A Carbide Insert based Quick Change Tooling System for a lathe

摘要

My lathe came with a standard 4 way toolpost, photo 1. There are a number of problems with them. First, you can't mount more than two tools without them fouling each other and probably stabbing you so forget about four-way. Second, each tool needs individual packing to put the tip on centre height. My turning tools need shim steel and my others need a couple of millimetres. I never had the exactly the right packing. Third, the toolpost completely blocks your view of the actual turning so that you have to lean over the lathe which is both undesirable and uncomfortable. I looked at buying a quick change toolpost (QCTP) system where each tool has an individual toolholderwith its own height setting screw and one toolholder at a time mounts on to a large permanent toolpost. These solve the packing problem at the expense of a buying a toolholder for each tool and possibly improve visibility, but are not cheap.