Lantern Tool Post revisited

I am lost; of course having learned thread cutting in the worst manner,(self taught) hasn't helped. Having a threaded spindle makes cutting right handed threads towards the headstock and left handed from a groove near the chuck mandatory. Considering the age of my lathe I make several passes of 0.005" or less and final fit by trying the nut several times. I also used the same number on the thread dial each pass.
I am at a loss when it comes to a "slot in the body", there is no doubt that I have a lot to learn about threading.
Have a good day
Ray
 
Whenever I have trouble with hardened steel like that, I give it a little spark test. I can imagine the metal giving a little squeak, since it knows what is coming next. If it gives a simple medium carbon spark, you can hit it with a propane torch. No need to get to austenitizing. Just black or barely visible red will soften it considerably. If you insist on hard, heat to critical and quench after you do the machining.

It might be possible to make a screw collar as well. Basically, it would be a fat screw jack with a hole in the middle.
 
The slot in the body isn't about threading. It's a feature in a lantern tool post. A lantern tool post has a slot that goes through the body of the tool post that the tool bits fit into.

IMG_3929.JPG

As the lathe spins the body the edge of the slot in the body hits the top of the tool bit as tool bit cuts the thread. Even though I was only taking a .002 cut the tip of the tool bit broke off when the edge of the slot hit the top of the tool bit. For a better visual I have tool bit sticking way into the slot.

IMG_3928.JPG

Hope this clears up the confusion. By the way I am totally self taught on all of this stuff too.
 
Can you pound some scrap aluminum or brass into the lantern slot to take care of that interrupted cut? The tool won't like the change in material much, but it likely won't break if you have a plug in the slot. Probably have to put the plug in the slot and turn it down to the lantern OD, at least where you're threading.
 
This is turning into more of a project than I hoped it would be. It is going on the back burner so to speak and probably won't get brought to the front until I need to use my lantern tool post. Have too many over things that need to get done.
 
Thanks for the pictures and getting me up to speed. Sorry about my confusion.
Have a good day
Ray
 
I've been observing this thread since day one, an I'd like to add that I still use my lantern tool post in my 12" lathe. Especially for Al turning. When I sell the lathe later this year, I'm keeping the lantern for one of my other lathes.
 
When I get back to this project I will probably make a new body with the body threaded and much tighter tolerances in the slot for a better fit to the tool bits. That's not going to be anytime soon.
 
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