Miniature QC Tool Post System

[littlelocos]

Hello,
I received a reminder that I haven't been on HMEM for a while, so I thought I'd post a recently-completed "side" project I made for my nephew and his Sherline lathe.

It's a KRF-style, miniature Quick-Change Tool Post. A few years back, I worked up one for my Unimat. He liked it. So to encourage him, I made a whole set.

I have enjoyed using the KRF toolholders for 20+ years; however, they do not make ones as small as I prefer for my Unimat or my son's mini-lathe.

The third pic is the original, Unimat version. Fasteners for each one match the ones for the lathe they are made for.

These will hole a 1/4" toolbit and a 3/8" (or smaller) boring bar. To give an idea of their size, the box in the 2nd photo is about 4" square.

More photos of this project and the making of it are available at the Littlelocos Model Engineering facebook page.

Enjoy,
Todd.

 

[Mbusha]

Very nice. How did you machine the curvic coupling?

 

[littlelocos]

Very nice. How did you machine the curvic coupling?

Hello Mark,
Glad you like. Here's a couple of photos of the set-up for the indexing base plate. It's not the prettiest set-up, but it works. Angle plate, rotary table, and a big ol' drill chuck holding a mandrel.
Enjoy,
Todd.

 

[websterz]

What a brilliant set-up! Thm:

 

[Mbusha]

Todd, very nicely done. :bow:

 

[littlelocos]

Thanks. Half the fun is figuring out how to get it done with what we have on hand.
Todd.

 

[websterz]

Thanks. Half the fun is figuring out how to get it done with what we have on hand.
Todd.

I agree completely! ;D

-another guy named Todd

 

[Mawitö]

thanks for sharing i started to do my own on aluminum for my taig lathe some time ago, but yours gave me some good ideas of what i´m doing wrong.

By the way, how did you achieved that beautiful grey finish on your metal? is that heat treated to get that color ? ( haha dont laught at me i know i´m a complete noob )

thanks

 

[littlelocos]

By the way, how did you achieved that beautiful grey finish on your metal? is that heat treated to get that color ? ( haha dont laught at me i know i´m a complete noob )

thanks

Hello Mawitö, Great question. The finish is very simple. I sandblasted the steel toolholders, then rubbed them with 3-in-1 oil. The sandblasting helps to give them an even finish. Another, more permanent option would be to use a metal stain like gun blue after blasting. Finishing this way doesn't take very long at all, but makes a big difference. One of the photos shows how one would look before blasting.
Enjoy,
Todd.

 

[Mbusha]

Son of a gun, that is sweet. I, many years ago, used to use a sand plaster often. Back in '73 I was working in a rebuild shop. Sand blasted everything. Our motto was we could rebuild a machine in any color you want. Boy, I'd like to get one for my little home shop, but my air compressor is a bit anemic.

Nice work.

 

[Mawitö]

wow thats fantastic defintly i have to try it, but only sand blasted and oiled, don´t you have problems with rusting of the parts ??