The lathe's cross-slide bed must be level in both directions.
9x20 Quick
Change Tool Post
(QCTP) & Tool Bits
Last updated on
Monday, May 27, 2013 04:42:06 PM
Eastern US Time Zone
Upgraded Bolt Post,
Holders,
Carbide
Insert Tool Bits,
Carbide Insert Cutoff Tool,
T-bar Cutoff Tool,
Tool Bit Height Gages,
Tool Bit Types & Shapes,
Brazed Carbide,
HSS, Storage, Surface Feet per
Minute
The lathe's cross-slide bed must be level in both
directions.
Upgraded Bolt Post
Adapted a
Phase2+ wedge-type QCTP,
Model 250-111.
Wedge-type tool posts are purportedly
more accurate & repeatable
than the piston type. Quick-Change Tool Posts allow fast tool changes,
exact tool bit height
& position/angle adjustments.
A long,
22mm Craftsman box wrench is used
to
loosen & tighten the
hardened tool post
nut for rotational positioning.
Full-sized lathes have a large T-slot to mount the tool post. The Jet BD 920N is too small for
a T-slot but this
mod parallels that design.
The new design uses a machined M14-1.5 x
120mm long bolt (same size as the
Phase2+ OEM post) with a counter-bored cross slide.
To keep the bolt head as large as possible, it was turned
down just enough to
remove the hex flats.
Also replaced
all the gib
M4-0.7 x 10mm
setscrews with higher
quality US parts. The lock
nuts are stainless steel. Replaced the three compound bearing plate
Philips-head
mounting screws with stronger,
hex cap-head bolts. These bolt heads had to be ground down enough to
allow
sufficient clearance when the plate is clamped down to the cross slide.
Phase2+ wedge-type Quick Change Tool Post Set
manual.
Old modification design (top), M14-1.5 x 120mm bolt (middle) & new design (bottom).
My first QCTP modification (some years ago, before I had a
larger mill
& a boring head), was accomplished
by turning down the Phase2+ OEM 14mm post to fit into the original
cross slide hole, but it was a weak design.
Used
a (centered) 1-in. end mill to cut a relief in the dovetail to keep the
bolt head as large as possible.
This clearance cut to the dove tail does not seem to have affected the
compound's mechanical
performance.
The counter bore is about 0.83" & the clearance hole is a very close fit to the
14mm bolt.
The counter-bore depth is the same as that used by the original bolt post.
To allow complete seating into the hole, the bolt-head & counter-bore edges were
properly chamfered.
The machined bolt head is an interference fit so it had to be hammered in using a
brass rod.
This was the first test part fabricated & it was flush to the
surface. I made a second part with a longer bolt.
Also, the head was machined a little thicker (not flush) for more strength & it used the available
2mm slide clearance area between the bottom of the slide & the top of the
dove-tail base.
Note the small amount of brass that was left on t he bolt head surface from the
installation.
Used a
rotary
table to mill the four corners of the compound's raised, square tool post platform.
Rounding the
corners allows the QCTP dovetail
tool holder to be adjusted lower than the surface of the platform,
thereby enabling
adjustment of larger tools (e.g.,
scissors knurling, cutoff tool,
½" bits) at or below centerline of the work
piece.
The compound slide shown reassembled with the 14mm bolt & rounded
base corners.
Tool post bottom is shown
with a tool holder in place. The holder dovetail corners have to clear the base.
Used the
Phase2+ OEM hardened, flanged nut.
Maximum tool bit size is ½". The
increased rigidity is outstanding.
When combined with a negative-rake carbide insert
tool bit holder, steel-cutting performance has dramatically improved.
I have now
increased the size of the
compound pivoting base making it about 50% larger than the OEM in all
dimensions.
An auxiliary handle can be screwed
into the QCTP body.
Holders
QCTP
tools left to right,
top row: an
MT2
arbor holder
with a drill chuck, ¾" &
⅝" (with a
split insert) boring bar
holder, a
conventional knurling tool (also holds a bit),
& two, scissors-type knurlers. Left to right,
bottom row:
small boring bar, a cutoff blade holder
& tool bit holders. Some of the tool-bit holders have a V-groove to
hold
a round shank like those found on a
⅜" boring
bar. The cutoff tool holder was ground along the inner
top corner to relieve the
wider top of some cutting blades. The blade's side sits
flush against the holder.
Note this Phase2+ tool holder has a V-groove to hold round shanks.
This ⅜" round to ½" square, slit, steel adapter eliminates setscrew marring on the shaft.
The hole was reamed for a close, precision fit to the ground shank.Carbide Insert Tool Bits
C-6 carbide insert, ¼" shank, tool bit holders.
Key, left to right: A, B, C, D, E, F (threading), & G (cutoff).
CARBIDE INSERTS FOR ¼" HOLDERS
KEY HOLDER TYPE & ANGLE C-6 INSERT A SWGCR Right-hand 90° WCMX-50308 B SDJCR Right-hand 93° DCMT-0070202 C SCLCR Right-hand 95° CCMT-060204 D SDNCN Right-hand 62.5° DCMT-0070202 E SCLCL Left-hand 95° CCMT-060204 F LW Threading JCL-15-120 G QA Cutoff JCQ-3
Carbide insert tool bits in ¼" & ½" shanks.
Carbide insert tool-bit holders (negative 5° rake), from Dorian Tools (USA) left to right:
MTGNR, MTJNR, MTCNN (negative 10° rake), MTJNL, MTGNL.
This ⅝" (15.875mm) wide, negative 5° rake tool bit used to put high stress on this machine but now that it has
been upgraded with a variable speed DC motor & timing belt/pulley system, it easily makes no-chatter cuts.
Negative-rake tool-bit holders in QCTP height-adjustable dovetail mounts.
These use TNMG-style, ⅛" thick, zero relief angle inserts which have six usable tips, each.
The middle holder is an MTENN type having an insert with a 1/32nd in. radius tip.
Different radius insert tips can be used e.g., 1/64th in. or 1/32nd in. The holders have ½" hardened shanks.
TNMG-style inserts are the most economical to use due to six tips, apiece. Their popularity & high industry
demand drives their cost down. For quantities ≥10, inserts are about $1 each or 17¢ per tip (Oct 12).
5° negative-rake insert tool bits. See Insert Nomenclature Chart & Indexable Tool Holder Nomenclature Chart
Carbide
Insert Cutoff Tool
GTN-3 carbide insert
cutoff tool bit
holder SLTHR12.7-3. Insert held in V-grooves, only. Tip
is 0.122" wide.
After cutting, the tool pries out a fully seated insert. The hardened
shank is 0.498" high x 3.25" long x 0.39" wide.
Capacity 0.7" cutting depth or 1.4" diameter stock.
Good performance in soft steel using heavy oil as a lubricant.
Cutting fluid being applied using a hypodermic needle.
T-bar Cutoff Tool
Adapted the Taig T-bar cutoff tool to work on the 9x20. The blade is positioned at the back & upside down.
With a front cutoff tool, forces push the blade downward below centerline & into the part possibly causing
chatter. With a back cutoff tool, forces pull the blade upward above centerline & away from the part possibly
reducing chatter. For max rigidity during cutoffs, keep the blade as short & close to the chuck as possible.
Exploded view - The tool post & base are mild steel. T-shaped (cross-section profile) cutoff blade shown.
The blade is clamped using a small plate & 2, 10-32 bolts/washers. There are relief cuts for T-shaped blades.
Mounted rear view - An aluminum guide indexes the tool post.
The OEM T-bar design had only two, plate-clamping 10-32 bolts, so I added two more for additional strength.
Since the blade clamp plate is symmetrical, I just rotated it & used a transfer punch to locate the extra bolts.
The front base M6-1 bolt (right) is forward of the post bolt for maximum leverage against the upward pull.
The rear base bolt (left) uses a hardened washer. Two, M6-1 steel T-nuts are used in the cross-slide slot.
The side plate on the left is held on by four, counter-bored 8-32 hex-head screws.
The side plate functions as a bracket-in-tension against upward pulling forces during cutting.
A good example of a bracket-in-tension is that of a playing card; easy to crush but hard to pull apart.
The top edge of the side plate contacts the bottom edge of the blade clamp to lend additional support.
Opened-up the two clearance holes for the main 6mm bolts to 6.7mm to allow small, rotational adjustments.
The rigidity of this setup is very good; no chatter, 50-400 RPM in aluminum.
Cutoff performance is enhanced especially now that the lathe can turn low RPM using the powerful
variable-speed DC motor & timing belt pulley setup. This cutoff operation is being performed
at 60 RPM but easily works up to 400 RPM. Absolutely no chatter & the cuts are clean.
The variable speed DC motor driven spindle has plenty of torque throughout its 50-1000 RPM range.
It is my belief that, in part, cutoff-induced chatter could have been due to macroscopic fluctuations of the
spring-loaded idler pulley when under heavy spindle loads. The removal of the OEM idler belt/pulley
system & subsequent replacement with a strong timing belt has eliminated cutoff-induced chatter.
Tool Bit Height
Gages
Aluminum height gage used to quickly set tool
bit height using a QCTP.
Right side for standard
settings &
left side
for upside down,
backside bits.
Facing cuts were made on a
collet-held piece until no center nub
remained.
That height
operationally defines the tool bit height for the gage. A
Dorian
Tool, negative rake
TNMG
carbide insert tool bit holder
MTGNR is
shown. The tool bit should be at or slightly
below center for
turning &
at or slightly above center for boring. The
height-gage
bottom rests
on the cross slide.
Another quick tool bit height setting method is to gently pinch a small rule between the tip & the work
piece, then adjust the height until it is vertical. If the rule's top tilts toward you, then it is low & vice versa.
Using
a
center
gage to set up the 60° tool bit cutting angle.
Tool Bit
Types &
Shapes
Lathe tool standard shapes.
Single point lathe tool angles.
Brazed Carbide
Assorted brazed carbide tool bits: left-hand, threading,
square-tipped, cutoff & right-hand.
HSS
HSS tool bit blanks. Top to
bottom: square ½", ⅜", 5/16", ¼", 3/16", ⅛"
plus
round 3/16" & ¼".
Caution: the metal dust from grinding tool bits is
hazardous. Wear proper protective eye & breathing gear.
HSS; small
cutoff,
45º chamfer, round-nose & two views of a small boring
bar.
The chamfer tool can chatter. Better to use the compound.
Right-hand, left-hand tool, & straight tool holders. Shank size is 5/16" & Length is 3".
A multi-compartmented storage bin holds & organizes the many different lathe tool bits.
Surface Feet per Minute
Converting
part size & RPM
to surface feet per minute (lathe SFM)
Approximate cutting speeds for different materials. Surface Feet/Minute (SFM) Chart 1 SFM 2 SFM 3
Upgraded Bolt Post, Holders, Carbide Insert Tool Bits, Carbide Insert Cutoff Tool, T-bar Cutoff Tool,
Tool Bit Height Gages, Tool Bit Types & Shapes, Brazed Carbide, HSS, Storage, Surface Feet per Minute
