Coventry Quick Change Tooling

[Muzzer]

I got an email flier last week. The master holder is £79 (range of fittings inc R8, 30, 40 and MT) and the toolholders are £49 each, drill chucks £89 or £99, compared to £20 or so for std ISO40 holders. Note these prices exclude VAT. Given that I have a power drawbar, I'd rather have several normal holders than one of these.

Having written all that, they seem to have suddenly reappeared on their website today. https://www.cutwel.co.uk/tool-holdin...e-tool-holders

Note they are not recommended for heavy cuts. That pretty much ended the thought process for me.

In my experience, the best price for std ISO40 tooling is currently APT Tools (or Cutwel when they are on offer).
https://www.shop-apt.co.uk/din-2080-...-adaptors.html

[magicniner]

I got an email flier last week. The master holder is £79 (range of fittings inc R8, 30, 40 and MT) and the toolholders are £49 each, drill chucks £89 or £99, compared to £20 or so for std ISO40 holders. Note these prices exclude VAT. Given that I have a power drawbar, I'd rather have several normal holders than one of these.

Having written all that, they seem to have suddenly reappeared on their website today. https://www.cutwel.co.uk/tool-holdin...e-tool-holders

Note they are not recommended for heavy cuts. That pretty much ended the thought process for me.

In my experience, the best price for std ISO40 tooling is currently APT Tools (or Cutwel when they are on offer).
https://www.shop-apt.co.uk/din-2080-...-adaptors.html

The Coventry system is smaller than BT30 or ISO 30, and was common on some educational and hobby mills, I run BT30 and wouldn't be using an adaptor down to Coventry, or suggesting anyone else does so, there is no choice for some who have a mill where this was the OEM fitment, the original supplies have all but dried up if you actually try buying one.

[alanambrose]

Hmmm, that's pretty interesting actually.

Are there other options for quick change for MT3 spindles or is that it?

On a similar topic, if I were to buy a new mill, what spindle taper should I look at? I'm seeing old R8 anglophile but MT / BT / HSK on the continent?

I appreciate this article is a bit serve serving, but reading between the lines, I'm getting an HSK buzz :)

https://www.sandvik.coromant.com/en-...selection.aspx

Alan

[JAZZCNC]

On a similar topic, if I were to buy a new mill, what spindle taper should I look at? I'm seeing old R8 anglophile but MT / BT / HSK on the continent?

I appreciate this article is a bit serve serving, but reading between the lines, I'm getting an HSK buzz :)

https://www.sandvik.coromant.com/en-...selection.aspx

Alan

Depends really on how ridged the machine and how aggressively you want to cut, plus how deep your pockets are.?
HSK is far better than R8, MT, and to a lesser degree ISO/SK or BT, etc. BUT the holders cost nearly twice the price of BT so if you don't need the extra rigidity HSK offers then you'll have more money for BT holders.

Also, need to consider the strength of the machine, the main advantage of HSK is the rigidity it provides allowing more aggressive cuts to be made but if the machine doesn't match the taper what's the point.?