Collet closer

[threesixesinarow]

Thanks, Dick,

It’s very useful and fast for specific tasks - for me, anyways - I tried to make more than a handful of multiples using a 3-jaw chuck, once! But it’s limited and slow for more general stuff, so I pieced together a second mini lathe so I don’t have to remove it to use regular chucks.

The hardest part was making the lever fingers and the hub for them. I think some closers have two of those instead of the three I used (I think Schaublin, and even the the little Petermann automatic screw machine shown at lathes.co.uk)which might simplify things a lot.

I see Sherline sells a 3C lever closer now. https://www.sherline.com/product/302...r/#description I’m not sure but it looks like it works like the old South Bend one using modified ball thrust bearings instead of fingers for leverage from the cam.

- Clark