Author Topic: Another new project... a QCTP (Quick Change Toolpost)  (Read 86278 times)

Offline AdeV

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Re: Another new project... a QCTP (Quick Change Toolpost)
« Reply #75 on: September 21, 2010, 05:23:59 AM »
Ade,

I meant to show you the adjusting bits I made for my tool holders when you called yesterday.

Instead of making a washer to go under the nut, just get a length of bar the same diameter as your 'washer', knurl the outside for a few inches (50 to 75mm), then drill and tap the same thread as you are using. Part them off to about 3mm thick whenever you want a new length adjuster. Once it is screwed onto the thread for exact height, your nut is then used to lock it into position.

Like shown in the last few pics of this post.

http://madmodder.net/index.php?topic=2323.msg24924#msg24924


Hi John - I'd planned to do something pretty similar to that - I don't have a knurling tool yet, so I was going to use the dividing head on the mill + a ball nose cutter to make a sort of revolver chamber effect. I was going to use brass, but I've only got 6mm, 12mm and 1.75".. so I think I'll just use some of that bar you gave me for now.

The "washer" I made is actually drilled/tapped to thread onto the stud; the reason I didn't turn one was because I didn't have the use of the lathe at the time.... Now I can mount stuff more or less straight, I can do it proper...
Cheers!
Ade.
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lordedmond

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Re: Another new project... a QCTP (Quick Change Toolpost)
« Reply #76 on: September 21, 2010, 08:57:09 AM »
OT for this thread

AdeV did you ever get that tap out of the dry sump build ?




if so how


Stuart

Offline AdeV

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Re: Another new project... a QCTP (Quick Change Toolpost)
« Reply #77 on: September 21, 2010, 09:12:03 AM »
Hi Stuart,

Nope, they're still (mostly) in there. I seem to have generated an awful lot of rusty foam, and bugger all else....

Look out for more progress on that thread soon (I needed to finish this project off first, if only so I have a project I can actually called "finished"!)

I'm probably going to do something John (Bogs) suggested, and drill round them with a hole cutter, and instead of drilling/tapping I'll just glue pins in. Maybe with a screw in piece at the top just to act as a retainer, although that's probably not strictly necessary, if I make the pin slightly tapered at the top end, and use my Big Plastic Smacking Hammer to fit it...
Cheers!
Ade.
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lordedmond

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Re: Another new project... a QCTP (Quick Change Toolpost)
« Reply #78 on: September 21, 2010, 09:36:58 AM »
thanks sorry for the OT



Offline AdeV

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Re: Another new project... a QCTP (Quick Change Toolpost)
« Reply #79 on: September 21, 2010, 04:57:25 PM »
No problem Stuart - I frequently go off-topic myself, usually in the middle of a sentence, or post...

Anyway; tool-holder time. I did say I wasn't going to do a build log of these, but I find I can't help myself... Oh well, at least you get to suffer too...

So, I scored a nice lump of tool-holder-style metal - 3"x2"x1 metre. Which is great, except I needed 3.5"x2"xmetre - damn! 3" doesn't leave enough meat around the root of the dovetail; so Plan A (cut long dovetails down the 3.5" side, then "part off" toolholders to the desired height using the hacksaw, as required; went straight out of the window. Instead, I had to cut the bar into 3.5" lengths, each of which is now 3" high & 2" thick. Hey ho, them's the rubs.

Poor old Manchester the Hacksaw has been working overtime today, although I did treat him to a new blade. Here's a bunch of freshly cut blocks:



Each one was then treated to a squaring cut:



The surface finish may be lousy, but when stood on a single parallel it pretty much guarantees that the bottom is dead nuts square to the back jaw face; so when I skim the top face, it'll be nicely square & true with the same face. So when I flip it over & properly skim this side, it'll also be square & true. That's the theory, at least...

By closing time tonight, I'd got this far:



2 rough, 5 with just the single true-ing cut, 2 with one face finished. There is the tiniest of ridges (can be heard when running a fingernail in one direction across the finish), so just a smidge out of tram. Nothing the file won't cure.
Cheers!
Ade.
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Offline AdeV

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Re: Another new project... a QCTP (Quick Change Toolpost)
« Reply #80 on: September 23, 2010, 05:54:38 PM »
A little progress today - I needed to take one block to completion, so I at least had a turning tool, as well as a boring bar and/or parting tool to play with...

After carefully surfacing one block on both sides, I decided to see just how true it was. The results are not impressive:



Mind you, those measurements were using a depth gauge onto the surface plate. The dial calipers (both dial & digital) gave a different reading - although they at least agreed with each other. I need a height gauge.... and I need to try to fix that bloody vice.

Anyway - the rest of the ops you've seen: Mill the slot, drill the holes. At least this one is deep enough... and here it is, along with another new (to me) tool, first time I've ever used a steady rest:



L8r...
Cheers!
Ade.
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Offline Bernd

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Re: Another new project... a QCTP (Quick Change Toolpost)
« Reply #81 on: September 23, 2010, 06:48:03 PM »
"L8r"  :scratch:  :scratch:  :scratch: Oh, "Later"  :bang:

Hey Ade, at least your close on those dimensions. I won't think you'd ever notice once the tool holder is done. Quite a pruduction you got going there.  :dremel:

Bernd
Route of the Black Diamonds

Offline AdeV

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Re: Another new project... a QCTP (Quick Change Toolpost)
« Reply #82 on: September 23, 2010, 07:57:04 PM »
"L8r"  :scratch:  :scratch:  :scratch: Oh, "Later"  :bang:

Sorry, couldn't resist m8  :D I'll take the

Hey Ade, at least your close on those dimensions. I won't think you'd ever notice once the tool holder is done. Quite a pruduction you got going there.  :dremel:

Agreed, for toolholders, the dimensions aren't that critical, but I'd like to have the confidence that my vice is capable of holding to within a thou or two at worst; not +/- 8 thou...
Cheers!
Ade.
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Offline Bernd

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Re: Another new project... a QCTP (Quick Change Toolpost)
« Reply #83 on: September 23, 2010, 08:28:19 PM »
Yeah, that M8 threw me for a while too when I seen Tel use it on HMEM, until I sounded it out. I first thought is was half of a M-16 rifle.  :lol:

Sounds like a new vise is in order here. Make up a few of those aluminum sumps and I'm sure you could get a hansome price. Enough to afford a very nice vice.  :)

Bernd

Hey it's 8:30PM here and your still awake at 1:30AM?
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Offline AdeV

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Re: Another new project... a QCTP (Quick Change Toolpost)
« Reply #84 on: September 24, 2010, 02:24:05 AM »

Sounds like a new vise is in order here. Make up a few of those aluminum sumps and I'm sure you could get a hansome price. Enough to afford a very nice vice.  :)

Bernd

Hey it's 8:30PM here and your still awake at 1:30AM?

Yeah, I find there's not quite enough hours in the day to allow me to do everything I want to do - by the time work has sucked 8 hours of life away, the workshop took nearly 5 yesterday, which barely left time to sleep, let alone post on the forums.... and here I am again at 7.20am, just 6 hours later. Ouch.

Vice-wise, I'm sure this one can be saved; it's just a case of finding a way to get it absolutely dead level across the bottom. It doesn't look like the datum faces are hardened in any way, so I can probably just mill it level - although what it probably really wants is a surface grind.
Cheers!
Ade.
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Offline SemiSkilled

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Re: Another new project... a QCTP (Quick Change Toolpost)
« Reply #85 on: September 24, 2010, 02:44:41 AM »
 Hi Ade I don't know if you've seen this,


http://rick.sparber.org/Articles/sj/sj6.pdf


an article on soft jaws for the mill, just food for thought.

L8r m8 :coffee:

Lee.

« Last Edit: September 24, 2010, 02:48:29 AM by SemiSkilled »
You're right, it does look easy when its finished.