# Quick Change Tool Post QCTP



## Janger (Jun 12, 2015)

My four position tool holder on the CX701 from busy bee has a number of problems. The main problem is it slips and rotates counter clockwise under heavy load for example when parting off. Tom's practical machining video on parting says an essential requirement for successful parting off is a very firm tool holder in a QCTP. The four position tool holder is also annoying to adjust as changes in angle require a wrench and adjusting two bolts.

Ok, I'd like something better so what to buy? At the top end are some fancy 40 position Swiss tool posts which cost more than the lathe! No matter how much money you've got you can spend a lot more with this hobby... 

Busybee does not have anything they strongly suggest as anything they sell requires mod's for this particular lathe in order to mount it. KMS has a couple of options, again I think mods will be required to mount it. Both are the piston style. Research shows a wedge style post is firmer and more accurate, a little more money too. Another hobby machinist suggested one from the Canadian firm Accusizetools.com. It is $238 plus shipping.
http://www.accusizetools.com/quick-...-sets/?page_context=category&faceted_search=0 

It looks pretty good. Anybody using it? 

Another problem I see is the hole in the carriage where you might mount the post is actually quite far from the end of the carriage. The tools may actually be hard to get into position with the work material. I suspect a new hole needs to be drilled. 

Comments... thoughts?


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## Alexander (Jun 13, 2015)

The quick change tool post would be sweet but expensive. If you have the money do that. If not I would think you could take the compound rest off and put it in a milling machine. You could then drill and ream for a .25 dowel pin that connects the tool post to the compound rest. This would make tool changes slower but at least it wouldn't rotate away on you. Having a rigid setup is the most important part of any machining operation. I used to have an old manual lathe with this setup on it. My curent machine has the same style tool post but has an automatic tool changer. It has a big center bolt the tool post rotates on and a dowel pin that sticks up a bit next to it. When it needs to tool change it lifts up the tool post clear of the dowel pin and a servo motor rotates it.


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## kylemp (Jun 14, 2015)

The wedge style toolposts are a lot better than piston for repeatability, as the wedge itself always drives the dovetail down into the correct height position. I just posted some pictures of the 40 position I am going to sell at What Machines Do You have? if that is the route you want to go, but its certainly going to be more than what you can get a dovetail style for. Can you take a picture and post it of what you mean for the hole in the carriage? Or do you mean compound? Just googleing the machine it looks like it shouldn't be an issue..


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## Mphenley (Jun 14, 2015)

You could always try making your own...
This is the style I think I'm going to end up making(or trying to):

http://homepage3.nifty.com/amigos/qctp/qctp-e.htm


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## Stone Wu (Dec 24, 2015)

Janger said:


> My four position tool holder on the CX701 from busy bee has a number of problems. The main problem is it slips and rotates counter clockwise under heavy load for example when parting off. Tom's practical machining video on parting says an essential requirement for successful parting off is a very firm tool holder in a QCTP. The four position tool holder is also annoying to adjust as changes in angle require a wrench and adjusting two bolts.
> 
> Ok, I'd like something better so what to buy? At the top end are some fancy 40 position Swiss tool posts which cost more than the lathe! No matter how much money you've got you can spend a lot more with this hobby...
> 
> ...


40 position quick change is better for using, but wedge style popular in USA is not too expensive.


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## PeterT (Dec 24, 2015)

I have the typical piston style dovetail & have been quite happy with it. It was bought from KBC many years ago but seems to fit similar current (Chinese) 200-series tool holders very well or the 'real' (USA) brands they are cloning if you are so inclined. I've read similar comments about the wedge style being a bit more repeatable when taking tool holders on & off, so that's a consideration. That being said my piston style has been quite accurate. I tested this with a DTI in the tool holder against a ground bar in the chuck & it was within 0.001" after several on/off repeats. Maybe a lucky fit but close enough for me. If you can push your carriage or compound around +/- 0.0005" with gib slop or whatever, it kind of cancels out a super accurate tool post IMO. The thing is, unless you are banging out identical parts that requires this repeatability, its not really a big deal in my books. My requirements seem to be changing tools from facing to longitudinal to chamfering to parting to... so they are all going to be different setting to the work piece anyway. Maybe 'real' machinists have other considerations. :^

What I would say is the Chinese assemblies ones are good value & this is important as your tool holders count grows. Its nice to have various cutters & boring bars set up & centered beforehand with the height setting nut. Or maybe you want to modify a tool holder one for a special application like an odd-ball shanked tool you acquired. I don't fancy myself making these myself for 20-30$/ea. They are ground on the dovetails. But... each to their own. These would make a good project if you were so inclined.


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## John Conroy (Dec 24, 2015)

I have a Chinese built BXA size wedge style QCTP and I'm happy with it. It's probably the

the same as the one Accusize sells. I have dealt with them and they seem like a good vendor.

I made up a rack for the holders for easy access.




















I don't like the push style knurling tool that comes with the set so I modified it to work as a regular tool holder.

I removed the knurl wheels.













Cut  off the mounting boos for the wheels.













Milled out the slot for the tool bit.







Drilled and tapped 2 more holes for the set screws.


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## Stone Wu (Dec 24, 2015)

piston and wedge type are popular in America below shows,


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## Stone Wu (Dec 24, 2015)

piston and wedge type are popular in America below shows,


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## PeterT (Dec 25, 2015)

John Conroy, I like your tool rack idea. Your CanTek lathe looks 99% like my King. Is it a Taiwan 14x40 of mid-1990's vintage? If so, maybe I will create a new post or contact you offline & pick your brain a bit. There have been a few things on my to-do list lately & maybe you have some experience/comments.


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## John Conroy (Dec 25, 2015)

Thanks Peter, I have a pdf copy of the users manual for the lathe. If you are interested I can send you a copy. You can email me at jconroy at shaw dot ca


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## schor (Dec 29, 2015)

I have the axa toolpost fom accusize and it's fine for my purposes.

I had to modify my compound, didn't have a mill at the time, I really should have just filed off the small amount.





You really shouldn't use a drill press as a mill.





I made a new locknut for it.





Then I needed a tool holder holder.


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## Janger (Dec 29, 2015)

Hey great videos.
In the qctp handle vid you're threading with the drill press but you don't seem to have a tapmatic or other gizmo. It flashes by pretty quick. How did you do that exactly? Under power? By hand? What kind of tap? How fast? With tapping fluid?


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## schor (Dec 29, 2015)

Janger said:


> Hey great videos.
> In the qctp handle vid you're threading with the drill press but you don't seem to have a tapmatic or other gizmo. It flashes by pretty quick. How did you do that exactly? Under power? By hand? What kind of tap? How fast? With tapping fluid?



I power tapped on my milling machine, hit the power on off real quick. I only have forward so I reverse by hand. Spiral point tap since the hole is actually a through hole into the main hole.. The nut is 12l14, didn't use any tapping fluid.


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## EricB (Dec 29, 2015)

Nice cleat-style tool rack, @schor! 

Sent from my B15 using Tapatalk


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## Lous Creek (Feb 16, 2016)

I know this post is a bit old but Janger have thought about an omni style post? I liked it so much that I spun one up over the weekend. I used to love turrets but got frustrated having to shim them up to center, also to get the tool into position sucks at times. The first holder I made for my new tool post has a 30 deg angle to it so the post stys out of the way (hopefully)


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## schor (Feb 16, 2016)

Lous Creek said:


> I know this post is a bit old but Janger have thought about an omni style post? I liked it so much that I spun one up over the weekend. I used to love turrets but got frustrated having to shim them up to center, also to get the tool into position sucks at times. The first holder I made for my new tool post has a 30 deg angle to it so the post stys out of the way (hopefully)



I'd like to see some pics of what you made.


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## Janger (Feb 16, 2016)

Me too.


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## Lous Creek (Feb 16, 2016)

Sure thing here goes excuse as it's my first time. The round post itself is 38mm dia and the tool holder is made out of some 1x2 in flat bar. I also just finished my MT 4 to MT 2 adaptor so I can use an endmill holder in the lathe spindle.


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## Janger (Feb 16, 2016)

Interesting pic Lous but I don't exactly follow. More pictures? More description? Where does the bit go?


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## Lous Creek (Feb 16, 2016)

Oh the bit goes on the flat cut / shiny side, I still have to cut the slot and drill and tap the holes just like any other tool holder. I just didn't have a way till tonight to mill the slot.


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## Lous Creek (Feb 16, 2016)

Much like the pic above, as you can see you can have 90 deg or 30 deg or what ever angle you choose to mill for your tool holder. The set screw that's parallel to the big hole is the height adjustment, it just rests on the bottom of the tool post where that large shoulder is/ Those cuts around the perimeter are indexing points. I didn't bother with the indexing feature.


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## Janger (Feb 16, 2016)

Interesting Lous. Did you bore those big holes on your mill? What keeps the tool post from just slipping around the post - just friction on the post? And what did you blacken with? What product and where did you get it?


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## Lous Creek (Feb 16, 2016)

No that is a stock photo from another site, the first photo with the steel rule is my set up. Also yes I try to do all the work I can on my lathe even milling. I used my four jaw and simply centered it on the hole I wished to drill and then opened it up to 38mm with a boring bar. On my next holders I'll use a 1.25in hole saw to waste it out faster  then bore it out to 38mm.  Also that clamp arrangement should be super strong as its 38mm dia and an inch tall so it shouldn't be going anywhere.  Best of all I had the scrap under the lathe bench and no dovetail cutter to buy.

Janger if you're having troubles with your tool post rotating under load try making a dedicated threaded hold down bar, I threaded a piece of 3/8 bar and welded a plate to the bottom for the anti turn feature. Also extend the hold down bolt well above your tallest turret, that's why I use coupling nuts to get lots of surface area on that screw. You can also try turning the bottom of your current tool holder with a decent recess so it resembles a ring and acts like a shoe, I can get a pic if need be.

Oh and as for blacking you can try flame blacking like they did in the old days, or just keep the parts well oiled.


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## Lous Creek (Feb 22, 2016)

So here is a shot of the omni post getting the tool bit slot milled on the lathe. I would say that it is very stout once you get it dialed in, I say that because I didn't come aboard it at first and it swung obvious by the milling mistake you can see.

Side note you can see the homemade MT2 .375in collet in the spindle, I didn't have that tight enough either so it walked out but now I've got the reins. I had to bore out a coupling nut so I could tighten down my drawbar better.


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