Drills in a collet chuck

[skyline1]

I have a component to make which requires some M6 tapped holes and a 6mm keyway. I shall be doing this on my Mill/Drill.

Does anyone know a reason why I shouldn't hold the centre drill and tapping drill (and even the tap) in the collet chuck like a milling cutter rather than using a drill chuck.

It seems to me that it would actually be more accurate and require less set up but am I missing something here too obvious to see (wood for trees problem)

Best Regards Mark

 

[Jasonb]

I do it all the time, just make sure you use drills with a shank that has not been chewed up

 

[larryg]

What type of collet are you using. If using an R8 style collet then you can only grip shafts that are sized for the collet you are using. R8 collets do not work with over or undersized shafts. Now if you have an ER type collet that has a size RANGE then yes.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[skyline1]

It's a 3MT shank ER 32 one with a full set of collets so I should be able to grip the M6 tapping drill ( I usually use 5.2mm on steel) in the same collet as the 6mm end mill,

I think it's a 5 - 6mm collet that's what gave me the idea in the first place.

I think I also have a centre drill that's 6mm O.D. so hopefully I can do the whole lot without even needing to change the collet.

Best Regards Mark

 

[abby]

It is quicker and easier to change the contents of a drill chuck than those of a collet chuck , that is the only benefit !
Dan.

 

[Apprentice707]

I use ER25 collets and they work well together, also Myford collets work.

B

 

[awake]

Yes, that'll work. The only hesitation I would have is holding the tap in a collet - taps like to bind up, either spinning in the holder or breaking ... at least, that's what mine do.

 

[kstrauss]

Another advantage of using collets is that you typically lose less Z-room with a collet than with a drill chuck. I almost exclusively use collets for drills on my CNC.

 

[werowance]

Im glad to see that most also use the collet chuck. i do as well but was afraid to chime in because i figured i was wrong in doing so. i agree with Jason B to watch out for galled up drill shanks.

sometimes i have trouble holding the really tiny like smaller than a #50 drill in the collets because i dont have a small enough collet in my set. but overall i really prefer to hold them in a collet. seems to grip better and not spin like a drill chuck. and im using er32 as well.

 

[timo_gross]

I have some milling chucks SD10. They sell special D (drill) and E (endmill) collets for those. D collets have 0.5 gripping range E collets only nominal size.
For small drills collets may be better, because of better balance. The drill chucks I bought come in balanced and unbalanced version (different price).
There are ER collets specially for taps, that have an inside square. I did not have any problems to hold M6 taps in ER collets, the machine breaks them off just fine, specially if you bottom them out .

 

[SmithDoor]

A lot screw machines used collet for holding all types of drills.

Most do not use collet type as changing of sizes is faster with a drill chuck.

Dave

I have a component to make which requires some M6 tapped holes and a 6mm keyway. I shall be doing this on my Mill/Drill.

Does anyone know a reason why I shouldn't hold the centre drill and tapping drill (and even the tap) in the collet chuck like a milling cutter rather than using a drill chuck.

It seems to me that it would actually be more accurate and require less set up but am I missing something here too obvious to see (wood for trees problem)

Best Regards Mark

 

[Charles Lamont]

I have ER32 chucks for lathe and mill, but I don't like them much, and use them rarely. I have no spindle lock on the mill so tool changes mean the chuck has to come out of the spindle and go in the vice to get enough purchase on the wrench to release the bloody thing. For drilling I use a normal Jacobs chuck, and for milling I use a Clarkson Autolock, which only works with threaded shank cutters. It releases and locks with a single tap on the wrench. (For very quick and very light jobs, I may cheat and bung a milling cutter in the drill chuck if it is already mounted.)

 

[awake]

I have ER32 chucks for lathe and mill, but I don't like them much, and use them rarely. I have no spindle lock on the mill so tool changes mean the chuck has to come out of the spindle and go in the vice to get enough purchase on the wrench to release the bloody thing. For drilling I use a normal Jacobs chuck, and for milling I use a Clarkson Autolock, which only works with threaded shank cutters. It releases and locks with a single tap on the wrench. (For very quick and very light jobs, I may cheat and bung a milling cutter in the drill chuck if it is already mounted.)

Charles, I am surprised there is not a wrench flat on the ER32 chuck - that is very inconvenient!

 

[Gedeon Spilett]

I do have a drill chuck with a cylindrical tang that I hold in the ER collet chuck, for the drill that are far from a nominal dia of the collets...and certainly much faster when different dia have to be drilled.

 

[ChazzC]

Charles, I am surprised there is not a wrench flat on the ER32 chuck - that is very inconvenient!

I’m more surprised that the mill doesn’t have a spindle lock: even my mini mill has a rudimentary lock so you can tighten the drawbar on the R8 collet chuck and then the collet nut.

I have an ER25 chuck with MT3 arbor for the mini lathe that has flats on the MT arbor for tightening the collet nut, and an ER32 chuck that mounts on the spindle - the chuck has holes for a pin wrench.

 

[skyline1]

Thanks for all the replies chaps,

I have now completed the job and holding both the drill and the tap in the collet chuck worked out just fine.

I did not have any problems to hold M6 taps in ER collets, the machine breaks them off just fine, specially if you bottom them out .

I know all about that one Like most of us I suspect. Luckily these weren't blind holes, and my machine won't go anywhere near slow enough to power tap them anyway.

I have no spindle lock on the mill so tool changes mean the chuck has to come out of the spindle and go in the vice to get enough purchase on the wrench to release the bloody thing.

Me too. My collet chuck has no spanner flats but luckily I can use the drive belt as a sort of primitive "wrench, unless the chuck is really tight. That is actually what the manual recommends.

Best Regards Mark

 

[RM-MN]

I know all about that one Like most of us I suspect. Luckily these weren't blind holes, and my machine won't go anywhere near slow enough to power tap them anyway.

You might be surprised that your machine will power tap. It won't be the right speed but if you don't tell the tap that it will probably work, especially if you don't drill for the best threads and go with a drill that is just a little over size.

 

[awake]

... my machine won't go anywhere near slow enough to power tap them anyway.
/QUOTE]

slow enough ... wait, are you saying that 2000 rpm isn't the right speed for power tapping? No wonder I keep breaking taps!

 

[packrat]

Putting a ER32 collet closer on my ML7 Myford was probably one of the best things I have done for a up grad for a small lathe..

 

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