Hemingway kits?

[Tim9]

I built their small rotary broach. I’d have to say that they have excellent drawings, prints and instructions. It’s very step by step. Great kits. All the necessary metal castings and steel blanks. Really great stuff in my opinion. A little pricey because of the shipping but top quality stuff. I enjoyed building the kit.
If money was no issue I’d have purchased more but what can I say. Sometimes I’m cheap. Don’t like spending a lot on shipping. But Hemingway is an excellent outfit and they even emailed me asking if I had any questions. Excellent company service in my opinion

 

[ErichKeane]

Retracting tool holder

I purchased the Hemingway Tools kit for the Retracting Tool Holder. What you receive are excellent drawings plus the article originally done by the designer G. Thomas, and all the blank steel components as well as the screws, drill blanks for pins etc. Naturally the screws are British thread...

www.hobby-machinist.com

I use it for threading. It is mounted on to a tool block for my QCTP so switching back and forth is easy.

You can go bigger with a little redesign of the main piece. It is designed for a 1/4” round tool and if I were to make it again, 2 things.
1 make it integral with a QCtool holder and
2 make the tool area a square recess for flexibility of 1/4 or 3/8” tools.
if wanting 1/2” tool this would require beefing up but once you see how it is made shouldn’t be a show stopper.
Pierre

That is a brilliant design and would make thread cutting so much easier! I end up having to re-learn how to use my threading-stops on my lathe every time I single-point

 

[Cadillac STS]

That is a brilliant design and would make thread cutting so much easier! I end up having to re-learn how to use my threading-stops on my lathe every time I single-point

Wit the retracting bit you just leave the half nuts closed. Move the cross back reversing the screw, advance the tool then forward again. No alignment issues, no threading dial needed. Some lathes do not have a threading dial and since you never undo the half nut it is always in register.

 

[ErichKeane]

Wit the retracting bit you just leave the half nuts closed. Move the cross back reversing the screw, advance the tool then forward again. No alignment issues, no threading dial needed. Some lathes do not have a threading dial and since you never undo the half nut it is always in register.

Well, I was commenting that it would still be useful on a bigger lathe with a thread-dial, but because it looks like an easier thing to set up rather than my lathe crossfeed stop system (which is a little awkward to use).

 

[Cadillac STS]

Well, I was commenting that it would still be useful on a bigger lathe with a thread-dial, but because it looks like an easier thing to set up rather than my lathe crossfeed stop system (which is a little awkward to use).

Exactly. Would be useful on any lathe with thread dial or not.

Retracting allows you to just stop, retract, reverse, extend and lock, advance the counter cross and make another pass.

Avoids needing to stop, dial back the cross for clearance, disengage the nut, dial forward precisely, re-engage the nut with the thread dial, etc..

Not necessary if there is a thread dial but still an interesting useful project.

 

[ddickey]

Good video on retracing threading tool build.

 

[Cadillac STS]

Here is one I posted here in 2014. Looks like I got carried away with pics then and lot of duplicates.

There are pics of the few simple parts. Would be an easier build to make one than others I’ve seen.

There are 5 parts and two are just covers.

Can anyone identify this retractable tool post?

I found this retractable tool post. It is for BXA size QCTP. It retracts fine and looks very solid. So simple, just 3 parts beside the two covers. I'll post pics of the actual tool together and then the tool apart. No maker markings on it at all. With the pics someone may be able to make one.

www.hobby-machinist.com

 

[9t8z28]

Here is one I posted here in 2014. Looks like I got carried away with pics then and lot of duplicates.

There are pics of the few simple parts. Would be an easier build to make one than others I’ve seen.

There are 5 parts and two are just covers.

Can anyone identify this retractable tool post?

I found this retractable tool post. It is for BXA size QCTP. It retracts fine and looks very solid. So simple, just 3 parts beside the two covers. I'll post pics of the actual tool together and then the tool apart. No maker markings on it at all. With the pics someone may be able to make one.

www.hobby-machinist.com

Cool screen name. Im a Cadillac man myself.
I checked out the link you posted for the retractable threading tool holder and I have starred at the photos for a while now and I cant figure out how it works. Can you explain? Is there something missing like a spring or is there a HSS tool bit also missing? I see how the handle rotates and I assume the cam moves out of the way so the tool holder can retract? I cant figure out how the cam clears the slot when the handle is rotated.

 

[Cadillac STS]

It works with that cam pulling back the ram. It is made so there is a positive detent feel on open and close.

No other parts

It does not have the threading bit set in it. That goes in the square hole and held in by an allen screw

There is a square hole in the front probably broach cut. To make another I would probably make a 3/8 slot toward the bottom or top to allow 2 allen screws to hold the bit in place instead of broaching the square.

Would be a nice project for someone to draw up in CAM/CAD and upload the drawings and files....