# Finally turning some metal!



## guitarman0023 (May 3, 2018)

Finally got my QCTP setup on my craftsman/atlas 12x36, never using the lantern post again!  I built a bushing for my wedding ring to make it fit again out of stainless steel, and then replaced the big ugly red knob on my bostar QCTP, and then turned up a square out of some aluminum scrap I had laying around.  I still need a decent amount of tooling, but I've been able to practice operations and I wanted to share


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## HMF (May 3, 2018)

Congrats on getting on track!


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## MAKEITOUTOFWOOD (May 3, 2018)

Good times.


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## wa5cab (May 3, 2018)

*guitarman,*

Nice looking work.  But one comment on how you have the QCTP and compound set.  With the compound, it's personal preference unless you are cutting threads.  But I usually set the compound around to 30 degrees.  That way, you can advance the cutter when turning without having to unlock the cross feed lock and when facing without having to unlock the carriage lock, which should always be set while facing, grooving or parting off.

The QCTP, however, should always be set square to the spindle axis, normally with one mounting face facing the work and the other on the left (headstock) side of the TP.  The only time that it would be set otherwise would be rotated clockwise 90 degrees if you need to work up close to the tailstock.  With it set rotated a few degrees clockwise as it appears to be in your photograph, (a) the horizontal angles won't be what the cutter or the insert was ground for and (b) you can't safely work right up next to the chuck jaws.  The quick and dirty way to align it is to slightly loosen the nut on the hold down stud so that you can rotate the TP but it won't slide around.  Chuck up any piece of solid round that you have handy.  Remove whatever cutter holder you have mounted, leaving the lever on the TP in the loosen position if you have a piston type TP or the tightened position with a wedge type..  Then, with the cross slide, run the TP out against the round bar. which should square it up.  While the TP is pressed up against the round bar, re-tighten the hold-down nut.


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## guitarman0023 (May 3, 2018)

Thanks for the tips!  Still pretty new at this


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## westsailpat (May 3, 2018)

QCTP is the only way to go . When I first got my machine I wanted vintage . That was a mistake .


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## guitarman0023 (May 4, 2018)

Yeah my lathe didn't even come with the lantern post, it came with a homemade one that had zero rigidity.  For a long time, I thought the lathe was junk, until I figured out the homemade tool post had a bad crack in it I didn't see.  Very happy with the QCTP


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## jdedmon91 (May 4, 2018)

wa5cab said:


> *guitarman,*
> 
> Nice looking work. But one comment on how you have the QCTP and compound set. With the compound, it's personal preference unless you are cutting threads. But I usually set the compound around to 30 degrees. That way, you can advance the cutter when turning without having to unlock the cross feed lock and when facing without having to unlock the carriage lock, which should always be set while facing, grooving or parting off.
> 
> The QCTP, however, should always be set square to the spindle axis, normally with one mounting face facing the work and the other on the left (headstock) side of the TP. The only time that it would be set otherwise would be rotated clockwise 90 degrees if you need to work up close to the tailstock. With it set rotated a few degrees clockwise as it appears to be in your photograph, (a) the horizontal angles won't be what the cutter or the insert was ground for and (b) you can't safely work right up next to the chuck jaws. The quick and dirty way to align it is to slightly loosen the nut on the hold down stud so that you can rotate the TP but it won't slide around. Chuck up any piece of solid round that you have handy. Remove whatever cutter holder you have mounted, leaving the lever on the TP in the loosen position if you have a piston type TP or the tightened position with a wedge type.. Then, with the cross slide, run the TP out against the round bar. which should square it up. While the TP is pressed up against the round bar, re-tighten the hold-down nut.



I agree in fact that’s the way I run mine. In fact the tooling I use is modified to fit the dovetail 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			






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## jdedmon91 (May 4, 2018)

guitarman0023 said:


> Finally got my QCTP setup on my craftsman/atlas 12x36, never using the lantern post again! I built a bushing for my wedding ring to make it fit again out of stainless steel, and then replaced the big ugly red knob on my bostar QCTP, and then turned up a square out of some aluminum scrap I had laying around. I still need a decent amount of tooling, but I've been able to practice operations and I wanted to share
> 
> View attachment 266612
> View attachment 266613
> View attachment 266614



Love the QC handle


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## guitarman0023 (May 4, 2018)

Thanks!


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## Round in circles (May 23, 2018)

Don't throw the lantern tool post away .. there are still some uses for it especially if you're lucky enough to find  some of the original cutting tools in garage sales etc .


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## wa5cab (May 25, 2018)

One potential use for it is for mounting the only commercially available ball turner that I know of.  It has the same shank as the Armstrong style cutter holders.  Which means that it is too tall to mount in an AXA or probably BXA tool holder.


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## guitarman0023 (May 30, 2018)

I don't have the lantern post, the lathe was only 250, came with just the four jaw chuck and a homemade toolpost that had no rigidity.  So far I haven't found anything the QCTP can't do.


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## mikey (May 30, 2018)

wa5cab said:


> The QCTP, however, should always be set square to the spindle axis, normally with one mounting face facing the work and the other on the left (headstock) side of the TP.  The only time that it would be set otherwise would be rotated clockwise 90 degrees if you need to work up close to the tailstock.



Just wanted to point out that this is mostly true if you use inserted carbide tooling. However, with HSS tooling the lead angle of the tool is frequently changed to accommodate the operation; the lead angle is changed by rotating the tool post to the desired position, which is rarely square. In addition, many inserted carbide tools will actually finish better if the tip of the tool is canted slightly toward the tailstock. The reason for this is that you are cutting almost purely with the nose radius in this altered position; you might give it a try.


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## kd4gij (May 30, 2018)

guitarman0023 said:


> I don't have the lantern post, the lathe was only 250, came with just the four jaw chuck and a homemade toolpost that had no rigidity.  *So far I haven't found anything the QCTP can't do*.





  I said the same thing when I first got my QCTP.  But the lantern ends up on the lathe once in a while for that hard to reach job.


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## jdedmon91 (Jun 1, 2018)

guitarman0023 said:


> Yeah my lathe didn't even come with the lantern post, it came with a homemade one that had zero rigidity. For a long time, I thought the lathe was junk, until I figured out the homemade tool post had a bad crack in it I didn't see. Very happy with the QCTP



Thought I show how I modified tools for direct mount in the QCTP 





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