------------------------------------------------------------------ This is just one of some 80 files about machining and metalworking and useful workshop subjects that can be read at: http://www.janellestudio.com/metal/index.html ------------------------------------------------------------------ There are toolholders for the Taig and Sherline lathes and milling machines available directly from the manufacturers and their dealers. There are also third party toolholders. Additionally, many owners have made their own from plans or ideas shared with other readers of the respective groups. A wise owner may also look at all designs available out there, including toolholders designed for far larger machines (including obsolete ones), and adapt/invent a model to work on the little machines. If you got to this file directly from my HOME PAGE, return there by using your browser's back button. BUT if you came to this file as the result of a web search engine, see many additional files on my home page Machining and Metalworking at Home http://www.janellestudio.com/metal/index.html SAFETY WARNING BEWARE: DO NOT ASSUME that any subject matter or procedure or process is safe or correct or appropriate just because it was mentioned in a news/user group or was included in these files or on this site or on any other web site or was published in a magazine or book or video. Working with metals and machinery and chemicals and electrical equipment is inherently dangerous. Wear safety devices and clothing as appropriate. Remove watches, rings, and jewellery -- and secure or remove loose clothing -- before operating any machine. Read, understand and follow the latest operating procedures and safety instructions provided by the manufacturer of your machine or tool or product. If you do not have those most recent official instructions, acquire a copy through the manufacturer before operating or using their product. Where the company no longer exists, use the appropriate news or user group to locate an official copy. Be careful -- original instructions may not meet current safety standards. Updated safety information and operating instructions may also be available through a local club, a local professional in the trade, a local business, or an appropriate government agency. In every case, use your common sense before beginning or taking the next step; and do not proceed if you have any questions or doubts about any procedure, or the safety of any procedure. Follow all laws and codes, and employ certified or licenced professionals as required by those laws or codes. Hazardous tasks beyond your competence or expertise should also be contracted to professionals. Let's be really careful out there. (c) Copyright 2003 - 2014 Machining and Metalworking at Home The form of the collected work in this text file (including editing, additions, and notes) is copyrighted and this file is not to be reproduced by any means, including electronic, without written permission except for strictly personal use. ========================================================================== Date: Fri, 13 Oct 2000 21:42:36 -0000 From: "Richard " Subject: Re: Diamond Toolholder Paul,Here are the angles used for the one shown, and I am sure they can be fine tuned. I will work on this and let you know the results. The tool bit leans forward at a 15 degree angle(the front edge of the block was cut at 15 degrees). The slots are all at 15 degrees which I think is the least amount that will allow facing cuts. The reason for two slots is you can cut right to left or the other direction. I use 1/8 inch HSS bits ground to look like a "diamond", not too scientific but it works for me. Richard ------- Date: Sat, 28 Oct 2000 19:39:21 -0000 From: "Richard " Subject: Re: Freeby toolholder was diamond toolholder The block dimensions are: 2 1/4" wide,7/8" high and 1 1/2" deep. The slots were cut on a miller with an end mill, but could just as well be cut using a slitting saw. When in use the holder must be mounted on the cross slide without the compound installed. The unsupported tool above the block will be about 5/16" high. Richard ------- Date: Thu, 09 Nov 2000 18:39:52 -0000 From: "Lawrence Keating" Subject: Re: interesting QC tool post [taigtools group] "Nicholas Carter and Felice Luftschein" wrote: > Did you see the picture of the one Laurie Keating made, that's up in my > pictures page? > > From: Tom Benedict > > I'm not looking at it so much as a $160 toolpost as I'm looking > > at it as a "that'd be neat to make" project. Look at the Zero-It > > indicator holders. New those things cost quite a bit. I used the plans from the Houston Metal Shop Club website to build my "Zero-It" type Indicator Holder (http://web.wt.net/~hmsc/indhold/hldr1.htm). Good plans and pretty straight forward to build. Hey - if I can do it, anybody can do it! As for tool holders, I'm just working on a holder of my own design (I saw the concept in an English magazine - Model Engineer's Workshop I believe). I'm using a 1" dia x 2" long steel bar as a post. It has a 13/64" dia hole thru the middle for a 10-32 UNF clamping bolt. The bottom has a 3/4" dia x 1/64 deep counterbore to ensure the post sits flush and solid on the cross slide. The tool holder is a 2" long x 1-1/2" wide x 1" thick aluminum block. I bored a 1" dia hole thru the middle so it will slide over the post. I will cut a vertical slot on one end thru to the bore and use a 10- 32 UNF bolt running from front to back to clamp the holder to the post. The other end will have a 1/4" wide x 9/32" deep slot to hold a 1/4" tool bit. Two 10-32 UNF cap screws will clamp the bit in place (same as the Taig toolholder). I will tap a 10-32 UNF hole vertically thru the holder to hold a height adjustment screw. I'll slightly round the end of the screw so it doesn't scratch up the cross slide - maybe even use a brass screw?? If the concept proves out, I'll make up a handful of holders and preset the heights for the different bits I use. All I have to do to swap bits is loosen the clamping screw on the holder, remove it, add the next holder, tighten it's clamping screw and make chips. The one drawback is that it does take a bit more space than the Taig tool holder. For the majority of my work, this probably won't be a problem. For the rest, I can use the Taig toolholder. It's hard to describe in words but if it works, I can probably post a couple of simple drawings. Hope to know if it works by the end of the weekend. ------- Date: Thu, 9 Nov 2000 14:06:17 -0800 From: "Nicholas Carter and Felice Luftschein" Subject: Re: Re: interesting QC tool post I made a toolpost like this for my Jet920, and found that getting the parting tool lined up was a slight pain, but the ability to also get a threading tool perfectly aligned was nice. I now have a KDK holder on my Jet and although I have it set so that when I pop in a parting tool it's at 90 deg, I have to loosen the body of the holder when aligning a threading tool (or a 90 deg. shoulder tool) Granted one doesn't need to align a threading tool on the Taig (except for Tony) but I think both designs have their advantages and disadvantages. On the one I built I had a washer/shoulder on the bottom of the post, that the height adjustment screw rode on - if I were to do it again I would make the shoulder of the screw top ride on the top of the post. ------- Date: Thu, 09 Nov 2000 18:35:15 -0500 From: Stan Stocker Subject: Re: Re: interesting QC tool post Randy is completely correct in this, but I'd like to dig in a bit more. Maybe we can come up with a generic Taig size lathe QCTP that addresses say 90% of our needs. No QC toolpost is repeatable with respect to the cutting edge - centerline distance across multiple tools unless all of the tools are installed with identical overhang, or the overhang measured for each holder and calculated into the settings, as in CNC applications - even if the rotation is restricted. A single tool is naturally repeatable (ignoring edge erosion/wear) if installed exactly the same, which is where the rotation issue comes in. Restricting rotational range also ensures that the cutting edge actually ends up on the centerline as a steeply ground tool will drift down as rotated out of the angle it was set on centerline with. Not an issue with most carbide tooling, but a real issue with certain HSS edge configurations. The main benefit for the person making one-off parts is skipping the shimming on each tool change. If you are making multiple parts by cutting to a series of dial settings using multiple tools to complete most or all of the work in a single chucking then the repeatability becomes a critical factor. In most non production uses, we reacquire the edge on each tool change anyway. Perhaps the drop on holders and the post base could have an alignment pin to provide this. Making the pin removable would allow it to be used as needed without limiting the ability to vary the angle of edge presentation. Using the Taig style toolposts you could restrict rotation by providing locating strips on the top of the cross slide. Actually a single strip and a stop rod would do it. Having the cut off and grooving tools always aligned would be sweet! I guess the way to cover all bases would be: 1) A tool post that always is mounted, or is referenced to two edges of the cross slide. 2) An optional alignment pin if the toolholders mount on a cylindrical post. 3) A small jig to allow quickly mounting all or at least most tools with identical overhang, which could also be built to set up centerline height in the toolholder, unless the toolholder will incorporate an adjustable stop for this as in the Aloris style toolposts. I think the adjustable stop is preferable, this way we don't even bother with shims. 4) As an alternative, don't allow any rotation and go with a wedge style GC. The Sakai style would be faster to build than the Aloris style I'd think. I don't think there would be room for a lockable pivot plus the wedge style post plus the toolholder on a Taig size lathe, although you could easily fit this on a 9x20 or larger if you removed the compound and used the toolpost instead of the compound. This would make screw cutting a pain though. I'll look into this, perhaps there is a way to do a Sakai style with a lockable pivot in a Taig size. 5) No matter what - it's got to be RIGID. I've messed with enough lathes that flex like overcooked spaghetti, my Jet BD920N compound is a source of chatter on heavy cuts. Darn - now you all have given me another project to tinker with! I'll never finish the current mill engine at this rate :-) Stan. ------- Date: Thu, 09 Nov 2000 23:24:20 -0500 From: Stan Stocker Subject: Re: Re: interesting QC tool post Paul and group; I think you're right about winter coming on! There are a number of QCTPs that exist for the lathe, but the original Taig TP is so easy to change and so cheap the motivation just isn't there for me if the only result is quickly changing tools. If I have to deal with a cap screw simply to change holders anyway, using the default style holders seemed OK to me - UNTIL TODAY (ominous sound track rises from back of theater...theme from "Jaws" seems to be coming from the garage...) I'd looked at Lawrence Keatings very nice tool post in the files area, Nick Carter's nice holders, as well as a number of toolpost drawings at several sites. They all look good, the temptation to build one was there, but I'm conditioned to a four way or an Aloris style. I might even knock out a quick and dirty four way on a base for the Taig just to try it out, perhaps a prototype in aluminum. I really don't like 4 way holders - too many sharp tips hanging out in mid-air where fingers and forearms can get poked or sliced - I'm just used to them. ;-( The mention of rotation in Randy Gordon-Gilmores' comment to Lawrence Keatings' post got me thinking about a real TP that would provide the benefits of an Aloris style in a Taig size. Zero shift of toolbit centerline from holder to holder, solid chatter free mounting, NO shims, easy setting of cutting edge to centerline, and a variety of tool holder styles, including a diamond style on an interchangeable mount, without giving BayCom $100. I just made some measurements and have some thoughts: The height from the top of the cross slide to the bottom of a shimmed 1/4 in. toolbit is about 0.988. The Taig toolpost is about 1 inch square by 1.75 inches high. The base of a new QCTP doesn't have to be mounted with a single screw, in fact mounting it to the tee slots at several points would likely be a good idea. The upright column could be located between the tee slots, secured to a base plate around 1/4 inch thick. The base could even be keyed to the tee slots, as some mill vises and fixtures are. The column could be about 1.5 inches high. A clamping dovetail style body could then mount to the column, and be clamped on. This could be a cap screw/handle tightening down into the column, or a clamp on via slit body, either would work. I'm leaning towards clamping the body down via a top cap screw/washer arrangement, this would leave both sides for the toolpost body free for female dovetails. This would allow the tool post QC mechanism to be locked in place without optional keys/pins/whatever as suggested in my original post. When needed the clamping body of the QCTP could be loosened and rotated. The tool holders would be about 1X1X1.5 with a male dovetail, clamped by a tightening female dovetail as in the Sakai tool posts. The individual tool holders would have height setting screws that would bear against the top of the wedge body - say good-bye to beer can shims, sharp edged brass strips, all the rest of the shimming junk. Tool holder blanks could be made in quantity, by cutting the male dovetail on a long piece of bar stock, then cutting the blanks to length and finishing them. This is just a thought experiment so far, but one possible problem would be getting a mounting point for tool holders on the clamp body to support boring tools at the front without the extra meat needed interfering with the maximum swing of the lathe in its as delivered configuration when a tool holder is mounted on the side as for normal turning tasks. This might reintroduce the locating pin idea, not to the tool holder, but from the column base to the toolpost body. This would allow the toolpost to be removed, a boring bar holder clamped to the column in its place, then the tool post could be accurately remounted. A bolt on boring bar holder is another scenario - I can visualize it -an "L" shaped hunk that is cap screwed to the clamp front and wraps around the tail stock side of the TP body, but it just doesn't feel elegant - it feels like a kludge. If a locating pin is needed, I think a vertical pin would be the simplest and easiest approach. A keyway might be better, but would require a broach - pricey if you don't have one in the correct size, even more pricey if you need the press as well. The goal here is to come up with a design we all could replicate, although I'm thinking a mill will be needed, or at a minimum a milling attachment for the lathe. Yes, there are other ways to broach a keyway - jigsaw blades in guides, ramming a toolbit through the bore - I've done them all, and when time came to make pulleys for the old SB13, I bought broaches and guides. Doing internal broaching in steel, particularly long internal keyways, just doesn't work well for me with cobbled together methods. In this size, I like the clamping dovetail approach of the Sakai better than the plunger approach of the Phase II QCTPs or the expanding dovetail/wedge approach as used by Aloris. The JET uses a spring loaded pawl to provide locating when you spin the 4 way toolpost. It seems the pawl is never in the right place, is hard enough it roughs up the bottom of the tool holder itself, and it seems I always want to rotate the toolpost just the way the pawl (which can rotate) has oriented itself to prevent. Your spring loaded ball/detent approach would not be a locking locator (but I think it would provide locating just fine - good thought!), and certainly would reduce and/or eliminate the other problems. I'm going to take a closer look at the QCTP at the Houston clubs site, George Carlson drew up a nice one for larger lathes, and look at Nick's holder drawings again. No doubt some good ideas to be had from both of these sources. If you see something I've overlooked so far, please let me know. It seems several of us are getting interested in this little project - between us we may just come up with a winner. Oh well - back to jamming code, there's a deadline on the horizon! Stan. ------- Date: Mon, 27 Nov 2000 19:55:38 -0000 From: dmockx~xxclarion.edu Subject: Re: lathe question - (Compound slipping) > also, has anyone made a compound slide for their Taig? > >>Taig makes a compond for the Taig Lathe, I have not had too much luck > with fitting the compound to the table or holding it securely even tho > Taig states to use a piece of paper under it, it seems not a > good fit, but does make a nice addition to the drilling tailstock. Chris: Used to have problems also with the compound slipping. Now I use a spare tool holder on the cross slide placed next to the compound slide to steady things. No more slipping. Don ------- Date: Fri, 01 Dec 2000 18:27:42 -0000 From: "Lawrence Keating" Subject: Re: Quick Change Tool Post Drawings "Robin " wrote: > Hey Lawrence, > Nice design. I have a concern though. There's no way to keep the > orientation of the tool after it's removed. Perhaps this isn't a > major problem, but for those doing some type of small production > work, it would be helpful to be able to drop your tool in the exact > same position after removing it. A valid point for anyone doing production type work. However, most of my stuff (at least right now) is one-off so I kept it as simple as possible. Besides which, it never even crossed my mind!! ;) > Also, I'm wondering if it's such a great idea to make the tool holder out of aluminum. Because the tool holder will have to be clamped repeatedly, perhaps it should be made of steel to prevent the threads from failing too quickly. Taig uses threaded holes in several of their aluminum components that get used frequently but don't seem to give any problems eg. tailstock, milling vise, etc. As long as one doesn't start using a Johnson bar to tighten the clamp, it should work fine. A little lubricant on the threads will help prevent any galling. > All those things aside, I think you really hit a good idea. The ease > of manufacturing coupled with the ease of use is brilliant. Not that > I'm particularly well-versed in the world of QC toolposts, but I must > say I've never seen anything like your design. Actually, the idea for this design came from a back issue of Model Engineer's Workshop (British magazine). The article described making a similar QC tool post for a Myford. When I saw it, the ol' light bulb went "Click". > And one tiny thing about your drawing :) It doesn't say the height of > the aluminum tool holder. I'm assuming it's 1"? Aaargh!!! I don't know how many times I looked at the drawings - and still missed a dimension! Yes - 1" is the correct value. I've uploaded a new detail drawing that shows the dimension. In my old design/drafting days, we always checked other people's drawings, never our own. Now I know why!:) ------- Date: Fri, 26 Jan 2001 06:14:03 -0800 From: Mark Fraser Subject: Cutoff Tool Holder I bought a Sherline lathe from Cardinal Engineering years ago, and Roland (I assume) had made a great holder. Block of Al, shallow recess in side for cutoff blade, slot from center of that across block about 3/4 of the way, hole down center for hex cap screw mating with Tnut. Keep your eyes open for carbide tipped saw blades - the thinner the better, and probably the smaller the teeth, the better, cutoff blades can be easily "removed" from the sawblade using Dremel cutoff disks. If you have a green grinding wheel, give the carbide tip some relief (narrower away from the cutting tip). The top of the Al. block flexes just enough to grip the blade. I think Roland may have "sort of" cut a bit of a dovetail into the groove for the blade, but can't remember. Just my $0.0154 (about 2 cents Canadian) Mark ------- Date: Tue, 30 Jan 2001 23:49:31 -0500 From: Stan Stocker Subject: Re: Plastools Indexable insert holder Maury Grudza wrote: >> I just purchased an insert tool holder fabricated by Plastools Co. at the Cabin Fever Show last weekend. The tool is designed to hold TNMG-222 inserts for the Taig and Sherline lathes. The tool holder presents the insert with both negative back and side rake angles. At the show a gentlemen demonstrated the use of the tool on a Sherline, and it worked fine. My attempts with it have been less desirable. Does anybody have any experience with this tool holder on a Taig. Your help is greatly appreciated. Maury: I can't verify the performance of these cutters on the Taig, although I was quite surprised to see them specifying 222 series inserts for machines this small, I'd think 221 would be more appropriate, at least for use on steel. I purchased one of these toolholders (right hand, not the turn and face - much of my work includes working to a shoulder) in 1/2 inch size at Cabin Fever and just tried it on some one inch 1018 and also on some 3/4 inch drill rod. The finish quality was on par with that provided by TPMM 321 inserts on standard holders, giving nice long spiral cuttings. This was on the 9x20 in my shop, running 1000 RPM, with a power feed rate of 0.005 per revolution. Cut depths from 30 thou to 2 thou were tested. I was able to take a pass with a 60 thou depth of cut with the plastool holder and get a good cut, cuts this deep with a TPMM series insert in a standard holder often trash the insert. All test cuts were done dry. If you are new to using carbide, be aware that carbide cuts best when it is cutting, not rubbing. It likes to cut fast and HOT. If the swarf is not coming off smoking and blue you're cutting too slow in most cases. I have used some brazed carbide with small radius tips (about a 221 equivalent I guess) with good results, but feeding it hard enough on the Taig can be a problem. Most work on the Taig is done with M2, 5% cobalt or 10% cobalt 1/4 inch tooling ground to shape and honed. Be sure you have the cutting tip on centerline, if it is above or too far below the results will stink. I'd suggest chucking up a piece of 1 inch steel, setting the speed to 1000 to 1500 RPM and cutting hard, with about a 5 thou depth of cut. Keep your tool overhang as minimal as you can and play around with the feed rate. Some steels cut gummy, they are a real pain. Use a nice cutting steel for these tests, preferably a non leaded steel so you can get long enough cuttings to judge the cut well. Hopefully tomorrow I'll get a chance to test the toolholder on the 13 inch SB, I'm in the midst of grinding the chuck jaws on this lathe at the moment, so it is out of commision for a day or so. Stan ------- Date: Fri, 25 May 2001 08:39:11 -0700 From: "Nicholas Carter and Felice Luftschein" Subject: Re: 3/8 toolpost? [MODIFYING CURRENT TOOLHOLDER ON TAIG LATHE TO USE 3/8 INCH BITS] You won't really be able to utilize the full cutting width that a 3/8" bit affords, but if you have a bunch of 3/8" bits, then sure, use them. They take a lot longer to grind though. Also you may end up hitting the center clamp hole of the toolpost. I guess what I'm saying is that you can, but you probably shouldn't. http://www.cartertools.com/nfhome.html ------- Date: Fri, 25 May 2001 18:24:46 -0000 From: atkinonx~xxhotmail.com Subject: Re: 3/8 toolpost? The 3/8" tool post can still be used to hold 1/4" bits. The Taig tool posts are cheap enough that you could buy and modify as needed. I myself have seven front and two back tool posts all configured differently. Big Chips! Forrest ------- Date: Sat, 16 Feb 2002 02:26:49 EST From: tadici283x~xxcs.com Subject: Re: of compounds, quick change tool holders and elevated headstocks In a message dated 2/15/2002, stevejacksonx~xxbigfoot.com writes: > I would like to add a compound and a quick change tool holder. > Has anyone done this? I seems that one would have to elevate the > headstock to compensate for the combined increase in tool height > from the compound and the tool post. Thanks Steve Taig makes a nice compound, although mine went into my Tailstock project that I talked about a long time ago, I could not find enough use for it, and due to the fact that I need slow and sensitive drilling I placed it into my Taig tailstock for a crank feed and standard plunge feed that came with the Tailstock this lead to 3 1/2 inches of drilling movement. As far as a quick change tool holders, Taig makes tool holders that are inexpensive to purchase and it is just as easy to mount your favorite tools and just switch the whole tool holder so that shimming is already done, many of us have made our own tool holders, I have made one for 3/8 tooling due to the fact that I have hundreds of 3/8 inches tools, sort of "don't raise the bridge, lower the river". If you do make one of these tool holders, I can pass on a good tip, when you mill out the grove for the tool bit make it larger in both directions up and down and then drill and tap 6 holes on the under side along the milled out area, then place six set screws and you can adjust the height of the tool bit and never have to shim again. I have been using this system for 20 years with good results; my tool holder is a boring bar holder reversible combo and is approx. one and one half inches long. Anyway just a thought. Best Regards, Chris DiCintio Bradenton FLA ------- Date: Wed, 27 Mar 2002 03:12:26 -0000 From: "toddfoh" Subject: 3/8" toolholder experiment results I just finished an experiment making 3/8" toolholders from blank arbors. I started by benchmarking my Taig lathe and Taig mill with my test indicator. This is a -.015/0/+.015 indicator with .0005 resolution. For readings just above or below a line, I use the convention of "+" or "-" following the reading. For example, .0015+ means the needle read higher than .0015, but less than halfway to .0020. My recording scheme would go: .0000, .0000+, .0005-, .0005, .0005+, and so on... I measured the runout of three surfaces on the lathe and mill spindles: the OD of the register, the ID of the 30 deg taper, the face of the shoulder above the register where the blank arbor seats. register taper shoulder mill .0005- .0005- .0005 lathe .0000+ .0000+ .0005 This shows that both the mill and lathe are pretty darn good as far as their reference features go. First I wanted to try making a holder by just drilling and reaming. My sequence of operations is as follows: - prepare the blank arbor with wrench flats and tapped #10-32 cross hole - center drill - drill 1/4" - drill 31/64" - ream .375 I measured the runout in the resulting bore to be .0015. I then installed a cutter and measured the runout on the exposed shank to be .0015. Next I removed the arbor from the lathe and installed it on the mill. The runout on the exposed cutter shank was .0025. I deemed this to be unacceptable. Second, I prepared five blank arbors with: - wrench flats and cross holes - center drill - drill 5/32" - drill 11/32" - bore to .368" I removed the arobor and did the same on the next until they were all done. Then I reinstalled the first, measured the bored ID, reamed to .375, took measurements and moved to the next. Here are the results: bore ream shank on mill #1 .0005 .0005 .001 .0015+ #2 .0005 .001 .0005 .002 #3 .0005 .001- .001- .0015 #4 .0005 .002+ #5 .0005 .002+ Things to note: - Boring gives great runout. If you can manage to hold the ID, just boring alone would be best. Getting that ID just right without going oversize is tough though. - Moving from the lathe spindle to the mill spindle can really mess things up. - Something happened when I reamed the last two arbors that really messed up the reaming operation. I'm not totally sure what it was. I suspect that the OD's were off with respect to the register, and that threw them out of balance. I cannot prove this, however. In the future I will include a "turn to consistant OD" step as part of the early preparation. Hopefully this raw data will be helpful to someone out there. #4 and #5 were not wasted. I opened #4 out to be a 1/2" toolholder. #5 became a holder for a centerfinder that was just over .375" OD. Both of these were bored to size. I now have 5 or 6 crappy 3/8" blank arbors that these replaced. The old ones will become 1/2" tool holders, or whatever else comes along. Todd F. ------- Date: Wed, 27 Mar 2002 02:15:02 -0500 From: wmbrady Subject: Re: 3/8" toolholder experiment results toddfoh Wrote: >I just finished an experiment making 3/8" toolholders from blank arbors. Thanks Todd, very useful information. I had already come to two conclusions that you verified: 1. the arbors must be dedicated to a particular spindle. 2. the blank arbors need to be turned and faced on that spindle as an initial step. I also came to the conclusion that for best accuracy, use collets when possible. Wm. "Bill" Brady, Harwood MD 38°51'30"N 76°41'00"W ------- Date: Sat, 11 May 2002 19:45:48 -0000 From: "tomrobinett" Subject: sherline end mill holder I bought a Sherline 3/8 end mill holder for mt taig end mill from some post that i have read on here. the problem I have is that it does not run true there is enough that it is noticable to my eye. the holder just screws on to the shaft correct? also i bought some 3/8 end mills from enco and was suprised when the double ended mill would not slide up inside the shaft enough to lock the set screw down on the flat. is there something wrong wwith the holder or my mill or just me? any help is appreciated. thanks tom ------- Date: Sun, 12 May 2002 00:30:40 -0500 From: "Don Feinberg" Subject: Re: sherline end mill holder Yes, the Sherline just screws up on to the Taig's arbor. But, because the clearance inside the Taig spindle is less than 3/8, when you put a 3/8 endmill into it, you have a choice: 1) Before putting the Sherline arbor onto the mill's arbor, install the endmill and tighten down on the flat. Then run the Sherline onto the Taig spindle as far as it will go -- tighten and use. 2) Run the Sherline up all the way on the Taig arbor -- insert the endmill as far as possible. However, you won't be able to tighten the screw down on the flat -- the endmill won't be far enough "into" the holder. Either way works. I've tried both, and I use method (1) above. It works fine for me. And, on my mill, the runout of the Sherline is less than 0.001". Don Feinberg ------- Date: Sun, 12 May 2002 13:35:32 -0000 From: "n3xve" Subject: Re: sherline end mill holder > I bought a Sherline 3/8 end mill holder for mt taig end mill I can't speak for the Sherline endmill holder but I have had a similar experience with the inexpensive end mills from Enco. I made my own end mill holder from a Taig blank arbor drilled and reamed to 3/8". Most of the end mills I use fit nicely with a "suction" fit but occasionally I get some of the cheap end mills that just don't fit. I've also had one double end mill that didn't fit in one direction but did in the other. Enco is pretty good about replacing defective parts - I had one double end mill that somehow missed being ground on one end. They replaced it no questions asked. Ed ------- Date: Sun, 12 May 2002 19:43:01 -0400 From: "Carol & Jerry Jankura" Subject: RE: sherline end mill holder The Sherline mill spindle is about 0.1 inches shorter than the Taig. You'll have to make a spacer to fit between the mill holder and the end of your spindle so the Sherline holder can register against something that is solid. When Using the Taig arbors on my Sherline tools, I remove about 0.1 inches and everything works well.. As far as double ended mills, most likely the Taig has a smaller internal bore than the Sherline tools, so you may be stuck using single ended tooling. Jerry ------- Date: Mon, 13 May 2002 08:34:57 -0400 From: Ken Jenkins Subject: Re: Sherline endmill holder > Run the Sherline up all the way on the Taig arbor > -- insert the endmill as far as possible. However, you won't be able > to tighten the screw down on the flat Before putting the endmill into the holder paint it with some tool bluing. Insert as far as possible and tighten down the set screw. Now remove it. You should be able to see where the screw contacted the endmill. Grind your own flat with dremel or other such grinding arrangement. Repeat with the other end of the endmill. Or skip the bluing step and just tape the endmill at the holder opening once inserted and set and measure from the tape to the set-screw. Now remove and use the measurement from the tape to the set-screw location to locate your flat. Ken Jenkins ------- Date: Tue, 04 Mar 2003 04:26:14 -0000 From: "rmteo12 " Subject: Quick Change Toolpost set for Sherline Lathes Available for Sherline, Taig, Atlas (6x18) and import 7x10/12 lathes. All holders are height adjustable (no shims required). Set comprises Quick Change Toolpost, 2 turning holders and a boring bar holder. Optional Cut-off holder available. http://www.home.earthlink.net/~rmteo/_wsn/page2.html TS ENGINEERING INC. 1329 Sherman Drive Longmont, CO 80501 (720) 652-9140 ------- Date: Tue, 04 Mar 2003 04:57:06 -0000 From: "Les_Grenz " Subject: Re: Quick Change Toolpost set for Sherline Lathes I recently acquired one of these for my Sherline lathe. Of all the accessories I have for the Sherline this QCTP is the handiest of all. Les http://www.lesgrenz.homestead.com/homepage.html ------- Date: Tue, 4 Mar 2003 01:28:50 -0800 (PST) From: Tony Crowe Subject: Re: Quick Change Toolpost set for Taig Lathes Looks nice bit of an overkill for a taig. A lot cheaper just to have lots of taig tools posts. I have 7 and they are very quick to change over. ------- Date: Tue, 04 Mar 2003 09:44:53 +0000 From: Tony Jeffree Subject: Re: Quick Change Toolpost set for Taig Lathes Absolutely. You can get a bunch of Taig toolposts for the price of a QC post, then you can keep all of your tools ready shimmed to height in their own post. Regards, Tony ------- Date: 04 Mar 2003 19:59:25 +0900 From: Mark Thomas Subject: Re: Quick Change Toolpost set for Taig Lathes I don't think it's overkill, it depends on your approach to using the lathe. I've also gone the way of multiple tool posts in the past, all shimmed correctly, I've also built some rocker tool posts out of Taig posts, however, a QC tool post offers another convenience which can't be ignored. Once you set up a tool in its holder, you not only eliminate the need for shims you also know exactly how far the tool projects on the axis. Originally I thought that it would mostly be a help under CNC conditions (which it is), however I find now since I have built mine that the advantage of having a left hand, a right hand, and a center tool (for example)all set up for not only proper cutting height but also set up for the same depth of cut is an incredible time saver even when machining by hand. I don't need to worry about positioning the tool post itself on each tool change. As long as the post itself stays anchored on the cross side I know exactly where each tool will be once mounted. I'm not writing this to endorse any commercial product, as I've said, I've built my own, and am now about a third of the way through describing the procedure for building one on my web site. If I compare cost, the materials are much less than what I have spent on the multiple Taig posts in the past. Custom holders are simple to make for the QCTP, the boring bar holder I made for the post took less than 30 minutes, the stand alone boring bar holder I made originally took probably half a day. My feeling right now is that it is the singular most productive tool I have made to date for the lathe. One of the big advantages is that I can now spend more time cutting and much less time setting things up, that for me is important as I don't have nearly enough time to cut metal as I'd like to. So make one, buy one, I think it's a valuable addition. Cheers, Mark http://home.inter.net/mthomas/quick_change_tool_post.htm ------- Date: Tue, 04 Mar 2003 11:30:43 +0000 From: Tony Jeffree Subject: Re: Quick Change Toolpost set for Taig Lathes >ignored. Once you set up a tool in its holder, you not only eliminate >the need for shims you also know exactly how far the tool projects on >the axis. I take your point - that is an advantage. Maybe I'll get around to it one day ... Regards, Tony ------- Date: Tue, 4 Mar 2003 10:29:04 -1000 (HST) From: Tom Benedict Subject: Re: Quick Change Toolpost set for Taig Lathes The one big advantage a QC toolpost has over the "lotsa Taig toolposts" approach is that you can set tool height, and position. Swapping tools and swapping back means the original tool goes right back to its original position. Not a big deal on a manual lathe, but it gets to be a big deal on a CNC lathe. Tom ------- Date: Fri, 02 Jan 2004 15:23:50 -0000 From: "Chet R Biggerstaff" Subject: Tool post holds tools about an 1/8th" to low? I was given a Taig lathe for Xmas and I put it together but the tool post is WAY below the center of the axis. It does not matter which way I put the tool in, the post is still about a little less than 1/8" below center axis. What is going on? What would cause the tool to be so low? How can I fix? Thanks ------- Date: Fri, 02 Jan 2004 15:37:52 +0000 From: Tony Jeffree Subject: Re: Tool post holds tools about an 1/8th" to low? You will need to pack shims of a suitable thickness under the tool to raise the cutting edge to centre height. This is a normal procedure for lathes that do not have adjustable toolposts. The toolposts are pretty cheap, so it is worth getting some spares so that you can avoid having to mess with the shims every time you change tools. Also, worth storing each tool with its set of shims so that you don't have to work it out each time. The shims go under the tool, in the slot in the toolpost, not under the toolpost. The shims should be the same width as the tools (probably 1/4" in your case) and about an inch long. Cut them from whatever you have to hand that is of a suitable thickness - you can buy purpose made "shim stock" but that can be expensive; try strips of aluminium from Coke cans, thin brass sheet sold for model making, heavy gauge aluminium foil, thin sheet steel ... whatever you have available. The thinner stuff will cut nicely with heavy scissors/light tin snips. You know when the tool is on centre height - a facing cut across the end of a piece of bar stock will leave no "pip" in the centre. If it leaves a pip, measure the pip diameter with a micrometer; half the measured diameter tells you the thickness of the shim to add. Regards, Tony ------- Date: Fri, 2 Jan 2004 10:15:58 -0700 From: "Roger V. Petrella Jr." Subject: Re: Tool post holds tools about an 1/8th" to low? One of the best sources of cheap shims is to get sets of automotive feeler gauges from Harbor Freight or Enco when they are on sale. Just disassemble the set and you have a pile of leaves marked with the thickness. A pair of those cheap, cut pennies in half scissors (obtained from the same sources) will cut them to any size you want. I bought several sets the last time I saw them on sale. Roger Petrella Franktown, CO ------- Date: Fri, 02 Jan 2004 21:00:42 -0000 From: "Art" Subject: Re: Tool post holds tools about an 1/8th" to low? If you go to a tool store and find a counterman with a little gray hair showing, he may remember when engines had ignition points. Ask him for an "ignition point guage" and it should have blades 1/4" wide and aprox 1 3/4" long. As well as being better material than tin or brass, they will be marked as to thickness and have a hole in one end to hang on a nail, put on a wire loop or just leave in the original holder until needed. You may have to find a Snap-on, Mac Tool or other non import tool dealer, and pay a little more but it's well worth it in the long run. The home made ones will do the same job, the choice is yours. Art ------- NOTE TO FILE: Wondering how this file just got a 2005 date when the last message was in 2004? Just moved some older messages regarding Taig/ Sherline toolholders here. They had been buried in other files. Also, I sometimes clean up a file of obsolete information and tighten the format to read or print better. Not fun, but there are rainy days. ------- Date: Tue, 17 May 2005 19:15:26 -0600 From: "Tim Goldstein" Subject: Re: Re: Report on Modification to TS Engineering QCTP for Taig >>I guess I have been on another planet, but is the AtoZ QCTP the same as the TS Engineering QCTP I already have? The messages seem to use the names interchangeably.<< No, they are made by different companies. The A2Z CNC version is quite similar with some design refinements that allow us to offer the deluxe hard anodized version at a retail price of $75.00 versus the TS version with a retail of $105 for the Taig model. Contrary to Derek's (the new owner of the TS tool post line) insinuation you will find our quality to be as good or better than the TS version. We also occasionally offer a non-anodized silver version on E-Bay for $49.99. We make our products on brand new Haas CNC equipment in our own facility and the tool posts are machined form billet 6061 T651 aluminum. In addition to the tool posts we are rapidly expanding the line to include other machine accessories. One that has raised some interest is an end mill holder for Taig and a corresponding version for Sherline that have a 7/8" hex on them to allow easy removal. Other than bagging them I now have 3/8" and 1/2" for Taig in stock as well as 3/8" for Sherline. Just as a point of interest, these are not machined from hex stock. They are produced from 1" round stock and the hex is cut on with live tooling on the lathe. You can get details as well as place orders on our site. Tim A2Z CNC 1530 W Tufts Ave Unit B Englewood CO 80110 timx~xxA2ZCNC.com www.A2ZCNC.com USA made accessories for desktop mills & lathes. Specialized tools for the jewelry industry. ------- Date: Thu, 19 May 2005 16:01:02 -0600 From: "Tim Goldstein" Subject: Re: Re: Report on Modification to TS Engineering QCTP for Taig >> I would be getting the same problem associated with the other various models of the QC toolpost of similar design; namely the twisting under load problem which has been known for as long as I've been seeing them. Yet, not one design that I've come across has addressed this often cited shortcoming of the design.<< Lynn: Design and production are very interesting things and sometimes hard to understand when looking at a single application. My experience with the twisting problem is that it only occurs when you are locking and unlocking a tool and not when you are actually cutting. Others may have had different experience, but that is mine. Secondly, the problem is limited to primarily the small mounting bolts which means Taig and Sherline. On a Sherline the T-nut for the tool post is a special unit with a very long thread length. On that unit you can actually tighten it enough to eliminate the twisting. You do have to be careful as a little too tight and you can crack the t part of the nut. Taigs on the other hand have very little thread engagement on the t-nut and the nut and/or bolt will strip before you can really tighten it down. So, the problem is really related to just Taig installations. Of course if you own a Taig it is considered a huge problem. But in the realm of things, Taig installations are a small portion of the sales base for this product. The #1 seller is with a 10mm bolt for the 7 X crowd and they don't have a rotation problem. Another consideration is that there are some relatively simple methods to eliminate the problem with the current design. One of the simplest that is also very effective is copy paper shims between the post and spacer and then the spacer and the bed. The paper engages the surfaces and make it quite slip free. So now the problem is down to the point where a decision has to be made as to whether a change that would increase the production cost and selling price and only be appreciated by a tiny number of consumers would be beneficial or not for the product as a whole. At this point my decision has been that the lower $75 price point we are at is more beneficial for the product as a whole. But with all this said, I will look into the possibility of making the spacer have holes for 2 t-nuts and then use a larger bolt to attach the toolpost to the spacer. Mounting kits with larger bolts are already something we have for other machines and making a specialized Taig spacer with additional machining may be low enough in additional cost that we can amortize it across the range and not affect any pricing. Hummmm...... Just as a point of interest, Taig itself has become an A2Z CNC dealer and is adding my toolpost to their product line soon. Their initial shipment just went out to them. If any others are interested in becoming a dealer contact me directly. Our requirements are easy to meet if you are in the reselling business and hard if you are not. Thanks for the input. It is invaluable for development. Tim A2Z CNC 1530 W Tufts Ave Unit B Englewood CO 80110 timx~xxA2ZCNC.com www.A2ZCNC.com ------- Date: Fri, 30 Sep 2005 21:00:00 -0500 From: "otisnwoox~xxcavtel.net" Subject: Re: Tool Posts [taigtools] > Since we are on the subject of tool posts, and fairly > expensive ones that somehow got cheaper practically > overnight. I've been looking at the diamond tool holder > at Bay-com, and wondering if it's worth the money. > Does anybody have one of these? What do you think of it? Martin Hello: Worth the money? That depends on whether you dislike grinding tools or not. I've had one of these for a few years now and I can say that I like using it since sharpening it is really easy. You just fit the bit into the little jig they include with it and apply it to the grinder the way shown in the illustrations that come with it. Then, if you want, you can hone the edge on a stone if you like, but the bit will still cut really well even if you don't hone it. It won't do anything that a properly ground SET of HSS tools WON'T do". [Author amended this sentence to this current wording in a later post.] But it does substitute for several HSS tools (including threading) and unlike most tools that are designed to perform more than one function, this is the only one that will do most of them well. Oh, and the other advantage to this tool is that, if it SHOULD dig into the work, the bit will slide down through the holder and do no further damage. Curtis ------- Date: Sat, 01 Oct 2005 04:29:39 -0000 From: "crackerfactory03" Subject: Re: Tool Posts "Lynn Livingston" wrote: > Does this mean you spend a lot of time grinding bits for the diamond > toolholder, or that you spend less time grinding bits for the > diamond toolholder? Lynn, it means you spend less time grinding toolbits. You are essentially grinding only one toolbit to do the same work that you would need three or four differently ground tool bits to do. It also means that you do not need to have much skill in shaping bits with a bench grinder, so people who are new to machining can get right to "making chips". That one bit that you grind with the jig they provide can turn work either toward the headstock or the tailstock. To do this with conventional toolbits requires a "right hand" cutting tool and a left hand cutting tool. You also do facing work with the same tool. This "Diamond Toolholder", though it is very versatile and useful, is really only a very old idea recycled. It has been done in the past -- instead of the toolbit being held horizontally, it is held vertically in this special holder, and the angle at which it is held by this toolholder gives it the correct rake and clearances needed to cut steel (or whatever). Somewhere on my hard drive I have a picture of another toolholder that uses the same principles and holds the toolbit vertically, and this toolholder is made to fit a QCTP type toolpost. As far as limitations resulting rom the use of this type of toolholder goes -- I haven't found any. And as a matter of fact, because of its "geometry", it makes it easier to get in close to the tailstock when turning between centers. You have to actually see it to appreciate it. And yes, it is very rigid. And for whatever reason (I can't explain it) it SEEMS TO ME (I want to emphasize the subjective nature of this observation) that the toolbit used in this holder holds its edge longer than a conventional HSS toolbit. You can go ahead and laugh now, but it seems so to me! Curtis ------- Re: Height of the tool [taigtools] Posted by: "Clive Foster" clive_fosterx~xxtalk21.com Date: Sun Oct 28, 2007 7:47 am ((PDT)) Alternatively it's worth considering making up a set of block toolposts so you can have all your tools pre-loaded and pre-set to centre height before mounting on the lathe. Messing about with shims to get on centre is a PIA at the best of times and always distracting mid job when changing tools. I know that some people strap the required shim set to each tool but .... If you have a decent drill along with the requisite taps and counterbores or countersinks, it's pretty easy to make a two slot block type toolpost from three pieces of stock material. A square plate top and bottom with a thicker rectangular lump in between. Two counter-sunk or caphead screws each side will hold it together just fine. The clamp bolt also helps and I'd use structural adhesive too. Top wants to be 3/8 (ish) to give enough meat for the tool clamp bolts, bottom whatever suits your set of tools with minimal shimming. In the UK you can get plastic shimming with the various thickensses colour coded which is much easier than sorting though a mixed stack of thin metal bits. A height setting gauge can be made from a straight edge pivoted on a post such that it lies horizontal when the cutting edge of tool correctly mounted in the toolpost is slid underneath close to the pivot. Could use a plain bar with a mark at the correct height for indication purposes or a ruler and arrange the distances so the graduations correspond to shim thicknesses. Obviously the pivot post and reference need to be on a flat bit of plate with a marked place for the toolpost to go when checking. Easy enough to arrange some lever multiplication. Say 10 times then 1 mm = 4 thou. Alternatively simply measuring against a rule in a rule holder using an eyeglass should be near enuf. QC toolposts are great but work best when you have enough holders to keep all your tools loaded and ready to go. Which can add up a bit pricy. As always, it's a matter of deciding which way is most useful to you and gives the bang for your buck! HTH Clive ------- Source for 3/8" boring bar holder tool post? [taigtools] Posted by: "David Carter" davidx~xxcarter.net Date: Tue Jan 13, 2009 10:52 am ((PST)) I'm looking for a commercial source for a 3/8" boring bar holder tool post for the Taig lathe. I've looked around online, and the only things I've found are the various makes of QCTP (which take up too much space on the Taig), and plans for making your own. I'd really like to just buy one, if possible. Any suggestions? Thanks! ------- Re: Source for 3/8" boring bar holder tool post? Posted by: "Pierre Coueffin" pcoueffinx~xxgmail.com Date: Tue Jan 13, 2009 3:30 pm ((PST)) Get an extra taig toolpost, mount it on the cross-slide. Mount a 3/8" drillbit in the headstock. Use it to drill a hole in your toolpost. You now have a 3/8" hole that is centered vertically on your headstock. Turn the toolpost 90 degrees and drill and tap it for a couple of grub screws to hold the bar so it won't turn. You could drill the 3/8" hole undersize and ream to size. I did one close to this for my Sherline lathe. I opted to mount a piece of scrap aluminum in a toolpost, and put the holes in the end of that bar, since I wanted to reach about an inch deeper into the hole than my boring bar would otherwise go. I did not bother to ream the hole, since my boring bar was 1/4", I just used a nice stiff centerdrill. ------- Re: Source for 3/8" boring bar holder tool post? Posted by: "David Carter" davidx~xxcarter.net Date: Wed Jan 14, 2009 8:08 am ((PST)) Doesn't appear that there is room in the std Taig post to do this. The post is 1" square, the center hole for the hold-down bolt is approx. 0.2", so there's only 0.4" to either side. Taking a 0.375" hole out of that seems to leave some pretty thin walls? I think I'll find some 1" x 1.5" bar stock & fabricate one per the plans on Nick Carter's site. Thanks for the suggestion! ------- Re: Source for 3/8" boring bar holder tool post? Posted by: "n2562001" jlkiefferx~xxcharter.net Date: Wed Jan 14, 2009 9:49 am ((PST)) David: I would certainly agree with your comments on QCTP for small lathes such as Taig. I doubt what you are looking for actually exists. One option would be to purchase a Sherline P/N 7600 tool post already designed for this application. http://www.sherline.com/7600pg.htm It would only require a .295" X 1.250" round spacer with a .230" center hole for mounting on a standard Taig lathe. You would also need a 1.3125" long 10-32 allen screw to replace the factory 1.000" long 10-32 mounting screw. Jerry Kieffer ------- Re: Tangential Toolholder [sherline] Posted by: "a3sigma" dcclark111x~xxcomcast.net Date: Thu Feb 5, 2009 7:32 am ((PST)) "a3sigma" wrote: > Hello Group, > The current (January-February) issue of "The Home Shop Machinist" > magazine contains a very interesting article by Marcelo Jost on making > a tangential toolholder for a Sherline lathe. The design was inspired > by an article in Rudy Kouhoupt's Shop Wisdom volume 3. It's also > called a diamond toolholder. (not to be confused with a holder for an > industrial diamond cutting tool) > > The basic idea is that a HSS cutting tool is ground at a compound 30 > degree angle, creating a diamond shaped surface on one end. This tool > is held nearly vertically, tangential to the work rather than normal > to it. It's tilted 12 degrees to the lathes XY and YZ planes to > provide clearance and relief. In this position the tool can be used > for both turning and facing. I've posted a photo of my implementation of this tool holder; see: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/sherline/photos/album/937902184/pic/183 6308805/view?picmode=&mode=tn&order=ordinal&start=21&count=20&dir=asc Made a few mods of the original design: Clamped the tool via set screws from the side rather than a plate in front in order to be able to turn right up to the chuck jaws. Made the clamping slot longer by extending the front off the edge of the cross slide table. Fix the tool holder by a screw into a tee nut and a standard Sherline clamp at the back. I've been trying this out for a few days now and like it a lot. Turn and face with one tool. Easy to sharpen. Extremely stable, good surface finish. This will probably be my default lathe tool. Try it, you'll like it. DC ------- Re: Tangential Toolholder Posted by: "WILLARD WHEATON" wwheatonjrx~xxverizon.net Date: Thu Feb 5, 2009 8:03 am ((PST)) I bought on some years ago from the original Austrialian manufacturer for my Atlas 10" lathe. It has become my first tool of choice. They really do a fine job, and are very easy to sharpen. I use a hollow grind on the front of the bit which enhances the relief. I like your design Mr. Clark, and can understand why you're pleased. I'm sure that anyone else, who follows suite, will be pleased also. There'll be one here before too long. Thanks for the photo and description. Willard E Wheaton [and in a later message:] I forgot to add that I like the curved end grind because I can then touch up the tool bit the same way W.S. Smith sharpens his gravers. They have diamond shaped ends with a hollow grind (the same radius as the grinding wheel -- 8" in my case). Then if the cutting lip gets dull, I place the hollow ground surface on an EzyLap diamond file, rock the bit slightly so that 3 points are in contact. The cutting point, the middle point, and the rear point. This removes a little metal on the headstock side of the tool bit where the three points rest on the lap. A few swipes will put a sharp edge back on. This is repeated whenever it gets dull, until the shiny lapped surface gets too big and I'm almost lapping the entire end of the tool bit. Then it's back to the wheel grinder for a new face. Willard ------- Improved Sherline Tool Post Mounting System using a "T" post [sherline] Posted by: "lhbakeland" digitaltorquex~xxaol.com Date: Sun Apr 12, 2009 5:57 pm ((PDT)) As a Sherline lathe user, I have never been enamored with the clumsy "T" post nut and 10-32 hex socket screw mounting of the Sherline tool post. I purchased a couple of the A2Z CNC improved "T" post nuts and still was not impressed. That hex wrench needed to reposition the cut angle and the removal and install of the standard type tool holders is just too tedious and time consuming to me. Having worked with ALORIS, AXIA and Phase II QCTP on larger lathes, I miss the "full length" T post and top nut that they use. So, using the A2Z CNC QCTP, I developed these examples of a center "T" post: http://i430.photobucket.com/albums/qq28/LBakeland/tboltset2.jpg http://i430.photobucket.com/albums/qq28/LBakeland/tboltset.jpg http://i430.photobucket.com/albums/qq28/LBakeland/A2zSSNUTkit2.jpg http://i430.photobucket.com/albums/qq28/LBakeland/tbolt.jpg Most of the parts shown are either 303 or 304 stainless steel, but I am in the process of developing a method of machining the parts out of forged 130,000 PSI SAE Grade 8 forged maganese steel high tensile bolts. Another variation I am working on is for the standard height Sherline Tool holders. These will have top lock nuts that can be removed and/or repositioned without the hex wrench or other tools. It's about time that Sherline upgraded the original hex screw and "T" post mut mounting system. Any comments and interest are very welcomed. I basically lurk and read other posters' very useful comments. Now, I would really like to contribute. Regards, Leo ------- Re: Improved Sherline Tool Post Mounting System using a "T" post Posted by: "a3sigma" dcclark111x~xxcomcast.net Date: Sun Apr 12, 2009 6:45 pm ((PDT)) Hi Leo: Nice work, and very interesting. Thanks for contributing. One caution though: you want to take care not to overstress the tee slot. It's fairly easy to deform the cross slide table. I suspect that Sherline deliberately makes all their tee nuts rather flimsy so that they break sacrificially to save the table. A while ago another member inquired as to the correct torque for these screws. One answer would be to measure the torque needed to break a tee nut and apply, say, 20% less. I look forward to seeing more of your work. Best regards, DC (David Clark in Southern Maryland, USA) ------- Re: Improved Sherline Tool Post Mounting System using a "T" post Posted by: "lhbakeland" digitaltorquex~xxaol.com Date: Sun Apr 12, 2009 9:49 pm ((PDT)) Thanks, DC, I thought of that. I've been around fasteners for over 50 years, now And, with experience, I never overtighten. I've been working on another permutation of the design for the last three days. The 10mm flats on the head of a standard 6mm metric bolt fits the Sherline slot perfectly -- if you reduced the height of the head to .90 or so inches. I made 20 of them today from 8.8 class hardened bolts. I also killed a lot of carbide lathe bits. So, stainless might be better. Or, I can maybe grind them down on my Grizzly 7X mini lathe equipped with a tool post grinder. No, instead of a lot of 10-32 screws, I use 6mm "T" bolts and studs with my rotary table and mill. An "E" letter drill makes a great through mounting hole. I can drill and enlarge the mounting holes in almost any mount with a cobalt bit. The "T" bolts are so convenient that I no longer use the original "T" nuts and 10-32 screws, except in close quarters. The nice thing is that I'm no longer annoyed when the screws bottom out on the "T" nuts. I went to metric screws, because they are also used on my Proxxon mill and my Sieg X1 micro mill. I am retired and have manufactured small lots of specialty tools and sell them at less than it would cost in time and materials to make them for their own use. One of my best sellers is a pair of stainless steel "easy on the hands" tommy bars for the Sherline. Here is a photo of them; http://i430.photobucket.com/albums/qq28/LBakeland/3tommy.jpg Glad to contribute, Leo ------- Re: Improved Sherline Tool Post Mounting System using a "T" post Posted by: "Tom & Judy Bank" trbank1x~xxverizon.net Date: Mon Apr 13, 2009 7:05 am ((PDT)) Hi Leo, I've used 1/4" - 20 bolts with cut down heads for "Tee bolts" on several accessories I have made myself (obviously, doesn't work with standard Sherline accessories). The 1/4" bolt shank fits the Sherline Tee slots and, as you said, no bottoming through a nut. On the Tommy Bars, I just slip -- well, force -- a 1-1/2" length of 1/8" neoprene brake hose over one end of the standard Sherline Tommy Bars to make a handle. Sure helps with the arthritis. Regards, Tom Bank ------- Re: QCTP [sherline] Posted by: "dan pines" danx~xxpines.co.il Date: Sat May 16, 2009 7:51 am ((PDT)) Hi all: to set things straight, as far as I know the facts and the time line: Sherline designed the qctp for 1/4" tools - no wonder, this is standard for the sherline lathes TS engineering came out with their first qctp and the holders were also designed for 1/4" tools, to compete with sherline. I bought one and was happy with it. Never bothered to measure repeatability which some users complained about. This was the piston model. I still use it regularly. TS then aimed for additional lathes, like the 7x10, and started to make toolholders which would take 3/8" tools. There was no modification to the central post or to the travel of the tool holder; they changed the tool holder by taking off material from the bottom of the tool slot. The 1/4" tools could no longer be used on the new holders without using a shim. Shim is actually incorrect, makes you think of a thin metal strip. I in fact used 2 (side by side) 1/8" blank tools or any other similar sized and flat strip of metal. At least for a while TS offered both types of holders. I remember ordering 4 additional holders and I specified and received the older type, designed for 1/4" tools. Others (A2Z) began to manufacture a qctp close enough to perhaps being considered a clone of the TS item - at a lower price and also targeted at several makes of lathes. The tool holders were also identical and swapable with the newer TS model and therefore not designed for a 1/4" tool. TS came out with a new central post, (wedge instead of piston, tool holder on one side only, not 2 as before) - claimed to be more stable and repeatable and with an extra bore for a second bolt to prevent rotation of the central post. I guess they wanted to fight the clones, perhaps the new design was also protected from copying? The toolholders were interchangeable with the older model but apparently all for 3/8" or perhaps even 1/2" tools. Anyway, I have one of those as well and use it regularly. TS disappeared from the market, perhaps they could not meet the newer, lower prices. So I guess that's why a current production A2Z qctp for the sherline will not take 1/4" tools without "shimming" the tool. regards dan pines sherline dealer, Israel http://www.dan-pines.blogspot.com/ ------- T nuts and T bolts [sherline] Posted by: "Alan Haisley" alanhyx~xxroadrunner.com Date: Sun May 31, 2009 12:00 pm ((PDT)) Harry, I'm sending this as a PM to avoid the back and forth - just to provide information. It's not clear to me that a T bolt has any advantage except that it has no possibility of digging into the table of either the lathe or mill. That said, if you cut long 10-32 bolts off with a Dremel, saving the thread portion, you can make your own studs; or just use cutoffs from 10-32 threaded rod. An article in the How to file folder that I wrote describes a process for making T nuts from 1/2" diameter 12L14 (Article actually references using the lathe cutoff tool). 5/8" stock would provide more bearing surface on the inside of the T slot if desired; process would be the same, just a little more metal to remove. Obviously a tougher steel could be used, but that grade and size was what I had on hand and I believe it is stronger than the lathe/mill slide slots anyway. With one of these T nuts and the above stud, you could use the stronger Locktite to make perfectly servicable T bolts if desired. Regular 10-32 nuts with washers could be used on the top end. A little thought would allow you to combine the correct sized socket with an extension and home made handle, or just take the socket. Personally, I prefer using the SHCS with loose T nuts but that's me. If you wanted to, you could drill and tap 10-32 a piece of steel bar, drill a couple of radial holes in it, and Locktite in some short pieces of drill rod. If these pieces are perhaps an inch long, or even .75" long they would make a nice T handle nut for use with the T bolts. (If you go this route, be sure and file all of the edges round to avoid finger wear.) Two concepts for avoiding the tool holder rotating are: Modify the holder so that an extra clamp can be used on the edge. With two points holding there should be no rotation. Cut an indentation in the bottom - a few thousandths is plenty - centered on the hold-down bolt. This should leave original material all around the bottom outside edge of the holder. The idea here is that clamping force exerted near the center bolt really doesn't help manage torsional forces. Sherline does this with some of their toolholders. It might have started out as on of their user tips. Alan Haisley ------- Using Sherline's QCTP (was Re: T-Nuts) [sherline] Posted by: "a3sigma" dcclark111x~xxcomcast.net Date: Sun May 31, 2009 12:13 pm ((PDT)) In sherlinex~xxyahoogroups.com, "lhbakeland" wrote: > On second thought, I thought long and hard on the Sherline design and considered their solution. Then, again, loosening, tightening and two screw heads with a hex wrench negates the reason for having a QCTP, anyway, and complicates the design. Why have the "body" of the unit, when the user can have multiple tool posts mounted with "T" bolt nuts ready to go. Just slip the "T" bolt into the slot of the table and hand tighten the nut. < Leo: Here's how it works for me: I install the Sherline QCTP square to the cross slide and secure it from rotation with the clamp. That's it. There it stays, and I never touch those 2 screws. I can interchange tools for turning, facing, parting, threading, and boring, quickly and easily, as often as needed, without ever having to align a tool or losing my positional datum. All with a single screw. What could be easier? Running a CNC program to produce multiple parts, it's essential that tools can be interchanged without changing their position. A GCTP works much like a turret lathe in this regard. Even when manual machining, it's darn handy. I don't think I would buy a design that did not satisfy this requirement. Does yours? DC ------- Using Sherline's QCTP (was Re: T-Nuts) Posted by: "lhbakeland" digitaltorquex~xxaol.com Date: Sun May 31, 2009 3:30 pm ((PDT)) DC, I am glad that the Sherline system works out for your needs. As for buying systems and things that do not suit my needs, I have to say that I have not been as fortunate as you have been. I try to avoid it, but mistakes have been more valuable to me than successes. With mistakes, I learn how I failed and try to figure out how to address the issues from there. As with engineering, life, and everything else, airplane crashes and disasters of any sort, while unfortunate for the victims, actually improve safety. Better yet, it would be even better, if they were resolved before the failure occurs. My thoughts, Leo ------- Update on Tuning the A2Z QCTP mounted on the Sherline Lathe [sherline] Posted by: "lhbakeland" digitaltorquex~xxaol.com Date: Tue Sep 1, 2009 9:02 pm ((PDT)) Finally, I've had time to extensively test my enhancements to the A2Z CNC Quick Change Tool Post on my Sherline 4000 lathe. Over the past year and a half, I've struggled, like others, here, with issues of "twisting," the need to shim tools in the holders, fumbling with the hex wrench to adjust the tool angle, and the uncomfortable tool holder release handle. 1. The special double concave friction dish mount fitted between the table and the bottom of the A2Z's body effectively eliminates the disconcerting "twisting" problem. 2. The same double concave dish raises the body of the tool and eliminates the need for shimming under the standard 1/4 inch Sherline tools in the A2Z tool holders. 3. The special "T" handle top locking nut and "T" slot bolt makes changing the tool angle a "No wrench" process that allows easy repositioning of the A2Z's body. The wobbly and small 10-32 threaded bolt has been replaced with a very solid one piece and much more stable 1/4 inch diameter bolt. 4. The knob on the A2Z's locking handle digs into the the hand when sufficient force is used to lock in the tool holders. I machined a straight habdle with a vinyl cap that no longer digs into the "meat" of my right hand. Basically, the system is now a pleasure to use. I just cannot believe the difference. Regards, Leo ------- Re: Update on Tuning the A2Z QCTP mounted on the Sherline Lathe Posted by: "rscconrad" rscconradx~xxsbcglobal.net Date: Wed Sep 2, 2009 6:09 am ((PDT)) I have on of Leo's disc and it does make a big difference. The thing that use to drive me nuts most was the shimming required. No shimming needed and no twist is a nice fix. Robert ------- Re: Update on Tuning the A2Z QCTP mounted on the Sherline Lathe Posted by: "lhbakeland" digitaltorquex~xxaol.com Date: Wed Sep 2, 2009 8:04 am ((PDT)) David Robertson wrote: > Leo...Are there pictures somewhere? David: Here's a link to a photo of the A2Z modification in use on my Sherline: http://i430.photobucket.com/albums/qq28/LBakeland/sla2zmounted.jpg Regards, Leo ------- Re: Update on Tuning the A2Z QCTP mounted on the Sherline Lathe Posted by: "lhbakeland" digitaltorquex~xxaol.com Date: Wed Sep 2, 2009 9:36 am ((PDT)) David: The A2Z's size is based on the one originally designed by the now defunct T&S Engineering offering. I have used the A2Z extensively with the Sieg 7x mini-lathe. It works very well as supplied for that lathe. Frank Hoose, Jr. on his mini-lathe.com site reviewed the A2z and gave it very high marks: http://www.mini-lathe.com/Mini_lathe/Reviews/A2Z_QCTP/a2z_qctp.htm Just as Mr. Hoose mentioned, and as I quickly found out for myself, he found using a hex key to reposition the cutting angle of the lathe tool inconvenient. After extensive research, I discovered that most all QCTP use a stud, instead of a bolt to hold them in place. A standard wrench on a hex nut is used to loosen and tighten it. On that account, I devised a stud, nut and wrench system for the A2Z on the mini-lathe. In effect, I modified and shortened a standard box wrench, so that it could be left on top of the QCTP and sty in place. As I have been using the mini lathe for years, I was also peeved with the tailstock lock. I envied all those who either bought the lever locking tailstock or spent the big bucks and the hours needed to modify their own with the expensive ($35-40) kit. To my delight, the same wrench serves double duty as a tailstock locking lever that was easier to use than any other fancy one. When I first mounted the A2Z on the Sherline, I was clearly disappointed, as others noted on this Group. I was not enamoured with the Sherline's tool post mounting system. So I devised the "T" bolt system, just like the ones that I were used to on the big commercial lathes that I used years ago, before I retired. The double concave mounting dish raises the standard 1/4 inch Sherline tool bit close to the center of the A2Z's body. It also effectively solves the "twisting" problem that disconcertingly moves the tool by itself when the lathe is being operated. The no-wrench "T" locking nut means that you no longer have to hunt for, position and loosen and again tighten the top locking bolt. So, basically, the mounting system that I devised has made the A2Z a real pleasure to use on my Sherline. Regards, Leo ------- Re: Update on Tuning the A2Z QCTP mounted on the Sherline Lathe Posted by: "David Robertson" davidr415x~xxgmail.com Date: Wed Sep 2, 2009 10:18 am ((PDT)) Leo, I have the original TS Engr QCTPs for my Taig and my 7x12. The Taig arrangement already has the spacer, but it is not concave.. great idea. ..plus I really like the idea of beefier bolts and the permanent T on top. David ------- Re: Update on Tuning the A2Z QCTP mounted on the Sherline Lathe Posted by: "lhbakeland" digitaltorquex~xxaol.com Date: Wed Sep 2, 2009 10:33 am ((PDT)) David, I fully considered the "ratcheting locking lever" shown with the A2Z by this user for the Sherline: http://www.finelinehair.com/home/Taig_lathe_locking_levers.htm But, I decided that they were too long and overly complicated. The unobtrusive "T" handle locking nut seems to me like a simpler and better choice. I'm not a Taig lathe user, but I think their A2Z mount can also be improved with a "T" bolt mounting system. Leo ------- Re: Help with decision about tool post... [sherline] Posted by: "Alan" alanhyx~xxlive.com Date: Tue May 11, 2010 8:38 pm ((PDT)) "wongsterwish" wrote: > Thayer, I've the problem of the A2Z QCTP twisting. Saw in one photo in the photo section that by taking a couple of thou off the base of the QCTP will stop it from twisting. Did you encounter that? How did you solve it if you had. < Wong, Sherline's recent tool posts have a few thousandths taken off the center of the bottom. It looks like a circle that covers about 3/4 of the bottom center area. This insures that all of the clamping pressure falls on the outer edge of the tool holder where it will do the most good. The same thing could be done with any after-market tool post. You don't want to reduce the whole bottom. Set it up in a 4 jaw chuck, get it close to centered on the clamping hole, and shave off from the hole out about 3/4 of the distance to the nearest edge. That should help a lot. Alan ------- tool post [taigtools] Posted by: "mike" mammikex~xxyahoo.com Date: Fri Feb 11, 2011 10:59 am ((PST)) Could some one please tell me the max hss tool bit that will fit inside the taig lathe toolpost. Thank you! mike ------- Re: tool post Posted by: "Yi Yao" yix~xxyyao.ca Date: Fri Feb 11, 2011 11:34 am ((PST)) The one that you can buy off the shelf accepts a 1/4" tool. It's supposed to come out right on centre with a 1/4" tool bit, but I can never grind my tools bang on. There's nothing preventing you from buying some metal and cutting your own tool post to accept other sizes. I've done this with 6061 aluminum and it works (despite what some people on machinists forums would like you to believe). Take a look at Alan's page: http://www.micro-machine-shop.com/rocker_tool_post.htm He shows you how to make a rocker toolpost which can save you some time from shimming your tool. Yi ------- Re: tool post Posted by: "pe3hmp" pe3hmpx~xxhotmail.com Date: Fri Feb 11, 2011 12:43 pm ((PST)) I've done that and made my own steel toolposts. Mark ------- Re: Insert tooling for 4400 lathe and A2Z QCTP [sherline] Posted by: "Adam Collins" rxforspeedx~xxyahoo.com Date: Mon Jun 13, 2011 3:33 pm ((PDT)) On Jun 13, 2011, Terry Wellman wrote: > Hi Gang. Is anyone using carbide insert tooling with an A2Z QCTP equipped 4400 lathes? If so, where did you get it and do you prefer it over HSS tools? < Terry, I was unhappy with the repeatability of the A2Z QCTP for keeping the tool's tip on center when installed on my 4400. Derek from High-Tech Systems, LLC was kind enough to toss in a tool setting gage for the Sherline lathe when I purchased my modular work-holding system/tooling plate from him and have been perfectly satisfied using that to set both HSS & carbide bits (1/4" from Harbor Freight) in the standard Sherline rocker tool post. I also own the 55-degree Sherline carbide insert tool holder that sees more use with the 303U medical grade stainless I'd been turning lately, but have found it to be more reliable and repeatable than the A2Z post... I still have my A2Z QCTP but have since built a 1018 steel body for it and the necessary parts to adapt it to my Seig C2/C3 hybrid lathe. Though I personally have no experience with it, I would recommend you pick up Sherline's QCTP from the positive things I've read and heard about it, build your own steel-bodied QCTP for your 4400, or just stock up on a few rocker tool posts and purchase or build your own tool setting gage for it (should be 0.940" from cross slide to center)... As far as the HSS verses carbide issue is concerned, you need to factor in the material type/composition, RPM of operations, interrupted cuts or not (hex stock?), and various other factors. If you can grind your own HSS bits and are working with some mostly free-machining materials, I'd save your $ and stock up on a load of 1/4", 5/16", and possibly even some 3/8" HSS blanks (and maybe some 1/8" and 3/16" blanks if boring small holes will eventually be necessary) from a reputable distributor. Adam ------- Re: Insert tooling for 4400 lathe and A2Z QCTP Posted by: "Steve Wan" stewanx~xxgmail.com wanstevex~xxymail.com Date: Mon Jun 13, 2011 7:02 pm ((PDT)) Hi Terry. Just an add on over what Adam has said. Other than Sherline carbide tips, you can look over WIDIA. They do have small carbide tips very suitable for Sherline use. My WIDIA tip part no is TN2000. It too comes with boring and turning holder. The product comes from Germany but made in India. Don't worry, the quality is very good and have been using it for many years. The price is reasonable. Steve-S'pore ------- A super strong improved Sherline extended tool post nut.... [sherline] Posted by: "lhbakeland" digitaltorquex~xxaol.com Date: Thu Sep 22, 2011 7:40 pm ((PDT)) Hi all, I made a few of these and tested them for about two weeks. http://i430.photobucket.com/albums/qq28/LBakeland/xtnut.jpg http://i430.photobucket.com/albums/qq28/LBakeland/xtnut1.jpg They are made from SAE Grade 8 forged 150,000 psi tensile strength bolts. Over the past 10 years, I developed a technique of carving these successfully. I break a lot of cutting tools, taps and wear out a lot of grinders, but it's a challenge and the results are worth it to me. The failure and rejection rate in making these is 25-33%. This SUPERHARD forged and heat treated forged medium carbon alloy steel is devastating on tools. Even superhard cobalt drill bits and carbide cutters often do not penetrate or cut this material. When they don't, the part is rejected. It is nearly impossible to get a perfectly centered central bore on the end , since the tip of the drill bit will always "WALK." So, none of these are perfect. They do, however are functionally perfect. They work and fit just like the originals. But they are nearly twice as strong, and the base it nearly twice as long. The corners don't jam like the original OEM extended t-slot tool post nut. The nut has been teated for smoothness in the Shernine table slot. The threads are tapped with a series of three taps including a bottoming tap. The original Sherline t-nut is made of non-hardened 12L14. The tensile strength is less than 85,000 PSI. The square section jams, when the corners catches on the t-slot sides. I was disappointed with the A2Z extended t-slot nuts, when I realized that they too were made of 12L14 in two pieces and held together with a 1/2 inch long 10-32 set screw. I posted these as an item of interest to all, here. Regards, Leo ------- Re: A super strong improved Sherline extended tool post nut.... Posted by: "Steve Wan" stewanx~xxgmail.com Date: Thu Sep 22, 2011 8:20 pm ((PDT)) Hi Leo Very grateful for the tips! I have been using Sherline tool post holder for many years yet the mounting screw pillar never snap...I suspect you have been taking deep cuts...which is not healthy for mico-lathe like Sherline. If you need a better stronger Sherline lathe, I suggest you improve the torque instead. By adding a speed reduction pulley which I did and tested. The motor is less warm and torque is so much better. Disadvantage - not suitable for small (dia. 1mm to 6mm) jobs but great for medium to large turning jobs (above 6mm to 60mm). Steve-S'pore ------- Re: A super strong improved Sherline extended tool post nut.... Posted by: "Pierre Coueffin" pcoueffinx~xxgmail.com Date: Fri Sep 23, 2011 1:11 pm ((PDT)) Wow! I'm amazed that the t-slots don't rip right out of the table with that kind of load. I'm always really gentle with mine because the cross section of the "lips" on the t-slot seems really thin... I've never had a problem with them, but I've seen much more substantial cast-iron t-slots with badly torn lips. Some of those cases are probably jacking with the bolt all the way through the t-nut, but I don't want to kill my little toys. ------- Re: A super strong improved Sherline extended tool post nut.... Posted by: "lhbakeland" digitaltorquex~xxaol.com Date: Fri Sep 23, 2011 7:13 pm ((PDT)) Since he nut is nearly twice as long along the length of the slot, the load is spread out and can take more before yielding. ------- A custom super strong Taig Tool Post Extended T-nut..... [taigtools] Posted by: "lhbakeland" digitaltorquex~xxaol.com Date: Fri Sep 23, 2011 11:31 pm ((PDT)) Hi all, I don't own a Taig lathe. I do, however, own a Taig mill and a Sherline lathe. A friend of mine owns a Taig lathe, which I often use at his shop. He also uses my Sherline. He often remarked on how nice the Sherline extended t-slot nut was so much better and easier to use than the little square nut that Taig supplies. So, I made this setup for my friend out of an SAE Grade 8 bolt with a tensile strength of 150,000 psi. http://i430.photobucket.com/albums/qq28/LBakeland/taigxtnut.jpg http://i430.photobucket.com/albums/qq28/LBakeland/taigxtnut2.jpg I do a lot of work with machining case hardening and forged carbon steel items. That's my specialty. These were not easy to make. Machining hardened bolts often wears out carbide and cobalt HSS tools. Many are often broken. While an SAE grade bolt is ideal, a Grade 5 or lesser strength or hardness bolt, and even a common hardware store bolt can be used. The bottom of the tool post was bored to receive the extended t-nut on my Sherline lathe held in a scrolling 4 jaw chuck. I hope that other Taig users will find this post interesting. Regards, Leo ------- Re: A custom super strong Taig Tool Post Extended T-nut..... Posted by: "Ron Thompson" ronx~xxourcadguy.com Date: Sat Sep 24, 2011 4:25 am ((PDT)) Thanks for sharing. Why not anneal the bolt to work on it? If you need it hard, it is a simple matter to re-harden it. Ron Thompson ------- Re: A custom super strong Taig Tool Post Extended T-nut..... Posted by: "lhbakeland" digitaltorquex~xxaol.com Date: Sat Sep 24, 2011 5:50 am ((PDT)) Yes, I know that it can be done. But, it's much easier for me just to machine it as is. The bolt is forged. Annealing and rehardening will change the original strengh characteristics of the metal. I learned how to machine hardened and forged materials from my 30 years experience in the aerospace industry. Leo ------- [sherline] The Enhanced A2Z Quick Change Tool post vs. the "Gold Standard" wedg Posted by: "lhbakeland" digitaltorquex~xxaol.com Date: Sat Oct 15, 2011 10:04 pm ((PDT)) Hi all, I have used the Aloris MA QCTP on one of my "production" Sherline lathes for over a month, now. Here's a photo. http://i430.photobucket.com/albums/qq28/LBakeland/alorisma.jpg I am writing this post as a comparison between the Aloris MA, which cost nearly $400 with three tool holders vs. the much less expensive A2Z CNC model enhances with my "double concave disk" and my super strength T-slot nut tool post stud and nut shown below: http://i430.photobucket.com/albums/qq28/LBakeland/a2zsetnmtd.jpg My findings really surprised me. The Aloris is made and fitted like a fine watch. Everything is smooth and closely fitted. The main body is only 1-1/4 inch high, when mounted. The A2Z, when mounted with my super rigid enhancements sits over three inches high. By making the Aloris so compact, it has only one "wedge" dovetail, which is fine. It has no spindle top or spindle handle. A standard removable 3/16 inch hex socket wrench serves as the locking and unlocking handle. While this is nice, the wrench has to be turned nearly 200 degrees to unlock the wedge. Sometimes the tool holder is hard to remove and replace, when there even any dist or swarf on either the tool holder's or the tool post body's rails. So, the two must often be cleaned with a swarf brush. As far as rigidity is concerned, neither is more rigid than the other. Aloris ingeniously "offsets" the mounting bolt for the T-slot nut to one side. This increases the lever arm of the tool post's body to resist the torque generated by the tool bit. My enhancements to the A2Z does the same thing with the "concave disk" to move the holding friction away from the center of the mounting point. Aloris does this with a T-slot nut that slides into a larger 1/2 inch center hole. The "double concave" disk serves a second purpose with the A2Z. When using Sherline standard 1/4 inch square shank tools, it raises the cutting "point" to the sanme level as the center of the piston locking the tool holder. Since "wedge" on the Aloris locks tight over various heights, no centering of the cutting tool tip level is needed. Both methods accomplish the same end in making the tool post "absolutely rigid." So, except for the Aloris sitting much lower and more compact on the lathe's top slide, both accomplish the same function. For $400, repeatability might be better with the Aloris but I found it nearly indiscernable. So, when properly "enhanced" and "tweaked," the A2Z can match the top of the line Aloris at less than 1/3 the cost. I hope that those interested here enjoy my review. Regards, Leo ------- NOTE TO FILE: The next message is copied from a longer conversation about toolholders for larger lathes (that longer conversation can be read here in the text file called "Toolholders for the Lathe"). ------- [Actually here about miniature toolholders for Sherline or Taig.] Re: Craftsman 101.07301 Lathe - Basic Questions Posted by: toddx~xxlittlelocos.com Date: Fri Feb 21, 2014 2:40 pm ((PST)) Not to sound like a broken record, but I've enjoyed using my KRF Omniposts for 20+ years and really make good use of the 48-point indexing available with this configuration. BTW, I even went as far as to make a miniature one for my nephew's Sherline and plan to use that size on my 618. The miniature one can be seen in the photos section of our Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/littlelocos Enjoy, Todd ------- Adjustable height toolpost ? [TAIGTOOLS] Posted by: john.silverx~xxastrium.eads.net odyseus100 Date: Mon Jul 7, 2014 3:40 am ((PDT)) Hi all, I've been trying to part off a bore a fairly large diameter steel rod ( to hold 1.5 inch die ). The trouble is that clearly the tool posts are too low. Is it simply a case of machining some squares with a hole in, of differing thicknesses. Or is there a supplier of adjustable height tool posts for the Taig? There was one for sale on eBay (US seller that would post abroad) that looked ideal but it has now gone :( Cheers John ------- Re: Adjustable height toolpost ? Posted by: "Stan Stocker" skstockerx~xxcomcast.net Date: Mon Jul 7, 2014 6:36 am ((PDT)) Hi John, Most folks add shims under the tool rather than under the toolpost. Most anything that won't work loose or compress will be OK. In a pinch I've used bits of business cards and plain paper, althogh brass shim stock cut up with scissors is better. Take care, Stan ------- Re: Adjustable height toolpost ? Posted by: john.silverx~xxastrium.eads.net odyseus100 Date: Mon Jul 7, 2014 7:51 am ((PDT)) Thanks Stan, Shimming will probably be OK for the boring tool but not for the Parting Tool :( It might be better to raise the tool post in this case? Cheers John ------- Re: Adjustable height toolpost ? Posted by: "Stan Stocker" skstockerx~xxcomcast.net Date: Mon Jul 7, 2014 8:05 am ((PDT)) Hi John, Is the parting tool already filling the slot? If so, you can always open up the toolpost a bit, probably preferable to thinning the parting tool body. Ultimately we do what we need to do to get on with things, shimming the entire toolpost isn't something I've ever done, but there aren't any reasons not to that come to mind either. I just bought a number of toolposts as they are quite inexpensive and leave the tools mounted once they are on center. Some folks with mill access have cut a curved slot in the bottom of the tool slot and use a semi-circular key to allow fine adjustments of tool tip height and angle. Sherline sells a toolpost already made like this in fact. Take care, Stan ------- Re: Adjustable height toolpost ? Posted by: "Don Rogers" Donx~xxCampbell-Gemstones.com campgems Date: Mon Jul 7, 2014 11:38 am ((PDT)) John, those quick change post are not as ideal as they first seem to be on the Taig. I have three different generations and all are affected by the inability of the single 10-32 screw being able to securely hold them to the cross slide. The last one I bought had a cure, a sub plate that bolted to the cross slide and was threaded for a larger screw. It didn't solve the problem. There is too much leverage with the tool extended beyond the screw as much as it is, making it all but impossible to keep the post from twisting, especially with a tool like a parting bit. The stock taig tool post keeps the tool cutting edge closer to the post holding screw and keep the twisting issue at a minimum. The stock Taig cutoff Tool holder allows you to adjust the height of the cutting lip by simply sliding it in or out as the slot is at a slight angle. http://www.cartertools.com/catalog.html Then look for Item # 1173 The only issue is that you have a limited depth of cut. As long as your cut depth is less than a half inch or so, this shouldn't come into play. Extending the blade longer may drop the tip below the centerline. Don ------- Re: Adjustable height toolpost ? Posted by: "Ronald Lambier" ronald_41x~xxyahoo.ca Date: Tue Jul 8, 2014 4:42 am ((PDT)) I've been using the Micro-Cutoff Tool from Micro-Mart.com now for 2 years as the main retailer in Canada, Lee-Valley Tools, doesn't even list a cutoff tool in their catalogue and I downloaded a quick-change toolpost plan set on Ebay that I adjusted to fit on my Taig. This combination works perfectly. ------- Re: Adjustable height toolpost ? Posted by: "Misc Clark" clark.cone4x~xxgmail.com Date: Tue Jul 8, 2014 6:02 am ((PDT)) Ron - is the quick-change toolpost plan set still available on eBay? I am interested in more detail about it. TIA, Clark Cone ------- Re: Adjustable height toolpost ? Posted by: "Gerrit Visser" gerrit-mlx~xxpsgv.ca Date: Tue Jul 8, 2014 6:49 am ((PDT)) Here is one implementation: http://toolingaround.ca/pth.html Gerrit ------- Re: Adjustable height toolpost ? Posted by: "Don Rogers" Donx~xxCampbell-Gemstones.com campgems Date: Tue Jul 8, 2014 11:00 am ((PDT)) Gerrit, that is a very good solution. It not only solves the issue of the tool holder rotating under pressure, but it also will eliminate the number one problem of cutoff blades, getting them exactly square with the stock. Two Birds with one stone. Don ------- Re: Adjustable height toolpost ? Posted by: "Paul J. Ste. Marie" taigx~xxste-marie.org pstemari Date: Thu Jul 10, 2014 9:14 am ((PDT)) On 7/7/2014, Stan Stocker skstockerx~xxcomcast.net wrote: > I've used bits of business cards and plain paper, althogh brass shim > stock cut up with scissors is better. I bought an assortment of steel shim stock from Enco for ~$15 IIRC and cut out a few shims from each sheet. Makes it easy to get to an exact setting and I now have a lifetime supply of shim stock :-) The A2Z toolpost works and provides adjustable tool holders, but the base mounting isn't well designed for the Taig and it's a bit too big. You wind up taking off the toolpost, moving the base, and reassembling the thing entirely too often. It needs a base plate with 3-5 mounting holes, and then you need lots of tools and toolholders for actual quick change, since you often have to switch from the tool being on the left of the toolpost to the right. (LH, RH) * (angled, straight) * (sharp nose, rounded nose) * (left mount, right mount) winds up requiring a bunch of tool holders. ------------------------------------------------------------------ This is just one of some 80 files about machining and metalworking and useful workshop subjects that can be read at: http://www.janellestudio.com/metal/index.html ------------------------------------------------------------------