Elliott Concord 460 lathe

[PixMan]

Reverse engineer the holder, send the print to me so I can order one piece of stock (if I don't already have some) and we'll make the first one when you come here next. Then you'll have the process established!

[Mayhem]

You read my mind. Although I was thinking of bringing a print and asking your thoughts on how I should tackle the job. Making one sounds an even better plan. I'd best measure the t-slot and buy a suitable cutter.

[PixMan]

I may have a t-slot cutter. I know I have a few woodruff key cutters that I've never used and those work fine. I just need the rough dimensions of the slots and can check.

BTW, where you are now in skill development I wouldn't be cranking any handles. You do that while I make rude remarks. ;)

[Mayhem]

In 2014 my skill level was at the point that you were sitting outside smoking a cigar, playing on your phone (or talking to your brother) whilst yelling out the odd encouraging remark

I may well have deteriorated in the past two years!

I just had a go at measuring and drawing the tool holder and it wasn't as easy as I thought. I think my datum point needs to be the bottom of the t-slot, as that is the reference plane. The angles are 45° and I'm sure I can do it but it will take some thinking. The Mitutoyo digimatic indicator was extremely useful here.

[PixMan]

Well, not having smoked in over 17 months now I should be able to tolerate staying in the shop long enough to see you hurt yourself.

Do your best, but if really in doubt about the measurements scour the interwebs for prints. Failing that, you could always bring one with you. And of course the toolpost itself too.

Seriously now, I would think that somewhere out there someone must have made the holders before and has a print. I know of only one website I won't go to look but plenty of others out there.

[Mayhem]

I had forgotten that you had given up the cigars - well done.

I have looked online for a drawing but couldn't find anything useful.

[Mayhem]

Finished the drawing in Fusion 360.  Now I need to create the print and do the dimensioning.

   

[PixMan]

Looks like a serious challenge. From the design, it appears the V grooves are the most critical feature in that you would have to get the center distance and depths VERY close to perfect to have it register consistently.

That of course is me assuming the T-slot is used to pull the block onto the V grooves. Wow, I could see a lot of time spent on those.

I do have a grinding wheel setup (wheel mounted on arbor and dressed) that's a 90º shape. We could plunge one to a given depth, crank the table over by the exact distance of center to center of the V and plunge the second. That would be far faster than four setups on V blocks, and more consistent. I imagine it's best to do that final grind on a multiple of them.

[Mayhem]

Yes - the piston on these pulls the tool holder into the tool post. I'll take some pictures of the fit tomorrow and post them. Dave J does have some pictures of the fit in his post on the ones that he made. He finished the v grooves on his by tilting the head of his mill. However, I'm sure they could be done using a sine bar to get them set up accurately.

I've sent Dave a PM to see if his holders are the same size as mine (S3), in case he still has the drawings. If he does, that would save time and be very helpful given that he would have checked the fit. I certainly am not going to put the QCTP into my suitcase and take it half way around the world and back!

I had thought of using a chunk of MDF and trying one out to see if it fits OK. Could probably use it to hold a dial indicator afterwards

[Mayhem]

Some pics of the tool post and tool holder fit:

Piston in the unlocked position:

   

Piston in the locked position:

   

Toolholder unlocked:

   

Toolholder locked:

   

Here is the page from lathes.co.uk - mine is the S3 and that tool post is one big heavy chunk of metal