Lantern Tool Post revisited

[mickri]

I think that just about everyone with an older lather has one of these contraptions. I do and it is a pain to use. Yet sometimes you have to use it. I recently had to dig mine out and use it to get into a tight corner. Winky's Workshop recently made one and came up with a novel way to adjust the height of the tool bit. An adjustable collar that you can screw to any height you need to get the tool bit on center line. A whole lot easier to use than fiddling with a bunch of shims and rockers. I added this to my project list.

This evening I got my lantern out and was thinking about the dimensions to make the collar. I realized that the collar can only adjust through a small range to keep enough threads engaged to support the forces against the collar. I could solve that by threading the body of the lantern. No limit on the number of threads that would be engaged. The threads on the collar would always be completely engaged. Off to the lathe to check on my idea and discovered that the collar has to be held tight to the compound to keep the lantern from flopping around. Back to brainstorming on this. This is what I came up with. Two collars. One to hold the lantern tight to the compound and one to set the height of the tool bit. One thing that I don't know is how hard would it be to thread the body of the lantern and another would threading the body negatively impact the strength. I could always use very fine threads.

I know that I must have too much time on my hands. But I have a narrow window to get things done before it will get to cold to be out in the garage.

 

[NC Rick]

I saw that video and like the idea. I do think your priorities are really messed up. Use your limited time on providing environmental improvements to your work shop. To cold to work (play) out there? This must be resolved, what are you to do, shovel snow?

 

[mickri]

The garage/shop is not insulated and a prior owner drywalled the garage. Besides the drywall there are built in shelves and electrical lines run in conduit that would have to be removed and supports added to the roof framing to support a ceiling. So it is a major job both in time and cost to insulate the garage. I did some preliminary estimates to add insulation to the garage. My estimate was several thousand dollars. More than I wanted to spend. Then I have to find a source for heat in the winter and AC in the summer. Might be able to run a duct from the house into the garage. Unlike the garage the house is very well insulated and doesn't require much heating in the winter or AC in the summer to keep the house comfortable. Mostly use the wood stove for heat in the winter in the house. Do I heat and cool the house just to heat and cool the garage? Electricity has gotten expensive where I live. When I moved in 6 years ago electricity cost 18 cents per KWH. It is now over 24 cents per KWH. And that is the baseline rate. Go over baseline usage and the rate jumps again. Even with my limited AC use in the summer I go over baseline usage.. My electric bill jumps from $50 per month or less to $200 per month. I am retired and live on a fixed income. I just get by the way it is.

My priorities are not messed up. I do what I have to do to make ends meet. If that means I can't use my garage/shop in the summer heat or winter cold, so be it.

 

[pontiac428]

Mickri, if the garage is already sheeted, you can blow insulation in and be done with it quickly and easily. Lowe's Depot sells blow insulation, and the chain equipment rental companies rent insulation blowers. It's laughably easy, but you'll need a helper to empty bags of fluff into the hopper as you fill the voids in the walls.

Or else you can dress up in true Squaw Valley fashion, surely available in surplus at your local Goodwill:

 

[mickri]

I don't live at the Squaw Valley ski resort. That place is officially know as Olympic Valley.

I live 50 miles SE of Fresno off Hwy 180 that goes to Kings Canyon National Park. The area is an old ranching community that first had a post office in the mid to late 1800's. Have no idea how this area came to be known as Squaw Valley.

 

[ThinWoodsman]

There's an old Machinist's Workshop article "Getting the most out of your Lantern Toolpost" that has some very good ideas. Most involve making tool-specific base plates: slots milled to-width for different toolbit sizes, optionally milling the slots at a vertical angle to not need the rocker. The idea being that you use the bases like QTCP toolholders. PM me if you want more details, I can dig out the article.

 

[Norseman C.B.]

Hell, lantern posts are what I learned on and fer many setups perfect.
Though I do like to use the QCTP I keep the old school tooling handy......................

 

[NC Rick]

The garage/shop is not insulated and a prior owner drywalled the garage. Besides the drywall there are built in shelves and electrical lines run in conduit that would have to be removed and supports added to the roof framing to support a ceiling. So it is a major job both in time and cost to insulate the garage. I did some preliminary estimates to add insulation to the garage. My estimate was several thousand dollars. More than I wanted to spend. Then I have to find a source for heat in the winter and AC in the summer. Might be able to run a duct from the house into the garage. Unlike the garage the house is very well insulated and doesn't require much heating in the winter or AC in the summer to keep the house comfortable. Mostly use the wood stove for heat in the winter in the house. Do I heat and cool the house just to heat and cool the garage? Electricity has gotten expensive where I live. When I moved in 6 years ago electricity cost 18 cents per KWH. It is now over 24 cents per KWH. And that is the baseline rate. Go over baseline usage and the rate jumps again. Even with my limited AC use in the summer I go over baseline usage.. My electric bill jumps from $50 per month or less to $200 per month. I am retired and live on a fixed income. I just get by the way it is.

My priorities are not messed up. I do what I have to do to make ends meet. If that means I can't use my garage/shop in the summer heat or winter cold, so be it.

While I believe my statement was correct, I hoped you would appreciate my jest. I sincerely apologize for sounding like a smarty pants. Most anything I post is delivered with a grin.

have you considered renting a cellulose insulation blower? All of our priorities are different and not one is better than the other. I do understand.

 

[matthewsx]

The garage/shop is not insulated and a prior owner drywalled the garage. Besides the drywall there are built in shelves and electrical lines run in conduit that would have to be removed and supports added to the roof framing to support a ceiling. So it is a major job both in time and cost to insulate the garage. I did some preliminary estimates to add insulation to the garage. My estimate was several thousand dollars. More than I wanted to spend. Then I have to find a source for heat in the winter and AC in the summer. Might be able to run a duct from the house into the garage. Unlike the garage the house is very well insulated and doesn't require much heating in the winter or AC in the summer to keep the house comfortable. Mostly use the wood stove for heat in the winter in the house. Do I heat and cool the house just to heat and cool the garage? Electricity has gotten expensive where I live. When I moved in 6 years ago electricity cost 18 cents per KWH. It is now over 24 cents per KWH. And that is the baseline rate. Go over baseline usage and the rate jumps again. Even with my limited AC use in the summer I go over baseline usage.. My electric bill jumps from $50 per month or less to $200 per month. I am retired and live on a fixed income. I just get by the way it is.

My priorities are not messed up. I do what I have to do to make ends meet. If that means I can't use my garage/shop in the summer heat or winter cold, so be it.

Lots of folks in the Midwest use woodstoves to heat their shops. If you're already using wood for the house maybe get a used one for your garage/shop. Sure, would be nice to have insulation but if you can extend your shop season for a couple of months with a used woodstove it might be worthwhile.

John

 

[mickri]

I have thought about a woodstove. No place to put one in my garage/shop. it is packed full of stuff. There are tree branches that extend over part of the garage roof too. I also don't know if I could get a permit for a woodstove in the garage. CARB considers fireplaces and woodstoves to be gross polluters. Many areas in CA have banned new fireplaces and woodstoves and don't allow people to use existing fireplaces and woodstoves on some days. There is even a law now that when a house sells if the existing woodstove does not meet current requirements it has to be removed and destroyed.

The only practical way to provide heat and AC is either to extend the house ducting into the garage or install a mini split. No idea what it costs to run a mini split. Can't be cheap with the cost of electricity these days. I will live with what I have for the time being. Thanks for the suggestion.