FILENAMES: wc_toolpost.txt wc_toolpost.JPG wc_toolpost1.JPG wc_insertmill.JPG wc_cutoff.JPG wc_insertholder.JPG DESCRIPTION: These are pictures of a quick change toolpost and holders built by Wayne Cook . Wayne provided the following description: ================================================================= This is some pictures of a tool post I made based on the plans John Stevenson placed in the Metal Web News site. It's about the same size as a 400 series toolpost (ie 4" cube). http://www.mindspring.com/~wgray1/ The first shot (wc_toolpost) shows this toolpost along side my 200 series PhaseII piston style tool post. Notice the extended turning/facing holder. I had noticed when using my 200 series post that I often had to stick the tool itself farther out of the holder than I'd like (7/16" tools are the most common size where I work). So I made the turning holders out of 6" long stock and beveled the top and back side of them (the top so I could see the tool and the backside so it would clear the center). The groove in the holder shown is made with 7/16" tools in mind and is just 7/16" deep by 5/8" tall. I made other sizes as well. On the other side of the 200 series post you can see a couple of the boring bar holders I made for it. The first is a 3/4" bar holder (about the smallest size we ever use on that lathe). The second is the universal size one that I made for it (the other bar holder I made is for the 1-1/2" bar which is the most commonly used bar on that lathe). The universal holder will hold any size from a 1-3/4" bar down to a 5/8" bar (you have to flip the cap over for the smaller sizes). I started making the boring bar holders with a seperate clamping cap while making the larger 5" tool post at work (I'll see about getting pictures of it up sometime soon). I came up with the idea primarily because I didn't have big enough stock to make a holder for the 2" boring bar on that lathe and it was a lot easier to just use the same stock I was using for the turning holders. I came up with the universal size holder idea at the same time since it allowed me to cover a larger range of sizes with fewer holders. The next picture (wc_toolpost1) clearly shows a modification I did to the design. Instead of using a setscrew to hold the draw bolt from turning I milled a flat into the side of it and the post itself and placed a piece of strap there. The main reason I did this was to provide more surface area for the holders to sit against. The way I did it was I tacked the pull bolt on the face side (with it clamped tight by the nut on the other side). This prevented it from turning while I milled it and the post (you can see where it was tacked by the shiney spot on the face). After doing that I milled all sides flat (getting rid of the tack in the process). The next shot (wc_insertmill) is where I'm roughing out the dovetails on this toolpost with our 1-1/4" 3 insert Iscaar endmill. I'm running about 750rpm about 8ipm feed, and I think that's a 0.200" deep cut there which is pretty much the max I could get away with on our little Abene milling machine. This is a good shot showing the blue chips flying off. I wasn't using any coolant since I found it wasn't needed and just made a big mess at those speeds. You might notice the hold down clamp I used. I made that when making the larger tool post since it was to big to fit any of our vices. I used it on this one because it was handy and would hold the post solid enough to take these heavy cuts. It's just a piece of 1" CR with some 1/2" holes drilled in each end. wc_cutoff is a shot of the cutoff blade holder I made for this toolpost. Since all we had at work are the old style Armstrong type blades I made it for them. I messed up a little on the slot width since the blades are actually undersized from what they state (I had figured it would draw up enough to make up the difference and wanted it big enough to take one that was actually stated size). It would of worked better if I'd had a 60 deg dovetail cutter small enough to fit but all I had was a 75 deg. Last (wc_insertholder) is a shot of the negative rake insert holder I made for it. I made it for the 1/2"IC size inserts primarily because that was what I had on hand and I also had a old seat insert (though not the right one for the insert that I have in it)and post for that size in the collection of old parts. I made it a clamp style since the lathe this will be used on is a heavy duty 16" American Pacemaker that is capable of some real heavy cuts and I didn't want the insert to go anywhere during one of those cuts.