Meh 5C review

[JRouche]

When using a manual lathe with a lever collet closer, it's extremely helpful to have collets that are sprung open a little, as oftentimes you can change parts with the spindle running. I've done that thousands of times. You can make the collet you want out of an emergency 5C collet if you don't have the right one. Done that many times, too.

Yes, this man is correct. I have spinning collet closers on both my two lathes/ It sucks but happens. Go to load a new part in the closer while still at full speed with the lathe.

Thats how you do it. If you have a tight 5c in there you will bump up against the face of it and miss the hole. Shut down the machine. Been there, done that. I like an over sprung 5c for that.

I never over spring my tool holding collets, a thru z, I have them all. 5c is a work and tool holding collet. Very unique in that way/ JR

[The Metal Butcher]

Yes it's a wuhanium dealio for $146 from CDCO/ebay with a semi machined backplate that you finish on your spindle

New favorite word?

[Doozer]

New favorite word?

Create Tool is one of the cheaper companies that make
the 40 position toolposts. They reside in Wuhan China.
The same place that brought us this lovely virus.
Hence the reference. I am totally out of touch with reality
and surprisingly, I new that.

--Doozer

[J Tiers]

Create Tool is one of the cheaper companies that make
the 40 position toolposts. They reside in Wuhan China.
The same place that brought us this lovely virus.
Hence the reference. I am totally out of touch with reality
and surprisingly, I new that.

--Doozer

Yep, I'd like to buy a 40 position from them, but I hate encouraging the chicoms with money.

Wuhanium.... I like that name.

[Doozer]

I thought there would be a joke about
me being out of touch with reality.
Which I admit too.

-D

[I make chips]

I messed around with it today. I Indexed it 120 degrees on it's mounting plate a couple times and picked up a little accuracy. Then I tried each of the three pinions and found the 'happy one' that provided the least amount of cocking on the 5C screw which I marked with paint. Seems I can get a pretty repeatable .0003 on it now which ain't too shabby for a cheapo chuck.

[wierdscience]

I messed around with it today. I Indexed it 120 degrees on it's mounting plate a couple times and picked up a little accuracy. Then I tried each of the three pinions and found the 'happy one' that provided the least amount of cocking on the 5C screw which I marked with paint. Seems I can get a pretty repeatable .0003 on it now which ain't too shabby for a cheapo chuck.

The Chicom versions of those chucks are hit and miss on a good day, but as mentioned you can't expect much for $150. A Bison version is $550-600 and other than that a Royal hand wheel closer is $1500-1800.
If you managed .0004 runout it's time to quit, heck your spindle probably accounts for .0001 of that.

[wierdscience]

Import cheapo collets are awful and that includes Lyndex with their full page ads in the trade mags. Lyndex collets come in boxes saying "made in Japan" (at least they used to). They were priced about midway between cheap and Hardinge. But when you took the collet out of the box no markings except "5C". You would think if their collets are so good they would have their name and country of origin proudly marked on the collets, huh?

Typically the cheapo 5C's are strung undersize. Hardinge collets are sprung open a bit for easy part insertion. Occasionally in production machinery with power collet closers a collet will get closed with nothing in it. Even with Harding collets they'll get sprung undersize. If it happens it's a simple fix, pound a flat blade screw driver in each slot to open it back up. Try the screw driver trick with a cheap collet and you may split it down the side. It may have something to do with heat treatment in manufacturing the collets.

Let's see if your experience mirrors mine. My main gripe with cheapo 5C collets is the lack of internal back relief. The Hardinge collets I have, the stop thread minor diameter is bored right up to the back of the grip pads. The cheapo's are usually just bored slightly over the nominal collet diameter and the petals are left with a thick wall making them hard to operate.I think that is one of the ways they cut corners.

[I make chips]

If you managed .0004 runout it's time to quit, heck your spindle probably accounts for .0001 of that.

Yup, I'm done messing with it and will just use it. ...As I wonder how long it will stay accurate.. Especially as it's on a screw thread mount south bend 9 inch.