Rocker & Quick Change Tool Posts, Boring Bar Holders, Locking Levers
Last updated on Friday, February 15, 2013 09:02:12 PM Eastern US Time Zone

Rocker Tool Post, Handle Upgrades, Tool Posts, Cutoff Tool Post, Tool Bit Height Gage
Quick Change Tool Post, QCTP Tool Bit Holders, Boring Bar Holder, Boring Bar Sets, Eccentric Tool Holder

Rocker Tool Post
 
Rocker allows adjustment of the tool bit height. Uses a machined, 1½" diameter, steel rocker.
Three rockers were cut from one turning. Milled post using a rotary table. Adjust tip height to 1¼".

Exploded view of a rocker-style tool post made from a standard tool post. See small manual rotary table.

Handle Upgrades

Taig OEM tool post with fabricated steel bushing & ratchet-type Zinc alloy handle.

Note recessed area around the bolt for good clamping forces. Steel T-nuts are better.

Tool Bit Height Gage

A brass tool bit height gage to quickly set the tip at center (1¼").
Can be used for setting boring bar & cutoff tool heights, too.

Added 10-32 threaded ratchet levers to all tool posts. Made SS spacers that sit inside
the counter-bored hole. Used a brass washer & a length of 10-32 threaded rod. Did not chamfer
 bottom of the rod; ground flat. Then, permanently attached the square nut on the flat rod end to
eliminate turning. Tightening now occurs only at the lever thread which is about 0.4" deep.

Tool Posts

Top row: rocker & standard posts. Bottom row: backside tool post, backside cutoff tool & boring bar holder.

Cutoff Tool Post

Cutoff tool blade is used upside down at the backside. The tool works well & blade is easily re-sharpened.
Uses a standard 1/16" x ½" x 4" cutoff blade. Superior to the ¼" x ¼" shank cutoff tool bit. All-steel construction.
This cutoff tool blade holder was also adapted for use on the 9x20 lathe. See T-bar Cutoff Tool.

Standard tool post modified to hold an 8mm indicator holder rod.

Quick Change Tool Post (QCTP)

QCTP Tool Bit Holders

A2ZCNC quick-change tool post. Nicely finished, hard-anodized aluminum, CNC fabricated & quality hardware.
Low price, quick-changes, pre-adjusted tool heights, very rigid design, ½" cutoff blade, holders for up to
3/8" square tool bits & 3/8" diameter boring bars. Tool bit can be held to the left of the cross slide allowing
work on certain short/large diameter shapes. Relatively large size uses up space on an otherwise small
machine. Replaced the original steel jam (locking) nuts with brass thumb nuts & added a brass washer.
Used molybdenum disulphide to lightly lube the entire mechanism.


Added a threaded ratchet lever to eliminate the need for a hex driver. Used a ¼-20 threaded rod & a brass washer.
 Punched the bottom of the base thread so the rod does not pass all the way through & damage the aluminum cross-slide.

Boring Bar Holder

A simple ⅜" boring bar holder for the lathe.

Boring Bar Sets

⅜" shank, brazed carbide insert & Cobalt-steel boring bar sets with a fixed-position, boring-bar holder.
This holder uses two tie-down bolts.

Eccentric Tool Holder

This type of boring bar holder uses a ⅜" precision reamed, split brass eccentric that allows adjustment of
 both the boring bar height & rake angle. When performing the slitting operation, use low RPM & cutting fluid.
On top center, a screw fits into a groove to retain the brass eccentric.

Note the small ridge (right side) that bears against the holder body & the center retaining groove.

Front view. 10-32 cap-head bolts clamp the eccentric. The A2ZCNC T-nut is on
a 10-32 threaded rod & tightened/loosened by a zinc ratcheting handle.

Bottom view. The area around the hold-down bolt was relieved to insure good clamping contact
 for the entire bottom surface. This is the same as found on the bottom of a standard Taig tool post.

Used 10-32 thread, die-cast zinc ratcheting locking levers for the Taig carriage stop rods,
carriage lock & the tailstock. Used same style levers for the Jet lathe.

For a smoother finish, lock the carriage when performing facing or cutoff operations.

Dissimilar metals (steel, brass, aluminum) allow smooth locking/unlocking action.

Rocker Tool Post, Handle Upgrades, Tool Posts, Cutoff Tool Post, Tool Bit Height Gage
Quick Change Tool Post, QCTP Tool Bit Holders, Boring Bar Holder, Boring Bar Sets, Eccentric Tool Holder

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