I'm still learning on grinding HSS so not all of mine come out real clean. Plus I have 1/4 HSS still, Still looking at a QTCP, Which ones do you recommend.
Ken, I wish I had kept some of my early attempts at tool grinding so I could show you what they looked like - they were pretty bad! I doubt you could do worse, trust me. What helped me the most was to use mild steel keystock instead of tool bits until I learned to control my hands and tool angles. I think I must have gone through 4 feet of the stuff but eventually I understood what I was supposed to be doing. You might be much further along than I was but by the time I switched back to HSS I could grind any shape at any angle I wanted and they came out looking rather good, at least to my eye, and worked quite well. You will find that 3/8" stock is much easier to grind and control than 1/4". Anyway, just a suggestion.
Probably the best post out there is the Aloris' MA Miniature post but that one costs almost $400.00. It will fit the Sherline lathe. I do not know if tool holders from A2Z or asian makers will fit it but I suspect they do. If so, this is a very viable option.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-4pc-Alo...819163?hash=item4199f49c9b:g:XXEAAOSwPe1T4mOU
Even Sherline makes a QCTP but theirs is also expensive. I don't know how the tool holders are wedged or tightened so you'll have to check. Dorian also got into the act with the Dorian MD-15 but that one is even more expensive than the Aloris.
All others are aluminum bodied piston-style posts. There used to be an outfit called TS Engineering (now out of business) that made a post that pulled the holder against the body of the post and it was much more rigid than the piston type. That is the one I use.
Unless you are very well heeled and can go for an Aloris, your best bet is the A2Z set from LMS. These are the typical piston-type post. They work and many guys say you can't tell the difference between a piston and a wedge-style post but I can (I have one of these piston-type posts, too). The wedge holds much more securely, especially when you're taking a really heavy cut or when you have a boring bar at max extension. Unfortunately, there is little choice except for the Aloris MA. For the money, the A2Z is probably your best bet.
If you plan to stay with the Sherline for a long time then maybe the Aloris post might be worth a look. Had I known I would still be using my Sherline 20+ years later, and had the Aloris MA been available, I would have bought it without a second thought. The tool bit is the interface between the work and your intentions; it must be held solidly. For my money, today, that would be the Aloris post.
