Pathak tabletop lathe toolpost?

[tmenyc]

I'm advising a friend in Mumbai on the purchase of a tabletop lathe. Because of customs costs, he can only purchase one that is made and sold in India, and Pathak appears to be the only company. The page of info for the machine is attached below, but it appears to me to be a relatively standard Chinese-made 7" mini machine with decent capabilities, including imperial and metric threading and variable speed control. He cannot get to a an actual machine, and practices in India are such that he can't get the name of a machine owner to talk with, or specific and accurate information from the company. So, there are some pretty fundamental unanswered questions that we'll deal with when he has it, including rigidity and solidity at the top of the list. It's important to know that he expects to be using the lathe primarily for soft materials in making and restoring fountain pens: ebonite, delrin and other acrylics, perhaps brass or aluminum for making mandrels and small parts. No expectations for cutting steel.
That said, the biggest question we have is around the toolpost: it apparently comes with a four-corner, which makes sense since most of their work is with industrial, larger scale equipment. We don't know how the four-corner is mounted to the compound, don't know if there is a slot for a t-nut. He asked the company what size tools would be appropriate for it, and was sent an Amazon link to 1/2" toolholders with carbide. Hoping he was going to get a QCTP from LMS, I was planning on grinding 3/8" or 5/16" HSS tools for him, particularly a couple of tools that I've made specifically for cutting ebonite.
So, about four-corner toolposts:
1) what kind of mounts are they on? QCTP-like t-nut? If so, what dimensions, generally?
2) Does a four-corner that takes 1/2" toolholders adjust small enough for 5/16 or 3/8"?

Is there anything else I absolutely need to consider in advance?
Many thanks for the help on this. I've never actually used a benchtop machine, so am fishing in unaccustomed waters here.

Tim

 

[homebrewed]

So, about four-corner toolposts:
1) what kind of mounts are they on? QCTP-like t-nut? If so, what dimensions, generally?
2) Does a four-corner that takes 1/2" toolholders adjust small enough for 5/16 or 3/8"?

That lathe looks pretty much like the "7x" lathe series made by Sieg and re-branded by many sellers. The 4-way toolpost is standard, and attaches to the compound (also called the "top slide" ) with a 10 mm screw. Cutting tools are held in place using screws. It is NOT a QCTP. But if you install and properly shim the cutters it's only a matter of a few seconds to rotate a different tool into place. QCTPs are available for these machines as add-on accessories.

The 4-way toolpost is best suited for 5/16" tools. Smaller tools can be accommodated by using spacers or shims underneath the cutter. Larger ones can't be used because the cutter will be above-center, and there's no way to lower it....unless you lower the cutter. Which, if it's solid HSS, will require a grinder.

This style of machine often requires adjustments and, in some cases, modifications, by the owner to get the best performance out of them. This is simply due to the cost-saving measures used to market an affordable hobbyist-level machine. Even so, if the machine reveals itself to be a real piece of junk, a reputable seller will make it right. One way to separate the good from the bad vendors is to check to see if the seller has a reasonable return policy.

 

[projectnut]

There is a short video on their site of one working. Keep in mind it's a change gear machine. It does not have a quick change gear box. Near the end of the video they show the cutting tool. It does appear to be a 1/2" with an insert.

Bench Lathe Machine in Kolkata, West Bengal – India

Best quality Bench Lathe Machine manufactured by using advanced technology and high-quality raw material.

www.tlpathakgroup.com

 

[tmenyc]

Many thanks for the responses! I hadn't watched far enough into the video. That certainly is a 1/2" cutting tool, and the demo clearly was not set up with adequate feeds/speeds. We're expecting a change gear machine, for sure.
Homebrew: I'm happy that it looks made for 5/16" bits; those would be far easier for me to make and my friend to use than 1/2". I'm guessing, given their sales attitude, that they used a 1/2" cutter from one of their industrial machines for the video and never considered feeds/speeds.

Tim

 

[CraigH]

Pretty standard early mini-lathe with two-speed spindle gears. But adds 4" 3-jaw chuck, on-board tach, and steel spindle gears.

Cannot see the saddle shape, but the adjuster on the lead screw seems to indicate more Real Bull than SIEG.