14 Attachment(s)
A Simple Retractable Threading Tool
I know there is the swing up tool and the much copied George Thomas retractable but the toolholder that appealed to me most was that offered by Multifix.
Attachment 372553
A YouTube video showing the simple inner workings of the Multifix provided a couple of useful screen captures which served as a starting point.
Attachment 372552 Attachment 372554
I do not own a Multifix toolpost, I have a variation of a Dickson, so the greatest deviation from the original retractable was the mount. Another deviation was the use of a formerly 20mm square indexable toolholder, turned and ground to a diameter of 16mm. The body of the tool is 1045, the bushes, 4E cast iron and all the other components, excluding fixings, 4140.
The tool works nicely. Until now nearly all of the metric threads I have cut on the lathe have been cut manually with a spindle mounted crank handle. Here is one of the tool's M8 height adjustment screws under power at 100 rpm -
Attachment 372555
The tool...
Attachment 372577 Attachment 372578 Attachment 372579 Attachment 372580 Attachment 372581 Attachment 372582 Attachment 372583 Attachment 372584 Attachment 372585 Attachment 372586
And finally, a special thank you to Peter Fou, Alan and Piers.
BT