What is the most useful workshop tool that you have made?

[Danny M2ZParticipant @dannym2z]

G'day.

I was grinding some lathe tools today and looked around the workshop and got thinking about what was the most useful tool that I had made?

My immediate attention turned to the Harold Hall rest that I was using at the time. Brilliant design, used as required but not on a daily basis.

Then I spotted the carriage stop on my mini-lathe. Never had a head crash but turning or boring to a shoulder is repeatable. I use this daily.

So what have the rest of you been up-too?

*Danny m *

[Danny M2ZParticipant @dannym2z]

[Gordon WParticipant @gordonw]

Most used- a simple length of bright bar at exact length for setting the tool hight, made two, one for setting off the cross-slide and one ( not used so much ) for the top slide. A crude fixed steady, made from bent and welded steel bar, to hold a length of 100mm s/steel tube but since used for all sorts.

[Peter G. ShawParticipant @peterg-shaw75338]

Probably my mandrel handle which I tend to use every time a try some screwcutting in the lathe. Otherwise it's George McLatchie's extractor on the milling machine.

Another very important idea, ok it's not a tool as such, is the addition of small heaters to both the lathe and milling machine which work by keeping the hardware slightly warm all the time. Ok, there is a running cost, but in terms of preventing rusting, they are priceless. It also means that the equipment never has that bone-chilling coldness at this time of the year.

Maybe I'll think of some more later.

Peter G. Shaw

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Like Peter, my mandrel handle. With the addition of a short level on the securing nut I can attach and remove it single handed in a couple of seconds, so it gets plenty of use. Great for short and internal; threads.

Neil

[HopperParticipant @hopper]

Four-way toolpost for my old Drummond lathe. It does away with the original "Norman patent" toolholder that holds only one tool and needs the centre height resetting every time the tool is changed or even moved slightly. This is the biggest time-saver I have ever made.

It bolts directly to the cross slide table so eliminates the flimsy top slide and leaves more clearance around the tailstock. And I made it so it can be remounted as a rear toolpost if required and used for parting, chamfering etc while the regular cross slide is used.

Next step is a similar four-way toolpost for the top slide.

[mechman48Participant @mechman48]

Two that I have used the most lately… mandrel handle for threading when I've used the tailstock die holder, & saddle stop.

[Graham TitmanParticipant @grahamtitman81812]

The threading attachment by Jacques Maurel which is quick and simple to set up on my metric emco lathe and saves changing the quadrant when i cut imperial threads and a version of the tangential tool holder for finishing small diameters.both of which are getting a lot of use building a 3" traction engine,a 5"railmotor, tooling as above, bits for a motorbikes,odd bits for the house and car and jobs for my son.

[BERT ASHTONParticipant @bertashton57372]

Although I have made most of George Thomas's designs I think the most useful is the

Universal Pillar Tool, from drilling, tapping, riveting and indexing. In all a perfectly designed

piece of workshop equipment.

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Good point, Hopper. I should have name-checked my 4-way toolpost as well – it has transformed my use of the lathe.

Neil

[paul 1950Participant @paul1950]

just made this today for grinding plane blades

[John RuddParticipant @johnrudd16576]

I think the most useful item I have in the shop has to be the spring centre I made as featured in one of the mags some time back, closely followed by a carriage stop for my Chester 9×20 and one for my super C3 lathe, other useful items I've made, Harold Hall's grinding rest, his indexing unit both featured in one of his books and finally a ball/radius turning tool.

Sorryno pictures to show but everyone knows what they look like….and it saves server space 😃

[alan frostParticipant @alanfrost17805]

I would love to have more details of the Jaques Maurel threading attachment. Obviously I will be googling it etc. but just in case I come up with nothing thought I'd ask.

[HowiParticipant @howi]

Agree with Peter and Neil, on mandrel handle, only just made mine, can't think why it took so long. I was actually bored, with nothing to do, well not quite true, just didn't feel like doing anything build wise, but felt I had to do something.

[BazyleParticipant @bazyle]

Posted by alan frost on 14/11/2015 16:37:13:

I would love to have more details of the Jaques Maurel threading attachment. Obviously I will be googling it etc. but just in case I come up with nothing thought I'd ask

JM has done two threading devices, both I think featured in another magazine but do have threads on here. One is a self retracting tool that unfortunately was criticised on here but not put off he introduced the other which was a thread compensator adjusting one thread pitch to another (eg metric to imperial) using levers which was an update of an ME article from the fifties.

[egaParticipant @ega]

Rather like other posters, most-used has to be the GHT indexing four-way toolpost on the Myford.

BERT ASHTON:

Is the toolpost in your repertoire and are you by any chance the man who displayed a comprehensive collection of GHT designs at an ME exhibition some years ago?

[BERT ASHTONParticipant @bertashton57372]

ega, No I never made the GHT toolpost, I used a Myford four-way toolpost that came with

the Super 7.

Again no, I have never displayed anything at ME exhibitions, I did a lecture, many years

ago. at Rochdale ME.

The photograph shows the GHT Headstock Dividing Attachment, Retracting Topside

and the Graduating Tool.

[Clive FarrarParticipant @clivefarrar90441]

I do not wish to seem trite but my best mod was to add a loop of 6mm to the up and over garage door. I can now pull it down so easy and not put my back out.

That locks me and the heat inside and everyone else outside.

Anti social Moi Pahh.

It also makes a great hanging point for the hose pipe in the summer.

Regards Clive

[Jens Eirik Skogstad 1Participant @jenseirikskogstad1]

My useful tool is millingmachine who is made of old drillpress with ownmade equipment .

[alan frostParticipant @alanfrost17805]

Bazyle many thanks. If I did n't know better I would think you were a young whippersnapper of a member with the consequent infallible memory.

I did do some research myself and came up with two issues of another magazine with articles by Jacques Maurel, one of which apparently described the retracting tool holder,which thanks to your kind link I was able to watch a quite impressive video of. The other in December 2014 apparently describes a saw blade alignment tool.

The video you referenced lead me to quite a bit of information on the thread compensating tool including a utube video but regretfully I was unable to find another article by Jacques Maurel , or the threads on this website referring to his articles (no surprise there then).

Anyway your help.believe me was much appreciated. It now appears I will need the help of someone with the legendary memory power for articles on any sort of work with metal of a John Stevenson although I will continue with my own researches. It is said,but I can not confirm that JS remembers the date of the original article in "Temple Building for Beginners" by the original Tubal Cain. He must have been fairly young then.

Alan

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Alan,

A quick look through these results might help.

MichaelG.

[mahgniaParticipant @mahgnia]

Most useful tool I've made is a QCTP for the C6. Used all the time. I've now made about twenty toolholders to suit various tools.

Next would be the boring head for the mill. Indispensable for many jobs.

Andrew

[BazyleParticipant @bazyle]

Re screwcutting devices. A quick look at Michael's list gets this thread which is the one you are after. Fact is I remember his two screwcutting contributions because I found them interesting and on my build list but was too lazy to do proper research in my last post.

Edited By Bazyle on 15/11/2015 00:10:49

[Diane CarneyModerator @dianecarney30678]

An opportunity, perhaps, to remind everyone that we pay £50 per printed page for your designs and ideas. If you have designed/ made something that has not been published before or is an adaptation of an existing design – be it a small item of tooling or an unusual attachemnt for a machine tool – why not share it with Model Engineer readers?

Diane

[Graham TitmanParticipant @grahamtitman81812]

Hi Alan sorry i have only just checked the design i used came from Model Engineer 31 March 2006.

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