• Scam Alert. Members are reminded to NOT send money to buy anything. Don't buy things remote and have it shipped - go get it yourself, pay in person, and take your equipment with you. Scammers have burned people on this forum. Urgency, secrecy, excuses, selling for friend, newish members, FUD, are RED FLAGS. A video conference call is not adequate assurance. Face to face interactions are required. Please report suspicions to the forum admins. Stay Safe - anyone can get scammed.

Does Anyone Still Make The Real Swiss or German Multifix Tool Post? (not an offshore clone)

Janger said:
Why do people not like multi-fix? what bugs you? I briefly used one at SAIT while taking their intro lathe course. I liked it, seemed quick and efficient generally. It did seem to accumulate chips and require cleaning before changing tools. I did not like the 4 post on a lathe I use to own as it rotated unexpectedly when under load e.g. when parting. Maybe that was a poor 4 post? Operator error? I bought a BXA wedge type post and found it much better. I didn't like the price of the tool holders on the multi-fix but found it convenient. So curious why people don't like multi-fix.
Click to expand...

The multifix is not as stout as the 4way. Especially with a large boring bar. I can part off under power with the 4 way toolpost, but not so much with the multifix. I can have 4 tools set up in a 4 way and rotate to different cutting tools easier. Setting tool height is way easier on the multifix. Also easier to change to a different cutting angle or to get closer to a shoulder.
My multifix is a CA size on a 20” swing

Just my opinion. I still keep the multifix on my lathe so it’s not as bad as I make out. Lol
 
I'm a big fan of Multi-Fix posts. I ran a bigger (18"x80"?) VDF (German) lathe for many years with an original Multi-Fix post and it was lovely. Had no issue parting/grooving under power feed (1/8" wide carbide tool) and taking heavy cuts (1/4" radial DOC in turning and boring, 5/16" deep cuts in facing).

In my opinion, if you have a tool post moving under load, you have 1 and/or 2 problems: Poorly mounted/fastened or Too heavy of a cut for your machine.

The 2 great advantages I found with the Multi-fix was it made for very quick tool changes (I had a variety of holders, maybe 12-14 in total) and the indexing feature made it very versatile and repeatable.

I often made hydraulic cylinder rods and large die posts out of IHCP rod (usually 2" to 3" in Ø), and I could quickly and easily rough out a radius by going index-cut-index-cut-index-cut.

I have a small, direct from China, Multi-fix on my Chipmaster now. From my research when purchasing it, even the "German" or "Swiss" modern Multi-Fix posts are still made in China and just final machined in the EU. Like others, I've found the Chinese variant to be great quality and very precise.
 
tesko said:
Multi-fix was it made for very quick tool changes (I had a variety of holders, maybe 12-14 in total)
Click to expand...
That would make it quick for sure. I have only 3 and one boring bar holder. I keep looking to add more but it kind of breaks the bank and they are hard to find used. I have it mounted with a dowel so it can't move under load. I find I get more chatter when parting with it than the 4 way. I just take my time, and it works well.

I am a wanna be machinist, who likes old heavy machinery. My father was a tool and die maker. I learned tons from him. He talked me out of going into the trade when I was a kid. Probably for the best as I like it as a hobby better.
Cheers
Martin
 
Adam Booth uses a Multifix on all of his lathes - so rigidity is definitely not an issue with them - if you're taking cuts deeper than he does on that Pacemaker then I'm not sure any toolpost will suffice. But you really need to pin them to get the best rigidity out of them. He uses PeWe Tools when he buys a new one but also has an original Swiss Multifix as well as the Emco version.
 
I mentioned earlier of the versatility of the Multifix. It has 40 indexable positions through a 360° circle. Therefore each position is equal to 9 degrees.

Here, I needed to cut off a 1"OD hardened shaft. I didn't want all the mess with a cutoff wheel, and a hacksaw won't touch it. So onto the lathe and used a carbide cutoff tool. Easy peasy. But now to chamfer the end. I could have used a file; I could have attached a 45° chamfer tool, but I'd have to remove a tool from a tool holder and set the height; but since the cutoff tool is still attached, rotate it to the 5th position (5 x 9°=45°), and plunge cut. You can't do that with the Aloris type QCTP without loosening the bolt, rotate it to a measured 45°, and then reset to 90° after you chamfer.
1000009156.jpg
1000009157.jpg
1000009158.jpg
 
Most carbide insert external turning tools will have a lead angle of -3° to -5° to allow facing as well. But many of us use HSS tools which we were taught to grind the forward flank +10° to +12°.

1000009171.jpg


With the Multifix, you can use that same HSS turning tool to do facing in lickety-split time. Just rotate the tool holder a couple of positions.

1000009173.jpg
 

Attachments

  • 1000009171.jpg
    1000009171.jpg
    383.1 KB · Views: 2
One last (maybe!) example of the versatility of the Multifix.

You're turning a shaft between centers, and there's a thicker segment that needs to be faced on the back side. Generally we would grab our left-hand turning tool to do that. But we could just rotate our holder and we're good to go. (Of course, this only works if you have enough room, and with D or V inserts.
1000009174.jpg
 
Eyes like a hawk!! (Except I know different :cool:)

It's a PCD (polychrystaline diamond) insert DCGT. For non-ferrous materials. Works great on aluminum. I wish I could run my lathe much faster to utilize it's potential.

They're crazy expensive ($200 each), but I bought a bunch of carbide inserts from a guy and there were quite a few PCD and CBN inserts included gor virtually nothing!!
 
thestelster said:
Eyes like a hawk!! (Except I know different :cool:)

It's a PCD (polychrystaline diamond) insert DCGT. For non-ferrous materials. Works great on aluminum. I wish I could run my lathe much faster to utilize it's potential.

They're crazy expensive ($200 each), but I bought a bunch of carbide inserts from a guy and there were quite a few PCD and CBN inserts included gor virtually nothing!!
Click to expand...
I've been really curious to try them out, CBN as well.
 
Last edited:
To throw my hat in the ring with the mentioning of the PEWE tools Multifix, I bought myself the PEWE tools Multifix model AS before Christmas and am super happy with it. I looked long and hard at the AXA multifix size A and went as far as adding to cart and then got pissed off that they wanted over 200 euros to ship it to my address here on the West Coast. I have seen the AXA tool post in person and it is very, very, high quality and precision surface ground so I am not pooping on the AXA Multifix.
After some further measuring and reading my other discovery was like most home hobby lathes i.e.: Myford, Chinese mini lathes, some of the smaller clausings (from reading another post ) etc.. they tend to suffer from low center height off the compound slide and PEWE makes a proprietary size AS (that nobody else does) that is in between the A and AA size which is perfect for my application (super 7) and lets me use up to 16mm shank tools. I have seen a lot of people on other forums that were surprised with how small the AA Multifix is which is more of a Horologist's size QCTP in my opinion.
I am very lucky to have access to a Rockwell hardness tester at work and an XRF analyzer. The PEWE tools brochure is specific about their tool holders being hardness tested (there were hardness test coupons with my tool post set in the boxes) and the material composition. My curiosity got he better of me and am happy to report that the holders are most definitely 46HRC and the post was 57HRC and the analyzer confirmed SAE5120 for the post and SAE5140 for the holders as best match. I also noticed smears in the wax oil coating on the splines which would lead me to believe they were checked against a master before boxing. I also believe they are wire EDM'd. At my time of purchase including shipping it was quite a deal in my opinion but the prices are online if you want to check and my choice was specific to the size.
The comments about the the adjustability of the indexing of the tool being annoying sometimes is true especially if you are a 29.5 degree compound slide single point threader like I am.
However, my PEWE Multifix has extra dowel holes in the bottom of the turret to get much finer adjustments so it is just a matter of backing the nut off and squaring up the tool holder again by placing the turret in a different dowel position.
I was also very happy that Peter Wendlandt answered all my emails within 3 business days and even one funny phone call where a poor young lady who obviously didn't speak English picked up.
I have no affiliation with the seller and have received no deals for posting this, however if Peter does read this and offers me a discount I will happily take it for the next set of holders I order LOLZ!
 
tesko said:
I'm a big fan of Multi-Fix posts. I ran a bigger (18"x80"?) VDF (German) lathe for many years with an original Multi-Fix post and it was lovely. Had no issue parting/grooving under power feed (1/8" wide carbide tool) and taking heavy cuts (1/4" radial DOC in turning and boring, 5/16" deep cuts in facing).

In my opinion, if you have a tool post moving under load, you have 1 and/or 2 problems: Poorly mounted/fastened or Too heavy of a cut for your machine.

The 2 great advantages I found with the Multi-fix was it made for very quick tool changes (I had a variety of holders, maybe 12-14 in total) and the indexing feature made it very versatile and repeatable.

I often made hydraulic cylinder rods and large die posts out of IHCP rod (usually 2" to 3" in Ø), and I could quickly and easily rough out a radius by going index-cut-index-cut-index-cut.

I have a small, direct from China, Multi-fix on my Chipmaster now. From my research when purchasing it, even the "German" or "Swiss" modern Multi-Fix posts are still made in China and just final machined in the EU. Like others, I've found the Chinese variant to be great quality and very precise.
Click to expand...
I really appreciate your comments. From some of the reading I have done the Swiss/German made Multifix tool posts in the 70’s and 80’s far exceeded the cost of a home lathe. My toolpost is more than likely made in China as well with German QC. I think what has created a huge renaissance for the Multifix is CNC Wire EDM to affordably and accurately manufacture the relatively complicated shapes. I absolutely love my Multifix.
 
Gunnar said:
I really appreciate your comments. From some of the reading I have done the Swiss/German made Multifix tool posts in the 70’s and 80’s far exceeded the cost of a home lathe. My toolpost is more than likely made in China as well with German QC. I think what has created a huge renaissance for the Multifix is CNC Wire EDM to affordably and accurately manufacture the relatively complicated shapes. I absolutely love my Multifix.
Click to expand...
Agreed regarding Wire EDM, it's a process that's been around for some decades but has become cheaper and more common as time goes on.

Looking at old invoices for Multi-fix tooling... you could buy a hobby sized lathe and fully tool it up compared to the cost of say, a Type C Multi-fix with 10 holders.
 
tesko said:
Agreed regarding Wire EDM, it's a process that's been around for some decades but has become cheaper and more common as time goes on.

Looking at old invoices for Multi-fix tooling... you could buy a hobby sized lathe and fully tool it up compared to the cost of say, a Type C Multi-fix with 10 holders.
Click to expand...
I started out in aviation in the 90’s and the instrument shop had a Schaublin 102VM. I didn’t know much about machine tooling then but I remember hearing that it was the same price as an entry level house. The high end German and Swiss stuff has always had a shocking price tag. The overseas copies don’t come close in quality but it did put a Multifix on my lathe where in most circumstances I would have never been able to afford it without robbing from the kid’s college fund lol
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top