Tool Height

This topic has 22 replies, 14 voices, and was last updated 15 May 2016 at 10:12 by SteveI.

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11 May 2016 at 16:41 #238314
Mark Williams 21
Participant
@markwilliams21
Hi, I bought a Myford ML7 a few months back and have only just got around to setting it up properly ready for my first project, anyway I needed lathe tools so checked in the owners manual and it says 10mm tools, went to Arc Euro trade and bought myself a 8pc set which I thought would get me started if nothing else. Fitted one into the 4-way tool post to find the cutting edge is way above centre, am I able to drop the height? Admittedly I only had a quick look and couldn't see anything obvious, any help would be extremely grateful.

Thanks

Mark
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11 May 2016 at 16:41 #8127
Mark Williams 21
Participant
@markwilliams21
11 May 2016 at 17:43 #238320
Gordon Smith 1
Participant
@gordonsmith1
You need 8mm shank tools.
11 May 2016 at 17:45 #238322
Mark Williams 21
Participant
@markwilliams21
Awesome let's hope they take returns ^^
11 May 2016 at 17:48 #238324
Bazyle
Participant
@bazyle
Well done. have a beer. And save the can to cut up for shims……..
11 May 2016 at 17:49 #238325
Neil Wyatt
Moderator
@neilwyatt
Might be a bit late to send back the ML7.

Neil
11 May 2016 at 17:51 #238326
Mark Williams 21
Participant
@markwilliams21
I didn't mean return the ML7, I meant the new 10mm tools I bought 👍🏻
11 May 2016 at 17:57 #238328
Neil Wyatt
Moderator
@neilwyatt
Interesting, I just found an old ML7 manual on line and I couldn't see anything in it about tool sizes (or even any advice on how to actually USE the machine.

This little excerpt was amusing, given how some people complain about having to remove preservative grease from Chinese lathes…
11 May 2016 at 18:05 #238329
Mark Williams 21
Participant
@markwilliams21
Just remembered it wasn't in the user manual I found it, it was actually on this forum, but when I just went back and re-read the thread it's referring to a Dickson tool post/ tool holders. But hopefully I can get them exchanged as they are unused and I only received them today and if not its about £20 to rectify the mistake, could be worse
11 May 2016 at 18:18 #238331
Neil Wyatt
Moderator
@neilwyatt
Give Ketan an email/phone. If they are unused I'm sure he'll exchange them for the right ones.

Neil
11 May 2016 at 18:19 #238332
Mark Williams 21
Participant
@markwilliams21
Cheers I'll call him in the morning
11 May 2016 at 19:15 #238343
Robbo
Participant
@robbo
Mark,

The original Myford 4-way tool post was designed to take 5/16" square tools, which these days means 8mm square.

I have one of the tool positions milled out to take 10mm on my 4-way.

As you realised, with a QCTP you can go up to 10mm
11 May 2016 at 19:19 #238344
Mark Williams 21
Participant
@markwilliams21
Thanks Robbo, I'll try and get my erroneous purchase changed tomorrow for the 8mm variant, if that doesn't work I'll throw the tool post in my milling machine and take a couple of mil of it 😉
12 May 2016 at 08:21 #238380
John Fielding
Participant
@johnfielding34086
Hi Mark,

Or do what I did when I inherited some 10mm TCT tools. Set them up up in the milling machine and take a bit off the bottom of the tool to get the correct height! Mind you, the steel is bl**dy tough to machine. Since buying a Dickson QCTP for the S7 it makes life so much easier.
12 May 2016 at 10:07 #238392
Ajohnw
Participant
@ajohnw51620
If you have a vertical slide it's generally possible to mill them down in the lathe. I did lots in a Taig so am sure an ML7 or others could cope.

John

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12 May 2016 at 10:58 #238398
Mark Williams 21
Participant
@markwilliams21
It's ok I'm getting them exchanged. A very nice man called Ian from Arc Euro Trade read this thread and phoned me out of the blue this morning to say an exchange was no problem, this is the kind of customer service every company should have and will certainly guarantee I use them in the future. Thanks Ian and Arc Euro Trade!!
12 May 2016 at 13:32 #238422
Ian S C
Participant
@iansc
You can't get better service than that Mark. If your tool post is like mine, you would be pushing your luck trying to machine it down to fit, hard as!!

Ian S C
14 May 2016 at 22:28 #238709
Howard Lewis
Participant
@howardlewis46836
FWIW, make up a Centre Height Gauge. It will save LOTS of time setting tools to centre height.

Just shim/adjust the tool until it touches the underside of the blade (which has been set to centre height), and you are ready to go.

Howard
14 May 2016 at 22:36 #238713
Nick Wheeler
Participant
@nickwheeler
Posted by Howard Lewis on 14/05/2016 22:28:20:

FWIW, make up a Centre Height Gauge. It will save LOTS of time setting tools to centre height.

Just shim/adjust the tool until it touches the underside of the blade (which has been set to centre height), and you are ready to go.

Why not just reset the height gauge you used to measure the centre height? Saves even more time.
14 May 2016 at 22:54 #238718
Stovepipe
Participant
@stovepipe
Good customer service ? Second nature to Ketan and his merry crew !

Dennis
14 May 2016 at 23:24 #238720
Vic
Participant
@vic
This is my setting gauge. I only use it on the tangential tool as I've epoxied or screwed shim plates to my insert and parting tools so they're permanently on centre height.
15 May 2016 at 09:00 #238740
Pero
Participant
@pero
Further to Robbo's comments above, and hopefully not taking us too far off topic, as some of us have found out to our dismay the Myford-Dickson QCTP will actually take a 12 mm tool. Unfortunately you can't then set the tool to the correct height due to interference with the topslide – makes you wonder why they didn't just settle for 10 mm in the first place as the holders could be made slightly more rigid.

It seems however to be widespread. The tool holders for the Cowells' QCTP will hold up to 10 mm while the A2Z CNC tool holders, commonly used on the Taig (Peatol) and other similarly sized small lathes will take up to 12 mm (1/2 inch), with the typical tool in use being 6 mm.

Interestingly the QCTP tool holders for my 410×1000 lathe will only take 25 mm (1 inch), the recommended tool size for this lathe, while the standard 4 position tool post will allow up to 40 mm reverse logic?).

I guess in the case of QCTP tool holders this may be to allow for the use of now largely extinct tool shapes but I would welcome any further thoughts on why this might be so.

Pero
15 May 2016 at 10:12 #238747
SteveI
Participant
@stevei
Pero,

On my boxford with dixon clone T0 size i max out at 12mm height tools. If I use a Multifix A size I have no problem with 1/2" which gives me a lot more options on the second hand HSS tool blanks market.

To answer your point about why they just didn't settle for 10mm max tool sizes I respectively point out that there are one or two other types of (small) lathes out there than Myford. Why would they limit their market by limiting their product to suit a Myford at the detriment of other combinations?

Steve
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