# First lathe project: QCTP lock nut lever handle



## slodat (Feb 4, 2021)

Started on my first lathe project last night. Not sure exactly what to call it... I’m making a lever handled nut for the top of the quick change tool post. It replaces the nut on top with a lever similar to the one already there for the wedge. 







This is an example of what I’m making. 






I cut a chunk of material from one of the rusty bars I bought from the scrap yard and got to making it smaller. Finish seems alright thus far. 











I think the next step will be to bore and tap the thread that goes in place of the existing nut. Then part it off a bit long and flip it around to do a taper and clean up the top. I need some material for the handle yet. I don’t have a ball turning setup so I’m thinking I’ll make a more rectangular knob. So far so good. It’s only a 3” or so part and I have a few feet of material to turn into mistakes before I would need more material


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## Doug Gray (Feb 4, 2021)

looking good so far slodat. Keep it up


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## slodat (Feb 4, 2021)

Thank you!

Like I said, this is my first lathe project. The tool post stud is M18 x 1.5. I found a tap and set out to bore the hole. Started with a 1/2 stub drill in the tailstock. Then the smallest boring bar I have. I only have carbide insert tooling at this point. Managed to open the hole up to the desired 0.640 without incident. Was a little nerve racking running that little 3/8 boring so far into the work piece. I must admit.. this is a ton of fun! I only took about 0.30 per pass with a super slow feedrate. I didn’t want to destroy my only small boring bar. 

I picked up some 3/4 4140 for the lever and ordered a threaded ball from McMaster. Yes, I’m taking the easy way out on the ball. 






Ready to tap. Borrowing a bigger tap handle from a friend in the morning. 






The lathe is ugly as hell, but a complete pleasure to use.


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## Ken226 (Feb 4, 2021)

Looks great!   That was one of my first projects too.  A worthwhile upgrade. 

 I use my toolpost in different angles so frequently that using a wrench becomes annoying.

I made replacement levers for every control.  Blued the lever cap, and cerakoted the rest of the toolpost in "gunmetal" and "cobalt".





The headstock cover, quick change gearbox knobs and headstock gear knobs were refinished in "cobalt' H series cerakote.




The spindle speed levers have titanium knobs,  with a cnc machined brass center cap.


My lathe is  sitting on cinder blocks right now while the stand is being powder coated.


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## slodat (Feb 5, 2021)

Those handles look nice! 

If I had a spiral tap I think I would have tried power tapping.. The call out on the tap package said 41/64 (0.640) drill. The ID is 0.650 In hopes it would be a little easier to run the M18 tap in. HA! 






This is my setup. At first I was rotating the chuck in neutral by hand. Well.. that didn’t last long. I then used the spindle in the lowest speed and feathered the clutch. Worked well. I used lots of rapid tap cutting fluid. It didn’t take long and I could hear it really loading up. My spindle doesn’t have reverse and the tap wrench more than spans the ways. So I had to rock it out a little under a quarter turn at a time jockeying the upper gear lever in and out of gear. The tap was REALLY tight when I would first start to back it out. It’s a bottoming tap because it was the only M18x1.50 I could find. Did that 5 or so times. Parted it off and this is what I have. 






I’m not sure how tall I want it. I went rather deep with the threads so I had some material I could take off the bottom should I want or need to. Seeing how much load there was on the spindle I think a tap would have slipped in the tailstock chuck.


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## Ken226 (Feb 5, 2021)

I like to put the spindle in the lowest gear, and rotate the tap handle by hand, using a tailstock center to hold the tap in alignment.

For a long tap handle, or large enough diameter to need more torque,  a crescent wrench on the chuck jaw works comfortably.


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## slodat (Feb 5, 2021)

Ken, that's exactly what I did. When it got really difficult to turn by hand, I feathered the clutch. It worked really well. Plenty of control. I'm not sure what the material is I'm working with. The threads turned out nice and the fit the stud well. Thank you for the insight. Confirms I'm not completely out to lunch.. right now 

Matched the 16 degree taper of the wedge handle reasonably well. And I domed the top while I was at it. I wish the finishes were better using the compound. I can sand it out.


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## Ken226 (Feb 5, 2021)

Looks great!


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## slodat (Feb 5, 2021)

Last bit of progress before I have to move on to other things. Handle threads went well. Turned a bolt to see how it lines up. Looks good. I’m happy! 











The handle lever will be about the same diameter and length as the wedge. That’s next.

I’m going to touch up the taper and see if I can get a better finish.


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## slodat (Feb 8, 2021)

First attempt at threading tonight. Went well enough for the first time. Learned a lot. Plenty more to learn. The nut went on, which felt great. 











Made the handle long so I could trim it down to the desired length once the threads into the body are where I want them.


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## erikmannie (Feb 8, 2021)

If you have a 4 jaw independent chuck, you could thread a bolt inside your cap there (and a nut tight up against the bolt head so your chuck jaws will have plenty of meat to grab onto), clamp both the bolt head and nut in the chuck jaws (can be done, see photo), indicate it in to your desired concentricity, & then use files, emery tape (on a file) and Scotch Brite to put a shine on that taper.

Go easy because you will have to screw it off when you are done, but the bolt head in a bench vise & getting leverage with your handle (or large vise grips with improvised protected jaws) will help with this.


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## Winegrower (Feb 8, 2021)

Replacing the QCTP nut with a lever is a useful step.   Here’s my try, and it improves my life a tiny bit at a time.


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## slodat (Feb 9, 2021)

I parted off the looser of the two threads I cut and gave it another go. This time I put an indicator on compound travel. This helped me with consistent depth of cut. Threads fit a bit better. I think I’m going to up it to 5/8-18. Waiting on the tap and drill. 

Photos from tonight:












It feels like I’m getting plenty tight with the handle as is. The lever needs to mate up the the body better. I need the body threads another 1/4 deeper. Fun project. Continuing to learn a lot.


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## slodat (Feb 11, 2021)

Still could use some polishing, otherwise calling this little project a success.


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## Ken226 (Feb 11, 2021)

Looks great!


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## BladesIIB (Feb 14, 2021)

Great project.  I did something similar a few months back, and love it.  Great addition to a Quick Change.


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## slodat (Feb 15, 2021)

Thanks guys. I’m considering chucking it up and seeing about a better surface finish on the taper. 

Fun project. Learned a lot. I’ll use it every time I run the lathe.


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