Dickson toolpost won't fit!

[Agroshield]

All quick change tool posts add flexibility to tool holding as they all add overhang

Yes. And look at the old boys: the Gibralter toolpost replaces even the top slide for maximum stiffness. Robin Renzetti and Stefan Gottswinter have also done the same recently.

 

[God mode restorations]

I would bother machining it. Leave it as is being it is original. Stick with the the four way. QCTP are nice but not essential. No fancy QCTP here just mass.....

 

[Shox Dr]

Yes. And look at the old boys: the Gibralter toolpost replaces even the top slide for maximum stiffness. Robin Renzetti and Stefan Gottswinter have also done the same recently.

I’ve a large bit of steel to make a single tool holder to fix directly to the cross slide. Didnt kwon they were called “Gibraltar’

Where does the term come from?

 

[zx9]

I’ve a large bit of steel to make a single tool holder to fix directly to the cross slide. Didnt kwon they were called “Gibraltar’

Where does the term come from?

I imagine it resembles a great big lump sticking out of the sea.


Not the monkeys running around it.

 

[slim_boy_fat]

but I can get mine to flex if I hit it hard enough.

Why would you want to do that? Unless you mean in terms of DoC?

 

[Shox Dr]

I imagine it resembles a great big lump sticking out of the sea.
View attachment 228558

Not the monkeys running around it.

I thought that might be the case. Its a big lump, like the bit of steel I have

I’ll be able to cut the dovetail so it can slide along and be clamped where best suited

 

[Shox Dr]

Why would you want to do that? Unless you mean in terms of DoC?

Its Gibraltar; monkey see, monkey do

 

[Screwdriver]

You can get anything to flex if you hit it hard enough.

If I have a lot of material to hog off, I will increase DOC until I start to see too much flex. The position of the tool and top slide makes a huge difference and I have no doubt rhere is also flex in the tool holder.

Why would you want to do that? Unless you mean in terms of DoC?

Yes, can't quote the numbers because DOC depends on material and tooling of course but I can see flex long before the machine is struggling to make the cut. Pretty sure a rigid setup like the one in the OP would make a huge difference to both rigidity and precision - at the expense of lit. flexibility as @awemawson suggests.

If I had a toolholder like that, I'd make up a dedicated holder for each tool so that it was simply a case of swapping them over complete with the required shim.

 

[slim_boy_fat]

Yes, can't quote the numbers because DOC depends on material and tooling of course but I can see flex long before the machine is struggling to make the cut. Pretty sure a rigid setup like the one in the OP would make a huge difference to both rigidity and precision - at the expense of lit.

Got you For one awful moment I had visions of

 

[Agroshield]

I’ve a large bit of steel to make a single tool holder to fix directly to the cross slide.

http://www.hemingwaykits.com/acatalog/Gibraltar_Tool_Post.html
https://www.model-engineer.co.uk/forums/postings.asp?th=143524
http://www.homeshopmachinist.net/need-beef-lathe-try-gibraltar/

 

[Kram]

How often do you use the compound? I mostly use mine without. As mine has full length T slots I drilled four holes in a plate to fit. Another bit of plate bolted from below, which is threaded for the QCTP.

The mount for my compound is rubbish, two bolts and too much flex. I will make up a new mount 15mm plate full length of the cross slide. I got some plate problem it is scabby hot rolled and I have no way to flatten it.

 

[Seadog]

There was a regular contributor to the old Boxford rubbish-yahoo group, Neils Abildgaard.

He pimped his Boxford by the addition of a 2hp motor. He also removed the compound, which was replaced with a machined block and was hogging off huge amounts of metal without issue. He has also been championing the tangential tool holder.

He seems to be a regular on Home Model Engine Machinist, now - https://www.homemodelenginemachinist.com/threads/carbide-tangentials-for-small-lathes.25950/

 

[Brad93]

I’d only take the compound off if you had another machine to thread and do tapers with. Pain in the **** having the compound on and off the cross slide.

rear toolpost if you’ve got a long enough/wide enough cross slide is the best of both worlds.
Unfortunately there’s just not enough room on most lathes.

the Colchester’s with the t slot cross slides are ideal.

 

[brightspark]

I imagine it resembles a great big lump sticking out of the sea.
View attachment 228558

Not the monkeys running around it.

the other half of the rocks in Africa now wasn't a few million years ago though

 

[Spark plug]

Four was tool posts where a massive pain back in the days when HSS and brazed carbide tools where the only option and the tool had to be re shined to centre height every time you ground the tool.

Nowadays when the majority of the time indexable tooling is used and the tools centre height never changes, it’s possible to be quite efficient with a four way. As long a you only have one lathe in the workshop you can screw a packer to the bottom of each tool with a couple of tiny countersink screws, machined to the correct centre height, then just stick the tool in the tool post and tighten it down

 

[fizzy]

Four was tool posts where a massive pain back in the days when HSS and brazed carbide tools where the only option and the tool had to be re shined to centre height every time you ground the tool.

Nowadays when the majority of the time indexable tooling is used and the tools centre height never changes, it’s possible to be quite efficient with a four way. As long a you only have one lathe in the workshop you can screw a packer to the bottom of each tool with a couple of tiny countersink screws, machined to the correct centre height, then just stick the tool in the tool post and tighten it down

Very good point. The tool holder almost becomes the height adjuster.
Feeling happier now!
But what to do next? Do I make a new topslide? Or do I look around for another lathe to fit my Dickson