# Cutoff Tool Holder



## Billh51 (Sep 11, 2019)

I recently made a cutoff tool holder for my lathe. I got the idea for it from Winkys Workshop on YouTube and did a few small modifications and it works quite well. I had your typical holder that goes in the quick change tool post and I have always had limited success when parting off. My lathe is a 12x36 Enco, so not a mini lathe but certainly not rigid enough like the big boys.
This holder does take the overhung load off the compound and makes it much more rigid, which results in much better control when parting off or grooving. I made this from 1-1/2” square 1018 and used a 1/8”x11/16” cutoff blade. One operation that I didn’t show, is cutting the 1/32” slit through the body to it’s full depth. When I was taking the picture, I only had a 3” diameter slitting saw blade and had to order a 4” diameter to finish slitting it deep enough, so it clamps the blade properly.
  I would suggest watching Winkys video as he does a great job explaining things, much better than I am capable of doing. The only change or addition that I made, was to add two blade clamping bolts to secure the blade, rather then rely on the tool post bolt to hold it. I have made several cuts in some 4140 shafting and had good results. I had my RPM at 60 and hand fed the cross slide, not brave enough for power feed yet.
I also had a trail mower in my shop that I designed and built for my Son-in-law about 10 years ago. Doing some yearly maintenance on it for him. He pulls it behind a 4 wheeler and it makes a 60” cut, his trails look pretty good.


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## T Bredehoft (Sep 11, 2019)

That is one serious cut off tool.


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## mickri (Sep 11, 2019)

Thanks for your write up.  I have been thinking of making something very similar to this with the deep slot but didn't know if it would work.


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## Janderso (Sep 23, 2019)

Well done sir!!


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## Bob Kelly III (Oct 13, 2019)

I too have found several jewels from winkies workshop ! <Grin> I love the wooden lathe he made ! LOL you could cut steel on that I am sure...I wonder if he has tried it yet ?
his modifications to the standard cutoff tool should not go unnoticed ! with the support going down to a flat plate over the ways.... that was clever and very good deduction of the problem that caused the chatter ! 
myself I still use the hacksaw after I cut the deepest trench I can with my cutting tool,and if worse comes to worse I use the reciprocating saw !....
but i waste a lot of material when I use the saw..... gott'a face it and take out the V too....
I've been wondering if I could make a cut off tool out of an old flat file or not .... has anyone tried that ?
....
Bob......


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## ezduzit (Oct 13, 2019)

Why no rake angle?


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## Bob Korves (Oct 13, 2019)

ezduzit said:


> Why no rake angle?


So the cutting edge is always on lathe center height...  Zero back rake will still cut, especially on round work.


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## Billh51 (Oct 16, 2019)

ezduzit said:


> Why no rake angle?


As Bob stated, always dead on center height, works great.


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## Bob Kelly III (Oct 16, 2019)

I did make a cut off tool from an old thick file I had and fit it in the cut off tool holder and tried it out..... 
it cut a nice ring out of 1/2" pipe with very little chatter..... but there was some chatter
i gott'a get my tool grinding skills up to speed LOL
.....Bob.......


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## T Bredehoft (Oct 16, 2019)

1/2  or any other size pipe is not something I'd choose to make something else out of. It's not 'quality' steel at all.


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## Bob Kelly III (Oct 18, 2019)

lol in my world you use what ya got ! i can't afford to go out and buy even the cheapest metal !
lol....
 A friend of mine gave me a real good method of repairing the idler gear on the Logan 922
....I can just make a 1 sided bracket put a short pin in the upper right corner for the gear to sit on and with the bad teeth to the right
the good teeth to the left I can drill a hole for a nail to go through and lock the gear from turning
and simply pull the gear off and rotate 1 tooth to index the gear by the gear itself....
this will be necessary after the teeth are all brazed up....
......
I already made up the bracket.... did a dry run and it works great !  cutting the teeth in the brass should be no problem now ! 
even with my homemade fly cutter and piece of file shaped as the cutter.
this all sits in the vice of the 3 in 1    its a simple but effective method of using the gear itself to index it !
..... neet  stuff !
Later !
Bob.......


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