Tool Post Holder

Spend the afternoon finishing up the last of the tool holders. They are not pretty and still need some clean up but they are done. Lots of sharp edges and corners that I will need to round over. Learned a lot making these that I don't think I would have learned as quickly if I hadn't made them. I plan to make 4 or 5 more.

IMG_3637.JPG.
 
Hi Mick,

Looking very nice all lined up there !

Now you need to make the Knurling tool one :encourage:
And the flip up threading tool holder, and...:encourage:
 
Here is my threading tool holder. Was this what you were referring to?

IMG_3638.JPG

A tool holder for my knurling tool is not high on my list. It will come in the next batch. Don't know when I will get to that. My 1966 Midget has been complaining that I am not spending much time resurrecting her so I can take her for a drive next spring/summer. After finishing getting the rest of my firewood split and stacked I plan to spend as much time as I can on my midget.

IMG_3506.JPG
 
Hi Mick,

Sorry I didn't recognise the threading tool on the other picture. But yes that was what I meant.

I like the Midget ! :encourage: Is it a series A engine ? A bit of envy on my part. :encourage::encourage::encourage:
 
The engine in the Midget was toast when I got it. It was frozen solid and had various other problems. The cost to rebuild one is exorbitant and you barely have 50 hp. I am swapping in a Toyota 3TC and 5 speed from an early 80's Corolla. It is a pretty easy swap. Only took a weekend to remove the old engine and get the 3TC in place. I am keeping the 3TC basically stock and expect to have around 80 hp. The weak point in a Midget is the rear axle shafts. They are only good for up to around 100 hp at best. There is a modification that you can do called growlerizing the axle shafts. Named after a man down in Australia who spread the modification on the web. Midget axles almost always break in the same spot. The outer edge of the spider gears in the differential rest on the splines which causes a stress point on the axle shaft. The fix is to go one inch in from the end of the shaft and turn the shaft down to the root diameter of the splines for about 4 inches then taper the next 6 inches back to the original diameter. This eliminates the stress point. A modified axle is good for up to 125 to 150 hp. See the drawing below.

spridget axle.jpg

I plan to do this mod on my lathe. Will need a taper attachment which is also on my list to make. More tooling. It never ends.
 
Hi Mick,

Thank you for that info, I knew there was an issue with the rear axle, but I didn't know what it was.
I also vaguely recall a problem with the series "A" exhaust manifold.

But that isn't going to be a problem with the engine change, and another 30 HP will be welcomed. Certainly better than the 44 HP or was it 48 HP that the "A" engine produced.

In my younger days I helped with the fitting of an over bored 1600 cc BMC power unit in one. The guy who owned it gave me a ride in it one weekend ! I'll not mention brown stains, he totally terrified me. Some time after that he swapped it for a Lotus 7 kit car with a three litre Rover V6 engine in it. No way was I riding in that.
 
Before getting the Midget I thought about a Locost 7 which is a take off of the Lotus 7. Talk about scary fast. Some of the Locost guys are putting 400 hp plus engines in a 1200 lb car. I decided building an entire car from scratch was not what I wanted to do. The Midget will be more than fast enough for me.
 
Good Morning Mick,

That is frightening ! I cant imagine 400 hp in such a lightweight car. I believe the Rover engine was in the 180/200 hp range. Great on a track, but for a road car ! No, its too much.
 
I was boring the center hole on my ER32 lathe chuck project using my large boring bar holder. The tool holder kept coming loose. I kept tightening the 1/4" clamp bolt and ultimately the bolt sheared off. This was not unexpected. I was concerned about this when I chose the 1/4 bolt but didn't think that I had the room for a larger bolt. I can think of two solutions. One I could buy a stronger 1/4 bolt. That would be the easiest solution. Or two I could try to bore a hole for a 5/16 bolt. Due to the location of 1/4 bolt hole if I just enlarge that hole I think that it will be too close to the edge of the holder. So I would need to drill the hole for the 5/16 bolt offset slightly. I don't think that I could do this with a drill even if I filled the 1/4 hole with a bolt held in place by JB WELD. Might work. Could you do this with an end mill plunging it into the holder?

Looking for suggestions.
 
Hi Mick,

Yes you could move the hole using a slot drill / end mill, But you will have to make sure that your setup is sufficiently rigid. You could, if you are careful open the hole out as you move it to suit a split clamp arrangement as I showed.

But you would then have to bore inside the holder bore, to cut the radius in the pin without damaging the holder bore. Or you could just cut the radius in the pin, free style. Not difficult to do ! But takes care and time.
 
Back
Top