I have bought a new Lathe!!

[dixiethedogParticipant @dixiethedog]

Thank you all once again for your replies.

I feel a little out of place here as if I am brutally honest, I don’t really know much about lathes so my questions and thoughts may not fit in with the right ways of doing things. So, the QCTP needs a bit more investigating!

Journeyman (John), the link you gave for your website looks like some great reading for me. I have book marked it and will give it a good looking over tonight.

Thank you.

[PeteParticipant @pete41194]

As far as the best advise I might be able to provide about buying and fitting a quick change tool post and holders. Warco should be able to recommend exactly what will work with your new lathe and I’d check with them first. If you were to buy elsewhere, then it would be best to measure your lathe to obtain the distance between the lathe head stocks center line and the top of your top slide. I believe there’s a loose industry and dimensional standard that possibly not all of the manufacture’s follow. That might be even more true for the cheaper Asian copies. In that case, try and obtain the basic drawing dimensions of whatever tool post and tool holders your buying. This link to the Aloris website shows what I mean. https://aceronline.net/acergroup/pictures_for_ebay/aloris_p3.pdf It’s a bit complex, but those dimensions provide measurements to be used to determine the tool shank size your planning on using does fit the tool holder slot and still allows enough vertical adjustment of the tool holders to set the tool tip on the lathes center line within its range of adjustment.

I’d also fully expect to have to machine a new stud that’s firmly attached to the top slide and is properly sized to fit the new tool post bore. It’s possible to maybe likely that may require a stepped stud depending on the mechanical design your lathe uses. There’s actually quite a few different designs of quick change tool posts and tool holders, some can be far too expensive such as the European Tripan or Swiss made Multi Fix. But in general and if what your thinking of buying is one of the Asian generic copies of the U.S. Aloris. There’s two basic designs these tool posts use to clamp and lock the tool holders each time there changed. A piston type or wedge design. Either can work well enough, arguably the wedge design might be a bit more rigid. Although the wedge lock will usually costs a bit more.

I’d also agree about not buying the tool post and a kit of 4-5 various types of tool holders. You might never use some, or they may not perform well. Those sets with knurling or cut off tools are built down to meet a price point and you may want or need better.

[Howard LewisParticipant @howardlewis46836]

Bear in mind that tool holders from one make of QCTP may not be interchangeable with similar looking ones from another. And you need to choose the right one for your lathe.

A recent post on here showed someone who seemed to have fitted too large a one to the lathe and then had problems setting up tools.

So research carefully before you commit to a purchase.

I have used 4 way toolposts, on various lathes, for over 40 years.

(And made them for other folk)  WHY?

1) I would not have space to store at least ten tool holders for the various tools.

2) Changing to a QCTP would involve in spending money, which cannot be justied as a good return on the investment. (Cost vs benefit)

3) I find a 4 way post adequate for nearly all my needs (Even made a rear toolpost to carry front and back chamfer tools and a parting tool). So can accomodate 6 tools without the need for a change. Tools only changed for Knurling or radius tiurning.

I have been told that a QCTP is not quite as rigid as a 4 way (Understandable given the extra interfaces, overhang, and that it is is unlikely to be quicker changing tools than a four way.)

A less rigid tool will not withstand as heavy a cut as one more rigid. The greater the rigidity, the better the accuracy and finish.

There were good reasons why a highly respected model engineer designed, made and used, the Gibraltar toolpost

Is time really that important? It will be for industry where time is money, but we are hobby machinists. Will it really matter if the loco is finished a week later than originally planned?

A friend spent twelve years making a gold medal winning loco, so a week would be neither here nor there.

So, IMO the costs cannot be justified on the grounds of time saving.

But each to their own.

Howard

[Nick Clarke 3Participant @nickclarke3]

Boxfords used to come with an American or lantern toolpost so did have limited height adjustment

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