How to use 5c collet block set ?

[TR]

What is one suppose to do with these 5c collet block sets which are readily found on ebay ?

http://cgi.ebay.com/5C-COLLET-BLOCK-...d=p3286.c0.m14

[rustamd]

you can use them in vise, mill 6 flats for example, on grinder, etc

heres picture taken from frets.com, Frank Ford milling 6 flats for one of his projects:

http://www.frets.com/HomeShopTech/Pr...uilllock20.jpg

[Paddy O'S]

They're very useful for machining a square or hex on round stock. Clamp in the milling machine vice and turn 4/6 times machining to the correct depth. You can also transfer them directly to the lathe 3 or 4 jaw chuck if needed. One of the more useful accessories I've bought !

[Doc Nickel]

Or, vertically, here.

-Doc.

[Ron of Va]

They are very useful in a milling attachment for the lathe.

Also the hex one, fits nicely in a 3 jaw chuck for small stuff, and the square block can be clamped in a 4 jaw.

[Rusty Marlin]

you can use them to hold a fixture so that you can just flip the part around in the vice to get mirrored surfaces.

[Paul in OKC]

We have larger lathes at the shop, and these are great for small diameter material like 1/2" and under. Like said above, they are great to use on the mill as well.

[Mike Hunter]

I've tried using an import brand in a mill, less than positive experience. Cant seem to get them tight enough to keep the material from moving. Am I doing something wrong?

[Boucher]

Rusty's signature line that says, "Ignorance is curable through education"
is appropiate. I use these in the mill all the time. I had never thought about using them in the chuck on the lathe. I really hate to take the chuck off to switch to collets for small work holding. It had just never occurred to me to use them this way. Thanks All!

[Ron of Va]

I've tried using an import brand in a mill, less than positive experience. Cant seem to get them tight enough to keep the material from moving. Am I doing something wrong?

The collet set comes with the cam-over lock, and a threaded tightening ring for each block.

I didn’t have much luck with the cam-over lock. The tightening rings can be used with a spanner wrench. I started to buy a spanner wrench, and found it cost almost as much as the collet block set. So being the cheap guy that I am, I took an old pair of channel lock pliers and drilled down through the top and made a pin for the hole. This turned the channel lock pliers into an adjustable spanner wrench.

I use a vice and the channel locks to put some real pressure on the collet tightening ring.