Advice on toolholders

[Rabs]

Questions,
In Fig 2 what is the diameter to the thing spindle part, the bit that holds the pulley.
What is the biggest tool you would be satisfied using ? Be reasonable here.

Any pictures as opposed to blocky diagrams.

Here you go. The spindle block is enclosed, with all bearings and pulleys concealed. At the top there is only an 18mm diameter shaft protruding. Ignore the bit of aluminium extrusion, it's just a temporary mount for a spindle speed sensor.


At the nose the spindle is 40mm in diameter


Here is the easychange chuck. To secure it you push a bolt from below, through the hole in the narrow end of the chuck and into a thread on the spindle. (see original post)


Here is one of the easychange toolholders:


And here's what the setup looks like as I received it:


Here is a tooholder I've knocked up with a stud at the top and how it looks screwed directly into the spindle. I've not used this yet on the back of m_c's warning.

I've made it with drive slots to fit the easychgange chuck but these could also be used for a spanner to release it from the spindle, with a normal spanner used on the flats at the top of the spindle.

[magicniner]

It's the Coventry Easy Change system, I have the same on my bench top CNC mill, it locks up nice and tight and works very well, check all the internal and external tapers for damage.
I rarely use tooling bigger than 10mm, carbide tooling and High Speed Machining feeds, speeds & DOC are the order of the day,

- Nick

[m_c]

Is it just the light/reflections, or is the taper on that toolholder look like somebody's sanded/filed it?

I've got the easy change system on bench top mill, and my holders all lock in that tight, I usually have to use a screwdriver to break them away from the taper to get them out.
Could it be the ratchet mechanisms not working correctly?

I'd perhaps give Coventry a phone, and see what they say. It could be as simple as the spindle adapter needing stripped and cleaned, although I have no idea how they separate.

Contact details can be found on the Coventry Engineering website - http://www.coveng.co.uk/group/covent...sy-change.html

[Rabs]

Is it just the light/reflections, or is the taper on that toolholder look like somebody's sanded/filed it?

I've got the easy change system on bench top mill, and my holders all lock in that tight, I usually have to use a screwdriver to break them away from the taper to get them out.
Could it be the ratchet mechanisms not working correctly?

I'd perhaps give Coventry a phone, and see what they say. It could be as simple as the spindle adapter needing stripped and cleaned, although I have no idea how they separate.

Contact details can be found on the Coventry Engineering website - http://www.coveng.co.uk/group/covent...sy-change.html

OK, thanks guys. I'll give it all a good clean and check over before doing anything drastic. Maybe the locking mechanism just has some swarf in in.

If you mean the toolholder with the threaded stud at the top. It looks rough because I've just rough turned it to check the principle. I was intending to grind and harden the taper before using it in anger.

[Rabs]

So, it turns out that the looseness wasn't actually in the easychange chuck or the toolholders but in the spindle itself. Thanks for your help everyone. I'll start a new thread with a question on what to do next.