Removing ER Collets

[VicParticipant @vic]

I’ve never experienced any difficulty inserting and removing ER32 collets but I sometimes struggle getting smaller ones out of their respective chuck. Any tips?

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

Smaller ones are generally less flexible as there is more “meat” left at the ends of the slots and often less slots. It can help to mark your nut so that you know which way to tilt them when removing.

[Chris KaminskiParticipant @chriskaminski64716]

indeed, the smaller they are, the more difficult to get out of the nut.

I used to go down to ER8, but it was such a PITA, that the smallest I use now is ER11

[VicParticipant @vic]

I’ve got collets for about five different ER sizes. As you say, the smaller they are, the more difficult to get out.

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

I was talking of hole size relative to ER size. But I suppose as the ER gets smaller you also have less to get hold of and less leverage when tilting them.

[Nick HughesParticipant @nickhughes97026]

Try firmly and smartly, taping/smacking the side of the nut horizontally down on to a solid surface (without touching the collet itself), the vibration will usually cause the collet to release.

[DellParticipant @dell]

I use ER8 sometimes & I have a piece of hollow brass that goes over the narrow end & that gives me the leverage to remove them.

[Neil LickfoldParticipant @neillickfold44316]

The solution is the nut style that uses the spanner to remove the collet out as it undoes. The spanner goes through 2 slots in the nut. They are very well balanced as well for high speed spindles. There is no mechanism that holds the collet to the nut. I have some in ER11 to ER20. Great for the smaller diameter sizes.  When I bought mine they were new out, and he gave me the spanners for them. Now I see they have a link to the special spanners and they also do a range of other collet nuts now. Mine are the MS series.

Here is the link to them. I have not seen them anywhere else and really like them. I don’t think they are for through coolant but few hobby setups use through coolant anyway.

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005004366047715.html?spm=a2g0o.productlist.main.56.119050275SYLuq&algo_pvid=4deaa7c7-fc8f-4ea4-aeb2-fa6b5a2d7064&algo_exp_id=4deaa7c7-fc8f-4ea4-aeb2-fa6b5a2d7064-55&pdp_ext_f=%7B%22order%22%3A%2243%22%2C%22eval%22%3A%221%22%2C%22fromPage%22%3A%22search%22%7D&pdp_npi=6%40dis%21NZD%215.49%215.49%21%21%2122.14%2122.14%21%402101d9ee17599090872725397edd80%2112000028923125542%21sea%21NZ%21115739146%21X%211%210%21n_tag%3A-29919%3Bd%3Ae85da6c4%3Bm03_new_user%3A-29895&curPageLogUid=gXvU7xNW3uFh&utparam-url=scene%3Asearch%7Cquery_from%3A%7Cx_object_id%3A1005004366047715%7C_p_origin_prod%3A

[Nick Hughes]

On Nick Hughes Said:

I thought that all ER nuts had the “Extraction” ring or lip on them, that you have to hook the collet over and so assumed in my reply, that the OP was struggling to remove the collet from the nut and not the chuck taper.

 

[Vic]

On 7 October 2025 at 20:01 Vic Said:

I’ve never experienced any difficulty inserting and removing ER32 collets but I sometimes struggle getting smaller ones out of their respective chuck. Any tips?

Same happens with ER40 and ER16 in my experience.  As Jason said it’s because the smaller hole-size collets have more meat and are less flexible, probably combined in some cases with adverse tolerances on nut/collet/both.  Best I have found is to grit your teeth and push hard on the front face of the collet on the side that’s aligned with the maximum eccentricity of the extraction ring, and/or lever the back of the collet to lift it out of the ring.  I once bought an ER16 collet chuck adapter with a nut that it was impossible to get small collets into – the chuck was eccentric too so it went straight back.  When I got my ex-school Novamill there was a collet with cutter stuck in the chuck – the “teacher” hadn’t realised how to fit the collet properly so even when I got the nut off it was a struggle to get the collet out of its taper.

[Nick Hughes]

On Nick Hughes Said:

On Nick Hughes Said:

I thought that all ER nuts had the “Extraction” ring or lip on them, that you have to hook the collet over and so assumed in my reply, that the OP was struggling to remove the collet from the nut and not the chuck taper.

 

Yes this is correct.

[Neil Lickfold]

On Neil Lickfold Said:

The solution is the nut style that uses the spanner to remove the collet out as it undoes.

better link to original (rather than Chinese knock off) 🙂

https://us.rego-fix.com/en/products/clamping-nuts/er-ms?system=ER&country-detected=true

Having said so, I do not understand how? it makes getting collets out of the nut easier?

BTW – there are two threads in this thread…

a – getting “large collets with small opening” out of the nut

b- getting small collets eg ER8 or ER11 out of the nut

two different issues…

[Dell]

On Dell Said:

I use ER8 sometimes & I have a piece of hollow brass that goes over the narrow end & that gives me the leverage to remove them.

yes, I do the same

but ER8 is still PITA 🙂

[VicParticipant @vic]

BTW – there are two threads in this thread…

a – getting “large collets with small opening” out of the nut

b- getting small collets eg ER8 or ER11 out of the nut

two different issues…

Well the original post was about removing small collets from the nut. I don’t have any problems with large collets irrespective of opening size – maybe I’ve been lucky.

Back to the OP, I saw this:

 

https://youtu.be/Gk_412y1CUQ?si=yNOGGQqADaBVfywg

 

 

[VicParticipant @vic]

£300+ For a 3D printer and my problem is solved … 😂

[Vic]

On Vic Said:

https://youtu.be/Gk_412y1CUQ?si=yNOGGQqADaBVfywg

interesting, thanks

clearly it’s not only us who have this problem?

[Clive FosterParticipant @clivefoster55965]

How difficult would it be to make an MS series collet nut or functional equivalent so the collet self extracts?

Could it really be just as simple as a plain threaded bore with a cone end to match the collet and a pair of slots for the spanner.

If so it rather begs the question of why the standard set-up needs the eccentric ring to hold the collet when installing or removing. Why the ER series needs so many different varieties of collet nut has always been a mystery to me.

Clive

[bernard towersParticipant @bernardtowers37738]

I wonder how I managed all these years without one!

[Nick Hughes]

On Nick Hughes Said:

On Nick Hughes Said:

I thought that all ER nuts had the “Extraction” ring or lip on them, that you have to hook the collet over …

I believe that is so. I have some ES series collets which don’t have the extraction groove, so I’ve modified an ER-type nut to fit them.

George

 

 

 

 

[Chris Kaminski]

On Chris Kaminski Said:

On Vic Said:

https://youtu.be/Gk_412y1CUQ?si=yNOGGQqADaBVfywg

interesting, thanks

clearly it’s not only us who have this problem?

Yeah, I feel better now. I was beginning to think it was just me! 🤣

[Martin ConnellyParticipant @martinconnelly55370]

Sledge hammer to crack a nut solution – get extra nuts and leave the tight collets in their own nut. It makes sense if you are tight for time and don’t want to waste an unknown amount of time struggling to remove the collet from the nut. You may only need one or two extra. I have also spent time struggling and growling under my breath at hard to remove ER16 collets like this but never had a problem with ER32.

Martin C

[Chris Kaminski]

On Chris Kaminski Said:

Having said so, I do not understand how? it makes getting collets out of the nut easier?

Found the answer, see:

I like MS nuts, not only because they are easier to use but also because the have no eccentric

will have to try them, thanks for the pointer

[Chris Kaminski]

On Chris Kaminski Said:

On Neil Lickfold Said:

The solution is the nut style that uses the spanner to remove the collet out as it undoes.

better link to original (rather than Chinese knock off) 🙂

https://us.rego-fix.com/en/products/clamping-nuts/er-ms?system=ER&country-detected=true

Having said so, I do not understand how? it makes getting collets out of the nut easier?

BTW – there are two threads in this thread…

a – getting “large collets with small opening” out of the nut

b- getting small collets eg ER8 or ER11 out of the nut

two different issues…

The MS style, has no mechanism to hold the collet to the nut. The collet goes into the 8 deg taper, and the nut just goes on over the top. The two slots in the nut, are for the spanner to sit through the nut and in the area of the relief groove that is in the collets.  When I bought mine, Regofix did not have them available to purchase in NZ, and would not sell to me from Europe. The ones from the Chinese manufacturer are very well made with very nicely ground threads.

[Grindstone CowboyParticipant @grindstonecowboy]

Slight digression to the thread, apologies, but I’ve been looking for one of the ball-bearing type nuts for ER32 and stunned by some of the prices I’ve seen. Any suggestions for a reasonably priced one?

Thanks.

Rob

[Neil Lickfold]

On Neil Lickfold Said:

thanks Neil, bits ordered

 

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