[drhardin]

Please tell me if your Rapid Turn spindle has a pin that keeps the 5c collet from turning when you tighten it up. Per Tormach, there is a hole for a pin but they do not come with a pin in the hole. Is that true? THANKS

[smokediver576]

I purchased mine about 4 months ago. No pin in it.

[drhardin]

I purchased mine about 4 months ago. No pin in it.

Okay, just seemed strange to me. I have 3 lathes and 3 mills including my 770 and all have pins.

[Fortune7]

Okay, just seemed strange to me. I have 3 lathes and 3 mills including my 770 and all have pins.

If you need to use a square or hex 5c collet and align the material (sides) with the Rapid Turn's indexing notches for milling (i.e. with the RT disabled but using it as a 5c indexer), the pin wouldn't help. I'm pretty sure any 5c fitments including the 3-jaw chuck are held adequately with normal clamping force.

Andy

[drhardin]

Thanks Andy. I was thinking the purpose of the pin was to keep the collet from turning in the spindle as you tighten the draw bar not for index positioning.

[Fortune7]

Thanks Andy. I was thinking the purpose of the pin was to keep the collet from turning in the spindle as you tighten the draw bar not for index positioning.

Yes, it is, but the RT has the useful indexing feature, so if you're using square or hex collets and want to align the material 'radially' with (e.g.) the square flats horizontal/vertical at 0 degrees on the index wheel, you'd be unlikely to do this with the pin in place. With a mill or lathe spindle (without an indexing facility), the pin's there for anti-rotation.

Andy

[drhardin]

Got it, but there is no pin in my Rapid Turn spindle. That was my question. Is it a mistake that I don't have a pin in the hole or are all of them that way?

[Fortune7]

Got it, but there is no pin in my Rapid Turn spindle. That was my question. Is it a mistake that I don't have a pin in the hole or are all of them that way?

There's no pin; if there was, the alignment for indexing on non-round (i.e. faceted) stock wouldn't work. Maybe the hole's there as it's part of the Hardinge 5c specification........Sorry for any confusion!

Andy

[drhardin]

Dah.......Okay, that makes sense. None of my other machines have an indexing capability. Thanks