Beall wont be here till this week anyway, so I can wait for the collets.

 

[Randy_]

.....I say "should" because there is a little confusion in his ad. Says the collets go from 1mm to 20 mm; but also says 19 collets which is one shy of what it should be.....

Now that it appears there will be no dirct deals through this guy, I thought I would send him an email asking for a clarification. I revisited the eBay auction before sending my question and discovered that the confusion was mine!!

Here is what the auction actually says:

"Gripping Range 1MM to 20MM (3/64" to 25/32") ".

Since the grip range of a ER32 collet is exactly 1 mm, a 2 mm collet will grip stock from 1 mm to 2 mm in diameter. You don't need a 1 mm collet, so 19 collets will cover all diameters of round stock from 1 mm to 20 mm. I just didn't read the descriptive language carefullly enough.:redface::redface::redface:

 

[Daniel]

I guess maybe somebody else there saw my e-mail and I got a link directly to there web site.
http://www.ctctools.biz/servlet/StoreFront?sfs=bcda46f

The e-mail said to use there shipping calculator for larger orders.
From what I have seen they have several Chucks, MT2 and MT3 in both metric and fractional draw bars being the most likely interesting to any of us.
They also have 10pc and 19pc collet sets.

The only problem I really see is that the price of a chuck goes up to $19.00 ea. ($12.00 on e-bay) on the web site. the collets go up also but only a couple of dollars.

I entered 4 chucks and 4 19pc collets sets and the total was looking like it would be about $110 per set with shipping but no postage or pay pal fees added. Remember that is a full set of collets.

A chuck alone would be about $28.00 ($19.00 for the chuck and $9.00 for shipping, should be more like $5.00) I entered 10 as the quantity.
Not sure what can be done for individual collets just yet but have an idea or two.
It woudl be nice to have a chuck and just the collets needed for holding mandrels at least. of course most people that go this route end up wanting the whole set anyway.

If anyone is interested in running with this as a group buy feel free to run with it. My gut feeling on this is that with a little work the prices can come way down. get a more realistic shipping charge and the prices down to what they list on e-bay. The chuck I used to check was the #A75 MT3

 

[Chuck Key]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Randy_
And given a choice, I would rather buy a Chinese product from an American source than from Hong Kong, Let them take the risks involved with the importation part of the process.

Another good point. And thanks for helping put my mind at ease.

I would not worry at all about whether CTC can handle the details for getting through the importation part of the process. They handled it perfectly for me on my orders and probably handle it for the guy in the Bronx that you put all of your trust in. It appers that CTC is a multinational out fit that is huge in the European Union metal working market. That information is available on the internet but I do not see anything anywhere on the internet for the other guy in NY that is highly trusted.

I have read complaints concerning some of 800 Watt's products on other internet groups. I have yet to see any complaints at all regarding CTC products. I have also purchased from both vendors mention in this thread and would lean toward CTC since they seem to have more of what I need than the other guy.

The name of the CTC rep that I had dealings with is Heine Johst which does not sound like a name that would originate in Hong Cong.

At least one person in China knows how to get products into this country.

 

[Glass Scratcher]

Today my collets and a 3 jaw chuck, I ordered last week, from 800Watt arrived. They look great, individually shrinkwrapped for your protection and boxed. Now I have to wait for
A: the collet to arrive from Pennstate,
B: my Laboratory- er, shop to be finished so I can move all my tools back in and unpack everything.

 

[stevers]

Got my collets from 800watt today also. I ordered them Thursday, arrived Mon. That's impressive.
They are in a nice wooden box, each wrapped in plastic. Nice looking deal. I'll post a pick later, after dinner. Or for you folks from the east and south-east, supper.

 

[Glass Scratcher]

I'll post a pick later, after dinner. Or for you folks from the east and south-east, supper.

I don't know about anyone else in the southeast, but in our house dinner is the weekly evening meal. Supper is Sunday lunch.


So will you be posting after dinner or next Sunday?

 

[stevers]

Oh, my mistake. My brother in law is from Oklahoma and he calls the evening meal supper and lunch dinner. We have neighbors from Michigan that are the same way.

 

[stevers]

couple of shots

Here's a couple of photos of the collets. Nice stuff. I'm quite pleased with them. I'll be really pleased when I find they are a great fit with the chuck.

 

[Daniel]

Where I grew up it was Breakfast, Dinner, Supper here it is Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.
No idea when they consider Supper. But I miss it.

 

[stevers]

Where I grew up it was Breakfast, Dinner, Supper here it is Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.
No idea when they consider Supper. But I miss it.

That's what I was talking about. Here it's breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Also, I received the chuck from Beall today. Man is that a nice tool. The quality is just stellar. I am glad I went with the Beall chuck. Now if I can just get my lazy ass out to the shop to play with it.

 

[Glass Scratcher]

I'm still waiting on my collet chuck. I noticed that today Pennstate hit my account for the money for my order. Why they waited a week to process my order I don't know but it is one of the things that frustrates me about the company, 5 orders over 4 yrs, each one a delay for merchandise they said would be out the next day.

As for getting out to my shop- I now have a 2" thick 3 layer wood floor and insulation, wall panelling and the ceiling was finished today. now all that is left is the trim and baseboards. But I am going to be moving all my equipment and tools in starting tomorrow.

 

[stevers]

Congrats on the new shop. It's an awesome feeling.

As far as PSI goes, that's one of the reasons I use them only when ness. I have had the same problem with them. More than once they were slow to process orders. That's unacceptable to me when there are so many other options out there.

I would and probably will order from Beall again. I am very happy with there customer service.

800watt was very good also. I am impressed with the speed of the process. I am a little disappointed that they don't offer any sort of notification though. Other than that, all went well.