# Hemingway kits?



## phubbman (Feb 13, 2021)

I’m learning machinery basics and looking to both improve my skills and economically add some tooling to my shop. I have been looking into something better than the ”bump” type knurler that I have and stumbled upon the Hemingway kits website.  This stuff looks great with kits ranging from simple and very reasonably priced to complex and spends.  

Does anyone here have experience with these kits? How is the company to deal with?  We’re the materials and instructions as advertised?

thanks in advance,
paulh


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## benmychree (Feb 13, 2021)

A link to their site?


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## john.oliver35 (Feb 13, 2021)

Here you go:   http://www.hemingwaykits.com/


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## Lo-Fi (Feb 13, 2021)

I've built the quick change tool post from Hemingway. The drawings are great, they answered questions promptly and delivery was quick. Stock and hardware supplied were excellent. They have a good reputation, you won't go wrong


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## Ken226 (Feb 13, 2021)

I want to build their floating reamer holder.

 It floats both axially and radially, and looks badass. It would look great in my wall mounted live center rack


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## bill70j (Feb 13, 2021)

I built the Hemingway rotary broach.  

Drawings are excellent, as is the commentary that goes along with them.  The drawings must be as-built - I didn't run across a single error.   The supplied materials are very nice.  The customer service is excellent.  

I am looking at buying another kit from them.


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## Badabinski (Feb 13, 2021)

I built their instrument-maker's vise and tailstock die holder. The castings on the vise were quite nice, and the tailstock die holder had a pretty interesting design. I'd recommend them, although I'll admit that I had a hard time understanding some of the instructions that were written using British colloquialisms.


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## mickri (Feb 14, 2021)

No experience with their kits.  If you are looking to make a knurler you should check out Mikey's detailed thread on how to make a straddle knurler.  It is very similar to Hemingway's knurler.  I am making a straddler knurler based on Mikey' thread modified to fit on my Norman style QCTP.


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## ddickey (Feb 14, 2021)

You can also check out Tom's Techniques for knurler plans. He has plans for a very rigid knurler although somewhat limited.


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## 9t8z28 (Feb 20, 2021)

ddickey said:


> You can also check out Tom's Techniques for knurler plans. He has plans for a very rigid knurler although somewhat limited.


Tom's design is probably one of the best designs I have ever seen.  I see a few limits to it that others get around but it seems to me that it is the most rigid design.  I have seen Tom's videos in the past but for some reason never saw the knurler series of vids.


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## Yester5 (Feb 22, 2021)

In my experience, their kits are great. The shipping form UK to Pittsburgh PA was a bit high but worth it to me, as a self-taught newbie 
I've built the Cross Drilling Jig and I'm just starting the Versatile Dividing Head.
I've shown here the Cross Drilling Jig after completion...


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## Yester5 (Feb 22, 2021)

9t8z28 said:


> Tom's design is probably one of the best designs I have ever seen.  I see a few limits to it that others get around but it seems to me that it is the most rigid design.  I have seen Tom's videos in the past but for some reason never saw the knurler series of vids.


Building Tom's knurler was one of the first projects I attempted when I first started teaching myself machining. His plans and series of YouTube videos are excellent. It works great, even on my small 8 x 20 lathe


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## 9t8z28 (Feb 22, 2021)

Yester5 said:


> In my experience, their kits are great. The shipping form UK to Pittsburgh PA was a bit high but worth it to me, as a self-taught newbie
> I've built the Cross Drilling Jig and I'm just starting the Versatile Dividing Head.
> I've shown here the Cross Drilling Jig after completion...


I was just looking at the cross-drilling jig a few days ago and for the life of me I cannot figure out how it works.  Anyone have any vids on someone using it in action?


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## Yester5 (Feb 23, 2021)

9t8z28 said:


> I was just looking at the cross-drilling jig a few days ago and for the life of me I cannot figure out how it works.  Anyone have any vids on someone using it in action?


YouTube might...these are photos taken from Harold Hall’s web site. You see, the kit is made primarily to be used on your lathe. It attaches to your tool post stud and on my lathe, I had to shim it up a bit to get it on center to my lathe spindle bore. Then, with a end mill mounted in your chuck, you cut out the stepped “V” notch that holds your stock that needs drilled on-center. The clamps hold your round stock and on the clamp, you fabricate different size bushings that guide your drill bits. It can also be mounted in a mill vise or drill press to drill round stock. These pics are from Harolds web site...


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## Yester5 (Feb 23, 2021)

Here is a video of me fabricating my kit. I’m cutting the “V” notch steps. Once you cut the “V” on your lathe, any round stock that you clamp in the jig is always on-center with your spindle


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## pdentrem (Feb 23, 2021)

I bought the retracting tool holder http://www.hemingwaykits.com/acatalog/Retracting_Tool_Holder.html I built It in a couple weekends.
Pierre


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## 9t8z28 (Feb 23, 2021)

Yester5 said:


> Here is a video of me fabricating my kit. I’m cutting the “V” notch steps. Once you cut the “V” on your lathe, any round stock that you clamp in the jig is always on-center with your spindle


Thanks for explaining in detail.  Looks like a good kit.  Is that an SC4 lathe your working on?


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## 9t8z28 (Feb 23, 2021)

pdentrem said:


> I bought the retracting tool holder http://www.hemingwaykits.com/acatalog/Retracting_Tool_Holder.html I built It in a couple weekends.
> Pierre


This is another want of mine.  How rigid is the tool when locked forward to take a cut?  Can you modify the tool to use a larger blank, maybe 3/8" or 1/2" ?


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## Yester5 (Feb 23, 2021)

9t8z28 said:


> Thanks for explaining in detail. Looks like a good kit. Is that an SC4 lathe your working on?



My lathe is from Little Machine Shop. It’s their 8 x 20 model


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro


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## pdentrem (Feb 23, 2021)

9t8z28 said:


> This is another want of mine.  How rigid is the tool when locked forward to take a cut?  Can you modify the tool to use a larger blank, maybe 3/8" or 1/2" ?











						Retracting tool holder
					

I purchased the Hemingway Tools kit for the Retracting Tool Holder. What you receive are excellent drawings plus the article originally done by the designer G. Thomas, and all the blank steel components as well as the screws, drill blanks for pins etc. Naturally the screws are British thread...




					www.hobby-machinist.com
				



I use it for threading. It is mounted on to a tool block for my QCTP so switching back and forth is easy.

You can go bigger with a little redesign of the main piece. It is designed for a 1/4” round tool and if I were to make it again, 2 things.
1 make it integral with a QCtool holder and 
2 make the tool area a square recess for flexibility of 1/4 or 3/8” tools. 
if wanting 1/2” tool this would require beefing up but once you see how it is made shouldn’t be a show stopper.
Pierre


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## Tim9 (Feb 23, 2021)

I built their small rotary broach. I’d have to say that they have excellent drawings, prints and instructions. It’s very step by step. Great kits. All the necessary metal castings and steel blanks. Really great stuff in my opinion. A little pricey because of the shipping but top quality stuff. I enjoyed building the kit.
If money was no issue I’d have purchased more but what can I say. Sometimes I’m cheap. Don’t like spending a lot on shipping. But Hemingway is an excellent outfit and they even emailed me asking if I had any questions. Excellent company service in my opinion


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## ErichKeane (Feb 23, 2021)

pdentrem said:


> Retracting tool holder
> 
> 
> I purchased the Hemingway Tools kit for the Retracting Tool Holder. What you receive are excellent drawings plus the article originally done by the designer G. Thomas, and all the blank steel components as well as the screws, drill blanks for pins etc. Naturally the screws are British thread...
> ...


That is a brilliant design and would make thread cutting so much easier!  I end up having to re-learn how to use my threading-stops on my lathe every time I single-point


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## Cadillac STS (Mar 18, 2021)

ErichKeane said:


> That is a brilliant design and would make thread cutting so much easier!  I end up having to re-learn how to use my threading-stops on my lathe every time I single-point


Wit the retracting bit you just leave the half nuts closed.  Move the cross back reversing the screw, advance the tool then forward again.  No alignment issues, no threading dial needed.  Some lathes do not have a threading dial and since you never undo the half nut it is always in register.


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## ErichKeane (Mar 18, 2021)

Cadillac STS said:


> Wit the retracting bit you just leave the half nuts closed.  Move the cross back reversing the screw, advance the tool then forward again.  No alignment issues, no threading dial needed.  Some lathes do not have a threading dial and since you never undo the half nut it is always in register.


Well, I was commenting that it would still be useful on a bigger lathe with a thread-dial, but because it looks like an easier thing to set up rather than my lathe crossfeed stop system (which is a little awkward to use).


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## Cadillac STS (Mar 19, 2021)

ErichKeane said:


> Well, I was commenting that it would still be useful on a bigger lathe with a thread-dial, but because it looks like an easier thing to set up rather than my lathe crossfeed stop system (which is a little awkward to use).


Exactly. Would be useful on any lathe with thread dial or not.

Retracting allows you to just stop, retract, reverse, extend and lock, advance the counter cross and make another pass.

Avoids needing to stop, dial back the cross for clearance, disengage the nut, dial forward precisely, re-engage the nut with the thread dial, etc..  

Not necessary if there is a thread dial but still an interesting useful project.


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## ddickey (Mar 19, 2021)

Good video on retracing threading tool build.


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## Cadillac STS (Mar 19, 2021)

Here is one I posted here in 2014. Looks like I got carried away with pics then and lot of duplicates. 

There are pics of the few simple parts. Would be an easier build to make one than others I’ve seen.

There are 5 parts and two are just covers. 









						Can anyone identify this retractable tool post?
					

I found this retractable tool post.  It is for BXA size QCTP.  It retracts fine and looks very solid.  So simple, just 3 parts beside the two covers.  I'll post pics of the actual tool together and then the tool apart.  No maker markings on it at all.  With the pics someone may be able to make one.




					www.hobby-machinist.com


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## 9t8z28 (Mar 23, 2021)

Cadillac STS said:


> Here is one I posted here in 2014. Looks like I got carried away with pics then and lot of duplicates.
> 
> There are pics of the few simple parts. Would be an easier build to make one than others I’ve seen.
> 
> ...


Cool screen name.  Im a Cadillac man myself.  
I checked out the link you posted for the retractable threading tool holder and I have starred at the photos for a while now and I cant figure out how it works.  Can you explain?  Is there something missing like a spring or is there a HSS tool bit also missing?  I see how the handle rotates and I assume the cam moves out of the way so the tool holder can retract?  I cant figure out how the cam clears the slot when the handle is rotated.


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## Cadillac STS (Mar 23, 2021)

It works with that cam pulling back the ram.  It is made so there is a positive detent feel on open and close.  

No other parts

It does not have the threading bit set in it.  That goes in the square hole and held in by an allen screw

There is a square hole in the front probably broach cut.  To make another I would probably make a 3/8 slot toward the bottom or top to allow 2 allen screws to hold the bit in place instead of broaching the square.

Would be a nice project for someone to draw up in CAM/CAD and upload the drawings and files....


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