Seeking advice on installing a QCTP

[Thazul]

Hi all,

I think its time I got around to installing the QCTP on my lathe.

I'd like a little bit of advice before i start altering anything.

I'm not sure how im going to get this to work without hacking away at the top of my compound rest.

Here are some images of the stock tool post along side my #100 axa wedge style tool post.

As you can see the tools barely adjust low enough with the base of the new QTCP removed.

Basically my question is, what would you do?

Thanks,

Andy

[Thazul]

I forgot to mention, the lathe is a Precision Matthews 11x27" Variable Speed Lathe.

-

Andy

[kawazuki]

I may be out of turn here but that looks like a 'weedy' compound mount for a 11 x 27" lathe! All those forces through a 2"? dia pivot on a 2 bolt mounting plate?

Anyway - 2 options, if you don't need the compound, loose it and make up a 4 bolt mounting plate on to your tee slotted cross slide with QCTP base ht to suit the lathe centreline. Should be able to tap the big dia. post into it nice and rigid as well OR unscrew your original toolpost post and ferrule, bore and tap for new big post and mount new QCTP but it'd still be flimsy!

[Thazul]

Thanks for the reply Kawazuki!

Kawazuki:
The smallest diameter part of that compound is 60mm, and the base of it that contacts the table is 90mm, picture included.
Probably still considered pretty 'weedy' right?

I also realized last night that I don't think the QCTP I bought will accommodate the tooling I would like to use.

I would like to hard turn some ball screws, and the tooling I see hoss doing hard turning with I can't seem to find small enough to fit this Axa #100 (0.5" Shank)

It's a shame that it looks like I'm going to have to ditch the cross slide compound to get anything worth using to fit.

So I guess my question is now what should I get, and or where do I get indexable tooling that will hold some ceramic inserts, preferably those nice 80 degree ones that are double sided.

Any and suggestions welcome.

Thanks,

Andy

[kawazuki]

Maybe - I dunno, i'm picking this all up slowly meself - maybe i'm a bit spoilt with my C4. The compound mount plate is about 125mm square and 4 bolt fixing with the compound pivot at about 80mm dia - everything seems to be big face to big face to minimise rocking?

Try these - http://www.kwagmire.com/shop/lathe/9...cessories.html or http://www.bedair.org/Toolpost/Toolpost9x.html

As the C4 is only a 9x16" size, max tooling is 10mm or 3/8" with the supplied QCTP - I actually use 6mm or 1/4" indexable tools and they work great. I guess you have to ask yourself how often are you turning tapers or threading as to the requirement for the compound? Happy reading!

[escott76]

Thanks for the reply Kawazuki!

Kawazuki:
The smallest diameter part of that compound is 60mm, and the base of it that contacts the table is 90mm, picture included.
Probably still considered pretty 'weedy' right?

I also realized last night that I don't think the QCTP I bought will accommodate the tooling I would like to use.

I would like to hard turn some ball screws, and the tooling I see hoss doing hard turning with I can't seem to find small enough to fit this Axa #100 (0.5" Shank)

It's a shame that it looks like I'm going to have to ditch the cross slide compound to get anything worth using to fit.

So I guess my question is now what should I get, and or where do I get indexable tooling that will hold some ceramic inserts, preferably those nice 80 degree ones that are double sided.

Any and suggestions welcome.

Thanks,

Andy

You can turn ballscrews with 3/8" insert tooling. I used my 9x20 and got decent results. Cheap set of insert holders too. I was surprised it worked as well as it did. It isn't fast, and in the beginning it isn't pretty or quiet, but it got the job done.

[Thazul]

Thanks for the replies guys, Appreciate it.

Hoss pointed me to some nice tooling that will fit the QCTP I bought, and also advised against using the ceramics for the ball screws.

I think with its intermittent cutting it will break the ceramic inserts.

I have turned some ball screws with the cheap inserts, it does work but I was hoping to make quicker and cleaner work of it with some higher quality tooling.

What I have decided to do is drill and tap the compound to fit the QCTP I have, should be quick and easy.

I will post pictures when I do it, gotta get a tap first though.

Thanks again all, and if anyone has any suggestions please go ahead and post, as I might not get around to doing this for a few weeks.

Best Regards,

Andy