Collet for lathe

I hate to post a help thread, it's not a polite, however I need help. I'm not a forum type of person, (I just am an antisocial grouch).

I'm really at a loss at finding a collet for my lathe quill. Seems that I am not understanding the sizes, the collets don't have a actual thread size and it's frustrating to try and figure out the correct one.

The quill is threaded 1/2" diameter with 20 Threads per inch. Could someone please point me in the right direction as to which collet I need to purchase.

Thanks for all of your help, again I apologize for the inquiry, I know you get a lot of this type of threads.

That sounds tiny... but do you mean the draw bar or the external collet thread? and are you talking MT style or what? What lathe model?

Post what lathe you have for starters.

I don't have anything except for the 1/2-20 quill which it's stripped.

Basically it's a threaded rod that's hollow.

I'm building this for rifle barrels.

Maybe I should install a USA Jacobs chuck.

I've extend the bed to 4' so I have room for a Chuck.

Your picture shows what looks like some kind of collet closer. It would go into the bore of the spindle and thread into the back of a collet. Since it has a solid center it will be an awkward tool for working on barrels (at least for rifles.)

The collet will be determined by the taper of the nose it goes into. Post a picture of the lathe itself.

Walz said:

I hate to post a help thread, it's not a polite, however I need help. I'm not a forum type of person, (I just am an antisocial grouch).

.

Click to expand...

Hi Walz and welcome aboard ...antisocial grouches fit right in round these parts

Collets and their specs can be found on sites of their manufacturers. Here's one"

Workholding Products

The device you show in your photo is a collet closer. With that mechanism, it appears that you would need collets that have INTERNAL threads to fit the EXTERNAL threads on that closer.

First, this is not the way that collets are usually closed. Most, but not necessarily all, collet closers use the EXTERNAL threads on a collet to close them. Not all collets even have INTERNAL threads and on the ones that do, they are usually reserved for holding a collet stop which controls the position of the part in the collet.

But the threads used for closing a collet are only one part of choosing the proper collet. Collets generally have a taper near the front and you must have a matching, internal taper in something for that taper to fit in. This is why people have been asking about what lathe you have. Different lathes will have different tapers in their spindles. And this taper is more important than the actual thread used to grip the rear end of the collet. Again, not all collets are used directly in a taper in a spindle. My lathe has a simple adapter that allows smaller collets to be used in an MT3 taper in the spindle. It is also possible to adopt the rear end threads to different ones. I suspect that the collet closer you show originally had an adapter that had internal threads to match the external threads on some line of collets.

Collets are not always used in a lathe, but you did talk about a spindle and the word spindle does imply a lathe or some other machine that rotates.

So, please give us more details about what you are going to use these collets in and we can do a much better job of suggesting some.

I'm guessing that your photo shows a tailstock for some kind of lathe. I don't know of any collet chuck made that fits a 1/2-20. You might want to consider modifying one of the import chucks that fits a straight shaft. The link shows the ER16 size chuck for an 8mm shaft. You could bore it and thread it 1/2-20. The vendor lists a similar chuck in ER20 size.
ER16 Collet Chuck Holder Motor Shaft Extension Rod Inner Hole 8mm Sale - Banggood.com

Illinoyance said:

I'm guessing that your photo shows a tailstock for some kind of lathe. I don't know of any collet chuck made that fits a 1/2-20.

Click to expand...

I agree. Looks like some sort of tailstock or tailstock attachment.

1/2x20 is a common thread for a drill chuck.

Steve

methinks you guys are getting played.

iwananew10K said:

methinks you guys are getting played.

Click to expand...

No, I'm legit, I want to build a barrel machine,


Information about me:

David Walz
Wasilla Locksmith Safe and Vault
David Walz Gunsmith
5711 West Raspberry Loop
Wasilla Alaska 99623
907-315-0525

Everyone knows about me here in the valley, I am semi retired, but I stay busy on my locksmith services and gunsmithing.

Some great ideas, thanks.

So, I have a red headed step child, I will work with your suggestions.

And, I am legitimate:

It looks like you are starting with pieces of a light duty wood lathe. I suspect you will be very disappointed with the result if you use those components. You might want to consider starting with a metalworking lathe.

Walz said:

No, I'm legit, I want to build a barrel machine,
View attachment 200123View attachment 200124View attachment 200125View attachment 200126

Information about me:

David Walz
Wasilla Locksmith Safe and Vault
David Walz Gunsmith
5711 West Raspberry Loop
Wasilla Alaska 99623
907-315-0525

Everyone knows about me here in the valley, I am semi retired, but I stay busy on my locksmith services and gunsmithing.

Click to expand...

The first photo appears to be the right side support. Second photo and single photo shown earlier is the tailstock. Third and fourth photo is the headstock.

The 1/2-20 thread on the headstock and tail stock are for things like chucks, faceplates etc. The tailstock and headstock require bored and taper to use a collet and I can't tell from your photos if they are. If so it would be one of the jewlers size collets like WW or possibly a no longer available proprietary collet.

Ther is a name or number cast into a he headstock. What does it say? I have seen the diamond section bed before but don't remember the name. I do remember it being an economy lathe for its time.

Edit: I believe it to be a wood late too. Start with something better and more rigid.

WalZ

It's not you so much, as the difference between "collet" and "lathe" terms that most here on this forum are accustomed to and those that you are displaying and questioning.

Look at some pictures
collet lathe - Google Search

Then try to relate to where the comments are coming from.

ps

You won't be doing "barrel work" with the assortment of tooling shown in your post.
At least not paying work .....

Walz said:

I'm building this for rifle barrels.

Click to expand...

You should definitely post this topic on the gunsmithing sub-forum. I'm postive they'll be
more than happy to discuss this. Or, moderator move this there?

I have a lot of rifles that come to me with rust on the barrels, and they need to be cleaned up.

I'm only using this to clean up the barrels not using this for a lathe, cleaning up the rust, removing pits, sanding the barrels, stuff like that.


And yes I do make money from gunsmithing, I'm not doing anything with this lathe but refinishing barrels.

Basically it's a spinning tool.

Why do you wish for a collet? A dog will spin a barrel between centers.