# Finished my AXA toolpost



## Chuck K (Apr 21, 2019)

I've been working on a few axa toolposts on and off for a while. Today I made a handle for one of them and tried it out.  Works fine but after turning the offset on the center piece a second time, my handle position is off by 90 degrees.  Just have to drill and tap another hole.


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## mikey (Apr 21, 2019)

Came out really nice, Chuck!


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## larry4406 (Apr 21, 2019)

Can you just face/grind it 1/4 turn equivalent vs tapping a new hole?


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## Chuck K (Apr 21, 2019)

larry4406 said:


> Can you just face/grind it 1/4 turn equivalent vs tapping a new hole?


Yeah....I could shorten the pistons.  The problem comes when I try to use import holders  rather than my homemade holders.  They are all different. I have the travel great enough to lock down even the loosest import holder as it is.  If I shorten the travel a few probably won't lock.  That's where wedge toolposts really have an advantage.


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## jdedmon91 (Apr 21, 2019)

I’ve cut a few dovetails in tools and made some homemade specialty tool blocks so sometimes I have to machine the homemade blocks a bit larger than the original measurements by a few thousands. 

Now in your case I’d do what you suggested by drill and tap a new hole and plug the original. I did the same to my import QCTP 
This is the video 





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## hman (Apr 23, 2019)

Nice looking tooling!

Whenever I get a QCTP (I think 3 so far), I drill & tap extra handle holes every 90º, so it's never a problem to locate the handle out of the way, even for unusual situations.


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## Chuck K (Apr 23, 2019)

Thanks for the replies guys.  When I finish machining everything, I'm going to get the turkey fryer out and blacken all of the parts.  That's such a nasty process that I prefer to wait until I can do a lot of parts at one time.


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## Chuck K (Apr 27, 2019)

jdedmon91 said:


> I’ve cut a few dovetails in tools and made some homemade specialty tool blocks so sometimes I have to machine the homemade blocks a bit larger than the original measurements by a few thousands.
> 
> Now in your case I’d do what you suggested by drill and tap a new hole and plug the original. I did the same to my import QCTP
> This is the video
> ...


I moved the handle today.  I planned on adding a ball oiler like you did on yours but I  seem to have stored the bag of ball oilers in one of those special places that I can't remember. I"m sure they will turn up as soon as I buy more of them.  For the time being I cut and slotted the end of a bolt to plug the hole.


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## jdedmon91 (Apr 28, 2019)

Chuck K. I didn’t put a ball oiler in my post. Just made an aluminum plug that’s threaded and locktited it into place 


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## markba633csi (Apr 28, 2019)

Nice work- you made that whole thing yourself? Looks like factory (in a good way)
Mark


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## Chuck K (Apr 28, 2019)

Thanks Mark.  I needed a couple of toolposts for lathes that I'm getting ready to sell.  I've always gone to Frank at CDCO to tool up machines that I sell.  This time I decided to make them instead.  I needed two so I'm making four. I figured as long as the machine is setup it doesn't take that much time to mill a couple more.


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## Chuck K (Jun 2, 2019)

Chuck K said:


> Thanks for the replies guys.  When I finish machining everything, I'm going to get the turkey fryer out and blacken all of the parts.  That's such a nasty process that I prefer to wait until I can do a lot of parts at one time.


I did a lot of hot bluing today.  Here's a tool post and holder.


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## Cadillac (Jun 2, 2019)

Care to explain your hot blue process looks really good along with your qctp! Nice job


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## martik777 (Jun 2, 2019)

How did you cut the dovetails?  What steel alloy did you use?


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## Chuck K (Jun 2, 2019)

I used lye and nitrate of soda.  Mix with water and heat with a turkey fryer.


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## Chuck K (Jun 2, 2019)

martik777 said:


> How did you cut the dovetails?  What steel alloy did you use?


Tool post was 4140.  Holders 1018.  Used a dovetail cutter in the mill.


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## martik777 (Jun 2, 2019)

4140 is pretty hard stuff, was the cutter carbide?


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## Chuck K (Jun 2, 2019)

Cadillac said:


> Care to explain your hot blue process looks really good along with your qctp! Nice job


The last dozen or so holders came out of the cooker with a green soot on them.  I think my mix got contaminated with kerosene. I've had the holders in a bucket with kerosene to keep them from rusting. I'm thinking I didn't get it all cleaned off. That stuff is a ***** to scrub off, but it's still nice and black underneath.


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## Chuck K (Jun 2, 2019)

martik777 said:


> 4140 is pretty hard stuff, was the cutter carbide?


It was carbide.  The 4140 was some material that I bought at an auction years ago.  It was marked 4140 but it cut easy enough and finished a lot nicer than the 1018.


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