avoid; ebay "Mini Quick Change Tool Post Blade Holder Kit Set"

[skotl]

I bought one of these;

for £33 off ebay.
You get what you pay for - absolute crap. Flexes all over the place - the minute the tool hits the work piece it's heading out the garage door.

Posted in case anyone else is tempted by the low, low price

BTW - I have one of these for sale. It's fantastic and rock solid - yours for £20. No warranty or guarantee offered.

 

[I'm getting on a bit]

BTW - I have one of these for sale. It's fantastic and rock solid - yours for £20. No warranty or guarantee offered.

£40 they are only £32 new now your way to expensive.

Being serious are you sure it just doesn't need a bit of fettling ?

I enjoy reading your threads, and it could be your lack of experience in not knowing what what to expect you don't know what needs doing to fix it.

 

[oddbob]

I think 'mini' is the key word there ...probably meant for one of those itty bitty toy lathes from China.

 

[optima21]

if the body is moving and you're using the smaller diameter cap screw I'd be using a 6mm washer under the head of it to spread the load and also check to see how flat the base is that it bolts down to, make sure there are no burrs or swarf trapped under it.

also the locking handle may be too short to get decent leverage on the locking cam. it'd have it at least 100mm long.

I'd probably have bought one of these if I'd seen them before making my own on this thread

http://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum/...ool-post-for-a-small-lathe.52932/#post-615348

 

[WorkshopChris]

Is the movement in the dovetails or the centre post?

 

[Wallace]

What size bolt are you using to lock the tool post to the top slide?

 

[WorkshopChris]

Do you have a sleeve to take up the difference in the diameter between the bolt and the centre of the supplied post? just had a look on e bay they supply 2 bolts but only 1 post but i didn't see any sleeves or spacers.

 

[skotl]

£40 they are only £32 new now your way to expensive.

Being serious are you sure it just doesn't need a bit of fettling ?

I enjoy reading your threads, and it could be your lack of experience in not knowing what what to expect you don't know what needs doing to fix it.

I was joking about the selling price
You may be right about the experience bit.

What size bolt are you using to lock the tool post to the top slide?

Do you have a sleeve to take up the difference in the diameter between the bolt and the centre of the supplied post? just had a look on e bay they supply 2 bolts but only 1 post but i didn't see any sleeves or spacers.

I bored out the cylinder to fit my 1/2" post bolt. I had taken the slide apart to see whether I could fit one of the bolts that were supplied but concluded that I would be best retaining my existing bolt.
However it is very tight for height, and I had to skim some of the cylinder down to get enough purchase for the nut on the retaining bolt.

I suspect that it isn't tightened enough so I'll go full Schwarzenegger on it - nowt to lose now - and see if that makes any difference.

 

[skotl]

Looking at the sizes on the picture I have a feeling it's ever so slightly undersized for your machine...

What sort of depth of cut are you pushing it into, speeds as well?

Can you see where any flex/movement is happening?

It was very light working - wasn't pushing it at all.
I'll have a shot over the weekend and post some video.

Perhaps, as I'm Getting On a Bit suggests, it's just inexperience - that would be good as I liked the idea of a QCT!

 

[Wallace]

I bored out the cylinder to fit my 1/2" post bolt. I had taken the slide apart to see whether I could fit one of the bolts that were supplied but concluded that I would be best retaining my existing bolt.
However it is very tight for height, and I had to skim some of the cylinder down to get enough purchase for the nut on the retaining bolt.

When you say tight for height I take it you skimmed the red arrowed end of the sleeve and there is still clearance at the yellow arrowed end for the cam to operate once the bolt is tightened?

 

[cumbriasteve]

Looking at the listing it is obviously written as usual by someone with not the best of English writing skills, although much better than my Chinese writing skills so I am not being derogatory.

I have always wondered why someone has not set up a business over there writing the adverts and instructions for all the Chinese stuff marketed to the UK, surely it would be easy to convince them it would improve their sales.

 

[I'm getting on a bit]

I was joking about the selling price
You may be right about the experience bit.

Yeah I know you were joking, my comment had a touch of joking sarcasm




I bored out the cylinder to fit my 1/2" post bolt. I had taken the slide apart to see whether I could fit one of the bolts that were supplied but concluded that I would be best retaining my existing bolt.
However it is very tight for height, and I had to skim some of the cylinder down to get enough purchase for the nut on the retaining bolt.

I suspect that it isn't tightened enough so I'll go full Schwarzenegger on it - nowt to lose now - and see if that makes any difference.

 

[skotl]

'Pushing' was just terminology I use - to take a 0.03mm cut, you still have to push the tool in, just gently

Silly question, you are locking the toolholder down and not just slotting it loosely in place?

Nicely on centre height with the tool tip?

What sort of tool, hss or insert?

This machining malarkey sure looks easy on youtube, but stick through the '40million variables that all affect each other' stage and you'll be making it look easy too.

^^ Yep - this, x 4 ^^!

 

[skotl]

View attachment 77794
When you say tight for height I take it you skimmed the red arrowed end of the sleeve and there is still clearance at the yellow arrowed end for the cam to operate once the bolt is tightened?

Yes - exactly. I may well skim the top a bit more, so that I know the restraining nut has plenty purchase on the thread.

 

[I'm getting on a bit]

Skotl I followed the thread about you buying a lathe so I know you lack experience. The problem is knowing if the person giving advice on forums like this knows what their talking about when giving advice.

So yes it is cheap Chinese rubbish but with fettling you should be able to get good results.

So the first thing I would do is take of the tool post, lightly sand with wet or dry the bottom face of the tool post and the top face of the Compound slide.

Reassemble LIGHTLY tighten so you can just turn the toolpost do this a few times so you can see where the tightening is happening it should be the outer edge of the toolpost

 

[WorkshopChris]

I tend to treat most chinese made items as a kit of semi suitable parts. Requiring fettling and modification to finish off.

 

[skotl]

Skotl I followed the thread about you buying a lathe so I know you lack experience. The problem is knowing if the person giving advice on forums like this knows what their talking about when giving advice.

So yes it is cheap Chinese rubbish but with fettling you should be able to get good results.

So the first thing I would do is take of the tool post, lightly sand with wet or dry the bottom face of the tool post and the top face of the Compound slide.

Reassemble LIGHTLY tighten so you can just turn the toolpost do this a few times so you can see where the tightening is happening it should be the outer edge of the toolpost

Thanks, mate - and I appreciated your kind words in your original reply. I have no problem taking advice from the many people who know much more than I do - that's why I'm here

I'll definitely try your suggestions and I'm sure the unit as a whole, or components of it, can be made to work (just as I'm sure my ability to actually use them can improve!).

 

[NickyEng]

I bought one of these;

for £33 off ebay.
You get what you pay for - absolute crap. Flexes all over the place - the minute the tool hits the work piece it's heading out the garage door.

Posted in case anyone else is tempted by the low, low price

BTW - I have one of these for sale. It's fantastic and rock solid - yours for £20. No warranty or guarantee offered.

I was gonna buy of those when I got the lathe in October glad I didn't!!

 

[ukracer]

Looking at the listing it is obviously written as usual by someone with not the best of English writing skills, although much better than my Chinese writing skills so I am not being derogatory.

I have always wondered why someone has not set up a business over there writing the adverts and instructions for all the Chinese stuff marketed to the UK, surely it would be easy to convince them it would improve their sales.

In my experience no. They are arrogant and think their instructions are perfect.. They dont like paying out money for things they think they can do them selves..

 

[skotl]

I was gonna buy of those when I got the lathe in October glad I didn't!!

Well, give me a couple of days and we'll see what can be done