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Thread: toolpost shims

  1. #1
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    Default toolpost shims

    I have a QCTP but until I get it adapted, I'll need to use the standard toolpost and shim the tool to the correct height.
    What do you use for shims? Or more correctly, where do you get thin gauge steel in small (very small) quantities?

  2. #2
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    Feeler gauge.

  3. #3
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    For small thicknesses, soft drink cans cut into strips (also makes good packing material when holding stuff that you don't want marked in the chuck), for thicker pieces, metal food cans cut into strips and flattened. Alternatively most engineering places will sell packs of assorted thickness shim stock priced quite reasonably.

  4. #4
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    I use a morse taper removal key, some strips from a band saw blade, strips cut from corrugated iron..anything and everything to get it close...I don;t try to get it within a gnats nut of being dead on centre...near enough is close enough for me..

  5. #5
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    We bought a sheet of .010in shim steel a few years ago for the factory lathe from a engineering/industrial supplies, and cut the required strips from the sheet. Hobby shops generally have small sheets of brass shim which should be adequate for medium term use.

  6. #6
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    Any flat scrap strip will do . A variety of thicknesses is good.

    Kev.
    "Outside of a dog a book is man's best friend ,inside a dog it's too dark to read"
    Groucho Marx

  7. #7
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    Pull an old car coil apart. lots of ready made packing in one of those. great for small tooling. You don't need to go and buy shim stock, just a waste of money. An assortment of different thicknesses is good. As others have said, cut some from what ever you can find on hand or scrounge. Is there a sheet metal shop nearby? if so ask the boss if you can have a few small scraps from their scrap bin. Gal is nice as it refects the light a bit which can make it easier to find after you drop it in the tray thats full of swarf.

    bollie7

  8. #8
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    Hi,

    When I did my apprenticeship many years ago back in Britain. We used "half moon" packers that saved the hassle of finding little pieces of shim (that usually end up causing cuts to your fingers). Admittedly it will change the rake and various other angles but that is neither here or there when doing most machining jobs. Some people worried that the toolbit may fly out of the toolpost because of the limited surface area on the round edge but unless you were taking massive cuts @ rapid speed then I never found them a problem.

    Regards
    MH

  9. #9
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    Hi all
    just a thought to make life easier,
    The kids using the lathes at school were forever losing the shim stacks I had carefully sorted out on various lathe tools on various lathes.

    A roll of tape and each tool was taped to the required shims and match marked to the lathe tool post.

    No sorting was then required ,just pick up the tool and screw in to the tool post.

    Rather the use a big stack of shims that will compress on you, start with thick pieces and decrease down in size eg
    3mm, 1.6mm, .9mm, .6mm.Its much better than a ship load of shims. It wasn't my idea,the fitter showed me.

    Grahame

  10. #10
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    Thanks for all the pointers.
    Being pretty new to this stuff and not having a real workshop i.e. junk filled shed, I don;t have any scrap metal lying about.
    I do have an old dot matrix printer which should be able to contribute something useful in the way of metal.
    Once I get the hole bored in the QCTP, I won't need shims for this purpose.

    Edit: The printer has yielded all manner of thin bits of metal so I should be right for the shims I need.
    It's also provided a number of steel rods that I'm sure can be pressed into service somewhere. The main roller looks like delrin but is probably not.

  11. #11
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    G'day I use 19mmx0.5mm steel strapping that we use to strap up the packs of flooring.

    I also got some 2mm sheet offcuts cut at the sheet metal place and bought some 3mm x25mm flat bar.
    Hooroo.
    Regards, Trevor
    Grafton

  12. #12
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    Correct me if I am wrong but the QCTP should be adjustable so you do not need shims

  13. #13
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    Quote Originally Posted by China View Post
    Correct me if I am wrong but the QCTP should be adjustable so you do not need shims
    The QCTP isn't mounted yet. I need to get it bored out to fit so I need to be able to use the existing toolpost which requires shims.

  14. #14
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    Thanks, I should have read the post more carefully

  15. #15
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    Default toolpost shims

    I have found that pulling appart old transformers a great place to get shims of various sizes and thicknesses. This is usefull not only for the Tool Post but as packing in the vice on my mill.
    I keep my eye open for any parrell steel pieces, especially ground or hardened ones for this purpose as well.
    You can never seem to have enough.

    Regards,
    Keith.

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