Tool post drilling in a small lathe

[Batmanacw]

Get an MT2 ER16 or 25 collet holder for use with end mills.

MT2-ER16 Milling Chuck Bracket, MTA2 Morse Taper ER16 Chuck Chuck Bracket

I found this one. As long as it holds tight it will work. I really don't need it but I would be able to stage tools in it. I think I have a spare micro nut for it already.

 

[Batmanacw]

I ordered a mta2 to er16 from a company in China that I've had good luck with. It will never spin in a mill. Just lathe work. As long as it grips it will do fine. It has the tang tab instead of a drawbar thread.

I'm thinking I could keep a micro boring bar chucked up ready to go.

 

[durableoreo]

@ Batmanacw,

Might I ask what your experience with tailstock drilling had been on your lathe? The reason I ask is that I also have a 1030V, and I get a ton of chatter anytime I try to drill anything 1/2" or larger. The tail stock just doesn't seem to be rigid enough on my machine. Everything is locked down (except of course the quill). The chatter is so bad at times it'll vibrate the tailstock locking lever loose. Asking to see if this is something that is common to the 1022/1030 machines, or if I'm just lucky.

Does that 250-105 holder seem to be sufficiently rigid, even with the compound slide installed? Compound on mine was a hot mess. I ended up re-engineering/overhauling mine. Installed thrust bearings, needle bearing for the leadscrew, remade the front plate, cut a new Acme 7/16-20 lead screw, new leadscrew nut from 932 bronze, and trued up the dovetails & gibs. Now it moves smoothly without the gibs needing to be overly loose. Gained a bit of additional travel as well.

I've been experimenting with the 250-105 on an import 9x20. No compound, though. I'm using a solid tool post. The QCTP held down by the usual stud but there's a dowel and set of grub screws to clamp it square to the spindle. Does not *seem* necessary but without these anti-rotation features, it moves. Also, I had to scrape the bottom of the tool post AGAIN after fixing the QCTP onto it. Unbelievable how much it flexes. https://www.instagram.com/metatyper/?img_index=1 So in that extreme situation, it works OK. The chuck I have on there is too big and heavy. Check out Gotteswinter's channel for carriage drilling tips. It can be hard to find. Just watch the last 20 videos.

I haven't done any drilling with large drills (0.500 and up). Most of my problems are small drills in deep holes. In that respect, this is much better than my tailstock. For really deep holes, put an O-ring on the drill. Avoids bashing the tip of your drill into the end of the hole.

 

[Parlo]

Here is mine made from a 16mm capacity Albrecht chuck. I use it all the time, great for holding boring bars.

 

[Batmanacw]

I've been experimenting with the 250-105 on an import 9x20. No compound, though. I'm using a solid tool post. The QCTP held down by the usual stud but there's a dowel and set of grub screws to clamp it square to the spindle. Does not *seem* necessary but without these anti-rotation features, it moves. Also, I had to scrape the bottom of the tool post AGAIN after fixing the QCTP onto it. Unbelievable how much it flexes. https://www.instagram.com/metatyper/?img_index=1 So in that extreme situation, it works OK. The chuck I have on there is too big and heavy. Check out Gotteswinter's channel for carriage drilling tips. It can be hard to find. Just watch the last 20 videos.

I haven't done any drilling with large drills (0.500 and up). Most of my problems are small drills in deep holes. In that respect, this is much better than my tailstock. For really deep holes, put an O-ring on the drill. Avoids bashing the tip of your drill into the end of the hole.

I have considered making a solid tool post and dumping the compound. I do not believe the spindle is stiff enough on my lathe to take advantage of the solid tool post. I'm still mulling it over.

 

[verbotenwhisky]

I have considered making a solid tool post and dumping the compound. I do not believe the spindle is stiff enough on my lathe to take advantage of the solid tool post. I'm still mulling it over.

I would be lost without my compound, I use it often.

 

[Batmanacw]

I would be lost without my compound, I use it often.

I'd be switching back and forth way too often...

 

[homebrewed]

I understand where you are coming from and that makes sense, my lathe doesn't have the same conditions so I had not thought of that. Are you using the power feed or just avoiding the pain of the tool post?

I haven't used the power feed as such but I have hand-driven the carriage with the half nuts engaged and a hand crank attached to the LS. It was done that way to avoid the possibility of the drill bit grabbing and self-feeding.

 

[Red96]

I have considered making a solid tool post and dumping the compound. I do not believe the spindle is stiff enough on my lathe to take advantage of the solid tool post. I'm still mulling it over.

I made a solid tool post plinth for my 1030 from a stinky hunk of A36. Maybe a slight improvement in finishes on mild steel, but where it really made a difference for me was during parting. Night and day difference there. If you build the plinth height to be identical to that of the compound, you won't have to readjust tool height when swapping back and forth between compound and solid mount. I missed the mark on that by a couple thou unfortunately. Changing between the two takes a couple minutes, but I don't find myself needing the compound that often, personally.

 

[durableoreo]

I have considered making a solid tool post and dumping the compound. I do not believe the spindle is stiff enough on my lathe to take advantage of the solid tool post. I'm still mulling it over.

I'm not against compounds. There's space for it on the back of the cross slide, when you need it. It happens that mine is very very low quality and needs an overhaul so complete that I might as well make a new one from scratch.