Shop Made Tools

[Dan Dubeau]

Next up is a "fly cutter". I'm about to embark on a gear cutting adventure (never done it before so wish me luck) and needed a body to hold my toolbit. Pretty simple really. I didn't have set screws (still waiting), so the SHCS's are just place holders, as is the toolbit shown.

[Dan Dubeau]

Here are some tap holders that fit in all my hex drive accessories (drill driver, extensions, angle head, etc). 4-40, up to 1/4"-20. This was an idea rolling around in my head for years, until I got the chance to make them a few months ago. I wish I would have made them sooner, as they work great. Power taping 4-40 with my little driver makes quick work of many holes. The clutch on that thing is great. It's too light to tap the 1/4"-20 though.

[Dan Dubeau]

And lastly, a "spring finger" with built in diamond dresser. For those unfamiliar with them they go under long skinny parts while grinding with a spin fixture. Very useful, to take the vibration out of grinding. The pin is spring loaded and preload adjustable from the bottom. I included the diamond just because the scrap block of 4140 a used was big enough to include it. Plus I always hated having to rig something with a vice etc to hold the shops diamond to dress the side of the wheel.



Now that I've got a new phone that takes good pictures I'll try and capture more of my creations. It was always a hassle before to drag the camera out, then download to the computer, then upload to photobucket. The phone really make this a painless process, and doesn't take bad pictures either.

[mars-red]

Last night I made up a tool holder for the new-to-me Rivett. I had been getting by with a broken 1/2" shank end mill that I ground into a turning tool, to fit that patented eccentric tool holder on the compound slide. I came across some factory literature that showed two different types of adapters to hold square turning tools - one of them just a split bushing with a square hole, and then a more familiar block-with-a-slot-milled-into-it on the end of a round shank to fit the eccentric holder. The former would be better for taking really heavy cuts, but I decided to start by making the latter.

I started with a piece of square A36 steel bar and turned down the 1/2" shank. I then mounted the holder and milled the slot directly in the lathe. This lathe makes a better milling machine than some actual milling machines I've used - I was very impressed and now want a milling attachment for it! After that, I just drilled and tapped a couple of 1/4"-20 holes and cleaned up the flat surfaces with a file.

It works really well, after I tried it out I started taking heavier and heavier cuts until I got to the point where the round shank lost its grip. It started slipping when I got up around 0.2" depth of cut. I was running about 50RPM with the back gear engaged, and using a hastily-ground hogging bit. The machine has the power and rigidity for really heavy cuts, once I have a tool holder that won't let me down I'm curious to see how far it will go.

[mars-red]

And one more pic, of the first test run taking pretty "normal" (for me at least) cuts:

[thaiguzzi]

And one more pic, of the first test run taking pretty "normal" (for me at least) cuts:

Never seen a toolpost like it. Neat.

[thaiguzzi]

Had a spare AXA QCTP hanging round for a while was going to punt it on Fleabay but got to thinking about uses for it and perhaps making a base for it to turn it into a rear QCTP this is the mark one version:










Paul

Paul,
compliments on the very nice condition MK I Boxford.
Mike ('69 MK II VSL).

[_Paul_]

Thanks for the kind words Mike,

All is not quite what it seems though... most of the lathe is a 1953 Model "A".....

The headstock, tailstock, rear drive, cabinet, gearbox, apron, leadscrew and feet are from the original 1953 Model "A"

however...

The current bed is from a 1980 TUD model.

Cross slide is I think a 1970's single slot item which I machined an extra "T" Slot in.

Saddle is from around the 1960's to which I added oil points, got the idea from "Paula's" South Bend 9" rebuild thread on PM. seems to work ok too as it flushes any grunge/swarf etc. out with the oil

Regards

Paul

[thaiguzzi]

Very nice Paul. Lovely rebuild for a 60 year odd old lathe. Paula did some lovely work with Southbend stuff over on PM. Got any pics of the extra oil points? Is that toolpost the 100 or 200 series?
Regards too,
Mike.

[_Paul_]

Hi Mike,

Yes Paula's lathe is now a lovely piece of work a real credit to her I am quite envious.

I cant find any better pics of the oil points at the moment though I am sure I did take some will check the workshop camera tomorrow.
You can just see the button oilers in some of the pics, basically I bored four asymmetrical points directly above the apex of the saddles V ways to the depth of the oilers plus an allowance for the saddle chamfer, 1/8" holes drilled all the way through and then on the underside four tapering "oil distribution slots" leading away from each through hole cut freehand using a carbide burr in a Dremel.
Got some nice quality 6mm shoulderless brass oilers from Arceurotrade here in UK, saddle holes for same bored for a 0.001" (ish) interference fit I did pop a dot of "Hylomar" on each one before tapping them in to compensate for any clumsy machining on my part..

The toolpost/s are AXA 100 size, one set I remember buying from Tony Griffiths Lathe Site and the other came from a far eastern supplier on Ebay quite a difference in price but hard to tell apart when in your hands.

I tend to make all my own toolholders and have the popular ones mounted on an easy to reach "dispenser" on the Headstock.









Regards

Paul

[thaiguzzi]

Paul,
all very nice. I have the Polish Bison brand Dickson copy on my Boxford, and am in the process of starting to machine up a batch of 8-10 more toolholders. I want to do the whole lot of machining (bar sawing off) on my Boxford shaper. Some operations may be quicker on my Tom senior mill, but i still wish to do the whole lot on the shaper, especially as i don't want to buy t-slot milling cutters. They are an awkward shape, and much more complicated than the Aloris type you have. That is why i was contemplating purchasing just the Aloris copy toolpost and making my own tool holders. Probably at least twice quicker. The 100 series are more in keeping with the Boxford overall size.
Cheers for the photos,
Mike.

[_Paul_]

Mike,

I have a Dickson clone on my ML7 the shape is quite complex which is one of the reasons I went for the Aloris type on the Boxford.
Cutting T slots on the shaper is something iv'e not tried yet but do intend to have a go at, making the tooling should be interesting with it's hinged piece, bit more research for me on that one.

I made these Aloris type holders almost wholly on an Elliott 10M:









The unfinished one was eventually made into a semi auto threading tool of the kind that John Moran (Bogstandard), John Stevenson and others designed.

Regards

Paul

[chucketn]

Nice work on the tool holders, Paul. Minor correction, John Moran is not Bogstandard.

Chuck

[thaiguzzi]

Paul,
using a shaper for those tool holders hence the lovely finish, which you just would not get with the mill. Yeah, as you say, complex is the word, Dickson vs Aloris type holders. The T slot tool for shapers is available to order from Cromwells etc as a butt welded HSS r/h or l/h wide grooving/cut off tool. Mine are all 5/8" square, with the shank thinned down to 7/16" to fit the Boxford.

[Old Hat]

WoW and double WoW, nice to see some0ne's work who knows how to deep-knurl properly!

+1 +1 +1 +1 +1.