I am setting up the tool cups, and I’m having a few issues. Your help is appreciated.
I’m installing a 1/4 inch endmill using a 1/8 O-ring. The collet is clicked into the collet nut. I’ve put the O-ring just above the end of the flutes. When turning the collet nut over to place it into the tool cup, how do you stop the endmill from falling out?
I think I am doing something wrong with measuring the cup’s depth. My placement does not look like those in the instructional video. I measured the length, following the manual: “use the caliper to measure the stick-out from the end of the flute(s) to the bottom of the collet nut.” I locked the caliper, adjusted the cup. Here is the collet nut and endmill installed…the collet is sticking up out of the cup:
If I put any pressure on the collet or collet nut the O-ring is pushed down onto the flutes, and the collet is then incorrectly positioned covering the flutes. I must be doing something wrong.
Page 69 of the directions say, “Always make sure the collet nut is placed to the full depth within the magazine pocket. Giving the nut a gentle twist to ensure it has slipped past the 3 ball bearings provides confirmation it is seated properly.” I can not achieve this. When I drop the collect nut into the pocket it sits on top of the adjustable cup. If I adjust the cup up it adjusts the nut up, and vise versa. This all seems wrong because it would mean that only one length of endmill could be installed. I’m doing something wrong.
In your first photo it looks like you are measuring from the endmill end to the top - not bottom - of the collet nut. In the second photo, it is difficult to tell what exactly you are measuring.
The manual shows the entire tool cup ‘system’ removed from the magazine, so make sure when you are measuring you have the caliper base resting all the way inside the pocket and on the top of the fixed round collar and not the adjustable tool cup - the tool cup should never be above the fixed round collar surface, or as you have seen, it does not allow the collet nut to seat properly.
You may find it easier to use the second method described - more of a guess, test, repeat process - where you adjust the cup to a height you ‘feel’ is correct, then drop in the tool assembly which has the endmill sticking out much more than required. The idea is the endmill will bottom out, be pushed up, and when the tool assembly is removed it will show the stick-out achieved by your current tool cup depth - now adjust accordingly.
Thank you for the help. I can see my error was in the location I was measuring for the collar and endmill, along with how I was measuring the cup. The manual would be improved by showing the correct measuring points for both. I did see the notes regarding the photos, and do agree that creating a photo inside of the cup is probably really difficult.
I have now finished the installation, and it is correctly picking up and setting releasing the collets.
