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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Nov 2010
    Location
    Gippsland Victoria
    Posts
    733

    Default Toolheight control - no shims and no QCTP

    Saw these snazzy little toolposts on the Taig Microlathe website right at the top of the page.

    Am making some.

    I think its a great idea - no shims and no QCTP but lotsa control of tool height. Great exercise for a novice miller like me.

    I've only ever seen this idea used on rear parting tools on the lathes bigger than 3" centre height. Never seen it on the front toolposts before.

    Along the way I realised that toolholders and even 4 way toolposts can also become holders/clamps for small workpieces if you haven't got around to making a fingerplate yet. See attached photo.

    ....... and the other good idea on the Micro Lathe sites is the easy to make knurling tool .... Bottom of this page


    Bill
    Attached Images Attached Images

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    Melbourne
    Age
    34
    Posts
    1,075

    Default

    But won't angling the tool like that stuff up your top rake and clearance angles?

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Sep 2012
    Location
    York, North Yorkshire UK
    Posts
    6,436

    Default

    Hi Bill, Guys,

    Myford used the tool boat design on their earlier ML series lathes for a good number of years. As Elanjacobs pointed out it does alter the rake angle quite a bit, maybe +- 10 degrees or so. I'm quite sure members will have seen my write up of the Norman Toolpost. This design was also used by Myford, again for many years. Also adopted by Rolls Royce in their experimental workshops.

    The Norman Patent design is a much better one than the rocking tool boat idea and allows for jig controlled tool grinding simply because of the ease of adjustment for angle and tool hight.

    I no longer use the QCTP or the Myford four way tool holder ! For me the Norman Patent Tool Post is the bees knees. OK you have to spend time making it, but it beats hands down everything else I've used, particularly in terms of cost.

    Having said that, its not by any means a production tool ! Stick to a QCTP if time is money.
    Best Regards:
    Baron J.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Nov 2010
    Location
    Gippsland Victoria
    Posts
    733

    Default Angles

    Am planning the slots and crescents so that the tool tips on the carbide tools are extremely close to correct height, minimal adjustment required. Angles will not be affected much at all. Not too hard to customise slot plus height crescent thickness to the tool and then a tiny adjustment

    I guess its a variation on the way some folk have a few 4 way tool posts permanently set up with cutters permanently in place and change the whole post rather than swap tools in and out. On the micro lathe in particular, its about the same effort to change the toolpost as it is to change a toolholder on a qctp.

    I think the function of the tool is not overly sensitive to small variations in the angles. Variation in HSS recommended angles is commonly seen in various books and websites. Does not seem to hurt if these angles are varied a bit either on the grinding wheel or in the toolpost - look at the rangle of angles seen in the various diy tangential tools and they all seem to work fine.

    Yes, I was looking at making a Norman toolpost, but decided to have a crack at a few of these first seemed like a quick way of getting some cutters available at correct heights for new micro lathe.

    Bill

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jan 2019
    Location
    Adelaide
    Posts
    78

    Default

    I've made my own tool holders in the past similar to this. From memory I think the tool rake was around 5 degrees. This doesn't give a lot of adjustments and I still use shims; however, the 5 degree rake gives the tool some fine adjustment. I don't pay a lot of attention to rake and what not but the 5 degree rake on the tool works well.

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