collet style tool handles

[Faulko]

Hi all
wondering what peoples experiences and views re the kelton and woodcut collet style handles that allow tool changes....anyone in mewcastle area have one that they wouldnt mind me looking at? Thinking of buying but should check on evetyones perspective on these before i spend....

[Mobyturns]

I have the Woodcut collet handle - blooming marvellous as the host of Gardening Australia would say. Only downside is that they only come with two collets. However they are a standard ER16 collet so are easily obtainable if you require another size collet. You can even fit some skews into the collet handle if you take an aris off the corners of the tool tang.

[Woodturnerjosh]

I actually made my own collet handles with collet chucks I bought on eBay. You can get straight shank collet chucks in ER25 for around $30 (I think...I know it wasn't much more than this) and then make you're own timber handle for it. They are heavier than the handles you buy but if you know someone with a metal lathe you can machine them down to reduce weight.
They make sharpening so much easier!

[dai sensei]

My travel set comprises 3 handles I made myself and ~40 chisels. The small handle has an ER11 collet with a 7mm collet, the medium handle with ER20 and 12mm collet, and the large beast ER32 with 16mm collet. Each chisel has a brass sleeve or turned down to suit the collet.

I love them the only issue is being lazy and not tightening the collets properly and the chisel moving.

[Faulko]

If its not too much trouble is there any chance of some pics of the home made versions?...they sound great....
Regardless - thanks very much for the replies. much appreciated.

[Woodturnerjosh]

392728392729
These are an ER20 and an ER25. I have machined them down to make them shorter though...let me know if you have any questions (I can't write more as I have to work lol)

[dai sensei]

Here's mine

392835

[Hors]

Are these the collets used?

ER25 ER11A ER32 Collet Chuck Holder CNC Milling Extension ROD Straight Shank BO | eBay (http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/ER25-ER11A-ER32-Collet-Chuck-Holder-CNC-Milling-Extension-Rod-Straight-Shank-Bo/191688146114?_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20140106155344%26meid%3Dae7cd726825148a0baaecdbe37cc09de%26pid%3D100005%26rk%3D2%26rkt%3D6%26sd%3D302054658840)

[dai sensei]

Are these the collets used?

ER25 ER11A ER32 Collet Chuck Holder CNC Milling Extension ROD Straight Shank BO | eBay (http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/ER25-ER11A-ER32-Collet-Chuck-Holder-CNC-Milling-Extension-Rod-Straight-Shank-Bo/191688146114?_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20140106155344%26meid%3Dae7cd726825148a0baaecdbe37cc09de%26pid%3D100005%26rk%3D2%26rkt%3D6%26sd%3D302054658840)

Yes something like that. But make sure you get the straight shaft, not a MT, plus threaded hole at end. The threaded hole is used to extend the handle when the shaft size is too big to be used as a tenon.

[Faulko]

Just so i'm understanding....so its the straight shaft that josh machined down t o reduce weight..just the end to make shorter length? If not machined down i assume it would be too heavy?

[Woodturnerjosh]

392850
This is the collets before I machined them down. I took down the shoulder under the thread to be the same diameter as the shank and I drilled out the hole through the bore. I had to drill out the ER25 because the hole through the bore was only 14mm and wouldn't take my 16mm tools. Then I cut the shanks down because they all had 100mm shanks and I didn't need them to be that long for the way I was making them.
In my current version I made the ferrules out of Bakelite blocks so I could shape the ferrule to be part of the handle shape

[hughie]

Push come to shove I prefer the quick action handles from VicMarc.

Vicmarc - Woodturning Lathes, Chucks, Jaws and Accessories - (http://www.vicmarc.com/default.asp?contentID=736)
They a much better idea, simple to operate and very quick

[Woodturnerjosh]

C25 ER32 150L Collet Chuck Straight Shank Extension ROD Wrench SET CNC Cutter | eBay (http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/C25-ER32-150L-Collet-Chuck-Straight-Shank-Extension-Rod-Wrench-Set-CNC-Cutter-/322086273293?hash=item4afdd6810d:g:7q0AAOSwYlJW2Anx)

C20 ER20A 100L 13mm Collet Chuck Holder CNC Milling Extension ROD Straight Shank | eBay (http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/C20-ER20A-100L-13MM-Collet-Chuck-Holder-CNC-Milling-Extension-Rod-Straight-Shank-/322225174480?hash=item4b061df7d0:g:ztUAAOSw-YVXmFH6)

C25-ER25-100L 25mm Shank ER25 Straight Collet Chuck Holder Silver Tone (http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/C25-ER25-100L-25mm-Shank-ER25-Straight-Collet-Chuck-Holder-Silver-Tone-/391268118330?hash=item5b1965af3a:g:EXQAAOSwFMZWrdCd)

These are the collets chucks I bought. You need to by the collets separately.

[Woodturnerjosh]

Push come to shove I prefer the quick action handles from VicMarc.

Vicmarc - Woodturning Lathes, Chucks, Jaws and Accessories - (http://www.vicmarc.com/default.asp?contentID=736)
They a much better idea, simple to operate and very quick


I found the vicmarc ones too short, and no quicker than a collet chuck. Plus you have to buy adaptors for different sized tools. They are easier to tighten though.... If they were cheaper I was going to buy the unhandled ones to make them the way I wanted but the collet chucks were a cheap option to see how it worked out.

[Drillit]

Hello Faulko,
I agree with Hughie. I use Vicmarc handles and have a series of
colletts. Have a look at Jim Carroll's website, Timberbits and GPW (Gary Pye Woodturning) Qld.
I think they are the bees knees. Around $77-80 plus colletts and freight.
Actually Timberbits is the cheapest and at the moment they have 15% off until Fathers' day
so that gives you pretty much free freight. Hope that helps. Drillit.

[Faulko]

could the drilling to open up the bore to fit tool shank, and to cut the shank be done on the wood lathe...given its a small job? or is the metal too hard for our woodturning tools? i don't know anyone with a metal lathe, and getting it done by a machinist starts to eat in to the economy of home making.....

[dai sensei]

Mine were hardened steel so didn't touch them. Why remove good steel to replace with wood??? I just extended them to suit the length I wanted. You can order different diameters on the chuck.​

[Woodturnerjosh]

could the drilling to open up the bore to fit tool shank, and to cut the shank be done on the wood lathe...given its a small job? or is the metal too hard for our woodturning tools? i don't know anyone with a metal lathe, and getting it done by a machinist starts to eat in to the economy of home making.....

You MIGHT be able to drill it on a wood lathe but you definitely need a metal lathe to machine them down.

[hughie]

I must confess I have made the locking section of the Vicmarc handles for my own use. But have moved away from the concept of a few handles and many gouges, to one handle for each gouge. OK my tool rack is going to need a major up grade to accommodate 12 or so new handles but so be it.