[photomankc]

Hey all. Now that I have been using my mill for a bit I have started to consider what tooling I want for later down the CNC road. I'm planning to follow hoss' pattern in converting my BF-20 style mill. Right now, using standard R8 collets, I can not machine much that's clamped to the table. I can't reach it. Even if I pop off the Z bellows I still would have little range. Even propped up on 1" risers I often can't reach. I have come up against a few times when that has made things difficult. I was thinking about getting some solid end mill holders or ER collet chucks to gain some some extra reach.

I like the ER collet chucks best because they would allow for less jacking with the drawbar but I read they can slip easier too and require some heavy torque to cinch down. EM holders can handle heavier cutting but would require more clearance to change tools pulling that R8 shank out all the way. The other thing I was considering was the TTS tooling package... manual package for now and to add on to as time went by. I know that it also suffers a bit from pulling out in heavy cuts too. I kind of like the idea of known tool heights but as a manual user that has little benefit now. It does have the lower clearance requirements for changing tools too which is nice. But it's a bit expensive. So are collets for collet chucks though and those would always have to be touched off to use later with CNC.

I'm stuck trying to decide. Will the TTS bring me any immediate benefit or is way more useful for CNC? I was leaning towards ER chucks, but I see a lot of folks using TTS for CNC work and I was thinking maybe I should just go that way instead. I'd hate to lay out money on chucks and collets and then replace them later anyway.

[hoss2006]

Not seeing why you can't reach parts on the table.
With the bellows removed, mine will drop the spindle right onto the table.
Hoss

[photomankc]

The spindle nose on the PM-25 is a good bit shorter. I can't reach at all with the bellows on with it off I could likely just get there but I don't want to take it on and off and I don't really want chips flying into the column by leaving it off.

Compare to the grizzly.... seems a good bit shorter.

[Starleper1]

Really all your going to get here is peoples opinions on which is better so I'll give you mine.

I used to be a fan of the TTS style holders, that is until I had one pull out of the collet on me and chew into my table, I was not happy to say the least. After that happened I stopped using them. I went to ER collet chucks and standard end mill holders and haven't looked back since. I guess it all depends on what kind of machining you do. TTS is good for light duty work (I know already that others will argue this statement)

If your after the "quick change" just use some form of a pneumatic draw bar. It's just as fast as an air cylinder/belleville washer style draw bar.

Again this is just my opinion, take it as you will.

~Scott

[photomankc]

The more I keep reading the more I hear about TTS pulling loose. In manual milling I do tend to go a bit aggressive in places rather than try to repeat a pattern of movement 5 times taking light cuts, it's just always difficult to heavy/medium/light into perspective from various sources. I do tend to use larger end mills, 3/8 and 1/2 frequently and occasionally something larger but that's usually just to surface.

I think I'm going to just go with a mix of ER collets and end mill holders here. Maybe pull in some TTS down the road if I find it's needed.

[cjdavis618]

Really all your going to get here is peoples opinions on which is better so I'll give you mine.

If your after the "quick change" just use some form of a pneumatic draw bar. It's just as fast as an air cylinder/belleville washer style draw bar.

Again this is just my opinion, take it as you will.

~Scott

That is what I am doing with my SX3. I looked at the price of the TTS systems and then realized that I had tools that already did that. I have lots of r-8 End Mill holders. So to finish out the preset tooling I am ordering several Glacern R-8 Collet holders and drill chucks. The price works out the same to me.

I have a tool measuring setup much like the tormach, but using my old spindle that Sieg ruined out of the SX3. I just cut it and faced it so I can measure with it. My depth gauge shows that my good spindle and my old spindle has .0003 difference in setback in the taper. That is because it is not pulled in tight. Not enough to even enter into the offsets.

I plan to use an automated butterfly ratchet and just keep doing what I do now. Then add my ATC.

[photomankc]

Well I settled on an ER-25 chuck and collet set from Glacern and a couple of set screw holders from Grizzly. I am super pleased with the Glacern chuck and collets so far. I think they might rob a little rigidity because of the large added hang down but the benifits are nice too. I'm not having to futz with the drawbar as often and I can hold many of my center drills and drill bits in the collets for much less runout than the chuck. It's not really a quick change to crank on two large wrenches to hold stuff but I'm getting faster.

The set scre holders are nice too but I just mount my roughers into those and leave them there. When I want to make deep cuts I use the roughers.

Both give me enough extension to reach the table with the quill locked and that's what I was wanting to get. I may be looking at making an AR-10 lower from 0% forging at some future date and I would need to be able to get close to the table with the kind of fixturing I saw in people's setups.

Some pictures of the gear in action.

First three are the Glacern ER-25 chuck. Last one is the Grizzly set scree holder with my 1/2" rougher gnawing off the excess on my adapter plate setup.