Need more tool holders

[Larry$]

It is easy for the folks on this site to get ahead of people new to the game. They get ahead of me too. When you get the lathe up & running consider making a milling attachment for it as one of your projects. Here I go again making an assumption, that you don't have any sort of mill??There are lots of them shown in videos. I feel like a lathe w/o some way of milling is only half what is needed to make most things. If you've watch this site very long you'll understand about the rabbit hole problem. Above all, have fun.

 

[BROCKWOOD]

I still consider myself a beginner - perhaps Spring Semester - but Freshman all the same. Since the QCTP I chose was a bit big, in that the tooling I wanted to use could not be adjusted down to the centerline of my lathe, I had resorted to wearing them down slowly on a belt sander. Eons of time right? It was suggested on this site (hip hip hurrah to these guys) that this is easily done on the lathe with a 4 jaw chuck! Now much of fettering was to do with the 5 tool holders my QCTP came with - but still some to do with insert holders. Winegrower is right in stating you will want more tool holders. When you make your own, you get to dial in the height that you need! Once you get your machine back together, it will be much easier to decide which QCTP is right for you! Most make a storage for them on the back splash of the lathe. It's very tempting to reach for the next holder needed while the lathe is still running. For safety reasons I put mine on the end of the lathe instead. Best wishes!

b

 

[better-lathe-than-never]

@BROCKWOOD - nice way to organize things. Thx -

 

[Aaron_W]

I'm starting to get a bit confused. I get the problem with critical dimensions RJSakowski brought up - at present time my machine is apart for cleaning/deburring - I need to put it back together, take some measurements and narrow down my options. I don't have any tooling or ability to precisely trim anything like a tool holder made of hardened steel. That's not something I'd wanna get into as my first project out of the gate.

Let me put this thing back together, take some measurements and maybe then you can help me narrow down my options with concrete figures in front of us.

The 9x20 lathes sit in the divide between AXA and OXA so you should be able to use either. Most people seem to go with AXA with the idea that bigger = better and there isn't a big cost savings going with the smaller one ($20-30 on the initial set and around $2 per holder so maybe a 10-15% difference?).

You can get steel OXA tool posts, Little Machine Shop sells one but many of the cheap ones on ebay are aluminum. I have an AXA on my 9x20, and an OXA on my Sherline, I can get a photo of the two side by side on the 9x20 if that helps with your decision.

 

[better-lathe-than-never]

You can get steel OXA tool posts, Little Machine Shop sells one but many of the cheap ones on ebay are aluminum. I have an AXA on my 9x20, and an OXA on my Sherline, I can get a photo of the two side by side on the 9x20 if that helps with your decision.

I would appreciate that - if you could.

 

[rabler]

I'm starting to get a bit confused. I get the problem with critical dimensions RJSakowski brought up - at present time my machine is apart for cleaning/deburring - I need to put it back together, take some measurements and narrow down my options. I don't have any tooling or ability to precisely trim anything like a tool holder made of hardened steel. That's not something I'd wanna get into as my first project out of the gate.

Let me put this thing back together, take some measurements and maybe then you can help me narrow down my options with concrete figures in front of us.

It's a question of both minimum and maximum tool height for different size tools. A 1/2" tool can sit lower than a 5/8" tool, given the same tool holder. So you want a toolpost that allows the holders to go low enough to hold the largest possible tool on centerline, and high enough to hold the smallest tool you'd use high enough to reach centerline.

 

[better-lathe-than-never]

The critical dimension is the distance from the top of your compounf to the centerline of the spindle. Uf this distance is less than the distance from the bottom of the tool holder to the top of the tool, you will not be able to use the QCTP. Shars gives the dimension s on their website. They will show the thickness of the self for the tool holder. Add the thickness of your intended tool to get the total distance. If you are using HSS tools, you can go down a size. This isn't as feasible when using insert tooling. OXA QCTP's are typically aluminum whike AXA QCTP's are steel.

Ok - I put my machine together and measured the distance from the top of my compound to the centerline of the spindle as accurately as I could. The measurement was .8950 in

The Shars website lists the "H" dimension for AXA tool holders as a range from .6'' to 1.75''. I'm right in that range, so I hope that means AXA could work. I've taken inventory of my HSS tools and they are:
1/4'', 3/8'', 5/16'' and 1/2''.

 

[Aaron_W]

Here you go, my lathe is an Enco 9x20 but very similar to the Jet 9x20.

The OXA comes with a spacer block that is maybe 1/4" or 3/8" thick. This tool post is almost too big for the Sherline I use it on so I don't use the spacer and not sure where it is off to, so couldn't include it in the photos. Somebody using an OXA on this lathe would probably want to use the spacer block.

The AXA also comes with a spacer which I don't use on the 9x20 as it would make it too tall, so also not shown.

OXA and AXA side by side, you can see the OXA is quite a bit smaller.

AXA installed

OXA installed

Edit, Ok apparently I'm and idiot and somehow took two pictures with the AXA installed... Anyway you can see the size difference with them side by side. If you want to see the OXA installed let me know and I will get the right one.


Both of these tool posts are the ones Little Machine Shop sells, They sell an adaptor for the 9x20 lathes to use with the QCTP which made it very easy to install the tool post. It just threaded onto the existing stud on the cross slide.

 

[rabler]

Ok - I put my machine together and measured the distance from the top of my compound to the centerline of the spindle as accurately as I could. The measurement was .8950 in

The Shars website lists the "H" dimension for AXA tool holders as a range from .6'' to 1.75''. I'm right in that range, so I hope that means AXA could work. I've taken inventory of my HSS tools and they are:
1/4'', 3/8'', 5/16'' and 1/2''.

Looking at the dimensions of the AXA tool block on Shars:
A 1/2" tool in an AXA block will sit at a height of .938, or 0.043" above centerline, if the block is lowered all the way to the compound. So unless your cutting edge is aboout .050" below the tool top you might have problems with a 1/2" HSS tool. Any of the smaller tools would work. Grinding or turning that .050 off the base of the block would allow you to use a 1/2" tool.

Minimum tool height, block all the way down to the compound, is always tool height plus block bottom lip.
Maximum tool height is with the top of the block even with the top of the toolpost.

 

[RJSakowski]

Ok - I put my machine together and measured the distance from the top of my compound to the centerline of the spindle as accurately as I could. The measurement was .8950 in

The Shars website lists the "H" dimension for AXA tool holders as a range from .6'' to 1.75''. I'm right in that range, so I hope that means AXA could work. I've taken inventory of my HSS tools and they are:
1/4'', 3/8'', 5/16'' and 1/2''.

If you look at the Shars drawing for an AXA type 101 tool holder, the bottom of the tool shelf is .938" - .5" = .438". By your measurement, the largest tool you can use is .895"- .438" = .457". You can use the AXA QCTP with 3/8" tools but 1/2" tools will be too high. IMO, This isn't problem if your intent is to use only HSS tooling. If you want to use carbide insert tooling, though, you will have a problem finding that tooling with less than 1/2" shanks. The parting blade holder should work as long as the blade isn't extended out too far and it looks like the boring bar holder and knurling tool should work.

All things considered, I would go with the AXA and live with the smaller tool bit restriction. There is no practical reason for using 1/2" HSS tool bits on a small lathe.