Twmaster
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Oct 24, 2009
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In the last couple of days since I finally got off my butt and finished setting up my Atlas 618 one glaring issue has been in my face. The tool post. While basically there is nothing really wrong with the lantern style of tool post my machine did not come with a terrific selection of tooling. How to solve this while I await tooling and materials to build an Andy Lofquist (Metal Lathe Accessories Co.) QCTP?
This is the stock lantern TP:
Well I tried to use the left over QCTP from my now dead Asian 7x10. The problem is the top of the compound is slightly higher than the flat part where the tool post T-slot is. I decided to 'jack' it up so it would clear the hump in the compound.
Here we are ready to rock with the old QCTP from the 7X...
My solution was to cut a little stub off a 4 foot bar of 1-1/2" 1144 Stressproof I have in my stocks. Since I don't have a bandsaw I C-clamped the bar to the workbench and got out the sawzall to hack off a piece that ranged from about 3/8" to nearly 1/2" thick. Put this in a 4 jaw on the little Taig lathe I've borrowed and face off both ends and size to .300" thick. Center drill for a 3/8" bolt, mark and match drill two small holes for two 8-32 SHCS. Tap the tool holder, counterbore the holes in the disk.
Then the real 'fun' began... I wasted three of 4 blanks I had previously made for to make T-nuts from. Thankfully I figured out what I was doing wrong and just took my sweet old time making the last one. It came out pertty dern close to exactly what I wanted.
Here's the post with the riser disk:
And here is the collection of parts:
Now I'll get busy making chips tomorrow after I dig out from under this thick as all get out blanket of snow.
Thanks for looking!
This is the stock lantern TP:
Well I tried to use the left over QCTP from my now dead Asian 7x10. The problem is the top of the compound is slightly higher than the flat part where the tool post T-slot is. I decided to 'jack' it up so it would clear the hump in the compound.
Here we are ready to rock with the old QCTP from the 7X...
My solution was to cut a little stub off a 4 foot bar of 1-1/2" 1144 Stressproof I have in my stocks. Since I don't have a bandsaw I C-clamped the bar to the workbench and got out the sawzall to hack off a piece that ranged from about 3/8" to nearly 1/2" thick. Put this in a 4 jaw on the little Taig lathe I've borrowed and face off both ends and size to .300" thick. Center drill for a 3/8" bolt, mark and match drill two small holes for two 8-32 SHCS. Tap the tool holder, counterbore the holes in the disk.
Then the real 'fun' began... I wasted three of 4 blanks I had previously made for to make T-nuts from. Thankfully I figured out what I was doing wrong and just took my sweet old time making the last one. It came out pertty dern close to exactly what I wanted.
Here's the post with the riser disk:
And here is the collection of parts:
Now I'll get busy making chips tomorrow after I dig out from under this thick as all get out blanket of snow.
Thanks for looking!