Thread: When is a Balas-style C8 collet size "close enough"?

When is a Balas-style C8 collet size "close enough"? I've recently come into a serious amount of Balas C8 collets.

Like a half-dozen of each size from 3/8 to one inch, by 64ths.

Not so many of 3/8 inch, 1/2 inch, or inch, either as endmill (EMC8) or as drill (C8).

What else is new?

The salesman must have told them "you are better off buying a complete set, instead of replacements".

When is a Balas-style C8 collet size "close enough"?
At this point, the answer would be "it depends" I suspect.

So:

The answer depends on toolholding or workholding, right?

And whether that 1/64" discrepancy is an undersized collet or an oversized collet?

And the size in question.... One inch may tolerate 1/64 difference, but what about 3/8 inch or 1/2 inch?

Is this adequate information for an answer?

And those 1/2" collets? You won't find them for 6 bucks on ebay

Is this collet system obsolete, unpopular for a reason, or unpopular for no reason?

They are obsolete from Sandvik, but Somma is making them now. You can find them on ebay at reasonable prices, along with holders of various styles, but it requires patience. I like them, and find them especially accurate in C3 size for small tools.

Can't answer the size question.

Somma Tool Company - "C" Series Flexi-Grip Collets

Originally Posted by S_W_Bausch

Is this collet system obsolete, unpopular for a reason, or unpopular for no reason?

Pick any combination. Or none of the above.

Changed-hands more than once, re-named, allegedly improved but still back-compatible, and described as 'popular', even:

Somma Tool Company - "C" Series Flexi-Grip Collets

If nothing else, the 'ER' family have more suppliers and such, so I'd not hold my breath looking at these to stage a comeback.

Bill