# upgrading my 100 year old South Bend Lathe



## RobertHaas (Jan 23, 2018)

How can I go from this




the old post style tool holder to a modern lathe quick change tool holder???


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## RandyM (Jan 23, 2018)

Changed your link to a pic.


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## RobertHaas (Jan 23, 2018)

???


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## RandyM (Jan 23, 2018)

RobertHaas said:


> ???



You posted a link and not a picture in you first post.


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## RobertHaas (Jan 23, 2018)

I understand, I could not get the image to load,..
I am not seeing the image at all now.


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## RandyM (Jan 23, 2018)

Hmmmmm, don't know why you can't see the pic. Here is what I see.





What are you using for a system and software?


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## dlane (Jan 23, 2018)

Buy a qctp, and some tool holders,  looks like a 9” lathe the axa size would work.
I use a Aloris wedge  but there pricey,
You will probably need to make the t nut to fit .


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## paws-fixit-shop (Jan 23, 2018)

I went with this AXA setup on my Atlas 10.

http://www.shars.com/products/toolh...quick-change-tool-post-set-wedge-type-111-axa

Edit: Actually I think it was this one.  From everything I read on them, go with the wedge type rather than the piston type post as the wedge is supposed to be stronger.  You will have to mill the T nut to fit.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/BOSTAR-AXA...309441?hash=item3f4a3ad5c1:g:qawAAOSwd0BV1Ubd


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## Dave Paine (Jan 23, 2018)

I also do not see any picture.

On my Southbend Heavy 10 I purchased a  wedge style Phase II QCTP from ENCO sadly now closed.  

Phase II available from Shars and others.

I had to mill the T nut to get it to fit.


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## brino (Jan 23, 2018)

I have a 1937 SouthBend 9 inch lathe.
I added a King tool post:
http://www.kingcanada.com/detail/kqct-0012/625
It seems to fit well.
I don't recall if I needed to modify the nut or not.

-brino


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## fradish (Jan 23, 2018)

If you don’t have a mill you can make you t nut on your lathe with a 4 jaw chuck.  You can also
buy premade t nuts on ebay.  Just search for t nut South Bend and probably the toolpost thread.
Some use a metric thread, mine is 9/16.

I think this is what I bought.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Extra-Long...260687?hash=item3f7fc07bcf:g:NnQAAOxyQj9RLCew


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## Kernbigo (Jan 23, 2018)

cdco machine corp.


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## middle.road (Jan 24, 2018)

Or Shars <$150, for a set.


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## Glenn Brooks (Jan 24, 2018)

Also, if you make a t nut, you might also need a space, or a taller  t nut, to obtain the correct tool height. On my Dalton lathe, I added a spacer and had to scrape and file the machined surfaces to obtain a true register with the compound. Otherwise, the tool post rocked back and forth a bit.  Bluing and rubbing the spacer on a granite set up,table helped me determine where the high and low spots were.


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## dtsh (Jan 24, 2018)

I recently put a qctp from CDCO on my 1903 Seneca Falls lathe, it's definitely an improvement.

It was pretty trivial to machine the T-slot nut to fit the Seneca.


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## MikeInOr (Jan 24, 2018)

Shars has a BXA Wedge type holder set on sale for $184
http://www.shars.com/quick-change-tool-post-set-wedge-type-222-bxa

CDCO has a BXA Wedge type holder set on sale for $135


Which one should I purchase for my new to me South Bend 13" x 6' lathe that came without a tool holder?  If there is any advantage to the Shars set I don't mind paying the extra $49.  Thanks to this thread I now know I will have to machine a T nut.

--- Sorry for the thread hijack!


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## Ulma Doctor (Jan 24, 2018)

a 9" lathe will use a AXA toolpost very nicely, i have an import Wedge toolpost on my Hercus ARH 922


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## RobertHaas (Jan 26, 2018)

Thanks Mike, just ordered.


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## RobertHaas (Jan 26, 2018)

My cross slide needs some TLC so I will strip it down and clean it up while I wait for the new QCTP to show up.


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