Solid Tool Post Block

B

Bryan40g

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H-M Supporter Gold Member
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Jan 4, 2021
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Hello all. I’m looking for someone in the DFW area or anywhere really that could make a solid tool post block for me. Unfortunately I do not have a milling machine yet and have no way to make this myself. The part is a rectangular block with two diagonal corners milled off, one hole drilled and tapped and four counterbored thru holes. I have a 3d cad model and pdf drawings I can provide. I have gone online to machine shops and the quotes I’ve gotten are astronomical. If anyone is interested gimme a holler. I’m in the DFW area up by Denton, TX. Any interested party send me a message.

I have attached the drawings of what I’m looking to have made. Doesn’t seem to allow me to upload the 3d file but I can email it to anyone interested. Thanks y’all.
 

Attachments

  • Solid Tool Post.pdf
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What material? And i see the 2 counterbored holes on the angle have a bit of an angle to it? Is that correct?
 
Also tolerances and how wide are the flats on the corners and what angle. Some of this info is needed. I can quote it for you after these questions are answered
 
This job can all be done on a lathe with a 4 jaw chuck, and a bandsaw. It leaves the two diagonal faces to be hand finished, but a coarse file will knock those off quickly.
 
I looked at your .pdf. besides what Brento asked, you need to dimension the large chamfers and the hole locations. I assumed the cbore and chamfer lines being tangent at two of the holes is just operator error or an artifact of your drawing software.
If you displayed the hidden lines the design might be more clear.
 
Lots of dimensions missing here.
 
The videos about solid tool post conversions, starting with Robin Renzetti's, and the variants by Stefan Gotteswinter and others explain in detail, and get very particular about choosing the exact dimensions for the holes, and what is done to positively locate the solid toolpost. One has to drill holes into the carriage, being sure not to compromise anything.

The material of choice is cast iron, because of it's vibration damping nature, but folk do use whatever steel they have to hand, usually trying for the tough stuff if possible. I shelled out for a chunk of cast iron known as "GR17", possibly also called "Meehanite". Grey cast iron is apparently best for vibration absorbing, but there are many other kinds that are more ductile and impact resistant, such as "SG", meaning "Spherical Graphite".

@Dabbler is right! Folk have contrived tool posts with not much more than a hacksaw, a file, and a bit of something sort of flat, but the classic way is to appreciate the poetic justice having a lathe compound be used to make it's own replacement. :)
 
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Ok point taken. The only reason I wasn’t farming out the tool post is lack of time to make it. I get so very little time in my garage/workshop that it will take me an absurd amount of time to complete. Along with the 20 odd other projects I’ll just add it to the list. Oh and yeah I did leave out a bunch of dimensions and that’s what I get for being in a hurry to post this. Back to the drawing board. Thanks guys.
 
I can help ya make it once i get more info and the material you want to use so i can look up prices for it.
 
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