Dabbler
ersatz engineer
smack in th middel of 0XA territory. But I prefer the 4-way. Despite spending several 1000s on QCTPs.
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My first ever lathe is a Myford
- Thread starter CWret
- Start date
Ya, I figured it had to be something like that.
Yes, the tool post I have is too big. Guilty as charged.
Yes - but thanks very much for the offer.
I have a Multifix as well, and I love it. So much more versatile than the Aloris style QCTP.
I like the Multifix too. But I don't have one
Their main drawback isn't physical or functional. It's financial. The cost of tool holders stopped me cold in my tracks.
I prolly have 30 Aloris style tool holders.
There are more in a drawer.
Although I bought most of them in groups of 4 or 10 on sale, it was still expensive. Sometime after around 20 or so, I started making my own to keep the costs down. I've also made some for specialized toolholding applications.
Multifix holders are much harder to make and buying them was simply not affordable and not in the cards for me.
If I could make the dollars box, I'd have multifix, but the Aloris style was viable financially and is still an excellent toolpost system that meets my needs.
They're almost impossible to make!! Or at least withot specialized tooling.I like the Multifix too. But I don't have one
Their main drawback isn't physical or functional. It's financial. The cost of tool holders stopped me cold in my tracks.
I prolly have 30 Aloris style tool holders.
View attachment 47584
There are more in a drawer.
Although I bought most of them in groups or 4 or 10 on sale, it was still expensive. Sometime after around 20 or so, I started making my own to keep the costs down. I've also made some for specialized toolholding applications.
Multifix holders are much harder to make and buying them was simply not affordable and not in the cards for me.
If I could make the dollars box, I'd have multifix, but the Aloris style was viable financially and is still an excellent toolpost system that meets my needs.
They are available from Alibaba, or whatever they're called, for pretty cheap.
MultiFix are available from Amazon- free shipping + tax which puts them a bit over $300. Seems reasonable.
Accusize has a OXA with 5 holders at $269 less our discount + shipping and tax, so in the same ball park as the MultiFix. But i don’t see individual holders available from Amazon for the MultiFix but they are in the $30 range for extra Accusize holders.
accusizetools.com
I think I’ll live with the homemade QCTP (with 3 holders) and the nice Myford 4 way that I already have (for now).
If i do want to splurge - the MultiFix is in first place.
Accusize has a OXA with 5 holders at $269 less our discount + shipping and tax, so in the same ball park as the MultiFix. But i don’t see individual holders available from Amazon for the MultiFix but they are in the $30 range for extra Accusize holders.
0251-0000, 6"-9" OXA Wedge Type Quick Change Tool
The oxa quick change tool post set is typically for the following tools and solutions: oxa quick change tool post set, facing turning boring bar knurling cut-off parting tool holder, etc.
accusizetools.com
I think I’ll live with the homemade QCTP (with 3 holders) and the nice Myford 4 way that I already have (for now).
If i do want to splurge - the MultiFix is in first place.
Same reason I was drawn to the Tripan stuff, holders are easy to make, on a mill or a shaper.I like the Multifix too. But I don't have one
Their main drawback isn't physical or functional. It's financial. The cost of tool holders stopped me cold in my tracks.
I prolly have 30 Aloris style tool holders.
View attachment 47584
There are more in a drawer.
Although I bought most of them in groups of 4 or 10 on sale, it was still expensive. Sometime after around 20 or so, I started making my own to keep the costs down. I've also made some for specialized toolholding applications.
Multifix holders are much harder to make and buying them was simply not affordable and not in the cards for me.
If I could make the dollars box, I'd have multifix, but the Aloris style was viable financially and is still an excellent toolpost system that meets my needs.
Pretty sure that someone with a pretty agile mind and a bunch of time on their hands 'could' make holders for a Multifix style post, it seems to me to be cheaper to buy them ready made, even AT the price of them!
OOOPS - I just noticed that this China made MultiFix copy is shown as 12mm capacity- the cutters i have are 3/8 and 1/2. Bummer!
12mm easily holds a 3/8-inch tool. In my experience a 3/8-inch or a 10mm tool is more than adequate for a Myford.
I have a pair (one on the compound and another on a plinth at the rear on the cross slide) of the Accusize 0xA wedge style holders on my Myford and they work well.
I'm unsure what projects you'll be doing but I suspect that you'll eventually want more than 4 holders. I have two dozen or so! Additional 0xA holders are currently about $23.50 each from Accusize via Amazon (https://www.amazon.ca/Accusize-Change-Turing-Holder-0250-0001/dp/B01IFE09MG/)
I have a pair (one on the compound and another on a plinth at the rear on the cross slide) of the Accusize 0xA wedge style holders on my Myford and they work well.
I'm unsure what projects you'll be doing but I suspect that you'll eventually want more than 4 holders. I have two dozen or so! Additional 0xA holders are currently about $23.50 each from Accusize via Amazon (https://www.amazon.ca/Accusize-Change-Turing-Holder-0250-0001/dp/B01IFE09MG/)
Thanks K
I’ve managed to accumulate a lot of cutters (in prep of the day a lathe landed) they are by far mostly 1/2”.
I also saw this set on Amazon ($164) along with additional holders for less than $20 per - but i have had good luck with Accusize.
I’ve managed to accumulate a lot of cutters (in prep of the day a lathe landed) they are by far mostly 1/2”.
I also saw this set on Amazon ($164) along with additional holders for less than $20 per - but i have had good luck with Accusize.
I've been happy with the Accusize holders. My initial purchase was many years ago from Little Machine Shop in the US but if you add exchange and shipping they are about the same cost.
You mentioned "cutters"? Do you mean lumps of HSS, brazed carbide tools or insert holders? If for inserts you'll probably want to standardize on only a few insert sizes/shapes.
You mentioned "cutters"? Do you mean lumps of HSS, brazed carbide tools or insert holders? If for inserts you'll probably want to standardize on only a few insert sizes/shapes.
The trouble with that set is that pressure knurling gets more and more difficult as the size goes down. Better off with a pinch knurler. Same goes for the cutoff blade holder. So you are actually getting less for the money than you think. At 1/2 and 3/8, the boring bar holder is prolly perfect.
Show us all what the custom tool post looks like!
This is a huge discussion @CWret. KStrauss makes a great point. I'd highly recommend learning before you buy. It's that or a whole lot of dust will grow on 80-90% of what you buy.
Yep - Accusize is good.
Myf came with a nice looking pressure knurling tool - guessing it will be fine on brass/aluminum but questionable for steel. But that too will be a learning experience vs something that is purchased and becomes 85% a dust collector.
Oh - SOOOO MUCH TO LEARN.! Sorry Stilios - I’m not about to spend yet, but yes lots of temptations.
In last pic - a 3/8” cutter is mounted and ready to cut. Plus another holder is sitting on top of the chuck (holding a 1/2” cutter)
Combined with what came with the Myf and what I have previously acquired, I have lots - 40 % HSS &60% brazed carbide. Zero inserts. So I’ve no need to buy any cutters for a while. Sharpening skills needs a lot of work, as does which cutter to use and when / how!
Myf came with a nice looking pressure knurling tool - guessing it will be fine on brass/aluminum but questionable for steel. But that too will be a learning experience vs something that is purchased and becomes 85% a dust collector.
Oh - SOOOO MUCH TO LEARN.! Sorry Stilios - I’m not about to spend yet, but yes lots of temptations.
Some of my pictures are too big (file size for Forum system, funny because some pics of the qctp that i previously was allowed to attach are apparently too big now?) but here’s a couple pics of the homemade qctp that the Myf came with.
In last pic - a 3/8” cutter is mounted and ready to cut. Plus another holder is sitting on top of the chuck (holding a 1/2” cutter)
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Nice. Looks like an Aloris style. I don't know if it will fit aloris tool holders but that would be nice. Unless you want to start making more tool holders, you might be further ahead getting an Aloris 0XA tool post so you can buy more tool holders as time passes by.
Although it's far from universal, my own terminology is:
- Tool Post - the block that sits on the compound.
- Tool Holder - the smaller blocks that hold tools and attach to the tool post.
- HSS Tool - what you call cutters. They usually come in 3/16ths,1/4, 5/16, 3/8, 7/16, and 1/2 inch bars. Even bigger are available but not very common. They are typically held in a tool holder and sometimes shimmed to fit better.
- Brazed Carbide Tools - like HSS Tools, but with a piece of carbide brazed to the end of the tool.
- indexable carbide inserts (often just inserts) - the small indexable carbide inserts that can be replaced as they wear or break.
- indexable HSS Inserts the small indexable HSS inserts that can be replaced as they wear or break.
- Insert Tool Holder - the bars that sit in tool holders and hold indexable inserts.
As you can probably imagine, these terms are not universal and often get shortened to save on typing. Other machinists often use other terms. The nicest thing about them is that using them (or similar ones) helps avoid the confusion that is so pervasive in our hobby.
A few things appear to have changed after the recent crash. I'm not sure where to go looking for this setting. It might even be a server setting that is out of our reach. But I'll see what I can do.
That is not a multifix, its a Chinese copy. No idea how good it is or not, but the Mutlifix (Swiss) are perfection.
Personally I like an Aloris or Dickson tool post as its a lot easier to make tool holders. I had a multifix but sold it a long time ago with a lathe as the holders would be near impossible to make, especially in any volume and it would be a crazy amount to acquire enough tool holders. Hint 1/2 a dozen is just barely a tease to show you what you are missing, 25 is good, 30 is better.
I've also got a Drehblitz, German QCTP similar to Multifix but a lot easier to copy.
The Drehblitz, like the multifix, are indexable. Nice feature maybe, but it just doesn't get used enough for the work I do to be of much value.
If indexing isn't much value (to you) and the tools are hard to make, choosing a Dickson or Aloris is a no brainer imo
On the other sub theme here, I'm a believer in starting with HSS. Read that chapter at the front of the machining text (the one everyone skips) about how metal cuts (pressure of the tool creates a shear plane ahead of the tool) and learn about rake and clearance. Take a piece of 1/4" or 3/8" piece of sq cold rolled and practice grinding an end on it if you are unsure of yourself. After grinding, check, stone the edge and start cutting ...... the angles are very forgiving. The vibe I sometimes get is that the un-initiated sometimes find this intimidating. Phht, learning to tie your shoe once also seem so
. I bet it won't take a newbie more than an hour or two of concentration to have mastered it.Why bother? Aside from cost advantages, on a light lathe, HSS is often better as you can use higher rake angles on the tool. That means a smaller shear plane in cutting which means, for a given removal rate, less force ..... which is good for a light lathe. May not be true for all situations, materials etc, but it is more than it isn't
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Home Shop Machinist published a cut knurler project a bunch of years back.
Not really a beginner level project, but within reach of most, I thought.
I copied @McGiver on my note because he is the author of the article you referred to. I copied @gerritv because he has made a simpler knurler. I'm interested in their opinion of how easy it would be for a beginner to make one. I don't think it's a, slam dunk at all but those two guys are infinitely better qualified to assess that than I am.