QCTP

[James AParticipant @jamesalford67616]

Does anyone have any experience of these QCTPs on Amazon? I am considering buying one for my Warco WM180 that my wife has bought for me.

https://amzn.eu/d/0fi2bBrH

James

[MichaelRParticipant @michaelr]

You would do better getting a QCTP from Warco or another specialist tool dealer, the Amazon item looks a bit light weight in my opinion.

[HollowpointParticipant @hollowpoint]

They are made from aluminum. Not rigid enough.

[Nigel Graham 2Participant @nigelgraham2]

It’s not worth using these on-line supermarkets for specialist equipment.

Besides we should be supporting our own! It’s a Warco machine- ask Warco!

[Bill PhinnParticipant @billphinn90025]

I’d get the 250-000 style of QCTP personally. It can be had for around £40, and standard tool holders to fit are around £7 each.

Warco don’t sell this kind, but Arc did.

In answer to Nigel’s point, I’ve found there are many things I’ve needed that neither Warco nor any of the other UK home machining suppliers sell, and it’s almost certain that the source for at least some of what Warco does sell is effectively or actually the same as the sources used by the online supermarkets.

[Bill Phinn]

On Bill Phinn Said:

I’d get the 250-000 style of QCTP personally. It can be had for around £40, and standard tool holders to fit are around £7 each.

Warco don’t sell this kind, but Arc did.

In answer to Nigel’s point, I’ve found there are many things I’ve needed that neither Warco nor any of the other UK home machining suppliers sell, and it’s almost certain that the source for at least some of what Warco does sell is effectively or actually the same as the sources used by the online supermarkets.

I have the 250-000 type on my WM180 – much better than the sort Warco sell for this lathe (they’re out of stock at the moment anyway).

You do have to do a little messing around to accommodate the spigot that the 4-way toolpost rotates on, either by making a plate to lift the QCTP above the spigot (what I did), or by removing the spigot entirely. Ask if you decide to go this route and want further details.

You can also get copies of the Multifix type (see https://www.lathes.co.uk/multifix/). A bit nicer, but more expensive.

[howardbParticipant @howardb]

RDG tools sell a range of QCTP’s,

I’ve got one of his own brand tool posts and seven tool holders to fit the S7 and very good they are too.

https://www.rdgtools.co.uk/product-category/quick-change-toolpost-sets-and-holders/quick-change-toolposts-complete-sets/

 

[Dave HalfordParticipant @davehalford22513]

It’s too easy to bruise the alloy in use.

[James AParticipant @jamesalford67616]

Thank you, all, for the comments and suggestions. I shall look into these and have a think about what to do.

My interest is less about speed of changing tools and entirely about the ease of setting the tool height without using shims. I find that frustrating and the home-made height-adjustable tool post that I made for my Flexispeed made setting the tool height a doddle.

James.

[Les TParticipant @lest]

Go for the 250-000 style of QCTP suggested by Bill.  Having originally used a Bison TP  similar to those sold by RDG for many years I found the need to get the cam to engage with  the holder when changing tools needed care to get the alignment right. Also you have to find and engage the operating handle each time you change a tool,

I abandoned the system in favour of the 250-000 style of QCTP and find it a much better system. Tools drop straight in and are locked with no need for care in alignment.  There are two types

of this style sold- piston type and cuneiform (wedge).  The wedge type is the better system.

[martin haysomParticipant @martinhaysom48469]

i bought one of those cheapo far east QCTP. it looks like [ but is not] the one in Howard’s post, its junk it keeps working loose in use. if i got another it would be a Multifix

the one i have will not hold a parting off tool rigid enough to be able to use

[James A]

On James A Said:

Thank you, all, for the comments and suggestions. I shall look into these and have a think about what to do.

My interest is less about speed of changing tools and entirely about the ease of setting the tool height without using shims. I find that frustrating and the home-made height-adjustable tool post that I made for my Flexispeed made setting the tool height a doddle.

James.

I use a four way tool post but don’t often use shims. I use a Tangential tool which has built in height adjustment for the cutter, or I use carbide insert tooling, all of which have either been trimmed to make them sit at exactly centre height, or have ground flat stock epoxied to the bottom of the holder, to again put them on centre height. Fitting a QCTP to a small lathe isn’t going to help with rigidity and I’ve saved quite a few quid not buying tool holders.

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

Although dedicated shims can help with commonly used tools I still find the easy screw height adjustment of a QCTP the best way to set tools. For example over the weekend I ground a form to so had to set that to height, I then used it inverted to get the opposite hand of the profile. Both adjusted in a few seconds with a turn of the height adjuster

[Vic]

On Vic Said:

Fitting a QCTP to a small lathe isn’t going to help with rigidity and I’ve saved quite a few quid not buying tool holders.

I wonder how much the rigidity/stiffness of a lathe is dependent on whether you have a QCTP installed and how much on the rigidity/stiffness of other parts, like your compound slide. I’ve put locks on my carriage, cross-slide and compound slide, and I can’t detect any loss of stiffness when using my 250-000 QCTP as opposed to using any of the 3 four-way toolposts I have (which I do still use, incidentally).

Shimming or epoxying on of riser blocks for every different tool wouldn’t be my favourite past-time*, but I am interested in trying your tangential tooling set-up, Vic.

 

*How do you decide where along the shank to epoxy on the riser block when, on a lot of tools, you would ideally have different lengths of tool stick-out for different jobs? If instead you are epoxying the riser block to the toolpost itself, this is arguably even more limiting, though in a different way.

[BazyleParticipant @bazyle]

I assume allthose who find it too hard work to shim a tool wear slip-on shoes as even velcro let alone laces would take far too long. Buttoning a shirt is out of the question so I’d love to see pictures of your Wallace style auto dressing and breakfast making set up.

[Bill PhinnParticipant @billphinn90025]

Just think of all the things you could do with your time, Bazyle, if you weren’t squandering so much of it shimming and re-shimming tools and chasing repeatability.

You could get more actual lathe work done, for a start, or learn a new skill – like wit, for example.

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

While I can see that sticking shim along the whole length of some tools would work and allow you to alter how far they stick out of the toolpost as the work dictates. I can also see that causing problems for tools like boring bars where having extra material on the bottom will affect what size bore they can go down when you need to have them further out of the toolpost for a deep bore. Shims also give the problem of reducing the cross section of the tool that can fit into the post.

As for rigidity of QCTP, like bill I wonder if people are blaming the QCTP when there are other factors causing problems. Some of that time saved not changing shims could be spent browsing the net to see what sort of cuts can be taken with a QCTP. Myself I can take 1/2″ off diameter in one pass with a Myford sized Dickson post though not on large diameters or with a heavy feed

Here is a Dickson typ epost on a larger Colchester taking 5mm deep cuts at a feed rate of 0.5mm that is 0.200″ (0.4″ off dia) at a feed rate of 0.020″ per rev on a 300mm dia piece of stock. No top slide though.

[DellParticipant @dell]

I have Multifix on my Myford & Pultra from PeWe tools & I am very happy with them a bit expensive but you only have to buy once & as they say it’s usually not worth buying cheap tools.

[Bill Phinn]

On Bill Phinn Said:

Just think of all the things you could do with your time, Bazyle, if you weren’t squandering so much of it shimming and re-shimming tools a

On Bazyle Said:

I assume allthose who find it too hard work to shim a tool wear slip-on shoes as even velcro let alone laces would take far too long. Buttoning a shirt is out of the question so I’d love to see pictures of your Wallace style auto dressing and breakfast making set up.

Like many people, I have limited spare time available for hobbies and fail to see any merit or kudos in spending it fiddling about with shims and packing pieces when commercially available, widely accepted, adjustable height tool posts are available.

 

Perhaps I should dispense with the motor on the lathe as well instead of finding it too hard work to operate a treadle.

James.

[James A]

On James A Said:

[…]

My interest is less about speed of changing tools and entirely about the ease of setting the tool height without using shims. I find that frustrating and the home-made height-adjustable tool post that I made for my Flexispeed made setting the tool height a doddle.

James.

An admirable way of thinking, James

May I suggest that you follow Dell’s example

MichaelG.

[Andrew CrowParticipant @andrewcrow91475]

In the dim and distant past we had no alternative but to use packing you learnt to do it very quickly. On my Colchester Student I have a four way ratcheting tool post, faster than any QCTP once set, which I wouldn’t dream of replacing. For most work you only use about 6 different tools and once set the packing is kept with that tool and only adjusted occasionally, if you use insert tooling it never needs changing or you can machine the shank to put the tool always on centre.

Andy

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

I would have thought a QCTP with a ratchet or index pin is as quick as a ratcheting 4-way and then when you need an additional tool it will be even faster? You also get length ways repeatability when changing a QCTP, shimmed or milled holders will only go back in at the same height not position.

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Too late to edit my previous post

https://www.lathes.co.uk/multifix/

MichaelG.

[JasonB]

On JasonB Said:

I would have thought a QCTP with a ratchet or index pin is as quick as a ratcheting 4-way and then when you need an additional tool it will be even faster? You also get length ways repeatability when changing a QCTP, shimmed or milled holders will only go back in at the same height not position.

The additional fifth and sixth tools ie roughing and parting can be used in the rear tool post. Then by using a six posion stop I normally don’t have to change any tools.

I’m not anti QCTP as I have one for the Myford with more than four tool holders, on that machine it is easier to use and as on the Colchester the rear tool post holds the first an last operation tools.

Andy

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

Well having two toolposts obviously helps reduce changes but with a lathe like the OP that has nowhere to really mount a rear TP and not a lot of cross slide travel not much help.

[Author]

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