Easy Shopmaster 2000 question

[Harold_V]

Hand tight, (as tight as I can get with a wrench on one and and the other end in my hand), is as tight as the drawbars need to be.

I agree, so long as you don't mind end mills pulling out.
You are dealing with a machine that is subjected to forces well beyond those when working with wood. If you think like a woodworker, expect problems. There's a (good) reason why they use fine threads in R8 collets (yes, I realize you're not talking about R8 collets, but the principle remains the same).

With your light touch, you'd likely excel when operating precision grinding machines, where snug is more than adequate, and certainly all that is desired.

Harold

[jstinem]

Harold,
The endmills won't pull out of a Weldon holder. Remember I use a 17mm wrench on the nut and hold the nice fat Weldon holder or drill chuck in the other hand. The drawbar isn't loose by a long shot. The nut stays tight and the holder has to be tapped out of the taper to remove. I don't think that it's good idea to use endmills in holders other than the Weldon style on the Shoptask 2000 because the machine doesn't have a quill lock. The quill is small and the drawbar nut is larger in diameter than the quill. You can't use any sort box wrench or socket to hold the quill because you can't get it off when the drawbar is in place.
Joe

[Harold_V]

Harold,
The endmills won't pull out of a Weldon holder. Remember I use a 17mm wrench on the nut and hold the nice fat Weldon holder or drill chuck in the other hand. The drawbar isn't loose by a long shot. The nut stays tight and the holder has to be tapped out of the taper to remove. I don't think that it's good idea to use endmills in holders other than the Weldon style on the Shoptask 2000 because the machine doesn't have a quill lock. The quill is small and the drawbar nut is larger in diameter than the quill. You can't use any sort box wrench or socket to hold the quill because you can't get it off when the drawbar is in place.
Joe

Thanks for the clarification, Joe. My mind was revolving around the use of collets, not end mill adapters. Seems many assume that a collet isn't adequate for the purpose, but they're wrong. It not only is adequate (with proper tightening), but can lend greater rigidity to the setup, to say nothing of gaining badly needed head space on small machines.

It should be kept in mind that industry ran with collets for many years with very acceptable results. That's not to diminish end mill adapters in any way, but they are not a requirement for manual machining---albeit a nice convenience in many circumstances.

I do have a question about your comment of the machine in question not having a quill lock. Is it safe to assume you're talking about a spindle brake instead? Not having a quill lock would be troublesome, regardless of the nature of the tool holder.

Harold

[jstinem]

Yep, I do mean spindle brake or lock.

[mikeamick]

Thanks Ken .. I ordered and got the manual. But .. as most have said, it doesn't address
the issue. I love my machine .. but .. the manual sucks a little. I am glad I got it though
because it explains the threading gear setup.

I do have a complete set of endmill holders .. from my old machine. But when I got this
machine it came with a (one) collet. You really can't argue the fact that the closer you get
the work to the quill .. the more rigid your setup is. And when I saw how close a collet allows
the work to be .. I knew that was a good thing. So I have a set now.

My original post was just saying that if not tightened down pretty good .. the endmill will work
loose. And I hate buggering up the top of my quill using a pair of channel locks trying to get
it tight enough.

[ken572]

You are very welcome.

I have found it pay's to find and download any/all machine manuals that look like
my HF-44142 for my reference. They can be very helpful. You might want to do
the same for your 3 in 1. Other then being different colors and lengths, all of each
series seem to be made from the same basic parts You know, just like the older
Chevy's, Oldsmobile, Pontiac, and Buick etc.

Have Fun.
Ken.

[Torch]

You really can't argue the fact that the closer you get
the work to the quill .. the more rigid your setup is. And when I saw how close a collet allows
the work to be .. I knew that was a good thing. So I have a set now.

Getting the work closer to the spindle is good. Getting the spindle closer to the work -- sometimes not so good. If the choice is between extending the quill near it's limit so a tool in a collet is close enough or using a holder and keeping the quill higher, I think the second is usually preferable.

The inverse is also true, if I can use a collet to hold the tool instead of raising the column, I think that is the best option.