I finally finished my toolpost

[halfnut]

Got to give a word of thanks to John Stevenson for the inspiration. He uses those backwards looking to me dovetails. But he's from England, what do you expect.

I adapted my design to use standard 200 or BXA series toolholders.

It seems to work just great, a lot cheaper than an Aloris, Dorian or Armstrong, even cheaper than an Asian import. Just time involved, I hurry at work but at home I don't.

Now if I can ever figure out how to post a picture. Forget the drawings, this was a freeform project, made to fit. I work with drawings at work, OK, I did scribble some dimentions on a scrap of paper while I worked.

[John Stevenson]

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by halfnut:
Got to give a word of thanks to John Stevenson for the inspiration. He uses those backwards looking to me dovetails. But he's from England, what do you expect.
</font>

Thank you kind Sir for that backhanded compliment !!

The reason for the backward looking dovetails is that I wanted a design in which the holder was the easiest part as you make more holders than tool posts. I make my holders in two foot long sticks on a horizontal mill with a 60 degree angled side and face cutter instead of a flimsey dovetail cutter. Clamp the bar to the bed against a back stop, cut the first dovetail in one pass, turn over and do the second dovetail, again in one pass. Then cut off into pieces on the band saw. That gets you 10 blank holders for less than an hours work.

But we are from England so what do we know {bg}

John S.

[Peter Sanders]

Hi John

I don't know if I have seen your toolpost or not, but (great minds think alike &lt;g&gt; ) I considered doing that same/similar process of creating a LONG blank, and then cutting pieces (toolholders) off it.

Is there a web page somewhere showing your design?

BTW did my first lathe work at age 11 at technical college in Liverpool UK, emigrated to and lived in Western Australia since age 14. Going back to school now (at 53) to gain access to some good machinery to create _USEFUL_ thing like tool holders - maybe a dividing head.

Regards

Peter

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by John Stevenson:
Thank you kind Sir for that backhanded compliment !!

The reason for the backward looking dovetails is that I wanted a design in which the holder was the easiest part as you make more holders than tool posts. I make my holders in two foot long sticks on a horizontal mill with a 60 degree angled side and face cutter instead of a flimsey dovetail cutter. Clamp the bar to the bed against a back stop, cut the first dovetail in one pass, turn over and do the second dovetail, again in one pass. Then cut off into pieces on the band saw. That gets you 10 blank holders for less than an hours work.

But we are from England so what do we know {bg}

John S.

</font>

[Peter Sanders]

Hi Halfnut

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by halfnut:

Now if I can ever figure out how to post a picture.
</font>

Looking forward to that picture :-)

I can work from a photo, perhaps for others though a basic dimensioned drawing may be useful.



------------------
Kind regards

Peter

[John Stevenson]

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Peter Sanders:
Hi John

I don't know if I have seen your toolpost or not, but (great minds think alike &lt;g&gt; ) I considered doing that same/similar process of creating a LONG blank, and then cutting pieces (toolholders) off it.

Is there a web page somewhere showing your design?
</font>

Peter,
Web page link is:-
http://www.metalwebnews.com/howto/to.../toolpost.html

Picture at:-
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/machines/toolpost.jpg

Hope this helps.

John S.

[C. Tate]

John,
That looks like a marketable product. Your design is excellent, a fine example of how to combine functionality and simplicity.

[halfnut]

John,

Hope you didn't take me too seriously, just got to pick on an Englishman for the fun of it. I have this BSA motorcycle, when people comment on the shifter being on the wrong side I have to inform them that no, it's on the right.

I understand why you used this "backwards to me" design, easier to cut an external than an internal. I bought 3 factory made holders on EBAY for a song, combine these with a boring bar holder and a cut off tool, and I'll have it made.

[John Stevenson]

C Tate,
Thank you very much.
If you fancy making and marketing these on your side of the pond then go ahead.
I have put the design in the public domain for anyone to share and use.

Halfnut,
No I didn't take you seriously at all, lifes too short.
Ahh the famous BSA. People think it stands for Birmingham Small Arms when in fact it stands for Bits Stuck Anywhere.
In the 60's I used to go to BSA, Triumph and Velocette's every week to collect spares for the local bike shops.
Velo's had this spares counter with an very high ceiling. It must have been a good 30'high.
About a foot down from the ceiling was a steam pipe, on the wall at the side of this pipe was scrawled "Shorty was here"
True understated Brit humour.

John S.

[Oso]

Well, for an example of unintentional British engineering humor one really needs to work on an car that has SU carburettors.

I had a car with two of the %&((&^% things (a Volvo, not even British), which had to be synchronized for best performance. I assume this was to keep one striving, as it was impossible to actually do.

Just when you though everything was right, the dashpot on one or the other would be suddenly found to be half empty, or some other bleeping thing would be wrong. The worst of it was that there were only about 4 moving parts in the whole unit.

I decided that they were a creation of the British Housewives Union, with the intent of knowing where hubby was. They insured that he would likely be in the driveway tiddling with the engine.

I think the current US equivalent is Anti-lock brakes. Daimler can make them work, but GM can't, at least not on the trucks.

[Peter Sanders]

Hi John

Ah, yes, I have seen it before.

I remember thinking WOW look how many tool holders there are, and proceded to count them :-)



------------------
Kind regards

Peter

[JCHannum]

I had an Austin Healey 3000, Mk II. Three SU's, a Lucas electric fuel pump, and an exhaust system that would self destruct on a Marlboro pack. Almost forgot, wire wheels with knock offs, lost one of them once too.
Syncronized the carburetors with a vacuum hose stuck in your ear.
Wish I had it now.

[Clutterpeg]

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by John Stevenson:
C Tate,
Thank you very much.
If you fancy making and marketing these on your side of the pond then go ahead.
I have put the design in the public domain for anyone to share and use.

Halfnut,
No I didn't take you seriously at all, lifes too short.
Ahh the famous BSA. People think it stands for Birmingham Small Arms when in fact it stands for Bits Stuck Anywhere.
In the 60's I used to go to BSA, Triumph and Velocette's every week to collect spares for the local bike shops.
Velo's had this spares counter with an very high ceiling. It must have been a good 30'high.
About a foot down from the ceiling was a steam pipe, on the wall at the side of this pipe was scrawled "Shorty was here"
True understated Brit humour.

John S.</font>

Yes John, BSA also stands for "Bloody sore ase", from an old country bumkin.
Dave.

[Scot Ketcham]

John I just wanted to say that i made a tool holder using your prints. I love it works great on my old Atlast lathe and had a blast making it. Thanks for putting the prints up for anyone to use.

[John Stevenson]

Scott, Thank you for that.
Every so often someone who I've probably never heard of, will come back with a reply like yours. This is what really makes it worthwhile. Thank you.

John S.