PSI Collet Chuck

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crokett

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Prior threads are a lot older and don't answer my question. I'm looking at it as an alternative to my #2 taper drill chuck with a drawbar, which is to say I want to hold things like the Apollo pen kit mandrels, pin chucks, etc. Pin chucks especially are going to be variable sizes since they would have to match the diameter of the pen Im working on. How much flexibility is there in the collet sizes - will a 1/4" collet hold a 7mm pin chuck for example?

the collet chuck is here: Collet Chucking System with 5 Collets at Penn State Industries
 
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I have the PSI collet chuck and I like it/use it a lot. Its very convenient to have for gripping anything round.

The expansion range of er32 collets is finite - 1mm, or about 0.039 inches with the specified dimension of the collet as the maximum. The PSI kit is imperial and includes five collets in 1/8" increments from 1/4" through 3/4". So you have to be pretty close to the nominal dimension for the collet to work. Specifically, a 1/4" collet has a range of 0.211-0.25 inches, or 5.35-6.35mm.

One way around this is to use the PSI set as a starting point, and then purchase additional collets, either individually as needed, or in either imperial or metric sets (available on Amazon or e-bay). If you go with a set, purchasing a metric set would make sense because they usually come in 1mm increments, with each collet having a 1mm range, so the gripping range of the set is continuous.
 
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I concur with Louie, get a set as a starting point and then add specific sized collets as needed. An individual 7mm collet can be found online for about $10-$12 and metric sets from 2mm to 20mm can be found on eBay for under $50.

I recently bought a Morse Taper #2 Set with 11 collets (1/8 to 3/4 by 16ths) on eBay for under $40 (I made my own drawbar from 3/8-16 ready bolt and a knob from our local Menards store and stored everything in a plastic compartment box). So far I am very happy with the quality of the set (picture attached). - Dave
 

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David

Sounds like a good plan. But let me lay out a potential issue - collet storage. I know, mundane and boring, but it''s something to think about. on a snowy Monday afternoon.

The PSI kit comes in a neat hollow plastic box that has five recessed compartments for the five collets in the kit, and also smaller compartment for the spindle adapter. There is also a blank space in the box that is large enough for another collet compartment. I didn't need the spindle adapter, so I was able to put it away in the box of spare parts for the lathe.

So my solution was to use a hole saw to cut a hole in that blank space in the box, and also to enlarge the hole for the spindle adapter. I also drilled a 1/4" hole next to each of these openings. I cut squares of Saran wrap (wax paper or parchment paper would also work); I wrapped a couple of collets in these squares, and placed them in the holes. Then, I squirted spay foam insulation (left over from another project) into the 1/4" holes. The foam expanded around the collets to fill the hollow box, leaving a collet-shaped depression in each of those two openings. After the foam had cured, I removed the collets and peeled away the Saran wrap. As a result, my box now has seven collet storage compartments.
 
David; If you get an additional set of collet chucks, be sure to get the METRIC set. These will clamp down over their entire range without any gaps. Imperial will have gaps in the 1/2" - 3/4" range where they will not clamp down.

I didn't notice anyone mention this. There is a specific "loading" and "usage" order.

Loading: Take the nut, the collet will snap into the nut. There is an eccentric ring inside the nut and the groove in the collet will snap onto this ring. Thread the nut onto the chuck. Put the tool or stock into the chuck. The collet *may* come loose from the nut. To remove the collet, hold the nut and collet and twist the collet sideways and it will come free of the nut.

Usage: Tighten the nut to hold the stock securely. Loosen the nut several turns to release the stock. The nut will get tight even though you *ARE* loosening the nut AND then pop free releasing the held item.

Hope this helps.....
 
I have the Beall collet set +bought a set of metric colletsđź‘Ťđź‘Ť
I like the threaded, screw on style of collet chuck so you can move longer stock back into the spindle where as you cannot with the Morse taper style.
 
I chose the "Apprentice" collet chuck from Craft Supplies USA because my lathe is a Nova 1624 with a 1+1/4" x 8 threaded drive spindle. At that time (not sure if it's still true) PennState only had 1" x 8 chucks.

I've been very happy with it; I also bought a set of metric collets, 3mm to 20mm or suchlike, from Amazon. Metric because (a) I do not want any gaps in coverage, and (b) because I don't want to think "what's the next size up from 5/32?" With metric, it's simple - 7 is bigger than 6, end of story ;)
 
duncsuss said:
I chose the "Apprentice" collet chuck from Craft Supplies USA because my lathe is a Nova 1624 with a 1+1/4" x 8 threaded drive spindle. At that time (not sure if it's still true) PennState only had 1" x 8 chucks.

I've been very happy with it; I also bought a set of metric collets, 3mm to 20mm or suchlike, from Amazon. Metric because (a) I do not want any gaps in coverage, and (b) because I don't want to think "what's the next size up from 5/32?" With metric, it's simple - 7 is bigger than 6, end of story ;)
Click to expand...
Good point - as far as I can tell, the CSUSA collet chuck kit is identical to the PSI kit except that the CSUSA chuck body is native-threaded for 1 1/4" spindles, while the PSI chuck is native-threaded for 1" spindles. Both kits include an adapter for smaller spindles.
 
I bought the CS-USA version so i could fit both lathes, then added a 25 piece set of imperial ES-32's from Amazon, including 1/16" to 13/16 in 1/32" steps. That's about 0.8 mm, so should serve the same purpose a 2 mm to 20 mm set.
I had a spare Bosch L-Boxx after selling my Bosch cordless tools, and some of Rockler's foam (Kaizen style-ish)--so the collets, chuck and similar are in one nice package to get easily from the basement midi to garage full-size lathe and back. Most of the rest of my life is in cardboard boxes and plastic bags--but at least my collet chuck & collets are organized!!
earl
 
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