Quote Originally Posted by Toolmaker51 View Post
Consider bedding them in low-temp alloy. Most are bismuth based, the low temp won't alter heat-treating or anneal what-so-ever. Plug ID with a stub of properly sized aluminum rod, so drilling and boring will be easy. Chuck the holder and dial in. These are educated guesses, certainly easier and more precise than 6 or 8 tiny shims...
@ TM51: -Thanks for that (hitherto unconsidered by me) tip!
-Haven't even got any Wood's metal to start with, but I guess I'll have to score some now.
@glens5 : Bummer that BG hasn't shaped up their QC for these items during the years, and also:
their complaints department "didn't seem to fire on all cylinders", or was merely using a stalling strategy.
And then suddenly my "forthright and factual" review on their page got lost somehow...
Finally - after a tedious and tragi-comical e-mail chain I finally got my refund (less pp and local tax, tho).
Looking forward to perhaps eventually waste another fine 10 hours of grinding these "freebie" collet sets.

-See, it doesn't take much to make a cheap, masochistic hobby machinist happy!