Am I the only one who uses a dab of white lithium grease on the collet threads?

I was getting inconsistent tool pull-out on my older VF-2 until I tried this last month. It's not in the manual, but it stopped the chatter on my 3/8 rougher. Anyone have a better trick for worn taper seats?

4 comments

4 Comments

emma_baker611mo ago

Honestly, that's a solid fix for a worn machine. I read an old forum post where a guy swore by a tiny bit of that grease on the pull stud threads, not the collet. Said it helped the drawbar grip more evenly. But if the taper seat itself is shot, is any lube just a band-aid? You're still getting flex where there shouldn't be any.

wader711mo ago

Grease on the threads is a hack, not a fix. It might quiet things down for a week. A worn taper seat means metal is moving that shouldn't. You can't lube away a gap. That flex will kill your finish and tool life. Just bite the bullet and get the spindle checked.

oliver8551mo ago

Actually, grease on pull stud threads is a terrible idea. That's the one spot you absolutely don't want any lube. It can cause the drawbar to over-travel and not apply proper clamping force, or even hydraulic lock. The old forum guy was leading people astray. Emma's right about it being a band-aid for a worn taper, but putting it on the threads is asking for a different kind of failure.

evan_harris61mo ago

Tried that once, made a mess. Ended up just replacing the collet nut and it fixed the grip.