I Bought the Cheapest 5C Collet Chuck on eBay: Is It Any Good?

I bought the cheapest 5C collet chuck on eBay! Is it bad? Is it good? Let's get it mounted and find out!
Blondihacks collet chuck video: • Collet Chuck From eBay...
Tools and items shown in this video:
*This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated
5C Collet Chuck (eBay*): ebay.to/3lMVbbr
Shars 0-4" Depth Micrometer (eBay*): ebay.to/37CthcO
Aventor 8" DPS IP54 Caliper (Amazon*): ebay.to/37y1Tg3
Shars AXA Quick Change Tool Post Set (eBay*): ebay.to/2SWkUQZ
Set of 4 CCMT0602 boring bars (eBay*): ebay.to/2SX3dRd
Shars CCMT0602 RH turning tool holder (eBay*): ebay.to/2SUS4jL
Kyocera CCMT060204-HQ Cermet Inserts (eBay*): ebay.to/2QPV53h
Shars .0005" dial test indicator (Amazon*): amzn.to/3lo3Stq
NogaFlex Indicator Holder with Fine Adjust (Amazon*): amzn.to/33FwerY
Shars Magnetic Back Indicator (eBay*): ebay.to/2JI77hg
Comically Large Casio Calculator (Amazon*): amzn.to/3g7HfXY
Shars 0-6" .0001" micrometer set (eBay*): ebay.to/2Md0xwi
Allen Metric Metric Hex Key Set (*Amazon): amzn.to/2BVUYNw
Allen SAE Hex Key Set (*Amazon): amzn.to/2BsnIfP
Edge Precision 5C Collet Stop (Amazon*): amzn.to/33HrXUO

[@PaulMorley1]

James, I really like the process you've gone through to determine how the chuck was originally machined. Great stuff...

[@murraypearson2359]

Yeah, using the ELS to check the thread was absolute genius. Hats off!

[@richardcurtis556]

Stefan Gotteswinter cautions that such devices should be viewed as kits and not finished machine tools. By all means get that apart and clean the insides well.

[@GreatOldOne]

I have the same chuck. I machined my backplate from scratch though, and also got a fantastic fit on my register... only to find that I had run out in the chuck. Then I watched Stefan’s Gotteswinter’s video of him having the same chuck and issues, and did the same as he - made the register slightly undersized, and then knocked it in true before snuggling up the bolts. It’s now dead nuts on as they say.

[@scottgibson1545]

Did the same thing. Helped to bring it in a bit better.

[@court2379]

A trick you can used on stuff like that is fill the gap with loctite or epoxy. After you align the parts the glue sets and makes sure it stays aligned over time. You can spray one side of the joint with graphite to keep the epoxy from sticking permanently.

[@leetrengove7921]

If you leave about 2 thow clearance between the backplate and the chuck, you can nip up the retaining screws, tap the chuck to run dead true then fully tighten.. 👍 Zero runout..

[@JaakkoF]

This is a good idea, I've seen similar done with added set screws to be able to dial it in like a 4-jaw.

[@cooperised]

Good idea. Though there was more runout further from the chuck which also suggests that it's axially skewed. Perhaps that could be shimmed out when the backplate is mounted.

[@MF175mp]

@@cooperised I think the rear (cylindrical) journal might also be slightly oversize, otherwise both pinions should give same runout. Maybe a thou or two slop there.

[@RobB_VK6ES]

I recommend you countersink or counterbore the 3 threaded back plate holes. Over time the threads can be stretched which will compromise the alignment. This is common practice when machining cylinder heads for example. Run a DTI inside the collet chuck taper. It is likely the runout is in the cheapo collet.

[@philoso377]

When you have a chance retest with the indicator touching the 5C taper cavity just to rule out contribution by the collet.

[@Rx7man]

My thoughts exactly, see if it's the collet or the chuck that's got the runout

[@TomokosEnterprize]

@@Rx7man Every piece. chuck needs to be tuned from factory. The sellers that within .005 is tolerable. Been there and done that. 55 yrs of it.

[@trackie1957]

Some Hardinge collets have three small holes in the slots that are for truing the bore. You insert precision dowel pins into the holes and tighten the collet before boring to size. Mostly used with “emergency” collets which are softer and intended for odd size stock.

[@philoso377]

I was going to say to retest the chuck cavity at the rim ID for eccentricity and not at the 5C collet.

[@rayp.454]

Chinese collet holder + Chinese collet + .0005"

[@phdesignsone]

Bought the same 'brand' a couple of months ago myself. D-4 mount, about the same price. Mine works smoothly and runs well. Thanks for the video on yours. I like that indicator for the tool post!

[@sblack48]

You didn’t put an indicator on the internal 5C taper on the chuck. How do you know if the runout is in the chuck or the collet? Isn’t that kind of important?

[@bobuilt10]

Does it matter? At the end of the day you're not holding the job in the taper. So long as the full assembly repeatability produces work within acceptable limits its fine. If you want the next level of precision you would step up to a cylindrical grinder.

[@sblack48]

@@bobuilt10 it tells you if your runout is in the Chuck or collets. If your chuck is great but the collets are crap you can get new collets. If vice versa you have to address the chuck. The purpose of the video was to show is if the CHUCK was any good. That is the obvious systematic way to do it. You don't evaluate 2 variables at once.

[@shirothehero0609]

@@sblack48 your last sentence is machinists gold. Everyone needs to print that out and put it on their bench. It's far too easy to consider/tackle two things at once if you're not paying attention.

[@tomk3732]

He obviously does not know how to properly test - yes put it on the outside, inside and then test with multiple collets & rods. You may have a bad chuck and a bad collet - they are mounted in a way that cancels the runout and presto you now have "great chuck". Also check the backplate for runout - there may also be cancelling there going on or adding. He was actually evaluating at least 3 variables at once (I assume his spindle is good and it would be a bit nit picking to check that out) - 1. the back plate, 2 the chuck, 3 the collet. The rod itself may look ground etc. but I seen some damaged - need to check that as well.

[@denniswilliams8747]

Find an impact driver! The collet holder needs to come apart for cleaning and greaseing.

[@down2earthcustom]

A good way to heat the bolts up is a soldering iron I’ve done it a few times with not being able to use a torch

[@mafoose]

Yeah, a solder gun style works great for undoing loctite

[@eclsnowman]

I've also found if you get one of those inductive lug nut heaters and modify it slightly you can heat up just the bolt pretty easily. This one's more difficult because these are recessed socket head bolts but you could put a cheap Allen or something into there to act as the heat conductor and use that for the heating. Works pretty well in the field when you need to get out a stubborn fastener or one that's been loctited in.

[@shannonsloan7246]

I use the tip holder of the soldering iron to heat the inside race of bearings. Works great

[@GregorShapiro]

and be sure you know if the threads are right or left-handed on those screws before you start hitting them with a hammer!

[@roadshowautosports]

Just a little note from an apprentice, I tend to buy most of what I can afford, what’s not much, from online sites and try vintage over imports. If you get something that’s not in the best shape, price has been fair for a way better quality worth of putting some effort in to make it great again! Bought some imports from Mr. Besos and were fairly decent by what you pay for. I work in a way smaller lathe than yours and even my QC post was an aluminum cheap one that I worked on the center post to make it very usable. Reading the reviews helps a lot on what to expect and judge your chances of success! Great video and good luck you all!

[@DoRC]

A good trick to heating up thread lock without heating things around it too much is to use a soldering iron with a fat tip. Just hold the tip in the hex for a while and it will heat the screw up

[@catherineharris4746]

Outstanding!👍👍👍👍

[@leeackerson2579]

Wow, much better than anyone could have possibly expected, good work. Based on your video, I bought a D1-5 version this last week, thanks much.

[@danielfogli1760]

I bet those screws are left-hand threaded. Just, y'know, to screw with you 🤣

[@waxore1142]

I was actually thinking the same thing so I decided to check the comments

[@David-bs6bv]

waxore Same.

[@ronwilken5219]

Nope! Just bloody tight. I had to extend a long Allen wrench with a ring wrench to get mine out. I re torqued mine to 60 ft/lbs and also the mounting screws.

[@willbrooks5968]

I bought a quick change toolpost from the same company and I'm very pleased with it. Expectations need to be inline with budget as always (I did have to pull it apart and clean out some crud from the inside), but once I had it mounted I've been very happy with it. No complaints about it other than the center height adjustment nuts aren't threaded co-axially, so adjusting center height is a little bit tedious with some of the tool holders. All in all, very pleased and would happily recommend it.

[@h0mbsk]

Also you ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS blow off/blow out your part before you install it. Any chips/dust can get in between two mating pieces causing run out/ more run out. :)

[@jrucker2004]

A lot of higher end chucks are dialed in at the factory with equal torque on all of the key chuck pinions. Might be worth checking to see how much it runs out when you tighten them both the same amount.

[@MrRedstoner]

Abom79 also does that with his 6 jaw, having measured the results to see that it does help.

[@johnjenkins2315]

As a first time viewer of your channel I’m very impressed. Will be watching out for more of your videos.👍

[@mceajc]

Love the "machining forensics"! Fascinating.

[@perrooceaniko2005]

yes !!! forensics as you say !!!!!!!!!!!

[@J8MORS]

My lathe is a d1-4 mount. Also purchased a import 5c chuck. After first mount it was out 4-5 thousandths. After some fine tuning I’m about where you are. I’m also impressed with accuracy compared to price.

[@buckhanan363]

My mount is the same d1-4 and I got lucky I guess because mine came in at .6 thousands first time mounted for the same inexpensive chuck. Pleasant surprise.

[@johnmcclain3887]

I bought a cheap three jaw chuck from enco about thirty years ago, six inch, two sets of jaws, and it still runs within half a thou on small stuff, under a thou at 3/8ths, and under a thou up to over an inch. I was really expecting you to arrive about where you did, the care you took in setup ensured the best possible outcome. I've had very good experience with "cheap chinese equipment" over the last twenty years, hobby rather than professional machinist. I've just recently bought a set of guage blocks, and they are very nicely made. Thanks for sharing this!

[@bobweiram6321]

I purchased one of these and I will strongly advise you to dismantle the chuck and thoroughly clean, degrease and grease the chuck before any further use. I noticed a slight gritty feel and when I opened it, it had 1/2 teaspoon of what appeared to be either sand or grinding dust. It would have eventually wrecked the tolerances on the chuck if I continued to use it. I was able to remove the chuck with a bit of work. The factory used an epoxy like threadlocker on the screws. Applying heat directly on the screw should not cook the grease. The thermal mass will quickly dissipate the heat before the grease ever has a chance to cook. I would use a impact driver using forward and reverse to break the threadlocker shoot a bit of penetrant after applying heat. Worse comes to worse, you can always drill them out at the mill.

[@Clough42]

Yeah, I'm coming to that conclusion as well.

[@roadshowautosports]

On another note, whenever I get something I can’t take apart to clean and oil it, I always look for vent holes and flood them with some solvent, it soak them overnight, rinse it until my like, then I use those holes to oil/grease the insides of it. It is even possible to add holes carefully and use them to maintain such tools. Always emphasize the “careful” when adding holes to prevent damage!!!! Once you get them cleaned and lubricated, you can even cover the hole with some plastic or aluminum plug to protect it.

[@tomburson5554]

I did same thing, ran the same but had to make my own back plate. It’s amazing!

[@mkeyser]

Yea I just finished re-machining my backplate for my C5 spindle nose on my Atlas. Best I could get was 1 thou. I do have cheapo import collets, and to get any better, I would probably have to grind the collet seat, but I can live with the 1 thou runout. I took some time to get my machine re-leveled before doing any work, and tightened up the bearings just in case, but those were only minor improvements. I guess the only other suggestion to all of us newbies would be if you want your part to run true, start with an oversized part that you can machine all your features on and the part will end up running true. It's a real bear turning down the backplates though, they are fussy things. I was doing a lot of metal removal so I had to rough it in and walk away for an hour to let it cool down and shrink, then come back to it and touch the register to fit. Great job man!

[@TechGorilla1987]

Probably red loctite on the threads. Maybe an impact screw driver unit with an allen-head socket on it. Couple of wacks with the chuck on a wood block.

[@makerdave42]

Great addition to the shop and even better at that price. I appreciate the large calculator... just like mine.

[@DavidDugas-x8p]

I wont ever need a chuck like that, but the fixturing and setup was great! Very educational.

[@jody6121]

Learned something with the checking the screw by engagement of the threading function or the lathe...I was very impressed.

[@Clough42]

I was honestly pretty impressed that it worked. :)

[@billstrahan4791]

I've had luck before with a sacrificial allen wrench to heat a screw without unduly heating the surrounding material. get it just starting to turn red with a torch, put it in the head and count 30-45 seconds then pull that out and put in a good wrench to remove the screw. You can do something similar if you have a large capacity soldering iron.

[@artmckay6704]

ingenious solution. :)

[@billstrahan4791]

@@artmckay6704 Thanks!

[@artmckay6704]

@@billstrahan4791 :)

[@brandontscheschlog]

Clock the chuck. You got 2 more options. Also, make the register smaller so you can dial in your work by tapping the chuck to eliminate the runout

[@Siskiyous6]

I bought a cheap ER 40 collet holder for my Sheldon, I used a Litle Machine Shop 1923 backing plate. It runs as true as the spindle to my ability to measure it.

[@woodscreekworkshop9939]

I purchased the exact same brand from the same seller last year and mine was horrible. The 5C lead in taper was machined on a lathe (not ground) which is fine, but mine had serious chatter marks and I saw TIR of 5 to 10 thousandths (at the Chuck, not collet). Fortunately the seller took it back and refunded. I did completely disassembled and cleaned first, I removed the screws with a cordless impact driver. It’s rough inside and that’s why you saw inconsistencies with using different scroll. I would have kept mine if I got as good of result you have. Thanks!

[@woodscreekworkshop9939]

Also to add, once you have screws out half way, you can tap on the screw heads with a mallet and that will separate the chuck body halves

[@UncleKennysPlace]

This is the video that introduced me to James, and got me binge watching. I'm ordering the control panel and boost kit today, along with other stuff (new leadscrew, gonna go with ball) for my lathe.

[@scubamadness]

Great tips! I watched this before buying and in stalling a new 5C chuck. It turned out perfect Thanks!

[@jakespede8522]

Came to your channel via Blondihacks and became an instant subscriber too. Have purchased the Grizzly 0602 Lathe used in good shape but all I got with it was a 3 jaw chuck and I want a 4 jaw and a collet chuck to round out the mix. My skill sets are entry level and I took shop classes 40 years ago, but I am not any where near qualified to attempt what you just did. Made my mouth water😊. Have always done metal fabrication where life is great at plus or minus 1/16". I am really impressed with the array of tools you have set up and was very impressed with the dual dial indicator set up you used on the tool post(did you make or buy this and from where). Anyhow I guess I will need to practice and improve my skill sets to get comfortable enough to try and attempt this task. Any suggestions? Thanks again and really enjoyed your presentation and your videos.

[@Clough42]

I think you've found the resources you need. Blondihacks has a bunch of basic beginner mill and lathe skill videos. That's where I'd start. The dual dial indicator is something I made. There are videos in my back catalog about the build.

[@izzynutz2000]

Years and years and years ago I was taking machine shop night classes and I wanted to build one of these similar to this for my model 1922 Logan lathe and I got mine within about 2/10 so your not doing too bad where you're at with a half a tenth.. nice work and an enjoyable video..

[@SpruceSculptures]

Well your plug for this got me to try it. Very pleased with results. Yes literally the least expensive 5C chuck on Ebay with adapter. Plate not that far off, total runout at chuck .0005 and with .5" stock drill rod, 0007

[@norfolkwaye3620]

If it's halfway close, you can chuck up and dial in until the register fits, then re-machine the collet chuck register. No big deal to fix a backplate.

[@philipdenner8504]

I bought one of these chucks and when i machined my registrar on my backing plate i machine it loose so when it was altogether i just nipped up the three bolts put a dial gauge on the inside register of the chuck. using a copper hammer tapping it i got it down to 1/10th and that is good enough for me.

[@brucetuckey7909]

Yes I have bought a similar chuck and back plate for my south bend 13" has a 1 7/8 x 8 tpi. Got the unit for around $150 from CDCO machinery. Working out very well. For the price I was pleased. ! 7/8 x 8tpi is hard to find any thing.

[@milantrcka121]

Same here 2 years ago on SB 9A. About 1/2 thou runout. Machined the register about 6 thou smaller and final adjusted runout. Was able to disassemble the chuck to burnish the beveled gears since there was a periodic bind. Now it opens and closes pretty smoothly. The gears were the worst. Chuck body rather nice and accurate. It seems that these chinesium components need the last 10% love to be fairly usable for what I do and for the price I can afford.

[@chrisadams6292]

this is my first time watching you, very thorough , super set up and I am very impreessed with the dual clock gauge set up. an excellent and informative video, thanks Chris

[@perrooceaniko2005]

i am a novice .. just learning .. and you are a MAGICIAN !!! wonderful video sir !!!!

[@oldschoolmachinest]

First of all, excellent video. This is without a doubt way better than most machining videos on KZbin. As an owner of a Hardinge Hlv-h lathe and a former owner of a Clausing lathe I agree that the Hardinge is the better lathe, but with your skills you’ve done quite a bit to close the gap. Also please recheck your work with a quality 5c Collet.

[@unpopular_mechanics]

Another option is to try threading it on backwards. A spacer could be turned to set the depth and to ensure that it seats properly.

[@Clough42]

I tried this, but it only bears on the edge of the narrow cylindrical register, and that wasn't square.

[@christopherheinrich5362]

You could have just made a small spacer to slide on first which would have also allowed you to machine right up to the end of the thread with the new register

[@4GSR]

I bought the same setup from CDCO or was that CME, but with a L-00 back plate. I had to take my Dewalt 20 volt impact wrench with a impact duty hex driver to break loose the socket head cap screws on mine. They are right handed, just made up very tight! After cleaning thoroughly, went back together with some moly-grease. The nose taper on mine was indicated in to within .0002" T.I.R. Installed a good know brand collet in mine and chucked up a test bar about 6" long. At the chuck, about .0005" runout. Out about 4" runout was around .007". Funny thing I discovered, I could deflect the test bar and get all sorts of runout to zero runout. Haven't used it yet but when a need comes up I will give it a try. I would say for any parts 1" or less in length, the collet chuck will probably by all right. I wouldn't expect much more that that in my opinion. Ken

[@makingitwithnick]

I've only ever used hydraulic drawbar collet chucks so take this with a grain of salt but did you try loosening or tightening the scroll mechanism before attempting to loosen those bolts? On the hydraulic drawbar ones the equivalent mechanism puts a lot of pressure on those bolts, so you have to repeatedly open and close the chuck so that the drawbar pressure is off as you loosen those.

[@MrPatdeeee]

As always our "genius" James teaches us yet another gem. Incidentally, I bought one of these along with the back plate. So I took it to a machine shop to fit the plate to the collet holder. Sadly, he did a terrible job. Now that I saw James, I will make one meself. Thank you kind Sir.

[@shirothehero0609]

People make fun of us hobbyists, but often we can do better work than a 'real' shop! Do it yourself and you'll know it's right.

[@tomk3732]

Its not uber hard to make a back plate well even D1-3 taper - after mounting and taking it off few times one gets kzbin.info/www/bejne/iGKufoBspcyNZ6M so just over a tenth of a runout in any position. The taper was lapped with sand paper like 10x to get this effect on another lathe - at least half a day worth of work to cut the taper and the sand it to precise dimension.

[@ronwilken5219]

The BP is supplied "rough machined" so that you mount it to your machine spindle and machine it to fit from there. Getting an outside shop to machine it won't take into account the obvious errors that James highlighted at the beginning and any small differences that your machine might have. A good machinist should have told you this.

[@Eggsr2bcrushed]

Sunnex tools sells impact driver rated 3/8 drive hex sockets. Buy a set and you should have no issue getting those SHCS out.

[@lohikarhu734]

yup, I just suggested the ½" ones, as they really are a LOT more impact than the ⅜ drive... was a motorcycle mechanic for some years, and thos Phillips screws were always a 'gotcha' after they had corroded for a few years ina na aluminum case..

[@JaakkoF]

If the assembly was done with grit between the threads or thread locker, no it won't do anything other than ruin the hex hole. Safe to assume the bolts are not 12.9 grade but something way softer. If punching the head doesn't jar them loose, then easiest is to just drill the head off with a drill sized just a tad larger than the screw size.

[@mtdm8233]

@@JaakkoF My experience with things like that has been if the bit is seated right and you hit them hard and fast they zip out or snap. An impact has been the only thing a lot of times to remove corroded up glow plugs in an engine, or the Torx bolts in a rotor.

[@jdm2651]

@BFH you're correct, as I found out only decades after closing my Japanese bike shop and changing profession. Still, Lori above has a point, the impact driver was an absolute must even with Europen screws and bikes. Curious to see how these screws will eventually be removed.

[@64beaumont1]

I also bought a 5C collet chuck from Bostar on eBay but had integral D1-4 pins. Mine had .002" run out measured on the outside taper. I was able to get the screws out of it and remove the 2 spring pins to provide a little movement between the front and rear halves and with a little fussing got the run out down to .0005" then re-torquing the screws. Thanks for the great videos.

[@ronwilken5219]

Hi James, I have a vintage (1949) Myford ML 7 and I bought one of the same type of Chuck. I managed to get mine apart with only a ring wrench on the end of an Allen key. There was some garbage inside but it cleaned up easily. By the way if you take two of the screws that hold it together and put them in the adjacent threaded holes they work like jack screws to seperate the two parts. I did find some sharp edges on the scroll gear and the drive dogs. A small needle file and stone sorted them out. The Myford has a 1 1/8"*12 nose thread. I made my own backplate out of 1018 cold rolled steel, starting in the four jaw, cutting the register, taper and thread at one setting. I, fortunately, have an old spindle from an SL7 that I could use for a test. Once I was satisfied with the fit the new faceplate was screwed onto the mandrel, faced and the register cut. I made mine 0.005" undersized. I then mounted the chuck and half tightened the screws, inserted a 5C 1/2" collet with a 1/2" endmill inserted. I don't own test pins yet. The run out was about 0.002". I taped the chuck about the three mounting screws until I achieved zero runout. I tightened the screws to about 60ft/lbs and the runout held true. It may differ with other collets but it should do everything I'm likely to ask of it. My chuck cost less than $100 Canadian so I figured I did ok. Happy new year. Keep the videos going.

[@denniskuzara5568]

I bought one of these several years ago (not sure from the same source) with a D1-4 back plate and the TIR was way off what they specified, like 10X. I asked to return it and they just gave me my money back and said keep it. I took it apart and the gears looked to be sand cast with no cleanup or descaling at all. I took a file and cleaned the gears up and it worked a lot smoother but the TIR was still just as bad. It is now stored away in a box somewhere. I do not recall it being difficult to open but they probably now Loctite the threads so you can't admire the fine workmanship.

[@dointh4198]

The measurement was very interesting. Thank you!

[@josephschwartz2750]

I like your dial indicator set up on the tool post.

[@jmcyclist2859]

I was thinking the same thing...and I've been trying to find that setup...all I've found is single-indicator holders that one can 3D print. But I really like that slick dual setup for very quick dialing in of the workpiece!! Would love to know where you got it, or if plans are available, James!

[@stephenlong9725]

That wow'd me too. Sure beats a magnetic base

[@zsigmondkara]

Stefan Gotteswinter has a 2 part build video about it. I think the design comes from Robin Renzetti.

[@falkaabi66]

I'm glad I found you. On the KZbin channel. I benefited a lot from you. I like the way you comment on the work. I love turning

[@CzechSixTv]

So, going by your sample size of one, the takeaway is: A) The back plate is good after minor work to square it up and fitting it to the lathe. B) The chuck itself is more than usable but could really benefit from someone making a better ring gear and pinions. Does that sound about right?

[@larrysmurthwaite773]

Great content! Your thoroughness is something for me to aspire to. I’ve been thinking of getting one of these but the cost has always been a consideration.

[@pixiepaws99]

They might have thread locker. Apply heat to the screw directly using a soldering iron and use an impact driver to loosen them.

[@5tr41ghtGuy]

James, thanks for posting this video! I have the same basic Grizzly lathe, and I know that you can *greatly* improve the stiffness of your compound by simply turning the locking collar at the foot around backwards. You will not be able to see the protractor, but you will be able to take much heavier cuts without chatter problems. I have since designed and machined a better collar which allows me to see the protractor without any loss in stiffness.

[@Clough42]

Working on some lathe rigidity improvements is on my list of things to do at some point. My particular example of this lathe has other issues. For example, the right side of the cross-slide dovetail bears on the top of the dovetail instead of the bottom. :)

[@5tr41ghtGuy]

@@Clough42 you can fix that with a flat file - just draw file the top of the dovetails down a few thou ... On my lathe the dovetails on top of the saddle were .006" out of parallel end to end. A local machine repair shop was able to reduce that to .001" by truing just one of the surfaces. Best of luck!

[@5tr41ghtGuy]

@@Clough42 I checked my G0602 lathe today, and the cross slide was riding on top of the dovetails, just like yours. This flaw looks to be baked into the manufacturing process for the lathe. After making some measurements, I draw-filed them down until there was several thou clearance at all times. Subsequent verification with a magic marker showed no rubbing, so I put it all back together and the cross slide is now more stable, especially when it is full extended. I took video, so I'll work on getting that posted ASAP. Thanks for the heads up!

[@Clough42]

@@5tr41ghtGuy awesome! I'll probably dig into mine at some point. I think mine is only riding on the right, and I suspect the proper bearing surfaces are not level. Some measurements are in order.

[@5tr41ghtGuy]

@@Clough42 here's the video I made of diagnosing and fixing the problem: kzbin.info/www/bejne/eoTceoCEqNajqMk

[@colmornane5684]

Hi James, great video, as a regular subscriber to Quinn, it was she that directed me here. Great work. Regards a Fan from Aus

[@MaximilianonMars]

Is sanity check a proper machining term? Because I hear Blondihacks use it as well and it makes intuitive sense but sounds informal. Very cool work, from a few minutes in I know you've got a lot to teach so I'm subscribed, planning to absorb your knowledge for when I get a lathe and mill. Thank you.

[@Clough42]

It's a common term in software development. It refers to a check in the code to make sure the data looks reasonable before continuing with something.

[@thomassutrina7469]

Have an Atlas F 10" lathe ~ 1950's vintage. Put an ER40 on it. Back plate that was cheep has a smaller ID so chose to add a plate between the two parts. Have not done it but added an outer ring of holes in the plate. Want to use the holes to mount a cam plate Then make a taper attachment assembly but place the guide bar (cylinder with key way full length) in bearings and install the cam follower arm to the chuck end and a spring to keep in in contact with the cam. The rotating of this shaft will cause the cross slide to move with the cam. Thus can cut relief when machined milling tools with as many teeth as defined by the cam. A square shaft will also work and then one can getting an angular offset to the teeth by twisting the bar. Say making a hob. Added a gear box to the lathe last summer which was for a later Sear sold Atlas.

[@jacoblattimore5434]

Great video 👍 I never knew you could indicate on threads, very cool.

[@trebushett2079]

Turn 0.010" off the backplate register dia and enlarge the attachment holes in the chuck body, and you'll be able to dial-in correct the TIR readings for any collet you have.

[@georgespangler1517]

Are you sure the screws are not left hand tread? Would make sense to keep the centrifugal force from loosening them in turning direction,,,but well done on fitting the chuck.

[@landonlawhead7764]

youve got a tidy little set up my man side note, i love quin

[@rpavlik1]

Came from Blondihacks, already subscribed, loved the video! You did a good job making us feel smart by leading us all right to the.... (Spoiler!) "omg they used a 3 jaw and flipped it end for end!"

[@charliemckay6402]

I had a chuck like that and brought the balance back by machining the OD of the chuck so it did not shake the lathe because of misalignment. When finished lathe was "quiet" and ran within .001". also machined the backing plate in alignment and concentric to the spindle holding the collert chuck in a four jaw chuck to set concentricity. backing plate and collet chuck have to be used as a matched indexed set. Has worked fine for 10 years. I put all the error into the backing plate, so to speak. The backing plate was purchased in the rough, no finished surfaces.

[@donaldsherman7905]

Nice vid. I’ve been thinking about getting one off those too. I’ve been collecting 5C for use with my other machines

[@usethenoodle]

I just took delivery of mine. Now to follow your footsteps. Thanks for the information!

[@bruceang82]

I've got this same collet chuck, I have not figured out a good way for this chuck to release the collet, although it's turned out and free spinning, the chuck has it pretty firmly grippd. Any suggestions ?

[@TheMetalButcher]

FYI, the "register" doesn't matter on a screw chuck. Screw chucks use the inherent property that they self center when tightened, so the register doesn't do anything. I intentionally made that 10 thou over on my most recent backplate and the chuck repeats exactly upon re-installation. All the branded chucks I have are oversize as well. No need to be fussy with it in the future, it just makes it hard to get on.

[@Clough42]

Interesting. It felt looser than I thought it should when I was putting it on, even though it was basically the same size as the factory backplates that came with the lathe. This may be why.

[@scottgibson1545]

I bought the same collet holder and found it to be fine for the price point as you did. The one thing I did not like was having to spin the chuck key numerous times to close the collet. Plus I only had a very limited area where my key didn’t hit my lathe head. I have an old Meyer Burger UW1 Astoba 383. Cool history on these machines. Look it up. So I went to Harbor Freight and bought a cordless screwdriver as a quick way to open and close the collet. I do use the key to tighten it securely. Just though I would share that. Good videos! Just subscribed and plan on watching many more.

[@johnstirton9496]

Your work is good, I personally would not put my finger near a internal thread. Use a piece of broom round handle cut a slot down a inch or so with a saw and roll Emery cloth through and round the piece handle much safer. I was a fitter turner by trade and fingers and internal threads don’t mix

[@billbrennan8405]

Great video ! I am in the same situation of wanting to add a 5C collet chuck to my Matthew’s lathe but not wanting to spend $800.00 on a D1~4 mount. Thinking I will give this a try as I have a Hardinge speeder lathe in my shop. Also like Quinn, she is one talented woman. BB

[@mekhaus]

Thanks for doing this. I did a google search on Bostar 5c and this video came up. Now I have to decide between Bison set-tru or Bostar. On Ebay, there is a $500 dollar difference. Either way, I wanted to know what people thought of the Bostar. The comments below are also proving helpful. Thanks again.

[@randr10]

I had a similar experience with a Shop Fox 6" 4 jaw I bought for my old Sheldon lathe. Threaded it on to the spindle, turned down the front face, fixed it to the 4-jaw, it was dead nuts. Even with a spindle that has some runout on the spindle, this method will result in a chuck that runs as true as the rigidity of the machine will allow. For me, that was a few tenths on the OD of the chuck.

[@Changtent]

Jacob's chucks used in drill press, hand drill, wherever, all have a common problem of allowing a round drill bit to spin in the chuck. I learned long ago this problem could be avoided by evenly tightening all three key-pinion positions rather than the common practice of tightening one only. By tightening all pinion positions the jaws grip the drill bit more evenly, less likely to loosen in use, and you can avoid the overtightening of one position that some people resort to. - Hence, I use the same technique with my lathe chucks also.

[@somebodyelse6673]

I have a little butane soldering iron set (Portasol), and the 'torch' head is ideal for stuff like that. Heat the socket for a few seconds to soften up whatever thread locking gunk they used, and pop your impact driver on it.

[@Clough42]

Good idea. I have a couple of butane micro-torches.

[@sawz5]

been looking at one of these chucks myself and have talked myself out of buying one up till now. thanks

[@floridacoder]

When you buy an expensive chuck do you normally need to clean it up for your machine? If so does that mean it is not wise to buy a used chuck from another machine because it might not ever run true on your machine?

[@Gottenhimfella]

You could perhaps have offered it up to the lathe wrong way round and screwed it onto the spindle nose with the register outwards, and clocked that register bore up to get a rough idea of whether it was turned at the same setup.

[@joell439]

Thanks for the bold experiment. Nice results too, just like everything you touch. 👍😎👍

[@robert574]

Since it is tilted a little how about a couple of small shims strategically placed between the chuck and the back plate to see what happens. If it works, a little locktite in the gap could fill it and set up. I have the same thing on my lathe and mine ended up about the same as yours. Good job.

[@Clough42]

I think the register for the back of the collet is a little loose, so I suspect that would be chasing noise, but maybe. Time will tell.

[@robert574]

​Right. I wonder what the fit is on the rear of the collet to the chuck (the register). Can you get a measurement? You did everything except cut the thread yourself. The chuck should be true (best it can be I guess).

[@Jmastffp]

I believe I may bought this same chuck for my Grizzly G0709. I had to machine my own back plate, but have been able to get a repeatable less than 0.0005" runout. Been running it for a little over a year now with no issues using an eBay find 5C Collet set. I'm pretty happy with it so far

[@riccello]

As soon as you started dialing in, I subscribed.

[@gvet47]

Looks like it turned out well. I have an ER 32 collect chuck for my little lathe. In fact it is on it now. Inches not metric. I just wish I could find a set of collets for square stock. I have only seen 1/2 square. 😢

[@BondmeJesus]

im surprised that you didn't use a parallel or 2 against the chuck face to register the adapter plate to. also, I'm not sure why the adapter plate couldn't just be screwed on and then machined.

[@joew.harris7018]

I learned a long time ago that to be a great Machinist, you have to have a lot of common sense. You showed a lot of that by reasoning out the method of checking out this cheap piece of tooling and making it a piece of class A tooling. I really enjoy your videos. Thanks a lot.

[@yertelt5570]

5c and R8 are great for tool holding or work holding if you only machine ground stock like drill rod, but if you want to use a collet for work holding an er style is way more forgiving for slightly odd sized stock.

[@Ddabig40mac]

Wandered over from Blondihacks' video. Enjoyed this video, subscribed.

[@smallcnclathes]

When you release this chuck does it open up the collet to free the part it is clamping on? I have a collet closer, but when opened, it needs a knock with a rubber mallet to release the part. One of these might be a nice way to hold hex bar, three jaw chucks are not that clever on hex if you do a lot of parts. Oh, and nothing to stop bar feeding through the chuck?

[@Clough42]

It releases easily. If it sticks, you can always back it out further, and it will force the collet off the taper. You can feed bar all the way through. The collet threads and key are the narrowest part.

[@madden4306]

Love that indicator, did you make it?

[@Clough42]

Yes. kzbin.info/aero/PLDlWKv7KIIr_8zVWN2KArkHlIBj8TBGyz

[@componenx]

I just added an ER40 chinesium chuck to my 1946 Logan after I saw the Blondihacks vid. As is, the body runs at about .00025". Not bad for a 60yo spindle. With a chinese er40 collet (3/4"), I got ~.0015"RO on a carbide end mill. I expect that a US made collet will run better, but I need to dig one out first.

[@jimmurphy6095]

Great video and nice upgrade to your machine. I have the same G0602 only without the VFD upgrades. I bought an ER36 set with a straight 3/4" shank on the collet holder. I usually have

[@ellieprice363]

Good job. The hex screws you could not remove were probably installed with permanent Loctite. 350 Degrees F will break them loose but it’s probably not worth the distortion and trouble to see what’s inside.

[@kirkswater]

Hi James - did you make the quick change tool holder for the two dial indicators? Very cool!

[@Clough42]

Yes. There are some videos on the channel about that.

[@kentimms6673]

I got so involved watching this that I actually tried to blow out some of the small turnings in the bore.:)

[@tsclly2377]

drill out the bolts that hold it together.. that will relieve some of the holding pressure, give a spot for cooling the bolt to shrink it when eating up the chuck to break the holding bond (like 'Loctite').. mount with a thick type lube that can take up some of the .005" per side. I noted the mounting at 25:25 and yout tightening screw that is most accurate as being the downside on mounting.

[@ramsay19481]

I put one of those cheap import collet chucks on my 1941 Leblond having to machine the back plate from the solid and was impressed with about the same amount of run out..... Not bad at all for the money.. Mine came from Ebay as well.. Cheers; Mike in Louisiana