Just realized I've been over-tightening collets for years

Read a Haas tip sheet that said excessive torque on an ER collet nut can actually reduce grip by 40%. I found it in their maintenance guide PDF online. Anyone have a good torque spec chart they use for different tool holders?

3 comments

3 Comments

karen_perry381mo ago

Well that's a fun new thing to worry about at 2 AM. So all this time we've been cranking down like we're trying to stop a leak, we were actually making the grip worse? Classic. Guess my "tighten it until it strips, then back off a quarter turn" method needs work.

bettys511mo ago

Wait, you can actually make a grip worse by over-tightening? I always thought more force meant more hold, but that really changes how I'll handle things from now on. Guess it's time to learn a lighter touch.

blake_bell291mo ago

Seen this same thing with guitar strings and lug nuts. People crank them down thinking tighter is always better. Ends up stripping threads or warping the rim. Like @karen_perry38 said, that "strip it then back off" logic is everywhere. We're trained to use force as the only answer, even when it breaks the thing.