Tired of the Aluminum Collet Chuck Wrenches

[Bob La Londe]

The aluminum wrenches from Tormach were "okay" to start with, but they quickly turned to garbage. Actually the closed one for the nuts are still useable, but the opened one is just about worthless. I've been using a handful of other wrenches from the shop as needed. Its not like I need to change tools every day. Well some days more than once when struggling with a new material. LOL. Still I wanted some clearly marked dedicated wrenches to leave in the drawer with spare tool holders or hang on the machine cabinet (not sure which yet).

So... yesterday I made a set of semi articulating clamps to better mount an air blast on my Hurco mill. It goes on the same adjustment rod as I use for my flood coolant manifold.

Then I machined (mostly) a pair of dedicated ER16/20 wrenches out of some 4140HT (I have a bunch laying around left over from a job). Today if I have time I'll make a mounting setup so I can slice them off on the horizontal bandsaw and grind the back side flat. I know 4140 isn't tool steel, but it should be "tough enough" to exceed the life of the aluminum wrenches.

Oddly I never powered up the Tormach yesterday. LOL. The clamps were done on one of the Speedmasters (and the lathe), and the wrenches were cut out on the Hurco.

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[Bob La Londe]

Sorry about the tiny nozzle picture. This one should be better.

[machinehop5]

nice job....now finish heat treating will never wear out...lol.

[Bob La Londe]

A heat treat oven or atleast a forge oven are on my todo list. For now an RC of 28-32 is going ot have to be good enough.

[Bob La Londe]

Idea for making cuts otherwise not practical on the horizontal band Saw. Idea was blatantly stolen from Umahunter.

[Bob La Londe]

The saw cut on the back was much better than I expected. I just deburred the tools and checked them. Good enough for shop tools.

[Bob La Londe]

The DXF file is attached for anybody who wants it. They are close tolerance so you may want to take a spring pass if cutting in harder material. The internal hex already has a corner clearance notch if you finish with a 1/8" end mill.

[Bob La Londe]

Oh, wow. The DXF files looks like crap in ViaCad. It might not import as cleanly as you would like in your software. It was created in CamBam and that was were the CAM was done. Sorry if its more work to use than its worth.

[CitizenOfDreams]

The file opens fine in CamBam and LibreCAD. Thanks for the drawing, I wish I had a machine that could cut steel!

[schesby]

Looks good in Fusion 360 also. Thanks!

Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk

[Bob La Londe]

The file opens fine in CamBam and LibreCAD. Thanks for the drawing, I wish I had a machine that could cut steel!

You might be able to make satisfactory wrenches that would last for a while out of 7075 aluminum. Just maximize the thickness for your tool holders so that they are about twice as thick as the Tormach wrenches. Make the open end wrench so thick it just barely fits. Of course its probably cheaper to just keep ordering a replacement from Tormach. My first one lasted 6-8 months with frequent use. For occasional use it might have lasted several years.

[jwatte]

I wish I had a machine that could cut steel!

I cut steel on a 440. Stainless (303) and Titanium, too (both Grade 2 pure and Grade 5/Ti6-4) Up to 1/4" end mills. I use the lower speed belt setting, and take it easy on the speeds/depth.

I bet you could even do it on a router, if you used very small carbide end mills (3/32" or so) and took many shallow passes.

[Bob La Londe]

I cut steel on a 440. Stainless (303) and Titanium, too (both Grade 2 pure and Grade 5/Ti6-4) Up to 1/4" end mills. I use the lower speed belt setting, and take it easy on the speeds/depth.

I bet you could even do it on a router, if you used very small carbide end mills (3/32" or so) and took many shallow passes.

I've done 4140HT on the Speedmasters with their 1.5KW 24K spindles because I had to get a job done. The Hurco had broken down, and I didn't have the Tormach yet. I did it and I got the job done and shipped. Its part of why I bought the Tormach. So I had something as a back up. I would not recommend it, but the job was worth more than a cooked spindle. I didn't cook any spindles, but I went through a small fortune in coated end mills.

[mountaindew]

Your topic got me thinking just what is the recommended torque spec for the different size collets and holders. And a tool to set them.
https://www.maritool.com/Tool-Holder...563/index.html
Recently I started using collet tools more then ever and decided I better learn some good habits.

[Bob La Londe]

You know how I said I hope that I wasn't going to need a set of wrenches for the ER32 tool holder? Well...

[Bob La Londe]

I decided I needed the tool in the ER32 holder in a KWIK 200 holder instead. For the life of me I don't know how I ever locked the nut down to begin with. I have wrenches the right size, but they are all to thick to fit on the flats of the tool holder bady. Figured if I was making one wrnech I might as well make two. After I test them I'll upload the DXF file.

[jwatte]

I went through a small fortune in coated end mills.

At 24krpm? I bet :-)

[Bob La Londe]

Ok, they fit. Just needed deburring.

Here they are along with the updated DXF file.

The ER 32 closed end hex wrench has corner over cuts that can be finished with a 1/4 inch end mill.

The reason for designing in the corner over cuts rather than using the corner over cut feature in profiling is it curves into the over cut instead of slamming in head long on your finish pass.

[mountaindew]

Nice work! One of my favorite things to do is design and make tools for my tools. Looks like you will enjoy using those for years to come.

[Bob La Londe]

Nice work! One of my favorite things to do is design and make tools for my tools. Looks like you will enjoy using those for years to come.

I did find this very satisfying. Made me want to do it again.