Westcott chuck for Felder fd 250 Horizontal Mortiser

[Peter Franklin]

Hi,
I have a 20 year old Felder fd 250. Chuck is giving me a lot of run out (10-20 thou). Westcott Chuck. 0-20mm. Is this something that's fixable and relatively an easy fix by someone who's never done it before? If not, does anyone know of a source for replacement Westcott Mortiser chucks? (Not Grizzly, please). They seem to be what all the new Euro machines are selling, but I can't find a source. Also, is it worth upgrading to a different type of chuck?
Any advice would be much appreciated.
Thanks,
Peter

[Brian Holcombe]

Are you certain that it is the Chuck that is the issue? Iirc the Chuck slips over a shaft. Check the outside of the Chuck for runout and if it presents there then likely it’s the connection.

[Peter Franklin]

Thanks for your response. I checked the shaft connecting the chuck to the motor and there's no run out (or less than a ten thou or two). So I assume it's the chuck.

I recall reading previous posts from you when researching this issue. I suspect you've already sold yours, but do you recall the manufacturer of the chuck? The logo looks like it spells CODI or COPI, but it's hard to tell.

[Rod Sheridan]

Have you contacted Felder for a replacement?

[Peter Franklin]

Have you contacted Felder for a replacement?

Yes, I contacted them, though concerned it may take a while for them to get back given they're also 'working from home' these days.... Also curious if this type of problem is easily fixable.

[Brian Holcombe]

Measure the shaft first, should measure under .001”. Measure the outside of the Chuck, should read less than .001” then measure a shaft of a carbide bit in the Chuck. If that’s where your runout is presenting and no where else then I would disassemble the Chuck and clean it. If it’s not running out something as simple as a burr or just some junk can cause runout.

[Jeff Duncan]

Try a search for the Felder chuck, I saw what I think was a new one for sale recently, juts forget where???

No idea if you can get the runout fixed... they're pretty simple mechanisms. Pull it apart, clean it thoroughly, put it back together and recheck. Probably take all of 15 - 20 minutes.

good luck,
JeffD

[Peter Franklin]

Measure the shaft first, should measure under .001”. Measure the outside of the Chuck, should read less than .001” then measure a shaft of a carbide bit in the Chuck. If that’s where your runout is presenting and no where else then I would disassemble the Chuck and clean it. If it’s not running out something as simple as a burr or just some junk can cause runout.

Thanks, Brian. Checked shaft and outside of chuck and barely getting any runout -- maybe a ten thou or two. Disassembled, cleaned and put back together and much improved. I'm down to .002, far better than the .02 I was seeing before.

Not to be greedy, but I wouldn't mind getting it even better if possible. Other than taking apart, checking again for burrs or dirt and reassembling, and ideas on how to improve more?

[Brian Holcombe]

Excellent, glad that helped to resolve it. It would be nice to get it under .001” but I’m not certain that much improvement can be made without replacing the jaws. Sometimes it helps to just re-Chuck it and see if the number improves. Moving to a different design may help, by design a collet Chuck will have considerably less runout, unfortunately changing such a thing on that machine would be quite a task.

[Rod Sheridan]

Thanks, Brian. Checked shaft and outside of chuck and barely getting any runout -- maybe a ten thou or two. Disassembled, cleaned and put back together and much improved. I'm down to .002, far better than the .02 I was seeing before.

Not to be greedy, but I wouldn't mind getting it even better if possible. Other than taking apart, checking again for burrs or dirt and reassembling, and ideas on how to improve more?

Now that you've solved the chuck issue are the slots and mortises accurate enough?

If so, time to stop working on machinery and start working with the machinery

Regards, Rod.

[Brian Holcombe]

Now that you've solved the chuck issue are the slots and mortises accurate enough?

If so, time to stop working on machinery and start working with the machinery

Regards, Rod.

How so? Runout is tough on cutters, nothing wrong with chasing it out of the system.

[Wes Grass]

I planned, if I got one of these (never did), to see if I could adapt an ER-32 system on it instead. That morphed into buying the table attachment for the planer and building the rest around a belt drive spindle with interchangeable tool holders, like a milling machine. So I could drop the RPM way down for drilling.

That never happened either. A mill is much simpler. And I already have that.

I've had to chase runout with ER's as well. But it's 2 tenths vs thou with small cutters.

[Rod Sheridan]

How so? Runout is tough on cutters, nothing wrong with chasing it out of the system.

That’s true, however if the work is as accurate as required it’s often time to stop chasing the rabbit before you go down the hole...Rod

[Brian Holcombe]

That’s true, however if the work is as accurate as required it’s often time to stop chasing the rabbit before you go down the hole...Rod

.002” is a significant amount of runout for an application that will take a side load.

[Rod Sheridan]

.002” is a significant amount of runout for an application that will take a side load.

Yes it is, I was thinking in millimetres and wondering why anyone would be chasing that...........My apologies.......Rod.