Quick Change Tool Post Upgrade for the Proxxon PD 250/e Lathe

The Quick Change Tool Post needed some improvements to make it more stable, and easier to tram. I made this mounting shaft, with a custom nut and washer, and it has seriously improved how well the QCTP works.
This toolpost is an official Proxxon accessory for the PD 250/e lathe, and I find it indispensable when it comes to setting the tool height. However it lacks a few features that a decent Quick Change Tool Post really needs. In this video my objective is to make the post more stable when adjusting the angle, or tramming it exactly parallel to the lathe axis.
Machines:
Proxxon PD 250/e Lathe (24002)
Proxxon FF 230 Milling Machine
Materials:
42CrMo4 Steel, 20mm hot rolled round bar
Brass, 20mm round bar
Music:
Easy Lemon by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (creativecommons.org/licenses/...)
Source: incompetech.com/music/royalty-...
Artist: incompetech.com/

[@deanharris7149]

“There are no perfect parts, only invisible mistakes”, Tom Lipton. It’s awesome that you’re brave and show what others cut out because they’re afraid of the trolls. DONT change tour style. Keep the vids coming!

[@philiptombs9990]

Love your series of videos. Very good presentation and a nice voice too. I’m very much an amateur with my even cheaper Chinese lathe. You’ve inspired me to dive even further to potential improvements for my machine. Thanks and keep up the great work!

[@AdventureswithaVerySmallLathe]

I always love hearing that someone has been inspired by my videos, and it's the one thing that makes them really feel worth it. Thanks for watching, and best of luck with your lathe.

[@toms4123]

Do I want to see more? You bet! I am really enjoying the series, good projects, easy but precise commentary, I hope there will be many more to come.

[@henrya3530]

Quick tip - How To Hold A Short Part In A Collet Chuck. ER collets are designed to accurately hold a part that is at least as long as the collet itself. So what do you do if the part is shorter than that? Push a bar of exactly the same diameter as the part into the collet first before you insert the part.

[@andersbergmanbontouch]

Very clever, I'll see if I can't do the same for my newly bought Proxxon PD400!

[@jamesbrown8766]

Very nice! I don’t have a Proxxon, but I need to make a tool post. This has given me some ideas about how to approach it and a couple of pitfalls to watch for. Thanks.

[@ScinnerNo1]

Love it! Looks much more steady and easy to set up. Suggestion, make the top nut like a dome and thread a handle in to it, that way you wont need a tool to tighten it!

[@petersimmons743]

I've done this myself and it made all the difference for the best, well worth it.

[@christopherenoch4230]

Older video, but I (re) learned some good fundamentals.... Thanks!

[@pappy1812]

Great video. It's given me a lot of ideas for upgrading my own lathe. Looking forward to seeing more content 👍

[@EtherealProject3D]

You push that poor little lathe to the limit, nice work man.

[@mfmawdeh2663]

The maintenance work of the lathe is excellent

[@ActiveAtom]

Hi yes it is a loose tool post to share the least WOW that is bad. This video is going to be really helpful for the many Proxxon owners. This looks and is actually much stronger, may we share a thought here. You used a great material 4140 range in our opinion. What I have learned is that you created a shaft that is fixed and fashioned a nut atop this shaft so we like for this. The shaft threads into the Proxxon no removal so the female and male threads both remain tight into the cross slide over the course of time as apposed of that factory bolt going down through that tool post and screwing tightened each time you change a tool holder, so that is why we like it so much. Great job helpful to other Proxxon owners and not too tough a fix they all can make it using the very machine but would still need a mill to complete what they are improving, that should not be to big a deal. Great video, Lance & Patrick.

[@AdventureswithaVerySmallLathe]

I had not thought of that advantage, but thanks for explaining it to me. It's good to know I'm learning to go about solving these problems the right way. A mill isn't strictly necessary for this project, as it could have been accomplished using an ordinary off-the-shelf nut. I just liked the idea of a shiny, custom made nut, with a shoulder for the wrench to sit against.

[@colsanjaybajpai5747]

Wonderful machining

[@stankrieger3598]

With your great videos I will make my lathe cut and perform so much better. Thank you 😊

[@dustinmasters9239]

Great work Mr. Rogers! 😀 I like the o rings to hold the thread wires

[@AdventureswithaVerySmallLathe]

Thanks Dustin! You know what, I'm going to add your original "Mr. Rogers" quote to my channel page. :) The o rings turn out to be easier to use, and more secure than small elastic bands.

[@Gronicle1]

Yes, when I saw the O rings on the thread wires I had to slap my head.. All these years and I never thought of that. Nice.@@AdventureswithaVerySmallLathe

[@AdventureswithaVerySmallLathe]

@@Gronicle1 Certainly not my own idea. Happy to be able to pass it on.

[@Gronicle1]

Cheers and blue chips@@AdventureswithaVerySmallLathe

[@JoeL-tv9id]

Looks great, wish I could make something so pretty. Thanks

[@feednspeed1835]

That is a great upgrade! Show us more, please.

[@pitu72ger]

Nice content. Inspirational. Keep it up. Thanks.

[@colincreedtattoomachines]

Nice work as always & including your solutions to the various problems encountered. For my Q/Change, I just swapped out the original bolt for one of the Kipp "lift to adjust" Lever Handles which has worked well enough... ...but this video has got me thinking so will need to do some double checking. I'll send you some photos of the Clamps that I ended up making to hold my Mill Vice down, as I think you'll find them useful. regards Colin

[@AdventureswithaVerySmallLathe]

Once I get the tool post trammed, I don't tend to move it very often, so my priority with this upgrade was to ensure I could tram the post reliably. I guess it's down to the style of work I do, that I don't often make cuts with the cutter at an angle. I'd be really interested to see the design of your mill vice clamps. I'm planning to work on that problem for my mill.

[@larrynelson734]

Great idea. I need to make one of those for my sloppy qctp also. I don't like that wobble. Great video. 👍...

[@Rustinox]

Good job. That's a nice upgrade.

[@AdventureswithaVerySmallLathe]

Thanks Rustinox!

[@eddietowers5595]

Great videos, great content, great projects...would love to see more upgrades.

[@AdventureswithaVerySmallLathe]

Thanks eddie, glad you enjoyed it! I'll keep making videos as I improve the lathe.

[@eddietowers5595]

Thanks for replying. Your channel is far, as better than watching reality TV, as a matter of fact, I’m binge watch your pasts videos.

[@AdventureswithaVerySmallLathe]

That's incredibly flattering. Which are your favourites? I'd love to know more about what I'm doing right. ;)

[@eddietowers5595]

The watchmaker’s faceplate series, the Boley watchmakers lathe restoration: carriage and the Live versions of this series of the head stock, tailstock and chuck, the screwdriver sharpener and Vice stop, so far, I still have quite a few to view, but I like how you present the project starting with why and how and then proceed with the project, a succinct description of how to go about it, order of operations. Something all of us can relate to. Although, I was a in a machinist apprenticeship program at a machine shop I worked for, I only completed almost 3 years of it, out of financial necessity, I took a better paying job for my municipality, Though I bought a 10” x 36” Clausing lathe, and a Bridgeport M head 3038 mill, before leaving the machine shop, to practice the craft at home, which I had for 23 years, up until my wife and I bought our first house, she then got laid off 2 weeks before Christmas, almost risking the mortgage, hurtfully, I had to sell my machines and tooling, to make the mortgage payments. My wife found permanent employment with State DMV, which she’s been at for like 5 years, now and I am starting over, hurtfully, again, with Asian model machines. I just bought a 10” Atlas lathe to restore. All said, now have 5 benchtop lathe, and hope to get over my loss of my old Irons, basically gain my confidence back, to make videos.

[@priority2]

I totally ditched my compound and installed a solid cast iron base block for my QCTP. It’s like getting a brand new lathe...so rigid now, it’s amazing 😉

[@AdventureswithaVerySmallLathe]

A solid toolpost base has been on my project list for a while, so will be coming up soon for both the Proxxon, and this lathe.

[@locustbay7594]

My first video of yours - I enjoyed it. Subbed

[@marcus_w0]

42CrMo4 is a hell to cut even on massive lathes. I'm shocked, the little proxxon did so well.

[@AdventureswithaVerySmallLathe]

It's not the easiest, but I've found EN24T and 316 Stainless to be much more difficult and frustrating.

[@cameronskinner6197]

Nice job! I have a small Atlas 6" lathe which is highly flexible (and I don't mean that in a good way). I noticed that you have the same problem that we all have that when you rechuck something in the 3 jaw you have to retrue the surfaces. I found that marking one jaw (on mine it is, surprisingly Jaw #1) and also marking the piece where it contacts Jaw #1 allows me to remove and replace items in the 3 jaw with minimal offsetting. My chuck has a concentricity error of about 5-7 thou depending on the part's diameter, phase of the moon, temperature etc. but using this marking scheme allows a part to be removed and replaced with about 1-2 thou error. Not perfect but better than a random error.

[@AdventureswithaVerySmallLathe]

Thanks for the tip! I've reduced the amount of flexing in my lathe a lot by mounting it on a polished granite slab. I'm really happy with this upgrade, though it took a while, and wasn't cheap.

[@shakdidagalimal]

Yes I like it, great idea. Do more upgrade videos, yes.

[@00u812ome]

Great video, more please.

[@stemer1149]

Very nice, I very much like how you machined the nut before parting off the bolt, thereby using the (already completed) bolt for holding the nut. Will add that idea to my bag of tricks, if I may..

[@AdventureswithaVerySmallLathe]

Thanks! Sometimes I overthink my order of operations a bit, and try a bit too hard to avoid creating too much scrap, but it can be really satisfying when it works out. :)

[@helpmaboab7]

These videos are a delight to watch with many useful tips and humour in the clear very presentation. Here are my comments: 1. Tubal Cain recommends roughing out all elements that have mill scale or a roughcast finish, even rechucking to eliminate surface or included rubbish before starting the precision work. The scrubbiest tool in the box should be used for this. 2. MS seems a better candidate for this job. The advertised TS of the tool steel is only obtained after heat treatment (which you do not employ). MS seems to me to be up to the job (400 MPa). 2b. Should you consider the flange/journal to be in danger of excessive wear/abuse in service you can case harden it. Cheap and cheerful. 3. The QC block is adequately located by the top surface of the slide and the O/D of your flange/journal. This means that the rest of your gadget merely has to provide a clamping force that must not interfere with the good work already done by the slide and your journal. The important principle here is that the clamping force of the clamping nut MUST pass through the KERN or 'Middle Third' of the mating surface between the QC block and the slide below. Following this rule means that the clamping force is positive (and never negative) across the entire block/slide mating surface. I do not have space here to justify this rule here: look it up. There are several ways to accomplish this: 3a. Make the length of the spindle incapable of transmitting a bending force. You can do this by necking the spindle to make it 'whippy'. The use of MS with a lower TS here will assist you. 3b. Or by turning the underside of the nut to a spherical profile to match a spherical socket profile of the brass spacer to eliminate bending forces. I would prefer to have a limb amputated to avoid milling a hex on any stock. Just buy hex stock. In this project I would buy a M8 Bristol lever to replace your 'nut' with a couple of greased MS washers below to eliminate torque on the spindle.

[@AdventureswithaVerySmallLathe]

Wow, that's a lot of information to absorb. Sorry for my late response, I've been out of town for a few days. I'll try and go over your points one at a time. 1. I'll take any advice from Tubal Cain, but this sounds particularly useful. For most of my recent projects I've been using silver steel which comes with a ground finish, but I've still got plenty of hot rolled good quality steel, so I'll remember this. 2. The main reason I don't use mild steel any more isn't the lack of strength, but because the material I can get hold of can be more difficult to work with on my mini lathe. My first few projects (before I started making video) were made with bright drawn mild steel, and the material was inconsistent, with some tough gritty patches. This meant I got a very bad finish, and varying depth of cut. Silver steel is easy and consistent to work with, and much easier to get in small quantities for reasonable prices. 3. You're absolutely right about the location of the toolpost. During this project I was very determined to eliminate anything inbalances that might cause the toolpost to shift slightly while it was being tightened, and make sure the toolpost was stable with very balanced forces holding it in place, so I probably went further than necessary. 3b sounds like a really nice solution here, if perhaps a little more than the lathe really needs. I'm planning to install a new toolpost on the Proxxon, which is going to be the same Machifit model I fitted to the chinese lathe, installed on a solid base (without the compound), so I get to try a new design, and try out your suggestions. Thanks for taking the time to write the long comment. I'll spend some time looking up why force lines need to pass through the KERN of a mating surface.

[@ilikeoranges4]

I myself have a mini lathe with a quick Change tool post. After watching this video I am thinking that I might have to make one of those shafts.

[@jamesclark3119]

Just un boxed my new 250 and now I see what I need to kit it out.

[@AdventureswithaVerySmallLathe]

Congrats! If you want a really good toolpost, I'd suggest you take a look at the video I made about fitting the cuniform gib toolpost to the chinese lathe. That toolpost would work fine on the 250, and is both better quality and cheaper than Proxxon's own. The trick is that you have to make your own mounting stud, similar to the one I make in this video, but customised for the other toolpost.

[@BenButler1]

Looks good! A tool free adjustment can be had by drilling the top nut and adding a piece of round stock to act as the handle.

[@AdventureswithaVerySmallLathe]

Definitely a good idea, though probably more useful to someone who adjusts their toolpost more often than I do. The main reason I didn't do something like that is I wanted to keep the space around the toolpost clear to ensure I can get a clear camera shot.

[@shadowdog500]

Beautiful work! If it still slips or turns I found an old machinist trick that worked on my mini lathe. Put a piece of paper under the tool post to keep it from sliding. Chris

[@AdventureswithaVerySmallLathe]

Thanks Chris, neat idea. Regularly stoning the top of my compound, and the base of the toolpost have helped a lot to make sure it is stable when fastened down. I haven't been able to afford a pair of precision ground flat stones yet, so I use the poor mans substitute, made by dressing the stones with a fine diamond knife sharpener. They aren't nearly as flat, but they have the nice property of removing burrs while leaving flat steel surfaces untouched.

Muito bom amigo!!!Excelente projeto amigo,Like!!!Obrigado e saudações do Brasil!!!

[@DavoShed]

I love stuff like this. Nice work. I’m sure you will enjoy working with this lathe much more now. I thought you had guts with that 8mm internal thread :) it’s great to practice techniques but sometimes the simple option is the best. I’m working on Tubal Kane aka Mr Pete222 ‘s Carriage Stop at the moment. You may want to consider making a Carriage Stop for your lathe.

[@AdventureswithaVerySmallLathe]

That's a great plan, I'll add it to the project list. I don't think Mr Pete.'s design will quite work on this lathe though, as the guard for the lead screw is in the way. I'll have to come up with something slightly different.

[@TheSiriusProject]

Nice job and video. Two thoughts. I have a video where I made a locking handle/nut to eliminate the need for a wrench every time I need to adjust the toolpost. And you could mill two flats on the shaft of your post to eliminate the need for the jam nuts to remove/tighten the post. Just put the wrench on the flats. Keep ‘em coming.

[@jrkorman]

I was thinking the same. Two flats shouldn't affect the registration any at all.

[@AdventureswithaVerySmallLathe]

Thanks, that's a useful suggestion. I'm hoping to solve this problem by broaching a hex into the top of the shaft, so I can tighten it and hold it in place without needing to access the lower part of the shaft. Trouble is I need to make myself a rotary broach first. :)

[@exhempknight]

Depending on how often you actually rotate/use the compound, you might consider ditching it altogether, and making a solid toolpost block (a la Robin Renzetti and Stefan Gotteswinter). I did this on my Seig 7x10 mini lathe, and it made a world of difference in the rigidity of the toolpost. Honestly one of the best modifications I've made to the lathe, even beyond all the scraping and squaring of the entire carriage. I still have the compound slide and its base, in case I ever need to cut a small taper... But I've not mounted it to the lathe in quite a while. Even for single-point threading... I just plunge the tool in with the cross slide, and no issues.

[@AdventureswithaVerySmallLathe]

A solid tool post is definitely on the project list. I was convinced as soon as I watched Robin Renzetti's video about it. It's going to be tricky to make with my equipment, so I'm planning the project carefully. I do use the compound quite a bit for threading. My little lathe cuts way more cleanly with the compound advancing parallel to the thread angle. Feeding in at 90 degrees is pretty chattery. Maybe a solid toolpost would fix that too. :)

[@bendavanza]

I like the solution.I had to make a similar post to put an AXA toolpost on my EMCO V10. I can't help but wonder if the radius has room in the bore of the tool block. I noticed the surface of the tool post block looks fairly rough. Getting a smoother finish there can help with rigidity and clamping force on the compound. Thanks for the well produced video and explaining the challenges you faced whilst making the upgrades!

[@AdventureswithaVerySmallLathe]

A few weeks after making this video I managed to beg some time on the surface grinder in a nearby shop, and ground the bottom of the toolpost. It now fits a lot more smoothly. I made certain I left plenty of clearance for the radius. It's a bit sad that Proxxon couldn't properly finish the contact surface of the toolpost during manufacture, as the item isn't especially cheap.

[@bulletproofpepper2]

thanks for sharing

[@Mikhandmaker]

Nice video

[@swanvalleymachineshop]

Nice job , Cheers & thanks for the sub !

[@Cantstandbs]

Tjhanks for the video

[@paullehmor982]

Great video! Did you consider adding a "bottom shoulder" to the brass washer to give more sideways support at the top?

[@EmmaRitson]

thats gotta be an improvement

[@AdventureswithaVerySmallLathe]

It really is. It seems the Universe has a cruel sense of humour though, as just as I solve some of the problems with my tool post mount, your problems are only just beginning. Best of luck finding a solution. I'll be following along.

[@PiefacePete46]

Excellent video. Nicely paced, good level of detail and explanation, and a topic which, with adaptation, could be good for a number of scenarios. Incidentally, many years ago I made a QC toolpost for my 70 year old Myford Super 7. It has been great, but it won't work with 12mm carbide tool holders, as the cutting tip ends up too high. I have been browsing KZbin for a simpler design, and your Proxxon caught my attention. Do you have any negative opinions on this design? Many thanks, Liked and Subscribed.

[@rah4822]

Tram it quickly by moving the tool post against a flat face on the spindle. When you tighten the bolt it will stay put also.

[@danvandertorre6349]

good work and 4140 is good metal

[@demofilm]

What a nice upgrade. Do you have more advise for users of the proxxon 250 , i recently bought one

[@jlg4880]

Oh, come now! Substitute a genuine micrometer head for that purely utilitarian bolt on the vise stop at 11:52. While a micrometer head might not be absolutely necessary, it would most certainly look absolutely lovely.

[@AdventureswithaVerySmallLathe]

You make a compelling argument, despite the idea being obvious overkill. I'll add it to the project list.

[@lesthompson5907]

very good interesting tool post do they Do the slotted & Not the Dovetail one? the possibility of using Dxson slotes tool holders, on such a post interests me, sid clamping ?

[@simonlindorfer2731]

I really like your videos where you are making something with the late. Where I can copy it. What kind of tool/bit holder do you use, in this video.

[@AdventureswithaVerySmallLathe]

I used an 8mm square shank tool holder with a CCMT insert made by Sandvik Coromant.

[@silicon.alchemist]

Your voice is incredibly similar to Jeremy Wade, from TV show River Monsters. Even the accent is the same.

[@carneeki]

Looks like I'll be making a new stud for a new-to-me QCTP some time next week, so I thought I'd rewatch this video as it was full of useful ideas I can s̶t̶e̶a̶l̶ liberate ;) Definitely got me thinking about the stress risers - you used a large radius tool near the shoulder, should I so something similar in my thread relief grooves as there are two sharp corners in each? Maybe using a threading tool to create the relief groove I can get away with it. Thanks for the great video.

[@AdventureswithaVerySmallLathe]

One of my machining mentors has repeatedly drummed in the importance of not having sharp inner corners, as they are very vulnerable to cracking under stress. You make an excellent point about relief grooves. I've been using a parting tool, but I should probably grind some more dedicated tooling, with a size more closely matched to the requirements, and radiused corners.

[@carneeki]

@@AdventureswithaVerySmallLathe I might grind the corners off a parting blade and see how that goes.

[@KutuzovSA]

Интересная доработка! Спасибо!

[@marcoam2610]

Really need a hex collet block now…which one is yours, where did you buy it and can you recommend it?

[@JohnSmith-tw3rw]

There is a shallow hole in the base of the tool post. Use it to lock the tool post in position on the base. I didn't see if there was a matching hole the base, if not dril & ream to suit. Make the matching hole a very snug fit. When tightening always push in the same direction onto the pin. Rigidity is the doorway ta good machining. Have you tried taking a heavier depth of cut to get a better finish? If u r going to use a carbide inser t why not use a Full form which crest cuts te thread anyways?

[@manixriostv7398]

hello there. what is the size of the shank and the carbide insert? You are amazing!

[@kilrahvp]

Very nice, might do the same for mine. Would you have some advice on what tools you got for the pd250 and from where? Seems hard to find much that fits in the tool post aside from what proxxon themselves offer..

[@AdventureswithaVerySmallLathe]

Almost all my tooling has 8mm shank, though 10mm can fit for some tools as well. 8mm lathe tooling is quite easy to get on eBay, Aliexpress or Banggood. I find CCMT inserts work best for most projects on my lathe. I've also bought tools from Chesterfield Machine Tools who make quality insert tooling in th UK in a range of sizes. Happy to recommend (and not being paid to do so).

[@kilrahvp]

@@AdventureswithaVerySmallLathe Thanks, looked all over BG/Ali a while ago but I guess I just need to search better. Will look up Chesterfield.

[@jankersten6212]

I like your video's verry much. You asked what subject you could make a video for. Aligning the headstock ans tailstock of the chinese mini lathe would be a sugestion, i never saw a video about that

[@davesalzer3220]

I’m in the process of making a solid QCTP mount. Compound delete. I’ll take some pictures when it’s done.

[@AdventureswithaVerySmallLathe]

Cool! Do you own a similar lathe? I'd be really interested to see the design you come up with.

[@frankwoodall5396]

Not sure and I Could be wrong because I know nothing of these lathes but at about 1405 in the video your thumb is almost covering a hole which normally On a bigger Lathe would have a matching hole on the compound that you use to lineup and study your tool post now this lathe is missing that hole but it has one in the tool post itself so I’m not sure what the difference is there or what it’s for but usually it’s to solve the problem of the trouble of moving around and keeping it directly in line with the chuck. Thought this may be could be of some help as I’m around these machines all day long. So maybe it is missing or a quality check missed it on their end through this company or I’m completely wrong to begin with lol, all the best! Love your videos!

[@AdventureswithaVerySmallLathe]

You're absolutely right. The hole is there, and is pretty clearly intended to be used to align the tool post. As I discussed with Juan Rivero in an earlier comment, there are a couple of features of the toolpost which don't seem to be usable on this lathe. It's possible an earlier version, or different model lathe had the right holes and registers, but I'm not sure. If I wanted to use this alignment hole, the real trick would be to find a way to measure it's exact offset from the main register.

[@frankwoodall5396]

Adventures with a Very Small Lathe. You might be able to get that info from manufacturer? Or at least get you going in the right direction. Anyways awesome videos man keep them coming great work!!

[@jrkorman]

Very nice. If the original could slip while tightening, it could also slip while taking a harder cut.

[@AdventureswithaVerySmallLathe]

The problem was mostly that the tool post would tend to move off-centre while tramming, or adjusting the angle. Tightening the bolt would then pull it back into centre, and would often mess up the tram as it did. With the register at the bottom, the post is certain to remain close to centre at all times.

[@Mr_Chuckles]

Genius

[@user-sj3ri6hn3z]

Thank you for a very interesting video. I have a proxxon 250 e and had a lot of problems with the tool post swiveling when I tried knerling. I am definitely going to adopt your way of correcting it. By the way , I don't own a mill and I consider buying the mill head that fits on the lathe. Do you have any experience with it? C an you recommend it?

[@AdventureswithaVerySmallLathe]

I originally bought the FF 230 mill head for this lathe, and it didn't work at all well. I don't recommend it. I was able to buy a separate base and cross-table to convert the mill head into a stand-alone lilling machine, but it was not good value for many. The milling machine is lightweight and inaccurate. A Chinese mini-mill would be better value, and more effective.

[@user-sj3ri6hn3z]

@@AdventureswithaVerySmallLatheThank you again for your advice. I have made the change you suggested for the QCTP and I am very happy with it.

[@AdventureswithaVerySmallLathe]

No problem, glad I could be of inspiration and help.

[@garrockwaters304]

Great job on the tool post. I can see why the manufacturer cheaped out on this part. Lots of labor! Couldn't you have just put a bushing on the bottom of the tool holder to do the same thing?

[@AdventureswithaVerySmallLathe]

A bushing would certainly have helped, but I don't think it would be as solid or stable as the solution I've made.

[@Satchmoeddie]

I'd have probably used a Belleville washer and the larger nut. Still a very nice video on making a Proxxon into a better tool.

[@AdventureswithaVerySmallLathe]

What's the advantage of a Belleville washer?

[@Neptune730]

Nicely done Sir. Although what is your RPM. It looks really fast. I can't tell how much the video is sped up.

[@AdventureswithaVerySmallLathe]

In all my recent videos I put an overlay in the bottom left showing how much the footage is sped up. Sorry it isn't here for this one.

[@dr1verman]

I have not bought my hobby lathe yet, but can I suggest that when machining stock with a 'skin' on it that you drop the revs and use a deeper cut to get under the shale, you were just using the stock to grind away your expensive carbide tip.

[@AdventureswithaVerySmallLathe]

The problem with simple mini-lathes is that when you drop the revs, you also are dropping the torque. Many don't have a drive gearbox or swappable belt ratios, so you drop the revs by turning down the motor speed. At these slower motor speeds, the lathe is even less able to do deep cuts. I don't think my Proxxon can cut deep enough to make it through mill scale in one pass at any rpm, so I generally put the cheapest chinese inserts I have on the tool and scrape away at it until I make it through.

[@turbofan123]

Have to make one for my PD 400. It came with the QCTP and with the same issues as yours.

[@AdventureswithaVerySmallLathe]

How do you find the PD 400? I often wonder whether I should have paid that bit more, and got one of those instead. It would have been a real squeeze on my bench, but if the machine as as good as it looks, it might have been worth it.

[@turbofan123]

@@AdventureswithaVerySmallLathe So far i am happy with it. Its my first lathe so i have no comparison to other machines. The larger range in diameter, length and mainly for threadcutting makes me toogle the switch to the bigger machine. As a beginner in turning and milling i don´t want the machines to be the restricting factor in my little workshop. And with money left to spent i choose the "big" one. Its a tight squeeze on the bench but absolutly worth it.

[@philipwolf3619]

@@AdventureswithaVerySmallLathe Is the PD 400 220V? not convenient 110V

[@AdventureswithaVerySmallLathe]

@@philipwolf3619 No idea I'm afraid. turbofan123, can you help out?

[@lightspeedbriefs6896]

Thanks for the great video. Could you have just made a bushing to fit over the existing post bolt to take up the space? Granted not nearly as cool as what you made. :)

[@deekthefirst]

The dreaded black nail!! 😢 well to be honest we’ve all been there and spoken fluently in several languages unknown to man! 😂

[@MsLampalampa]

I know nothing about lathe machines But I'm very interested in this type of work thanks to your vids. I hear you say often how the motor stalls and how that lathe is weak and have no gears. Isn't it possible just to buy a new geard motor with more power ?

[@AdventureswithaVerySmallLathe]

The issue is a bit more complex, so let me try and explain why I keep saying that. Commercial industrial lathes are large, have a powerful motor, and most importantly usually have a large complex gearbox to drive the spindle. The big AC motor is usually a fixed speed, and various sets of gears are used to select the spindle speed. This means motor power is fixed, and when the gears are selected for a low spindle speed, the spindle turns with a huge amount of torque. It's almost impossible to stall such a lathe at low speed, and something would almost always break before there was enough force to defeat the torque. Small hobby lathes are much simpler machines, largely for cost reasons. The often have selectable speed modes via belt pulleys, or perhaps a couple of gears, but no full gearbox. To make up for this, and ensure they can still operate at different spindle speeds they have a speed control that varies the speed of the DC motor. The trouble is that when a DC motor speed is decreased, it also has a lot less torque. This means that most hobby lathes can quite easily be stalled at low speed if enough force is applied by the cutting tool that it is more than the available torque. I mention this from time to time as sometimes I get comments and suggestions from professional machinists, where it's not clear whether they understand how different a small hobby lathe is from the machines they are used to. You absolutely could attach a big powerful motor, with it's own gearbox to a small lathe, but it doesn't really make sense. The small lathe wouldn't be built to safely handle the large forces, and it would probably take up as much space, and cost as much as buying a much bigger lathe second hand.

[@MsLampalampa]

@@AdventureswithaVerySmallLathe Ok thank you very much for your explanation. I was curious and now I'm with knowledge :) Love your videos keep up the good work :)

[@jonedmonds1681]

Have you thought of lapping or scraping the bottom of your toolpost and the top of the compound? A good points per inch or lapped surface will be more rigid.

[@AdventureswithaVerySmallLathe]

Definitely. The first thing I'd like to try is surface grinding it, which I'll have to take to a friend's shop for. To scrape it, I'll need a reference surface, which I don't have yet either.

[@AdventureswithaVerySmallLathe]

The bottom surface was a real mess from the factory. It had fairly deep machining marks in it, which tended to get chips caught in them. It's better now that I've given it a stoning, but a proper grind or scrape is definitely required.

[@AdventureswithaVerySmallLathe]

The bottom of the tool post has now been ground, and is much better. It makes firmer contact with the compound, and is easier to secure.

[@marcoam2610]

The pointed threading tool (at 07:20) can be obtained where? Could you specify the exact designation of this tool? It‘s not from Proxxon, right? Thx.

[@AdventureswithaVerySmallLathe]

That's a shop ground HSS tool I made myself from an 8mm square high speed steel blank.

[@gillian9178]

The PD250 looks like a great little lathe considering its size, would you say it punches above its weight for its size. Now that you have used the lathe a fair bit would you buy the same machine knowing what you know now about it or look for something else. Thank you.

[@AdventureswithaVerySmallLathe]

That's a really good question. My first instinct is to say that if I could go back, I would actually buy something larger, but that doesn't really answer your question. I feel the lathe is generally very good, considering its size, but it's also quite a lot more expensive than other lathes of similar size. It also has a few issues which are limiting. The tailstock is weak, imperfectly aligned, and impossible to adjust. The compound is also very limited, and lacks rigidity. I often wonder how my workshop might have worked out if I bought a really cheap Chinese lathe to start with, then upgraded to a larger lathe when I found it too limiting. I think I would only recommend the PD 250/e to someone who really needs a very small lathe, and knows they are going to stick with it. If someone is looking for a cheap way to start out with learning to use a lathe, I'd probably suggest a cheap Chinese lathe instead, as a disposable starter machine.

[@gillian9178]

@@AdventureswithaVerySmallLathe I am an experienced lathe user that have had much larger lathes in the past over a 40 year period. I am now looking for something much smaller these days that is more portable & can be used in the house & quiet running, i dont do any screw cutting these days & could probably get away with no power feed. That is why i was also thinking of the Sherline long bed lathe ( 17" between centers ), there are lots of vids on Sherlines & users seem to like them a lot. plus lots of tooling available for them along with a complete range of spare parts easily available.

[@02dag32]

Next upgrade would be a handle for the toolpost

[@davidparker3346]

I'm wondering why you didn't make the brass washer stepped to fit into the recess on the tool holder.

[@AdventureswithaVerySmallLathe]

There are a couple of reasons I steered away from that in favour of a single solid part. Firstly I wanted to be able to tram and turn the toolpost without it shifting around, so making the register part of the central shaft ensured there was no slack in the system Secondly I wanted to be able to tighten the shaft firmly against the top compound to avoid any wobble while making adjustments. Having a nice wide flange made it easier to do this.

[@drgameshiao8742]

year nice .

[@Doc_Fartens]

You say you can't cut deep enough to get through the scale on the 20mm stock. What is the max DOC for this lathe (and this piece of stock)?

[@AdventureswithaVerySmallLathe]

I've made some improvements including this toolpost upgrade, and a solid granite base, which mean I can now cut as deep as 0.2mm as long as the tool is fully engaged. For an interrupted cut where the outside of the material is not completely round, and the surface is hard and scaley I can't cut deeper than 0.05mm without having real problems with chatter.

[@frankske1958]

Hi im looking for a a quick change toolpost for my proxxon 250 e lathe ,not the one from proxxon.any suggestions witch aftermarket toolpost should fit?

[@AdventureswithaVerySmallLathe]

The Machifit QCTP that I reviewed in Oct 2019 is the best mini-lathe QCTP I have come across. Really solid, and significantly better than the Proxxon one by design. I have confirmed that it would fit onto the proxxon, though you would have to make your own stud to match the Proxxon compound fitting hole, and the through hole on the toolpost.

[@1ginner1]

One suggestion for keeping your toolpost square with the centerline of your machine. I see a dowel hole on the base of the toolpost, why not fit dowels on the top face of the compound slide for quick and easy positioning?. You could install dowels for all your screwcutting angles and one for when the toolpost needs to be perpendicular to the chuck .

[@AdventureswithaVerySmallLathe]

That's a great suggestion, but the compound is small and thin, and I don't think I could fit many holes before making it weaker. I definitely plan to add aligning pin holes when I make a solid tool post, to sit in place of the compound when no compound adjustment is needed.

[@zedo5851]

Looks to me if you improve the finish on the bottom of the toolpost that it would greatly decrease the chance for it to moves. Thanks for the very informative topic Zed

[@AdventureswithaVerySmallLathe]

A few weeks ago I got some time on a surface grinder, and ground a really good flat finish on the bottom of the toolpost. It now sits much more smoothly in place.

[@gillian9178]

Can i ask you where you got your proxxon 4 jaw chuck from, thanks.

[@AdventureswithaVerySmallLathe]

Sure. It's a generic 80mm 4-jaw I bought from eBay, not made by Proxxon. The exact seller I bought from doesn't seem to list it any more. I made my own backplate from 85mm 4140 steel. This is probably not the perfect material, but it's good steel, and works fine. The downside of this arrangement is that the chuck is much too heavy for the machine, and causes major chatter and vibration problems. In my recent "Packages, and Stickers, and Mail! (Oh my!)" I talk about a second hand chuck I bought, also off eBay, which is the same diameter, but less deep, and much lighter. I'm also going to aim to make a slimmer, ligher backplate for this one. It would probably have been much smarter and simpler to just buy the Proxxon 4-jaw chuck, but I'm afraid I don't have any information about where you can buy one.

[@Gowieee]

Wow, look at the movement when the parting tool contacts the work piece 😮

[@metal2]

nice where did you get that tool post ?

[@AdventureswithaVerySmallLathe]

The toolpost is the official Proxxon accessory for this lathe, part no. 24 026. I think I ordered mine from eBay, but it was a few years ago.

[@wingedsword93]

Hello, i’m a noob to all this so i’m just wondering if someone explain the advantage of using the machine to cut the threads verses using something like a tap and dye set?

[@AdventureswithaVerySmallLathe]

A machine cut thread can potentially be much more accurate. It's quite easy to get a thread crooked with a tap or die, and there is only very rough control over the depth of the thread. A machined thread should be perfectly straight, can be cut to the depth and tolerance chosen by the machinist, and if the machine is in good condition the pitch will be very accurate. Machining also makes it possible to form a thread with a specification where no taps and dies are available, as I did in my tap and die making videos.

[@juanrivero8]

I often think Proxxon is an odd company. I own a MF70 micromill. The design is fine. The instructions for disassembly seem not to exist, even on the website as pdf files. So I can't get a quarter-turn backlash out the Z axis because I can't take off the handle which is held by a pin, which I cannot find even with a loupe. Is your toolpost a Proxxon original or aftermarket?. If the latter then I can't blame Proxxon. But sometimes I wonder if they justify their price.

[@AdventureswithaVerySmallLathe]

I know what you mean. I often think they don't really want the owners of their machines doing any disassembly and maintenance at all. The instructions books for my machines contain dire warnings not to modify the machines in any way. The tool post is a Proxxon original. It feels like the original design was fine, but then a bunch of changes we made during production engineering to shave off some of the cost before market. The tool post does have the register pocket cut into the bottom, so someone clearly intended it to be properly registered, but then someone else figured they could ditch a custom part, and replace it with a stock M8 bold, shaving a few cents off the cost.

[@juanrivero8]

Amen. Maybe the dire warnings are an EU regulation :( but it is absurd to expect any machine to operate indefinitely with no adjustment for backlash.

[@colincreedtattoomachines]

Juan, there's a Russian guy named "Sergey Kutuzov" that you might want to check out, as he did a tear down of his MF70 Mill. kzbin.info/www/bejne/e6fKloCrZ8mMptU HTH, Colin

[@xl000]

The only reason I knew carbide inserts is because of an acquaintance whose father had a few boxes of them in his garage. We used to attach a string to it and throw them in car windows and bus stops... I regret doing this...

[@chrissmith7552]

good video brilliant idea, but, why start off with a blank the size of a broom handle to make something no more than20mm, in industry you would get a kicking for that ! taps and dies would be sufficient for this job too.

[@AdventureswithaVerySmallLathe]

The stock I used for this was 20mm. The nut used the full diameter after the scale was removed, and I only removed 5mm to make the flange diameter of the post. I also completely avoided any chucking scrap by using the remaining length for the nut. I could probably have saved a bit on the diameter by ordering a 16mm diameter piece specially, but they I would have had to scrap the chucking allowance.

[@dmitriygunner6593]

Посмотрел видео полностью, наблюдал за каждой операцией по обработке этих деталей. Сразу видно что хороший токарь работает и наглядно видны все возможности этого миниатюрного станка! Привет из России👍🇷🇺

[@jerrygustin2276]

I guess it was a sorry attempt at sarcasm regarding Chinese manufacturing but in thinking about in other brands like the ones from Little Machine shop cost more so they may have a higher level of care in finish and assembly.

[@AdventureswithaVerySmallLathe]

This lathe is both designed and manufactured in Europe. It may look superficially like a Sieg C1 copy, but the design is quite different. It was a lot more expensive than the lathes available at Little Machine shop, and the general level of care is very high.

[@skor0609]

1. Токарный шпиндель у тебя дробит на подшипниках! Меняй подшипники 2. Площадь опирания резцедержки на малую продольную маленькая. Или не поворачивай резцедержку или делай мощную проставку под полную площадь. 3. Шайбу латунную сверху сделай толще и диаметром во всю площадь резцедержки. Тем самым еще усилишь вертикаль

[@alexandernoname1391]

hi from where i can get the thread wires? thanks

[@AdventureswithaVerySmallLathe]

I bought mine in eBay, but the sets currently available there are all from the USA.

[@alexandernoname1391]

@@AdventureswithaVerySmallLathe ok! i bought some wirespools from UK to build vaping coils. its all 316L Stainless steel. i think its an option or?

[@AdventureswithaVerySmallLathe]

@@alexandernoname1391 A defining feature of thread wires is that their diameter is very precisely ground to the correct dimension. If you were going to use ordinary wirespools, you would only get results as accurate as the dimensions of the wire. Thread wires need to be perfectly straight, perfectly round in cross-section, and exactly the right dimension to be used with the charts provided. Additionally measurement surfaces are quite often hardened to make sure they don't wear or deform easily under use. 316 is not practical to harden, so isn't a good material for making precise tools.

[@alexandernoname1391]

@@AdventureswithaVerySmallLathe thats right. i would straight them and measure them. after this i get the real diameter. have you a link from ebay? thanks

[@AdventureswithaVerySmallLathe]

@@alexandernoname1391 www.ebay.com/itm/48-PIECE-THREAD-WIRE-MEASURING-SET-4200-0241/233436399480

[@juliusvalentinas]

Where to get thread wires like this and not costing a fortune?

[@AdventureswithaVerySmallLathe]

I have no idea. I got them on eBay as a lucky find for a cheap price, but I've never been able to find them again.

[@juliusvalentinas]

@@AdventureswithaVerySmallLathe Well I just will buy small drill bits with same diameter checked with micrometer then.

[@jerrygustin2276]

How to get these videos to the Manufacture???

[@AdventureswithaVerySmallLathe]

I'm not sure I understand what you're asking?

[@TheTruth-fs2rm]

I take hot rolled stock and submerge it in white vinegar overnight. Takes the scale right off.

[@poprawa]

21:28 As far as I know, it is legal to rotate a nut with a wrench :v

[@AdventureswithaVerySmallLathe]

:) Off camera I had a wrench on the back of the collet chuck. Bigger grip, and less in the way of the camera.

[@02dag32]

You should have threaded the other way, if your lathe is able to go in reverse that is.

[@AdventureswithaVerySmallLathe]

It absolutely does, and I cut a thread in reverse at 16:30. I assume you mean the internal thread on the nut? I wasn't able to do that, as I don't have a left hand threading tool that fits into a bore that small. Left hand insert threading tools are generally a lot harder to get hold of. The smallest I have is about 12mm diameter.

[@02dag32]

@@AdventureswithaVerySmallLathe Yes , that was exactly what I meant. You take away the risk of jamming the toolpost into the chuck. Internal threading is of course more difficult. Sorry for not watching the entire video ;-)

[@gendronphilippe9184]

Only saw tour fingers ?