1c and 4c collets

I came across a supplier of 3C collets in Britain, and they have 1C and 4C collets as well as 3C and 5C.

Just wondering, what are 1C and 4C collets used on?

Thanks

John

In 1903, Hardinge Brothers bought the Cataract Tool Company's line of lathes. The line included collets called Cataract 1, 2. 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7. Hardinge made collets to fit any machine in addition to their own. In the old days, collets often had no marking beyond the bore size and sometimes the maker's name. At some point, Hardinge began to mark the various collets with a type designation to help keep the many different types straight. Hardinge numbered the Cataract collets 1C, 2C, 3C, 4C, 5C, 6C and 7C.

Hardinge made lathes that used every type Cataract collet except the number 2. I have never seen a 2C or 7C collet, but I do have a Hardinge headstock that takes 7C collets. Hardinge made turret lathe tool holders that used 1C collets, and they also made a lathe milling attachment with a 1C spindle. The 1C lathes are very rare. The 1C collets are fairly common because of the turret lathe holders, which were sold in large numbers. I think Hardinge stopped making the 6C lathes around 1930 and the 3C and 4C lathes around 1950. Other companies made lathes and tooling that used 3C, 4C, 5C and 6C collets. We all know the 5C collet has become the most popular type in the world.

Larry

I have a Clausing 4901 lathe that takes 4c collets.

Please list the website.

Thanks,

Rick

The Hardinge milling machine uses 4c collets in the vertical spindle, and 5c in the horizontal (extra profits by complicating accessories requirements, anyone? )

Many of the small older Hardinge and Cataract lathes use either 4c or 3c. I have a hand screw machine with chase threading that is a "49" size, which means 4c collets, 9" swing.

smt

Larry has the info, as usual.

The store is Rotagrip

http://rotagriponline.com/index.php?option=com_virtuemart&page=shop.browse&category_id=16&Itemid=29

I have communicated with them and the collets are Chinese, but the owner tells me thay have been selling this particular Chinese supplier for 8 years and have had no quality issues...... They sell some pretty high dollar stuff so hopefully they avoid the Ebay level Chinese junk.

I have ordered some of the metric 3C's to fill out my collection. I'll post back when I get them.

John

My SB-9 uses 1Cs.

EPAIII said:

My SB-9 uses 1Cs.

Click to expand...

Not likely. The SB 9 usually takes either 3C or 1A collets. (They are the same except the 1A is slightly shorter than the 3C.)

Of course the 1C is so small that it can be used in almost any lathe if you make an adapter. The 1C collets are often mistaken for watch lathe collets, but no standard watch lathe used them.

Larry