# Home made tool holder



## GaryK (Feb 15, 2013)

I've been reading posts here about dovetail cutters they they got me thinking. How to work around them if you can.

1. I've thought one way was to make three pieces with the 60 deg angle cut on two of them and then screw them together.

2. Another way was to grind your own tool and using arbor press shave the material away like a shaper.

3, Use a shaper.

4. Then finally how they probably make them in production. Broach them. That tooling would cost way too much for a home machinist.

Then I came up with another way. My KDK tool post doesn't require that the bottom of the dovetail slot be the "correct" depth to work.
In fact it never comes into contact with the tool post. It just holed the holder against the post with the dovetail.

So I came up with the following. I made the first one out of aluminum first to test the idea (I knew it would work). I'll end up using it
to mount my indicator.

First I start out like you normally would with a slot.




Then I'll mount in my 30 Deg tooling



The machine the angle.



Done





It works perfectly. Since the bottom of the dovetail doesn't even come into contact the missing material makes no difference.



It won't work for all projects, but where it does it's very fast and easy to do.

Gary


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## oldntired (Feb 15, 2013)

Neat trick! Thanks for showing us.   Another method is with a shaper.


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## barn (Feb 15, 2013)

I'll have to give one of the aluminum ones a try.  I could use an indicator holder.  Great idea.  Thanks.​


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## Mike Nash (Feb 15, 2013)

That is so completely cheating and I love it!  :thumbsup:


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## Analias (Feb 15, 2013)

Very cool.  

Projects like this make me wish I had a bucket of aluminum and steel drops that were roughly that size.  Anyone know the best place for scrounging small pieces of stock like to muck about with?


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## bcall2043 (Feb 15, 2013)

Gary,
That is one neat work around idea! 

 I assume that your QCTP has a piston type lock, is that correct? I can see clearly (in my head) how this would work with the piston type tool holder. It would seem (again in my head) that the wedge type tool post would pull the holder down against the bottom. I like you idea and may have to try it if you think it would work for a wedge type tool holder. 

How did you measure and maintain the correct width? 

Benny
The Orphanage Never Closes


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## GaryK (Feb 15, 2013)

bcall2043 said:


> Gary,
> That is one neat work around idea!
> 
> I assume that your QCTP has a piston type lock, is that correct? I can see clearly (in my head) how this would work with the piston type tool holder. It would seem (again in my head) that the wedge type tool post would pull the holder down against the bottom. I like you idea and may have to try it if you think it would work for a wedge type tool holder.
> ...




The QCTP is more of a wedge type. Check out this post HERE and you'll see what I'm talking about.

To get the correct width I just kept creeping up on it and testing it out. I almost over shot it. It's on the wide side. I will make a go-nogo gauge using an original holder as my model for future builds.

Gary


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## Daver (Feb 16, 2013)

That is awesome!.  And so long as the meat of the back is at the proper depth I see no reason the wedge type QCTP shouldn't work perfectly as well.


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## 8ntsane (Feb 16, 2013)

Now that's probably the easiest way to do dove tails for QCTP holders. I like this idea.
Though as Gary mention making a go, no go gauge for future builds, its a great way to build tool holders.
The go, no go gauge, is a one time thing, and would be well worth the time to make one up. I don't see any reason why this wouldn't work for both piston, and wedge type. Gary, what size end mill did you use to cut the dove tails?

Nice work


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## GaryK (Feb 16, 2013)

8ntsane said:


> Now that's probably the easiest way to do dove tails for QCTP holders. I like this idea.
> Though as Gary mention making a go, no go gauge for future builds, its a great way to build tool holders.
> The go, no go gauge, is a one time thing, and would be well worth the time to make one up. I don't see any reason why this wouldn't work for both piston, and wedge type. Gary, what size end mill did you use to cut the dove tails?
> 
> Nice work



I used a 1/4" endmill. You could start with that size and as soon as you get ready to break the plane at the bottom of the dovetail switch to en even smaller endmill.
This would decrease the amount of undercut.

Gary


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## GaryK (Feb 16, 2013)

I have thought of another way to cut the dovetails.

Use a 60° saw cutter upside down and mount your holder at an angle in your vise.

Gary


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## Almega (Feb 17, 2013)

Analias said:


> Very cool.
> 
> Projects like this make me wish I had a bucket of aluminum and steel drops that were roughly that size. Anyone know the best place for scrounging small pieces of stock like to muck about with?




I go to a small local machine shop and get a bucket of miscellaneous drops.  They sell them to me for $1.25/lb.  I also get metal from the local auto repair shop.  I made a boring bar from a forged anti-sway bar from a car. There are good chunks of metal on old abandoned farm machinery that you might be able to get for the asking.  It is all nice and shiny under the surface, so no one will know it was salvaged, unless you tell them.


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## Sk8ter (Apr 27, 2013)

That's  pretty slick Gary! never seases to amaze me how talented/creative  people are...


Nice Job!!


Lawrence


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## broach (Apr 27, 2013)

Very creative, you make it look too easy.


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## itsme_Bernie (Apr 27, 2013)

Great way to use less expensive tools and accomplish the same job..   Would work for piston or wedge style holders, actually...  Great! 

Bernie


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## tro714 (Jan 25, 2015)

Great idea, thanks for sharing.


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## mcostello (Jan 26, 2015)

Tom Litton of OX TOOL video fame made a tool holder with 2 pieces of round stock. No connection just a satisified viewer.


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## caster (Jan 26, 2015)

I need to make some holders, this is a nice alternative to dovetail end mill.

Caster


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## hdskip (Jan 26, 2015)

Makes me want to slap my forehead and yell............ " I could have had a V-8"


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## thomas s (Jan 26, 2015)

Thanks for posting. That is slick have to give this a try. thomas s


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## itsme_Bernie (Jan 28, 2015)

Analias said:


> Very cool.
> 
> Projects like this make me wish I had a bucket of aluminum and steel drops that were roughly that size.  Anyone know the best place for scrounging small pieces of stock like to muck about with?



Recycling centers might sell them, or machine shops will sometimes work something out with you if you make it easy for them, and aren't too picky.  Offer cash.

Garage sales, and ask for metal scraps or junk and decide what is worth buying.  A lot of people don't know good metal, as it just looks like trash to them.

Craigslist (or similar), especially if selling metalworking machines,  

Bernie


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## Billh50 (Jan 28, 2015)

Those old car and truck axles are made from 4140. I have used those a few times to make parts.


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## itsme_Bernie (Jan 29, 2015)

Billh50 said:


> Those old car and truck axles are made from 4140. I have used those a few times to make parts.



Great tip Bill!  Thanks!


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## caster (Jan 31, 2015)

Its a brilliant idea using a straight end mill for the dovetail.  One suggestion would be to use a ball nose end mill.  90* corners are weak spots that can fracture by using a ball nose you get a round shape which is less likely to fracture.

Caster


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## basildoug10 (Feb 14, 2015)

Billh50 said:


> Those old car and truck axles are made from 4140. I have used those a few times to make parts.





Billh50 said:


> Those old car and truck axles are made from 4140. I have used those a few times to make parts.




Hi Billh50, I scrounge around for odd bits of material when ever the opportunity arises. Having a lathe and nothing to machine for lack of material, can be quite frustrating. I am very interested in your comment "old truck axels" made from 4140. Are you referring to the "side shaft" which is inside the axle housing?
Regards Basil


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## Rick Leslie (Feb 14, 2015)

I had not thought of using a straight end mill to cut the dovetails. Great tip. Like was mentioned above; a ball end mill would make for a stronger toll holder. 

I have used a small fly cutter to cut dovetails before. Grind the cutter at the correct angle to get your 60 degree included angle and cut away (very slowly).


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## Billh50 (Feb 14, 2015)

basildoug10 said:


> Hi Billh50, I scrounge around for odd bits of material when ever the opportunity arises. Having a lathe and nothing to machine for lack of material, can be quite frustrating. I am very interested in your comment "old truck axels" made from 4140. Are you referring to the "side shaft" which is inside the axle housing?
> Regards Basil


Yes...the actual axle going from the center to the outside of a rear end of the truck or the front axles from a 4x4.


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## mce5802 (Feb 15, 2015)

Nice job. Another way to make a cheap dovetail cutter is using a 60° triangle carbide insert. Randy Richard made a video on it...well worth checking it out.


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