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wood river collet chuck

Joined
Feb 5, 2005
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north cent. indiana
I just recently bought the subject chuck. Been tempted for a long time with no real reason/need. I have not used it as yet but have noticed a potential problem. All of. The 6 smaller collects can be ejected from the body with the lathe knock out bar. BUT what about the biggest two ? Anny one have and/or used this chuck and can say? TIA for any reply. Dave J
 
Joined
Aug 26, 2006
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The collet should snap into the threaded collar. Then, both pieces are threaded onto the body, that way, when the collar is removed, it pulls the collet out of the body. Don't forget to make yourself a draw bar, a flying collet chuck is no fun to catch...
cc
 
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Feb 5, 2005
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north cent. indiana
So with out my first cup of coffee ran out to the shop to see what I must been missing. This BRAND chuck is on a Morse Taper. The body does not screw on to the lathe. The collects do not snap in to the collar. A knock out bar NOT a drawbar is needed. But the interior of the 1/2 and 5/8 collects are bigger than the lathe knock out bar, the other 6 are the not.
But thanks Clifton for you reply. Any body else? I am guessing with a tenon in the collet and when finished, the knock out bar punch out the piece AND collet. With the Collar loosened of course. Probably all I have to do is use the thing once.
 
Joined
Dec 7, 2012
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Albuquerque, NM
Umm---you don't eject the collets with the knockout bar; they should just come right out after you remove the collar? At least, that's my experience with metal-working collet chucks. The knockout bar removes the entire collet chuck.

The drawbar (if there's a tapped thread hole in the back of the morse taper) is used to make sure your collet chuck is secured in the morse taper.

I'm assuming you saw the Woodcraft video
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f08l8Ap4JyI
here?
 
Joined
Nov 4, 2009
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Southern Wisconsin
I have owned that chuck for 8 years and have used it on many different lathes. The video offered by Woodcraft is inaccurate in how this works and is assembled.

This feedback is from another owner of this chuck, but exactly how this works;

"It was a little confusing using at first due to the way the collet seats in the chuck. It looks like the head that threads on over the chuck was made wrong and the chuck collet does not fit correctly but is in fact designed so the collet slips into the screw on collar and sort of locks in to the collet and then you put it into the chuck body. Then once threaded on loose slip your pin chuck or work piece in and continue to tighten. Woodcraft assisted me and between us found on woodcrafts owners forum that this has been a misunderstood design and the threaded collar was machined to lock the collet loosely in first then insert into the chuck body."

This chuck works just fine, but should always be used with a draw-bar. This chuck is threaded to use a 3/8"x18tpi draw-bar. Otherwise without a draw-bar it can come loose and fly out of the lathe (with no tailstock and live center support).

You DO NOT use a knock-out bar to remove the insert.

Happy turning - Tom
 
Joined
Dec 5, 2015
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Seattle, WA
The OP's confusion is common with these type collets. That collet looks like an ER style collet that's widely used in metal working machinery. The same question gets asked on metal working forums all the time too because they don't insert the collet into the nut before putting it into the holder.

Now that Woodcraft has the video out showing the wrong way to use the collet there'll be even more confusion.

Since that collet's capacity is 5/8", it would be an ER25 collet. Available in most any size from .020" up to 5/8" in metric and inch sizes.

BTW, I believe the same type #2 Morse taper holder is available with an ER32 collet up to 3/4" capacity which might be more useful.
 
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Feb 5, 2005
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north cent. indiana
Yep Tom H. I read your reply, then went from my easy chair out to the shop, came back in and looked over the set real close under good light. Looking IN the head-ring, thought to my self, "This one is not made right. Reread your post and then I knew it is some method to hold the collet yet not by much. Yep I found to put the collet in the body first then screw on the ring/cap, what ever ya call it, it will not engage the college. When I first messed with the thing, could press the Collette in enough to not be able to get it out so used my lathe knock out bar and found I could get the first 6 sizes out that way but not the 2 biggest ones. so that was my reason for the post To start with. now thanks to these POSTS I reckon I understand the whole concept. I do understand a Morse taper coming out my tail stock having a drill chuck in drilling a pen blank and withdrawing the bit from the blank, the chuck and drill bit still in the revolving pen blank felt like it surely broke bones in my hand. It didn't so looks like I will be making a draw bar now that I see the whole thing. I sure am glad you included that thread. Thanks a bunch. Dave J.
 
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