New tooling on old lathe

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chrismunn
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Joined: Sun Sep 06, 2015 4:24 pm

New tooling on old lathe

Post by chrismunn »

Can you put a Dorian or newer quick change tool post on an old Southbend Model A9?
tommy1010
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Re: New tooling on old lathe

Post by tommy1010 »

Sure. I do it all the time. I get the brand X models made in china from CDCO. Dorian is out of my price range. Along with Aloris. I have had good luck using these. I get extra tool holders because they are inexpensive. The set screws are junk so I got a box of metric screws from Fastenal and fixed that problem. There will always be a need for a rocker style toolholder. Once you get a quick change tool post I am sure you will love it.
chrismunn
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Re: New tooling on old lathe

Post by chrismunn »

Sweet.

I'm looking at picking up a model a9 soon and have the opportunity to pick up some extras that came off of other machines, hopefully for an incredible discount? Will be my first lathe and I'm very excited!

So where do you pick up your X brand tooling from? I don't know what CDCO is?
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BadDog
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Re: New tooling on old lathe

Post by BadDog »

CDCO is like Shars in that they represent some of the very cheapest of the online tooling importers (use your favorite search engine). I greatly prefer the "Phase II" brand of tool post and tooling blocks. I generally get their "starter kit" from Enco, and have done so on my last 3 lathes. I use those nicer PII blocks for mounting my most common bits. I then buy more blocks from CDCO (about the same quality as Shars but cheaper at the time). The CDCO tool blocks are great values, but IMO the tool posts lag far behind the Phase II with regard to quality, making the Phase II tool post (particularly bought with the "kit") the best value even at slightly greater cost. I think for my current CXA I currently have the original Phase II blocks, an assortment of Aloris blocks (from auctions), and maybe 15 or so blocks from CDCO.
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Harold_V
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Re: New tooling on old lathe

Post by Harold_V »

tommy1010 wrote: There will always be a need for a rocker style toolholder.
Hmmm. I'm still waiting for that day to come! :wink:

I purchased my Graziano Sag12 lathe new in 1967. It came with a rocker type tool post, but it has NEVER been mounted on the machine, not as long as I've owned it, and that includes 16 years of machining for gain.

I can't think of a less useful item for a lathe than a rocker tool post. Sure, they work, but if one is even remotely involved in production (anything beyond one piece, or anything that includes the use of more than one tool), they are, without a doubt, one of the most inconvenient objects ever introduced to a lathe. There's no way one can make a setup, as dials (or a DRO) can't be referenced to the tool unless there is only one, and it is never moved. That's not my idea of machining.

I miss not using a rocker tool post about as much as I miss my ex-wife! :-)

Harold
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pete
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Re: New tooling on old lathe

Post by pete »

LOL, pretty much zero to argue about in that Harold.

Pete
SteveM
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Re: New tooling on old lathe

Post by SteveM »

What Harold leaves out is that he's not using an Aloris-type toolpost, he's using an OK Rubber Welders toolpost, which is a 4-way with degree indexing. You can turn it to get into tight places and then move it back and it will go right back to the same place.

You can see one here:
http://www.practicalmachinist.com/vb/ge ... me-249071/

Steve
chrismunn
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Re: New tooling on old lathe

Post by chrismunn »

I can't view the images on PM. those guys wouldn't let me joint their fancy forum.

Anyways...

What can the serial number of a lathe tell me? I have the serial number of the machine but I don't know what I can learn about the machine with it?
SteveM
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Re: New tooling on old lathe

Post by SteveM »

Image
Image

Steve
chrismunn
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Re: New tooling on old lathe

Post by chrismunn »

So this is a silly question, but how would I get a Model A into my pickup truck? The one Im lookin to get is on a cabinet and I don't wanna take it off the cab for transport. I just wanna pick it up and drop it in the truck. I dont see any hook points so...?
SteveM
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Re: New tooling on old lathe

Post by SteveM »

chrismunn wrote:So this is a silly question, but how would I get a Model A into my pickup truck? The one Im lookin to get is on a cabinet and I don't wanna take it off the cab for transport. I just wanna pick it up and drop it in the truck. I dont see any hook points so...?
You could run straps around the bed (not just over, but over then under then over). Bu sure that the straps don't touch anything that can't take the strain, like the leadscrew. Maybe you can tie inside the bed to the cross braces so that there's no possibility of anything touching the leadscrew.

Run those to the tiedown points on the bed. Use ratchet straps to ensure it is snug.

Be sure you remove anything you can, like the tailstock. Lock the carriage (with the carriage lock and not with the half nuts!) so it doesn't move during transport.

I would put some big pieces of wood at the front of the bed and tie it so that it is pulled towards that, because you don't want it moving forward when braking.

Steve
Patio
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Re: New tooling on old lathe

Post by Patio »

I am in the process of buying a Dorian QITP30 tool post. It has an indexing feature, but will only do 15 degree increments. It will allow 4 tool holders to be installed at one time. Kind of the best of both the 4 way and quick change, in one tool post. It has not arrived yet, so I have no real world experience with it yet.
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