Tim, This is the kind of thing most guys will look at and then move on.

Until they need one! Then, it'll be hours of sifting through threads looking for this one. You'll become known as, 'Somguy,' who, 'wrote about collets, but I don't remember which ones...'

LOL

Thanks for the lead! Next time I need one of these, (and the occasional need does arise,) I'll know where to look. Good contact to file away for when needed.

John

Tim please report back how well they work. I've read mixed reviews on them. Some say they don't tighten enough to hold. And have had problems.

Thanks!

I will let everyone know how they work out. I did notice the aftermarket collet doesn't thread all of the way down to the bass of the plate on a couple of mounts, but I think it's because the threads on the mount need to be cleaned up. Did Rogers make multiple types of collets for the different models of the Swivomatic mounts? For example, bass drum spur mounts vs. center mount vs. off-center mount vs. cymbal mount.

If they do have issues tightening, I'll move them to the bass drum spur mounts and use two Rogers original forged collets for my tom to bass mount.

-Tim

Tim - from what little I do know... the collets are all basically the same, only the bases/mounts are different.

John

I've used a number of Dave Drew's repro collet noses over the years, never had a problem.

The style and machining of the collet plates did vary widely from 1958-1975, so an individual situation might be a little tricky. Many times, the hex stock is a loose fit in the collet plate and that is the source of the trouble. Later hex material is slightly larger than earlier. If these parts get mixed up (as they often do over the years as replacement parts are bought from other drum kits) the fit might be a little loose and the collet nose may not tighten down enough unless it's really twisted tight. This can happen if an original collet nose is used as well.

But in 99% of the cases, the repros work fine.

I've used a handful of Al's repro collet noses over the years. Many have worked well, but some of the ones I've recently received DO NOT properly tighten the collet around the hex shaft and allows the shaft to easily slip. The problem appears to be the inside machining. We're only talking about micro differences, but enough to cause the problem. As soon as I substitute an original machined Pat. Pend. collet, the issue goes away!

Another issue I've had is that the chrome on one of the noses began to peel! Al replaced it, just recently, and the replacement nose had a bat handle that came right off! Rather than getting another replacement, I added a dab of epoxy for metal to the handle. Problem solved!

Thanks for posting your experiences. I'll see how mine perform.

Does anyone know the process Al or his machinist uses to make the parts? If it's a CNC lathe, then there really shouldn't be much variance between is parts. Plus, this method should be more accurate than the original way Rogers made their collets in the 60's. Like I mentioned above, the fit was different between two different styles of Swivomatic mount plates. I try it again to find out which type.

If you did have issues, did you contact Al? If he doesn't know there are minor issues, then he will never be able to make the necessary changes. Based on idrum4fun's post, it appears Al is very willing to replace the parts that have issues.

-Tim

Yes, Al does stand behind his parts. I've never had an issue with this.

For clarification purposes, let's clear up the confusion with the term "collet". The collet is the split threaded portion attached to the mounting plate... just another one of those great items Joe Thompson came up with! The "nose" is the part with the bat handles that threads down onto the collet. I've seen lots of eBay auctions where the nose is only referred to as a collet, which is incorrect. "Collet Nose" is the correct term for the part we're talking about. So, a complete Swivomatic tom mount is made up of a collet plate and a collet nose.

OK, I think I got it right!