Really like the convenience of this collet holder bolted to the column of the mill, but had two problems with the original. First it didn't hold enough collets to my liking, and second, I like to keep my most frequently used tools in the collects but then the carousel could no longer be rotated its full 360 degrees. My solution to address both problems, make it a double decker!
Was going to do this a few years ago, even bought the second holder just for the rotating part, but after getting it and taking it apart it wasn't made exactly how I expected it to be made and my plan on how I was going to do it wasn't quite compatible. So it set. Recently got the bug once again to do it so was trying to come up with an easy, sturdy, way to do it. Then it finally hit me, and in a few days I had it made and assembled.
Don't have any plans for it, just whipped it up in my head. Used 1018 steel for it, 1/4"x2" for the base, 1/4"x1-1/2" for the extension arm, and 1" rod for the upper and lower shafts. Drilled the mounting holes in the base in the same locations as the existing holder I'm using, and also drilled and tapped two holes in the base for set screws so as to be able to adjust the extension arm level. Drilled and tapped the extension arm 1/2"-13 for a threaded rod to attach the shafts to. Dadoed the base for the extension arm and welded the two together. Drilled and tapped both ends of both shafts, one end 1/2"-13 for attaching them to the extension arm, the other ends 1/4"-20 for end caps. Machined 1/2" stainless steel spacers for use on both ends of the shafts that the carousels rotate around. Attached the threaded rod to the extension arm and both shafts using Blue Loctite. Made some 932 bronze thrust washers and honed the side that will ride on the steel washer which was also honed on one side, then epoxied the bronze washers to the bottom of the carousels. When assembled they are lubricated with some white lithium grease. That way there's no plastic rubbing on steel and over time wearing into it. Painted it, baked it, and installed it.
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