[Danno]

I have a Hurco KMB1 mill that I converted over to CNC using Mach3. I only have 4 kwik-switch 200 holders but cannot afford to buy others because they are way over priced. Has anyone attempted to machine any? Would like to hear from someone that has. Thanks

[uli12us]

A self manufactured toolholder can't never be cheaper, than you buy one from a seller, who have these parts in stock. The only possible solution is, you make the parts by yourself.

But I think, if you buy only the important holder, then you can wait, until some are sold at Ebay or other auction platforms.

Machine Tool Shanks (Tapers)

[Danno]

A self manufactured toolholder can't never be cheaper, than you buy one from a seller, who have these parts in stock. The only possible solution is, you make the parts by yourself.

But I think, if you buy only the important holder, then you can wait, until some are sold at Ebay or other auction platforms.

Machine Tool Shanks (Tapers)

That depends how you look at it !! If I was a business owner using my mill as income, then I agree that it's a waste of time making holders. A lot of us here are just hobbiests without a million bucks in the bank. The average holder for my machine costs around $80 used (to my door) I need aproximately 8 holders which would amount to $640. That's too much for a hobby machine. I plan on machining my own and just wanted to hear if anyone else has so I could compare different ways of doing it. I'm quite capable, and have infact started making them today. I will have about $75 in material for the 8 holders. The money I save I can buy beer with.

[Bob La Londe]

If you want to double check the link he has posted goes to dimensions for the KWIK 200 amoung others.

[Danno]

I've had that link saved for quite a while. It's handy, but doesn't give me the proper angle, and I don't trust the dimensions given. It doesn't matter anyway. I have the basic bodies already machined, and they fit perfectly. I'm hoping to send them out for heat treating by weeks end. I just hope I made the right choice in using 4140 material. I'm only making endmill holders up to 3/8 " so I don't see a problem.
Dan

[uli12us]

Calculating the angle is a simple operation, that everyone, who can use a lathe must know.

If you can't this, you must draw it with a cad program and asked this for the angle.

[Bob La Londe]

Calculating the angle is a simple operation, that everyone, who can use a lathe must know.

If you can't this, you must draw it with a cad program and asked this for the angle.

Well, I was thinking a little differently. If you know all the dimensions and have a CNC machine you do not need the angle. You just spin the stock and move from point A to point B.

There are also plenty of triangle calculators around that you can just plug in the lengths to get the angle with out going to CAD.

Or of course if you passed trig you can do it on paper. LOL.

... and as you pointed out... many CAD programs can give you the angle after you draw the triangle.

[Bob La Londe]

I've had that link saved for quite a while. It's handy, but doesn't give me the proper angle, and I don't trust the dimensions given. It doesn't matter anyway. I have the basic bodies already machined, and they fit perfectly. I'm hoping to send them out for heat treating by weeks end. I just hope I made the right choice in using 4140 material. I'm only making endmill holders up to 3/8 " so I don't see a problem.
Dan

I just printed out that page and added it to "The Pink Book."

[Danno]

Calculating the angle is a simple operation, that everyone, who can use a lathe must know.

If you can't this, you must draw it with a cad program and asked this for the angle.

I have been a tool maker for 30 years, so I am more than capable. I did not want to assume that the dimensions given on that website were accurate. I chucked up an original holder on my lathe, and using a dial indicator, I zeroed the cross slide to get the proper angle. The result was perfect.

[Danno]

Here's proof that it is cheaper to make your own !! I made all the holders in the top row except for the one with the drill chuck for about $150. They work perfectly !!

[Bob La Londe]

I think its interesting that you have so many collet chucks. Those are expensive. I suspect you could have swapped a couple of them for all the fixed size holders you needed. I may hit you up later for some help on making my own holders.

[Danno]

All the other holders I got with my mill. Not too bad considering I only had about $700 into everything.

[freeflyer]

How's the runout?

[will gilmore]

Nice work!

Did you grind the tapers? Did you blue them to check the fit?

[Danno]

No they are not ground, and they don't need to be. The runout is only max
.001 which is more than acceptable for my purpose. Yes, each holder was blued not only in the machine, but also in the master holder I made for to help machine them.
Here's a quick run down on how I made them;

-I installed soft jaws into my 3 jaw chuck, and gave them a light cut to guarantee zero run out.
-I chucked up one of my original quick swith 200 end mill holder so the taper faced out, and using my indicator made sure the taper had no runout while manually turning the chuck.
- using my compound rest, I ran a dial indicator up and down the taper until I had less than .0005 run out. Now I was sure that my compound rest had the proper angle.
-I machined a piece or CRS 2 1/2 dia with a female taper, and checked the accuracy by bluing up the original holder and checking the fit. It was perfect!
-I then made the 8 holders, turning both the 1"dia nose and taper all in one setup. The stock I used was 1 3/8 dia 4140.
-I drew the holding tabs on my CAD and had those waterjet from 4140 3/8 thk flatbar. They looked like a thick washer with ears.The inside hole I then machined to .998 so that I could heat shrink them onto the 1.000 nose of the holders.
-I TIG welded the "ears" onto the holders.
-I chucked up the 2 1/2'dia female holder I had previously made and zeroed it with an indicator.
-Each endmill holder was then placed into this, and the various holes that actually hold the end mills were drilled and reamed in
-Holders were then sent out for heat treating and black oxiding.
-I'm extremely happy with the results !!

A bonus was that the 2 1/2 "dia temporary holder I made, is now used to hold my tooling when I need to change end mills. I bolted it down to the small side table of my mill, and installed 4 cap screws to hold the ears of the holders. Works great !! The taper fit is so perfect that I actually have to give the holders a light tap to get them to pop out of the taper.

[will gilmore]

Thanks for the great write up. How about mounting a boring tool on the mill table and doing the final boring with the tool holder in the mill spindle?

[Danno]

Thanks for the great write up. How about mounting a boring tool on the mill table and doing the final boring with the tool holder in the mill spindle?

When it comes to making something, there's more than one way to do it. If my jig runs perfectly true, then there's no reason to try and bore it on the mill.

[Wade]

If anyone needs any 3/8" or 1/2" or 3/4" end mill holders, let me know. I also have a 1/2" collet holder. I don't want to sell all my stuff to resalers, sorry. I find that if I sell them too cheap, they end on Ebay. I've been putting them out there for 40 bucks a piece, plus whatever shipping costs.

[Bob La Londe]

I may touch base with you about some of those holders Wade. USPS PM if they are a domestic location could be pretty cheap for two or three of them.

I just bought an extra 1/2 and 3/4 from somebody to try some ideas with. I'm going to throw a straight shank ER collet holder in them to give me some greater size flexibility. I already have ER25, ER16 , and ER11 collets for some of my other tools. I figure between those and a few straight shank collet holders I can mount any of the odd ball size. Yes, I do have an Accura Flex collet holder witha kwik 200 shank, but I have limited Accua Flex collets for it, and I can't seem to find any in the smaller sizes.

Sorry Danno. Didn't mean to cross track your thread.

[spangledboy]

Danno - you never mentioned what the taper was that you machined for the KS200, or did you just end up machining it to fit, without knowing what the actual official taper is meant to be?

I've got to admire what you've achieved, but unfortunately for me I don't have any genuine KS200 holders - only ones which have been made by someone else and I'm sure that their fit is not perfect.

Seeing the price for new tools or second hand online, I think it may be worth my while to have some custom made, but I need the correct dimensions - if you could share them then I'd be most grateful!