Adjust Height of Tool Block

[epanzella]

A 4 TPI ACME thread pointed out the high tool pressure of making that thread. In the interests of rigidity I traded my compound for a tool block I made a few years ago. This block has always worked great for me but because of the stock size I had to work with it made for a different tool height than my compound. I figured it's about time I corrected that with a spacer. I cut a hunk of cast iron, machined it to the exact thickness I needed and pressed in an indexing pin. Now I can switch between the tool block and the compound without touching the height adjustment on my tool holders.

 

[keeena]

Certainly will make things much easier to swap! Does the solid riser's rigidity make up for additional tool pressure of having to take a full profile cut? (i'm making an assumption that you were using the compound at a 14-ish degree angle to advance the tool depth)

 

[epanzella]

Certainly will make things much easier to swap! Does the solid riser's rigidity make up for additional tool pressure of having to take a full profile cut? (i'm making an assumption that you were using the compound at a 14-ish degree angle to advance the tool depth)

MORE than makes up for it. Even with the 14.5 degree lead in of the compound the cutting tool (HSS) was making snapping sounds like it was gonna explode unless I made really light cuts - .002 to 2/3 depth and .001 to finish. Plunging straight in with the block I could go .005 to 2/3 depth and .002 to finish. And, it was quiet.