Making A Steel Quick Change Tool Post And Tool Holders For The Mini Lathe

[@ydonl]

Pretty fun to see some straw and blue chips coming from this little lathe! Workin' hard.

[@artmckay6704]

A little tip born of experience - firstly, use a high tension hacksaw frame and, secondly, use liberal amounts of oil on the blade while cutting. Do it this way and you'll achieve speeds similar to hand sawing similar amounts of wood - it all adds up to make it that fast. I've done it many times and it works amazingly well! :)

[@aceroadholder2185]

Do what Art says. 95% of hacksaw frames are rubbish. If you can twist the frame easily put it in the scrap bin. Making a straight cut is hit or miss with it. Remember on mild steel with a good brand blade you only want to be cutting 80 or 90 feet/minute.This is about 3/4 second stroke with a 12" blade. Don't attack the work like a madman. It may seem slow at first but if you are using cutting oil you will notice little wisps of smoke from the cut. A good quality blade with the right tooth count for the work will cut fast and last about 10 times longer than what you used to do.

[@artmckay6704]

@@aceroadholder2185 :)

[@johnj5985]

Great job! Can't scoff at the $20 compared to $170. I like the "semi-galvanized" finish of the tool post top, it looks stylish. Superior results visible in the cutting finish and sound. Awesome!

[@cavemaneca]

Definitely a worthwhile project if you've got the time, tooling, and materials. While I'd say the wedge style locking mechanism is superior this is probably the easiest way to machine one in a home shop with adequate results.

[@Lone-Wolf87]

That is the beauty of been able to make your own tools.

[@pauldevey8628]

Great project and wow it shows what can be made with skill on modest equipment. Thank You!

[@artisanmakes]

Cheers, thankyou

[@johanstoltz3263]

Great job, very simple but effective design.

[@sparkiekosten5902]

Noice...There are people who say they are gonna do something....and than there are people who do something....I guess you are one of those! Keep up the good work!

[@sparkiekosten5902]

@@davidwillard7334 You could be right!! However I appreciate the work and effort people on KZbin make.

[@TheDistur]

A real work of art.

[@fna-wrightengineering]

Simple, clever design, and a great upgrade. You're right to be proud of the result. Nicely done!

[@physikokonomie7511]

Wow, this is a great video. I do own the same milling machine just a rebrand. I would like to copy your design for the toolholder since I inherited an old Emco lathe from my father with an outdated clamping mechanism for the tools. Thank you for sharing. Keep on the good work. Greetings from Germany

[@somebody301]

8:21 As you noticed, another tool you need badly is a bandsaw, especially if you are going to cut hard materials and save up time

[@geobrown9413]

Impressive...going to make some of those.

[@backyardmechanic921]

It's great to make your own tools and the saving in money is good as you can buy stuff you can't make. I made my own and a bunch of tool holders works well and saves time using a four way one.

[@thecatofnineswords]

I see some good heat going into those chips at the end! I daresay you'll be getting really good surface finishes on steel now. This is a grand mod - simple and very effective.

[@artisanmakes]

Thankyou, pretty amazing results from what was a $600 lathe. Cheers

[@smallblockchevy1022]

@@artisanmakes I'm so sorry, but I have to ask... How can you possibly have both a lathe and a milling machine, but yet not have band saw, a chop saw, or at the VERY least, a sawzall, or jigsaw with a metal blade? Especially since you can get the latter for dirt cheap? As a hobby machinist, and metal fabricator myself, I must say I am perplexed 😁 Although some quicker than others, all of those would make quick work out of that material you were cutting. Hell, even mounting the pieces in the lathe and using a parting tool may have been quicker. because you could have just advanced the carriage, to make each consecutive cut. Not being perfectly centered wouldn't have hurt anything either.

[@bjondersson]

@@smallblockchevy1022 He enjoys the workout. Some use a band saw, and then go to the gym. He saves time by just using the hack saw. ;-)

[@shadowfox929]

Excellent work.

[@metalmanglingmariner]

Nicely done

[@homemadetools]

Great work yet again. We shared this video on our homemade tools forum this week :)

[@brendanshorter5550]

Annular cutters on the mini lathe are great for removing a bunch of material with not a lot of power.

[@donmittlestaedt1117]

Thanks. I plan to build my next one myself.

[@robertstewart1464]

I think its great seeing people using hand tools, I see so many apprentice fitters in my workplace ditching their hand files the second they come out of our training school in favour of die grinders, saddens me seeing people forgetting about precision and going with the "that'll do" attitude

[@WmSrite-pi8ck]

why? If it works, it works. Pushing 35 years in my engineering career and I still don't understand why people get some perverse pride about working harder than is necessary. As Bill Gates often says: "Show me the lazy people; that's who I want to hire. They'll figure out the quickest way to fix the problem." This guy needs a bandsaw but other than that, he's proving the point: QUICK change tool post. Not RIGID tool post.

[@artisanmakes]

Cheers, this is a hobby and passion of mine, and I find that doing it this way is just more enjoyable, even if it does take a little longer

[@ilikewaffles3689]

@@davidwillard7334 seek help

[@andrewbarney5503]

Great job! Might be time to build yourself a power hacksaw though!

[@idus]

Very awesome. I’m trying to make a tool block holder for my mori seiki cl15 Cnc lathe and I found nothing. I think I need to make a video. You inspired me as before this video I didn’t think I could do it. Thank you.

[@Pushyhog]

italian greatness

[@kennethtencza9209]

Very nice

[@paultrimble9390]

That’s nice. Lot easier to make I think. Gonna try one for little db200 unimat.

[@AdjustinThings]

Drill and tap a couple holes on one of the faces. You could insert some studs for an extra clamping surface for milling operations.

[@albertogregory9678]

Looks lovely! Perhaps time for a bandsaw? 👀

[@artisanmakes]

Maybe, but I don't really have the space, plus I enjoy using the hacksaw

[@WmSrite-pi8ck]

@@artisanmakes they make small ones for your bench. when not needed you can tuck them away. This one is both a portable bandsaw you can use handheld or as a pivoting one. www.amazon.com/Anbull-Portable-Removable-5-inch-Spotlight/dp/B08DHKF8MJ/ref=asc_df_B08DHKF8MJ/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=459730407112&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=1945141654387239153&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9026944&hvtargid=pla-976909439008&psc=1

[@HM-Projects]

@@artisanmakes could you block this David Willard fella from posting comments on your videos. Cheers.

[@brendanshorter5550]

@@artisanmakes Arm gains

[@robertwalker7457]

@@WmSrite-pi8ck Thanks for that.

[@haihoangvan170]

COOL

[@evilgremlin]

10:35 Someone gift him angle grinder already!

[@wyattselleck7236]

Impressive! Thank you for sharing. Liked and Subscribed 👍

[@robertwalker7457]

Nice work and good thinking. you are a legend on the hacksaw. I am toying with making a small cut off saw using silting saw blades and an industrial sewing machine motor on a arbor like a see saw?

[@tonycstech]

10:36 is why i am looking to buy a bandsaw Faster and allot easier. But you dont get to work out as much.

[@artisanmakes]

It should be on my list too, but I enjoy using a hacksaw and it doesn't bother me too much, even if it takes a while

[@daveys]

Excellent video! Very enjoyable to watch you making this. I may follow your example :-)

[@artisanmakes]

Cheers, thankyou

[@PhillMagGamerDad]

Good job, definitely going to make this in the near future. Not a critique, but rather an observation: for many of your turning operations, you seem to have the toolpost angle incorrect, using the insert more like a formtool than a cutting tool, which increases tool pressure and might lead to chatter on less rigid lathes such as yours. Perhaps keep an eye on that?

[@artisanmakes]

If I have the tool set up in such a way it was definitely for a reason. This was such a long time ago I can't remember but it was probably for a reason to do with clearance or the lathe wasn't liking another angle. Cheers To further clarifify, this lathe is very finicky in it's set up and sometimes the set up can go against conventional wisdom.

[@mealex303]

A large slitting saw for your mill would be good for bedtime you want to cut big chunks of bar. I bet that hacksaw took forever

[@artisanmakes]

I have a few blades, but I just need to make an Arbor for them. Believe it or not I quite enjoy the workout when it comes to using the hacksaw. If I didn't I would have gotten a portable band saw a long time ago. Cheers

[@henrydando]

Im going to make one of these and throwing my dam annoying set of shims I have to keep using in the bin is going to be so satisfying

[@andrewbarney5503]

If you have a faceplate the lathe itself can become a fly cutter

[@tylerhogg2241]

You make it look so easy lol I'll definitely be referring back to this video when I start machining out a QCTP in the near future... What kind of mill did you get?

[@shedmanx3640]

Lovely job mate. Well above my skill set; seeing I don’t have a Mill either.

[@artisanmakes]

Thankyou

[@craigkaschan4822]

Great job you make it look easy. I have a small lathe work job for you if you’re interested. I’m in Newcastle NSW.

[@noneintel2119]

I had the the same feeling as you cut down the tool holder 5 times with a hacksaw for that piece of thick steel.

[@ngauge22]

After watching many of your videos, you really need to get a band saw. Even a hand held one would help. $20 worth of materials is great but how much time did it take you, including the hand sawing of all the pieces?

[@ManofMode]

Fantastic job. It looks like you have made at least two of these since you appear in this video to be using your newly designed all steel tool post. If this is the case were improvements made, fly cutter finish? Was it for another lathe? Do tell, inquiring minds want to know. 😀

[@artisanmakes]

Not at all, I have used this tool post exclusively since I made it. No issues at all and it is a lit more rigid that a lot of people might expect, given it is a compact wedge lock. I have faced all the sides with a fly cutter to get a smoother finish, but that's about it.

[@timlaw219]

The other one is an aluminum one he made previously

[@HM-Projects]

Where do you buy offcuts of steel here ? Bunnings don't seem to stock larger sizes and steel sellers seem to only sell by the metre.

[@HM-Projects]

@@davidwillard7334 for larger chucks like the 50mm square bar, it can get expensive for small one off jobs in the shed

[@HM-Projects]

@@davidwillard7334 for small one off jobs, perhaps 50-100mm like in this video.

[@ozrc1017]

If you live in Melbourne, Handy steel stocks sell my the millimetre. They have a online shop with prices.

[@ryebis]

@@ozrc1017 A bit of a drive but I can order and organise a pick up when I'm around there. Thanks for the info, appreciated.

[@ozrc1017]

@@ryebis If you know of anyone around Melbourne that sells brass stock in the same manner, ie small lengths, I'd appreciate the info.

[@RoughAndWretchedRAW]

U should look around for a used power hacksaw. Not near as fast or efficient as a band saw but they are dirt cheap when you find them and they do leave a stellar finish on the material. Even better than a band saw I picked one for myself for $40 Canadian used.Takes a half hour to cut through an Inch and a half of stainless steel bar stock but I'm drinking coffee while it does it and it has an exponentially better finish then I could ever manage with a hack saw by hand. Plus while it's cutting you can be doing other things. OR Get creative and make one. You can search the net for a quick cut like mine and build it easy. Not much to em.

[@bobdux]

Someone get this man a bandsaw.

[@ozrc1017]

Great Video, definitely on my to do list. Can I ask where you get your aluminium and brass stock? I live in Melbourne and am having trouble finding suppliers that will sell small lengths. Cheers Ben.

[@smacknives754]

G'day mate, if you look for h0tr0ddude on ebay, or copy/paste this, 40mm diameter x 300mm 6061 aluminium alloy round bar t6 lathe mill machining the blokes name is Josh, he has a good assortment of stuff, and will cut it to length, he's in Tas, but small lengths shouldn't run you too much in postage. Alternatively, if you're anywhere near the Mornington Peninsula, I used to buy offcuts from K&K Steel in Hastings. and George White &Co in Clayton, will cut brass, bronze and copper to length. Happy machining, Scott.

[@ozrc1017]

@@smacknives754 Thank you for the info, greatly appreciated!

[@AS-ug2vq]

Easiest is to just buy scrap aluminium, melt it and make your own billets that is cheapest if you got the time. Brass, well its not easy to melt and cast it into billets without experience.

[@ozrc1017]

@@AS-ug2vq yeah, I'm already doing that, aluminium is working great, minor pin holes, mostly visible when colour anodising. Brass also works well, but it's the diameter that's the problem. I have graphite crucibles that I use as form moulds, ie 2,3 and 4 kg. I melt in 10-12 kg crucibles. When you have a small long diameter you don't get head pressure, so for anything under 40mm diameter, generally I have a sink hole though half my stock. Hope you understand what I'm saying. With Aluminium I overcome this by putting coveral on top once I cast into the crucible. Clean as mud? Sorry

[@Kineth1]

@@ozrc1017 Consider sand casting, Myfordboy has a ton of videos sand casting all shapes and sizes. It'll be messier than form molds, but with sand casting you can set up tall risers to increase your mold pressure.

[@albertogregory9678]

Good machining, but such excellent editing!

[@artisanmakes]

Cheers

[@axa.axa.]

Piston locking design well known to be inferior to wedge (there is no cam). It is less repeatable which is made worse because you're holders are not hardened. They will develop an indentation where the piston meets the holder and then it wil not be possible to ever set other tool heights. Why do all this work and make such compromises. That said only time will tell if you do enough work for it to matter. Nice videos.

[@artisanmakes]

Over half a year in and no issues. This is a small lathe so those issues wont crop up.

[@dutchylt]

Damn, where do you get your steel from?

[@JanBinnendijk]

it's better to have a toolpost that Pulls the holders into it, instead of pushing them on the dovetail if you make the dovetail "retract", you pull the side of the holder into the post, giving you way more surface contact Oh.. and Deburr your work.. saves you a lot of band-aids, and it looks even better too..

[@artisanmakes]

On this size lathe it doesn't matter how the holders are held in place. Rigidity is lost in other places. We'd need to use a much more substantial lathe before we'd start to run into issues with this style tool post. Plus this style is the easiest to make for someone with hobby equipment. And yes everything gets a nice debur, it just doesn't always make it on camera/through editing.

[@CRILIKk]

Hi greet video & thanks for sharing , any links to the dovetail cutter part number or dimensions please? I’m assuming it’s hss?

[@artisanmakes]

Cheers. The dovetail was just one I picked up on ebay for about $15. It is a 60 degree cutter and 18mm in diameter.

[@YooProjects]

Very useful video. What kind of camera do you use?

[@YooProjects]

@@davidwillard7334 Thanks. And for the video?

[@mike9500]

i don't have a mill. so how much would you Charge to make me one?

[@kos3742]

Hello! I dont really understand how the height adjustment on the tool posts works, would someone like to explain it to me?

[@artisanmakes]

The bolt sits on the top of the QCTP. Move the bots up and down and the tool holder will therefore sit higher or lower

[@pvtimberfaller]

I found the qctp had too much overhang and caused me nothing but problems.

[@pauljcampbell2997]

Was that a 60 deg dovetail cutter you used?

[@artisanmakes]

Yes it was

[@pauljcampbell2997]

@@artisanmakes Thanks, much appreciated!

[@fz1000red]

What is the advantage of a flycutter over an endmill? Is it the larger available diameters a flycutter has that removes more material per pass? I am also wondering why some channels show parts being cooled with some kind of cutting fluid during the machining process, while others run dry tools. What would be the criteria one considers for selecting a dry vs. cooled cutting process? Maybe I should buy a basic machining textbook.

[@chazmakarowski5429]

Cutting with coolant allows you to run faster and will help extend the life of your endmill/turning tool. The reason you won't see many home shop machinists or hobbyists use coolant is because it makes a mess. A cutting lubricant like wd40 or tapping fluid does a decent job of lubricating and cooling your tools, but it isn't nearly as good as a flood of coolant. Also fly cutters (or a large enough face mill) are preferred to use because they can cut the whole surface of the part at once so you won't have the ridges between cuts left by using smaller cutters.

[@erwanrc8117]

Hey man ! I'm a 17yo machinist apprentice but I'll try to answer your questions has best has I can ! So, the advantage of a fly cutter is that it gives you a more uniform surface finish because you can face the whole work in one pass where with an end mill you gotta do it in a few passes which gives you those lines on the face, they also usually give you a way better surface finish overall. For the coolant part, we usually use emulsified water which is a mix of water and cutting oil, there is also bacterias in it which make the water and the oil possible to blend, the choice of using it or not depends on the material you're machining and the material your cutting tool is made of. For example you never have to use coolant when cutting brass because it's soft and naturally self lubricant, for aluminium we use petrol because it's quite "greasy" and keep the chips from cold welding on your cutting tool. If you're using a carbide cutting tool you don't have to use coolant because it resists heat very well but with High Speed Steel ones you really have to use coolant to prevent your tool from changing color and get weaker. The reason he's not using coolant is probably because it makes quite a mess on small machines with no housing and you either have to get a coolant pump with a tank, tubing and all or constantly apply coolant on the work with a bottle which is quite a pain. Hope I cleared most of your questions, tell me if you want anything ! I also hope you understood my comment, English is not my mother tongue, I'm from Switzerland 😁

[@erwanrc8117]

@@davidwillard7334 do you no space bar and lowercase letter ?

[@achmadosman9807]

I use a cutting paste. It is less messy as you do not get the overspray of a pressurised liquid. Also, it melts at a rate which lubes the cut nicely. Downside is that you have to stop the cut to apply more paste. I use a small wooden spatula. My aim with the paste is to keep tool temp down, to prolong it’s edge.

[@Kineth1]

I'm not trying to criticize, but I'm surprised you didn't face the tool holders before cutting in the dovetail. I would have expected you to do that to ensure a more consistent mating between the holder and the post. And now that I have finished writing that out, I realize that the face with the dovetail through it isn't in contact with the post, it rides on the dovetail surfaces and the pin. I'll leave my somewhat obviously incorrect observation in place in case somebody comes through with the same thought.

[@artisanmakes]

Always happy to hear feedback, this is always a learning process for me too. And as you said the faces done mount so no need to face them. The great thing about these tool holders is that they are very low tolerance parts, which makes them a joy to make. Cheers

[@bayopohan2294]

sir, what size do you use for devotail?

[@artisanmakes]

From memory, 22mm wide with a 60 degree angle and 5mm deep. Though the size doesnt matter much, only important thing is that the dovetails on the tool post and holders closely fit.

[@bayopohan2294]

@@artisanmakes tank's sir good luck

[@jdmccorful]

Nice work! Enjoyed watching. Thanks.

[@artisanmakes]

Thank you very much!

[@woozhi9218]

Whats the dimesnion for 20 dollars worth of mild steel

[@artisanmakes]

The tool post was 50x50x55 and the holders were 50x20x (as many holders as you need long).

[@AdjustinThings]

60 or 45 degree dovetail cutter?

[@artisanmakes]

60 but I don't think it would make too much of a difference if I used a 45 degree cutter

[@AdjustinThings]

@@artisanmakes Good good. I bought a 60 degree already after watching you make your last one from aluminum. Now i can just follow along to this video. :)

[@MachiningwithJoe]

Great work once again. This tool post looks really good and now you have plenty of tool holders to go with it. Are you going to heat treat them or leave them as they are ?

[@artisanmakes]

Cheers Joe. This is all 1018 mild, so I can't really heat treat them. I'll probably cold blue them when I get my hands on some cold blue, but apart from that I'm set on keeping them as is. Cheers

[@ilikewaffles3689]

Can't heat treat mild steel

[@MachiningwithJoe]

@@ilikewaffles3689 ahh yes because of its low carbon content ? Is there anything you can do to harden it up ?

[@artisanmakes]

@@MachiningwithJoe You can carburize mild steel in a forge to raise the carbon content. Though having never done it I can not comment on how easy it is.

[@Kineth1]

@@artisanmakes It can't be that difficult, Clickspring does it all the time! (sarcasm isn't always obvious)

[@mastermaker666]

Next project should probably be an actual milling vice to replace the drill-press vice...

[@artisanmakes]

I would love to buy I don't have the equipment to produce a vice like that. Credit where credit is due, my vice may not look like much, but the jaws are all properly ground in and it does a respectable job for what I need from it.

[@mastermaker666]

@@artisanmakes I do know that there are a few vice's of the drill-press type that are good enough for light milling(have a couple myself), can't see if you already have done it but a larger(longer) bottom plate under the moving jaw and extending forward is a great way of reducing jaw lift/tilt, making a new and longer moving-jaw is also something you can(and is equipped for) do. And if you look up 'screwless vice' you will find a design ideal for small machines that can actually be made using the equipment you have.

[@VærdAtSe]

Remember to break the chip, when using a handtap. It will make tapping easier, for you, and the tap 😉 And, dont knurl that fast, and freehanded like that.

[@artisanmakes]

Cheers, I did remember to break the chip, but probably didnt catch it on video. AS for the knurling, you are right on that. I got a lot of mixed results doing it like I did.

[@nou4898]

8:20 torture 10:36 more torture 10:43 even more torture

[@artisanmakes]

Not for me, I actually enjoy using a hacksaw

[@smallblockchevy1022]

I'm so sorry, but I have to ask... How can you possibly have both a lathe and a milling machine, but yet not have band saw, a chop saw, or at the VERY least, a sawzall, or jigsaw with a metal blade? Especially since you can get the latter for dirt cheap? As a hobby machinist, and metal fabricator myself, I must say I am perplexed 😁 Although some quicker than others, all of those would make quick work out of that material you were cutting. Hell, even mounting the pieces in the lathe and using a parting tool may have been quicker. because you could have just advanced the carriage, to make each consecutive cut. Not being perfectly centered wouldn't have hurt anything either.

[@artisanmakes]

Put it simply, there just isn't space for it in the workshop, it's a lot smaller than it looks, and I have to share the space too. Even getting the mill in was a squeeze. It does mean I have to use the hacksaw, but it does not take as long to cut metal as it might seem. Cheers

[@smallblockchevy1022]

@@artisanmakes At the very least you should get a sawzall type reciprocating saw. They're a handheld, tool , and even with a small one (the size of a single boot, with a good metal blade would make quick work of the type of material you were using in this video. And both the blades, and the saw itself are dirt cheap. I wouldn't think something that small would be an issue... Would it? You could tuck that away almost anywhere. Hell, you could even take it with you, and put it in a closet in your home. 😊

[@bobweiram6321]

No reason to redo the toolpost. I would just give it a quick belt sanding and paint or blue it. I will say your mill has a bit of chatter though. I would track down the source vibration.

[@artisanmakes]

Cheers, there is a bit of work that needs to be done to the mill to add rigidity. Only had it a few weeks so I have yet to find the time to do it.

[@bobweiram6321]

@@davidwillard7334 YES !! THERE WAS!!

[@eXactModellbau]

Who wants a magnetic toolpost??? 🤔

[@artisanmakes]

Demagnetizers exist for this such issue.

[@eXactModellbau]

@@artisanmakes it won't work as long as Your magnet will be inside

[@artisanmakes]

Sorry, I must have misunderstood your comment. I've used the tool post for a few weeks and I have not observed the tool post becoming magnetised. I don't think the magnet is powerful enough to make any noticeable change to the tool post.

[@dieSpinnt]

@@artisanmakes Just my 2 cents which you should take with a grain of salt and doesn't really matter much in your case: Hammering on a magnet ... is actually an action which is nothing other than demagnetization. Pressing that guy in (without any shock-force) is the way to go. I just found it a bit funny in that context here;) Thanks for the design and great video showing this off!:)

[@artisanmakes]

@@dieSpinnt Yeah I guess you are right about that. Thankfully a light tap didnt damage it too much :)

[@erwanrc8117]

Those grubscrews looks too short, they have like one or two threads of engagement which is too weak to properly clamp your tool in the tool holder

[@artisanmakes]

They are a little short, but it's what my local hardware store sells. I have a pack in the mail that should better fit the tool holders. Cheers

[@FlickFreaks]

I find your lack of cutting fluid disturbing

[@artisanmakes]

Thanks for the feedback, when I'm cutting, all that smoke is cutting oils evaporating. Certainly wasn't enough but I didn't want to use too much until I installed the table coolant plumbing

[@FlickFreaks]

@@artisanmakes Just giving you a hard time. Very nice work.

[@3goldfinger]

A$20 + a milling machine.

[@artisanmakes]

Yes, though I have a tutorial on making a tool post without a mill. And yes, $20 in materials, much cheaper than an off the shelf model. Cheers

[@mewalal.ryadav3073]

Workman.ship.idea.o.k..but.cast.factor.feed.control

[@gangleweed]

A piston type?.........crap, I'm outta here.

[@artisanmakes]

I've used the sliding dovetail type and I don't notice too much difference between the two.

[@HM-Projects]

In terms of rigidity, both are fairly good. Wedge type tool posts have a marginal advantage in repeatability but then if you're looking for that in Aloris style tool posts you're better off investing in a good multifix clone.

[@gangleweed]

@@HM-Projects The piston type is a bad design from accurate holding and positioning of the tool cutting edge.........but quite reasonable if you just compare it to the 4 way tool post......the wedge type, even though more expensive to buy, is far superior in all aspects.

[@HM-Projects]

@@gangleweed I've have both and have measured the height offset in both. You're correct that the tool height repeatability is accurate with wedge style, but the difference is so minuscule for average hobby work. Wedge style suffers from metal dust and swarf accumulation which without more frequent cleaning negates the advantage. Cheers.