THE SOLID TOOL POST MOUNT

[@StefanGotteswinter]

Nice, thank you for going in detail on the replacement.

[@ROBRENZ]

Thanks and thanks for your support and for stopping by Stefan. ATB, Robin

[@meocats]

@stefan are you going to build a taper attachment, or keep going back to the compound when that is needed?

[@StefanGotteswinter]

Before I build a taper attachement, I hope that to get a cnc lathe, maybe a small, old Emcoturn 120... ;) If I have to do tapers I can always drop the compound on the rear end of my crossslide.

[@rkatz1000]

You are doing a great service to our nation in Revitalizing machining and manufacturing

[@parkermusselman9824]

My jaw just hit the ground seeing all of those tool holders. Bravo sir!

[@ROBRENZ]

Thanks Parker and thanks for watching and commenting!

[@MoD_Eagle]

As a student studying manufacturing engineering, I love seeing your solutions to improving efficiency and accuracy. I only hope that someday I can have half the skill and ingenuity you possess. Thanks for taking time out of your busy day to produce these videos. They are very much appreciated and sustain people like me who don't have their own shops.

[@ROBRENZ]

Thanks MoD_Eagle and thanks for watching and commenting!

[@garysgarage101]

Watching again, Dec 2023 2nd or 3rd time. It’s great to have master references to go back to. I’m working on a friends compound (Chinese lathe) and it’s so bad I’m having a hard time knowing where to start lol. Thanks, again, for taking the time for putting these fantastic videos together. Now if you can only convince Dan Gelbart to repost his “How to evaluate a lathe”, the stars will be aligned again.

[@pierresgarage2687]

Hi Robin, First of all, thanks for the shout... ;) You deserve all the attention you get from all of us, I would gladly spend hours on your side learning all the small details that make greater parts.... This installation on your Hardinge lathe is a real improvement on an already excellent machine... Thanks again and all the best, Pierre

[@ROBRENZ]

Thanks Pierre for the kind words and thanks for watching and commenting! ATB, Robin

[@extradimension7356]

Holy smokes !!! Not many people would think to scrape to correct that pre-loaded effect of the set screws to cancel that "Bow". AMAZING !

[@pedrocavaleiro3688]

You have one of the most underrated machining channels on KZbin! Tom, Stefan and Pierre are right on directing people here. You do brilliant work and I hope you keep on producing videos. Thanks for sharing!

[@ROBRENZ]

Thanks Pedro for the kind words and thanks for watching and commenting!

[@907jl]

Followed your lead and made a solid tool post mount to replace the compound. Wow, what a difference! The solid post, coupled with a longer cross slide I made from an MLA Toolbox casting kit really improved my poor flimsy Craftsman 12x36 lathe. Now, I can actually use a parting tool, which is great. Much better surface finish on the lathe as well. Thanks for the idea Robin!

[@SuperYtviewer]

I'm one of the OXTools Gals. Love watching machinist and welders turn metal in to art and/or functioning items of use. Looking forward to many videos in the future. Creativity is always appreciated. - Annie

[@ROBRENZ]

Thanks Annie and thanks for watching and commenting!

[@Steve_Just_Steve]

Man I love your vids! Scraped in tool post mount to correct deflection from torqued set screws..... Jeez, you tha man Robin. That parting op though! I feel fortunate to get to peak in your shop every time. Thanks for sharing, cant wait for the next one!

[@ROBRENZ]

Thanks Steve and thanks for watching and commenting!

[@eldonwilson8495]

I amhappy that you published this as I have a cheap Chinese lathe, and have been fighting deflection for years and did exactly ( not to your design ) what you have done, by removing the compound and replacing it with a 3" sq block bolted to the cross slide. I did not fix it solidly as you did, but none the less improved repeatably to a very high percentage. I will look at my set up and see if I can fix the rotational aspect. And of course as you pointed out the compound can still be replaced when ever screw cutting or taper operations need to be done. Well DONE and thanks

[@ROBRENZ]

Thanks Eldon and thanks for watching and commenting!

[@DaveMcIver]

That's a great solution, and the extension handle for the compound slide is a genius idea.

[@Jeremy-iv9bc]

This has been without a doubt the best upgrade I've ever done to my lathe.

[@JohnHolmestheSecond]

The only guy on youtube who deserves the title master. never seen anyone pay so much attention to all variables.

[@ExtantFrodo2]

He's very good. Have you seen Clickspring? You'd appreciate him as well.

[@ROBRENZ]

Thanks JohnHolemstheSecond, I am sure there are others. Thanks for watching and commenting!

[@georgedennison3338]

So, my Sherline not having a compound is a good thing... who'da thunk it? Glad I decided to design an adjustable tailstock for turning tapers, instead of going to a compound. This also explains why the parting tool I just finished works so well on a lathe notorious for not parting worth beans. I put it on the back side, and started with a precision ground 2 x 2" angle block, (it IS a cute little thing), and went from there. It is height adjustable and uses the chuck edge, and rear edge of the cross slide at reference, with overlaps to rest against the edges for repeatability when installing. The best thing, (IMO), is the source of the parting blades. After looking at a lot of them, it was a blade like yours which inspired me to cut slices from a worn out Skil saw blade, regrind the carbide, (square the end, remove the 'kerf' and set the rake), and go. One 7¼" blade nets 12 parting blades, and the price is right. A 1/32" reinforced abrasive blade, (either Norton or MSC's house brand work great), makes cutting slices of blade quite easy. I then bring them to final dimension and parallel top and bottoms with a mill. It doesn't take much time, and a dozen blades last quite a while. One word of caution: do NOT use expensive thin saw blades, use the cheap think ones. Parting blades made from thin saw blades do not have the torsional strength needed, and twist when used. Not quite to the level of making flat Slinkies from SS like you did, but no chatter parting is virtually unheard of on Sherlines. There's a few things I did when I mounted a motor and the lathe which help as well. Yet, again, I have learned from a video of yours, Rob. This comes in very timely, as well. I'm about to raise the headstock on my lathe, so I will be making a block similar to this, but using for a spacer, instead of replacing the compound. Lots of good design ideas, especially since I just got an Aloris type tool post. Thanks, GeoD

[@clarhettcoalfield3616]

Robin I have to tell you this was beyond just informative, you've given me insight to a problem that I wasn't even aware of. I liked this video a lot. Keep it up, much appreciation for the effort and time that goes into this kind of work. Cheers.

[@ROBRENZ]

Thanks and thanks for watching and commenting!

[@turningpoint6643]

The best part about your videos Robin is the extra and extremely well thought out design that goes into any tooling you make. I'd never have considered the need to scrape that base after it's been preloaded so it again sits flat and doesn't pull the cross slide into a banana shape. And very impressive demonstration with that cut off tool showing just how rigid everything is. My pos lathe will never be a Hardinge, but this will still help a lot. From my perspective at least you get major style points on that base so it's not a chip and coolant shelf.

[@ROBRENZ]

Thanks Turning Point and thanks for watching and commenting!

[@F1DesignUS]

I am totally doing this! I have been fighting my cross slide for months now....this convinced me! Keep up the great videos!

[@ROBRENZ]

Thanks F1DesignUS and thanks for watching and commenting!

[@F1DesignUS]

Rob, As an update I have one of the Sieg mini lathes . It is a lathe kit more than a tool but it fits my needs. Anyway I ended up drawing up a tool post mount like yours in SolidWorks and 3D printed a prototype. I am amazed at how much better a PLASTIC solid mount is compared to the cast iron compound. Once I get the details sorted on the model and print a final version I plan on building it out of steel or cast iron but I just wanted to say thanks again for pointing this modification out!!! Cheers! Steve

[@tommasofossati5123]

Finally someone Who takes care of his machines PROTECTING THEIR WAYS with rubber covers!

[@jeffiscool1805]

What you said makes a lot of sense. I've often thought about removing the compound. Your solution is elegant and beautifully crafted. Nice job. Something for me to think about. Good video.

[@ROBRENZ]

Thanks Jeff and thanks for watching and commenting!

[@shirothehero0609]

I was literally having issues with a 60 degree compound cut in 304 the other night. I was sure it was because of my small 9" that I was seeing the deflection and issues, but it at least makes me feel a bit better that larger lathes have similar issues. That rotation back and forth gave me a *wonderful* wavy finish on the dovetail cutter I was making. I was coming up with a clamp or something to hold the entire compound down, but once I saw this I let out an audible "duh.". Love the thoughtfulness of the design - I know what im making tonight. Also, i've enjoyed your videos - they all seem to be very relevant to what i've been tackling in the shop. Thanks for all the effort!!!

[@matter9]

Very informative and timely given how I recently completed my compound replacement, of which I think you are aware. Design considerations on my machine were a little different than yours, I don't have a dro w/ or w/o tool offsets but was thinking about pinning the qctp to the riser in essentially the same way as you described. And one of the first things I tried was parting off with HSS and carbide and finally both are possible once again! Now I think the weak link has move down to the cylindrical dovetail boss that holds the riser to the cross slide, but nothing I can do about that until /if I ever make a t-slotted cross life replacement. Thanks for everything Robin, always exciting to see your content. 👌

[@ROBRENZ]

Thanks Spencer and thanks for watching and commenting!

[@SootySweep22]

Hey Rob, a diffuser for your lighting will go towards reducing that glare on the dome. Thanks for the great video.

[@sleepingdogs8939]

This video is great. I have a Hardinge HLV-H and now know where some of my cutting problems may arise from. I now want to make a tool post holder like the one you did. Thanks for pointing out the flaws in the Hardinge design.

[@OldIronShops]

i make foundry patterns and was thinking people might be interested in having cast iron blakes made that they can finish out on there own to suit there particular lathes. i'm not sure how but to make them for all the different sizes and how it might be the most universal think posabble . seems lots of people are wasting away quite a large hunk of iron .

[@rodgerdodger280]

As in previous years Robin, your workshop is still on my xmas list. Great to see all the new content that you are listing. We never stop learning and thank you for your knowledge, experience and sharing it with the community.

[@ROBRENZ]

Thanks Rodger and thanks for watching and commenting!

[@moeszyslack4676]

With each new video you post it becomes clear that you're one hell of a smart man Robin. I am a big fan of Tom for the same reasons. The "no compromise" outlook you all have toward your work is refreshing. Thanks for another great video.

[@ROBRENZ]

Thanks Moe for the kind words and thanks for watching and commenting!

[@hebrewhammer1000]

Thank you for going into detail on cross slide rigidity issues. I learned a lot.

[@ROBRENZ]

You are welcome Neil and thanks for watching and commenting!

[@brianu2871]

Completely understand the twist imparted in the tool post mount from the set screws, but I doubt I would have thought of it. That's why I watch. Always learning. Thanks !! Brian

[@ROBRENZ]

Thanks Brian and thanks for watching and commenting!

[@DaS-ys8us]

The amount of information in your videos is amazing. Thanks for sharing with everyone. Priceless information!

[@ROBRENZ]

Thanks and thanks for watching and commenting!

[@MrCrispinEnterprises]

Hi, Not commented before but really enjoy all of your videos. Excellent thought processes and attention to detail. I particularly like your grinding tips - I work in a Grinding Facility at Rolls Royce in England grinding Turbine Blades for Gas Turbine Engines. Cheers Crispin

[@nowayjerk8064]

you left out your train dont forget your train buddy i mean Rolls Royce Gas Turbine Enginesare very cool but, your train build ,epic! cant wait for you to get back settled and in your shop again ;)cheers .

[@MrCrispinEnterprises]

Thanks Very Much, Yes will be great when the I get set up again and can continue with the Steam Loco.

[@ROBRENZ]

Thanks Crispin, then you possibly have used diamond rotary dressers from my previous employer (Dunnington/Wendt/Winterthur/3M). I was on the ground floor in developing the processes for making their rotary dressers and spindles. Thanks for watching and commenting!

[@MrCrispinEnterprises]

Hi. The Process we use is called 'Viper Grinding' which is a pattant shared by RR,Tyrolit, and Makino. Yes we get through hundreds of rotary dressers. Interesting to hear you worked on the development of them.

[@ROBRENZ]

To be clear, I didn't help invent the reverse plated rotary dresser. I helped develop all OUR processes and equipment to ALSO make reverse plated rotary dressers.

[@douglaslodge8580]

I think this is the best thing I've seen in 20 years. I've never seen this in all the shops I've been in and I've been in hundreds.

[@ROBRENZ]

Thanks Douglas and thanks for watching and commenting!

[@oxtoolco]

Hey Robin, Cast Iron for the tool post block, humm. Secret mechanical ninja tricks for extra low Q damping. Yes you get bonus points for the chip funnels. At first they looked like you took some material off the block to shrink its ominous presence. I didn't examine it that closely when I was visiting. I was too busy looking at all your other toys. It was nice that you took it off and showed the base details. How did you get it back into exact position for all your calibrated tools? Is it like the CNC lathe and once you set tool 1 all the rest follow it? Thanks for the kind words but its really all you my friend. People can easily see you are the real deal. All the best, Tom

[@ROBRENZ]

Hey Tom, It repeats pretty well but yes the DRO has a global datum shift like G54 on a CNC. You deserve them, but they still have to visit my channel to get a chance to decide if they agree! Looking forward to your mini 1-2-3 blocks. ATB, Robin

[@brencostigan]

Hi Rob, thanks so much for taking the time and effort to produce & upload these videos - pure gold.

[@ReubenSchoots]

Re watching this. You know you like the content when you happily do repeats!

[@ROBRENZ]

Glad to hear that Reuben!

[@andrewut7ya511]

Lol, ive seen alot of his videos two or 4 times. I watch surface plate lapping videos almost nightly when im getting ready to sleep. Its better than tv shows and i can learn as i start to snooze, win win.

[@c5h5nino24]

This is an excellent start to the week! Thank you Robin keep the great content coming!

[@FredMiller]

Amen!

[@ROBRENZ]

Thanks Lewis and thanks for watching and commenting!

[@st3althyone]

Robin, you deserve any and all praise and comments! Your content is the best, bar none, it’s insightful, professional and of the utmost quality. We should all be so lucky as to have such a wonderful teacher, if they were all of your caliber we might be able to lead as we used to back in the days when the US had some of the best engineers in the world! Edit: That is a lot of tools, you need some place to organize all your goodies!😂😂

[@ROBRENZ]

Wow, thank you!

[@Pappaoh]

Can't get enough of these vids Robin. Thanks for sharing

[@ROBRENZ]

You are welcome

[@g00167015]

Really nice addition to the lathe, certainly keeps the parting off cut from chattering! Will be my next tooling project for sure, once I can find a suitable chunk of material, nice project for the metal shaper; a bit of oldschool chip making 😎 My lathe is a Weiler Ergodor, a late 80's German toolroom lathe, approx 12 x 19 capacity. Actually thinking of adding the little Hardinge to the shop also. I love the way you can reverse the leadscrew under power, that and other features make them a really efficient little machine for threading. They are wonderful quality lathes, you could say Rolls Royce, but I think some of the classic Dean-Smith & Grace lathes slightly pip them. Still exceptional quality like the Hardinge, but utterly, utterly beautiful machines also. The little Monarch 10ee would I guess be an American equivalent. Thank you for all your fascinating and informative videos. I'm way over in Ireland here and really enjoy all the neat tooling ideas in your video content 😎 Rotary broaching toolholder is another one for the shortlist too 👌🤓🖒 Ger

[@ROBRENZ]

Thanks Ger, the rotary broach is on the list. Thanks for watching and commenting!

[@qabsoloff3252]

Robin, Thank you for posting these videos. You definitely are the real deal. I look forward to each of your videos.

[@ROBRENZ]

Thanks Q Absoloff and thanks for watching and commenting!

[@fredflintstone8048]

I'm a big fan of Tom's contributions to the community knowledge as well.

[@kentvandervelden]

Thank you for making this video. I have a 8" SB1001 lathe with a compound that turns above a 40mm diameter ring. I swear I can see the compound flexing at times. Glad to see that it's reasonable to remove the compound from a manual lathe.

[@ROBRENZ]

Thanks Kent and thanks for watching and commenting!

[@toddpeterson7316]

Definitely some style points on those edges!! Always a pleasure watching! Thank you! 👍🏻

[@ROBRENZ]

Thanks Todd and thanks for watching and commenting!

[@micahcarrillo8281]

Hey RobRenz! this is the first of your video's I've seen btw. Great idea! I am a new hobby machinist with a floppy mini lathe, and have been trying to find a video for curing the slop in the compound.. this is the cure for me! I really have searched too, so I'm thankful you posted this. (yes I subscribed as well) Thanx

[@ROBRENZ]

Glad you found it useful and thanks for subscribing!

[@carbide1968]

bows down to the machining god. loved the parting tool demo, very impressive.

[@ROBRENZ]

Thanks Matthew and thanks for watching and commenting!

[@billlee5307]

What a unique experience to watch your videos. Thank you for making videos and sharing your considerable skills. Your improvement of the Hardinge is especially interesting to me. I worked on an HLV-H for several years and thought it the best lathe I had ever used, but there is always room for improvement! Best wishes!

[@ROBRENZ]

Thanks William and thanks for watching and commenting!

[@sarotouloughian1890]

You just revealed the biggest issue I have with my mini lathe! I'm an amateur at best having learned how to use a lathe from my dad. I just can't part soft metals like silver and aluminum with parting tools without screeching and hellish sounds coming from the part, not to mention the tool biting into the piece and pulling the whole tool post down. Granted I need to readjust a lot, but the damn compound slide is a wasted and relatively useless component for daily functions. Thank you so much for shedding light on an issue I was struggling with.

[@ROBRENZ]

Thanks and thanks for watching and commenting.

[@bigbattenberg]

Very interesting video. In fact I have been researching this recently. I have a couple of good old German GEMA lathes, one of them came with a quick change tool holder system (the brand does not really matter). But, what occured to me is that the quick change system introduces a weak link in itself. The inherent 'U' shape produces bending forces, etc. Parting off with this setup is out of the question. Before tossing the compound slide and its angle adjustment, I am inclined to revert to the solid block tool holder solidly mounted and center height adjusted with shim plates. The goal is to have the forces move through steel-to-steel interfaces without any additional bending or twisting forces. It used to work great on an old VDF I used to own an I never gave it any thought back then... just used the setup the German engineers back in the fifties decided as optimal, which was a solid block holding up to 4 tools and indexing every 90 degrees. Original equipment, perfect fit for the machine. Would love to hear your thoughts!

[@frankmuller5649]

Impressive amount of detail.. and as always a fountain of knowledge. Thank you so much!

[@ROBRENZ]

Thanks Frank and thanks for watching and commenting!

[@Idontrunntoofast]

While I dont think I will be scrapping my compound any time soon... it is just too useful for many of the jobs I do. I do think I will add building a solid tool post to swap on when doing higher precision work. Awesome work as always Robin!

[@jimsvideos7201]

I watched this probably on release, out of curiosity. Now that I have a Manila The in the basement to improve this takes on a whole new relevance; thank you for the wisdom.

[@ROBRENZ]

Glad I could help!

[@joecnc3341]

Wow! Nice work! You actually made a Battleship of a lathe (aka Hardinge) more rigid and functional. Love your attention to detail in all aspects of design and machining. Thanks again for sharing.

[@timmer9lives]

Great video. As a total novice with an decent analytical mind... I have always felt that the compound should be removed since it's obviously a weak link and seems unnecessary. I never had the balls to bring this up on a forum, but now I feel much better. Thanks for a great video Rob.

[@ROBRENZ]

Thanks, and thanks for watching and commenting!

[@bobolander]

I REALLY look forward to you posting new videos - I've watched many of them more than a few times - I think it was Tom Lipton who mentioned that you PACK these with high-value content and he's bang on. I think I learn 2-3 things a minute watching; and I'm very grateful you take the time to make these videos. Thanks. Now back to watching - nice to round out a week with a new video from you. BTW, you guys (Tom, Adam, Kieth's R & F, Tony, Stefan, the lot of yah) are gonna be the death of my wallet...I spent 2 hours today in a nearby town buying a Bridgeport and am actively looking for a lathe...so while my finances hate it, I'm grateful for the inspiration. I haven't made anything with my hands in years, but will be very soon. I appreciate these videos motivating me to get off my arse and get after it.

[@bobolander]

oh, and I found you BEFORE Tom's referral - hope that drives some new visitors to your site but I was digging for Hardinge content and you came up a couple of months ago...just sayin'.

[@ROBRENZ]

Thanks bo for the kind words now go make something! Thanks for watching and commenting!

[@jackjr473]

IM looking at doing this to my lathe. Thanks for the information . the bottom of the solid tool post is something I didn't think about doing. But will use the idea .

[@jamescrombie2320]

Robrenz - I can see the utility of the solid toolpost for production, but having used the Hardinge as well as the Feeler knock-off I never used one for production. Of course I never had my own shop and worked in tool rooms making jigs and fixtures or one off parts. I loved using the Hardinge, especially the threading mechanism. If I could ever afford one I wound definitely consider your style of toolpost for production work. Keep the video's coming.

[@ROBRENZ]

Hi James, the solid tool post allows picking up any tool and knowing the diameter it is going to cut and its orientation. That is extremely time saving for one of and short run parts also. The drill chuck on the post allowing DRO control and feed is also a big help. Most of my work is one to three parts at a time. Thanks for watching and commenting!

[@MadHatter123456]

Awesome! Great idea - if I ever manage to aquire a lathe, I definitely going to copy this. Thanks a lot for sharing!

[@ROBRENZ]

Thanks MadHatter123456 and thanks for watching and commenting!

[@isidoromaich7226]

Thank you Robin for sharing your time and knowledge with us. I always learn something new here :)

[@ROBRENZ]

Thanks Isidoro and thanks for watching and commenting!

[@tsviper]

Thanks for sharing, as a hobby woodworker I never understood the tolerances you machinist are working with before I started to watch you, Tom (both of them) Steffan, Adam an the others.

[@ROBRENZ]

Thanks ToRe and thanks for watching and commenting!

[@africanelectron751]

Love your channel, granted I never really touch a machine tool these days but I love the dedication to the art you have.

[@tourbillonturbineservices1100]

I am not machinist but your work is exceptional ,thanks for the video

[@sblack48]

Amazing. Never thought of my compound as a weak link but it is obvious now. Thanks for posting.

[@ROBRENZ]

Thanks scott and thanks for watching and commenting!

[@TheWidgetWorks]

That's nice, I was going to build a better block for my Haas tl2 lathe to get rid of the tee nut and I really appreciate the info! I never though about the torque from the tool post mounting distorting the base but of course it would! I was just going to use 2 dowels that are already in the tool post but now I think I'm going 'borrow' your mounting system. In my opinion the only compounds that can turn a nice smooth taper without hassle are on large lathes and have power feed. I use to run a huge lathe with huge compound (I think it had around 18 to 24" of travel as it was about 3' long) and it had both power feed and its own half nut for tapered threads. It work well but was literally like having another lathe bolted to the cross slide! Thanks again.

[@ROBRENZ]

Thanks Widget, very interesting about the mega compound. Thanks for watching and commenting!

[@KravchenkoAudioPerth]

One of the few channels that I watch everything that you do. And save most of them. Thanks for showing the details that make for better quality work Robin. As a fellow chrome dome You wear it with dignity. The glare is part of the way it iz. Just think of all the money we save on shampoo!

[@ROBRENZ]

Thanks Kravchenko, glad to know I am not alone and thanks for watching and commenting!

[@KravchenkoAudioPerth]

It's Mark. Last name is Kravchenko. Looking forward to your next video.

[@glennfelpel9785]

I see where you said that you save most of these videos. How do you do this? I am still learning this wonderful youtube resource.

[@glennfelpel9785]

Thank you for the link. Understand the many interests you have. It sure is nice to have day work that is just like what we do for fun in my home shop.

[@tonyhunt1230]

Never needed more rigidity on a HLVH lathe, but the parting tool convinced me on the fixed tool post. That was impressive. Thinking of the same for my small bench lathe. Kudos !!!

[@jonboy5yo]

Nice! Even to the detail of hand scraping the mounting surfaces. Most people look at something as rigid as that base you made and say, "That ain't moving." You took it to a degree better than most... (And look at that cut off!) Proof is in the performance.

[@ROBRENZ]

Thanks Jon and thanks for watching and commenting!

[@LordOfTamarac]

You and Toms bromance is awesome! I love the KZbin metalworking community

[@EliteHydronics.]

a collaborative project would be delightful

[@RGSABloke]

Robin, you nailed it from the get-go, you can't fight physics, you need to fool it into thinking it's won then throw in a curved ball to re-establish the equilibrium. Sir, you are at the omega end of the skills spectrum and I am trying to achieve letter alpha. I know when you post I need to try to clear my brain (not too difficult with that task) so I can absorb what is about to come. Many thanks for sharing and giving a shout-out to the other guys. Kindest regard. Joe.

[@ROBRENZ]

Thanks Joe for the kind words and thanks for watching and commenting!

[@nevetslleksah]

Beautiful design and execution. Great improvement.Thanks for making the video and sharing. Now I have another project to add to my project list.

[@ROBRENZ]

Thanks and thanks for watching and commenting.

[@ianpendlebury3704]

Robin. I have been watching all your videos and have learned a huge amount. You inhabit a whole new world of precision and meticulousness compared to mine(!) - thanks for enlightening me to what is possible and inspiring me to try to do better. Keep 'em coming. Ian.

[@ROBRENZ]

Thanks Ian and thanks for watching and commenting!

[@David_Best]

Outstanding video Robin. I'd heard mention that you had a rigid non-compound configuration, and I'm glad to see it in action. I think Stefan also mentioned he had something similar in a podcast. I would loved to have seen you make that cast iron base. One disadvantage I see to this is that you loose the flexibility of rotating the tool post, which means you need a dedicated tool & holder for every type of operation - for instance a different tool for every chamfering angle - but maybe you overcome that with pivoting head tool (which also defeats the consistent tool offset advantage). I'd like to hear/see how you overcome the lack of tool post rotation flexibility in your individual tool collection. Again, thanks for another really illuminating video - much appreciated. David Best

[@ROBRENZ]

Thanks David, the time saving of having many standard tools ready to cut far outweighs the few times I need to put a tool in a holder at a specific angle. and thanks for watching and commenting!

[@ReubenSchoots]

Robin, I am going to make a hand crank drive extension for my lathes. A constant battle with my watchmakers' lathes is the lateral forces exerted onto the workpiece, compromising the surface finish. This can be mostly overcome with very careful feed by hand, however, compromises feed rates etc. The dowel pins with set screws to keep the toolpost from rotating is also great. Very informative video. Thanks for the ideas.

[@ROBRENZ]

Glad you are finding the content useful.

[@roxannegaudet8908]

I just bought a 10 by 22 lathe and that’s the problem I have my tool post moves a lot!!! And I’m just starting to use a lathe.

[@natemfjones3865]

I really like that set up , seems to make alot of sense ! Thanks for showing. I cant wait to get a lathe.

[@ROBRENZ]

Thanks nathanael and thanks for watching and commenting!

[@lwilton]

Thanks Robin. Making something that provides both rigidity and repeatability sure helps with interchangeable tool holders. As for the problem with reflections, that is something the theatrical makeup folk solved about a hundred and fifty years ago: face powder! :-)

[@ROBRENZ]

Thanks I wilton, I may try that and thanks for watching and commenting!

[@glmphoto]

wow. I've recognized the weak point but never would have thought of that on my own. great, informative video. thanks loads as always for your efforts and sharing.

[@ROBRENZ]

Thanks LEAF and thanks for watching and commenting!

[@RRINTHESHOP]

Very nice mod. You are so right about the compound being the weak link. Now I have to find a Hardinge.

[@ROBRENZ]

Thanks Randy and thanks for watching and commenting! ATB, Robin

[@Stephen1455]

Wow! I thought I was fussy, you reground the toolholders! I always took out the stud and cleaned/loctite and set for center each individual tool.

[@ROBRENZ]

There is even more to it than that. I will show in another video

[@Stephen1455]

Can't wait!!!

[@benchaloupka]

I wouldn't be surprised the hear that you've never had to advertise your services! You're that good!

[@ROBRENZ]

I am very blessed that I have never had to advertise.

[@Thunderbelch]

Great project & workmanship! Just a thought on the toolpost not staying straight on the topslide despite using Abom torque on the hold-down: perhaps the top of the t-nut needs to be ground down a bit. It could be a bit proud of the toolpost top surface once pulled up by the bolt, which means the toolpost is only clamped to the nut and not so much to the toolpost.

[@ROBRENZ]

Even when the problem you describe is not occurring, the tool post can be moved no matter how tight the bolt.

[@marcellemay7721]

That's a great setup for rigidity alone. Reliable Repeatability of the tool locations is a major time saver when doing production work. If the parts are not ending up at the correct diameter, you can almost guarantee that it's because of a worn insert. I would imagine that every tool has to have a very specific insert assigned to it, or the presets will be of no use. I love the idea, but man, I'm not that organized and I would need to invest at least another $1000 in QC tool holders. I'm not even sure if my DRO has memory for tool positions...I'll have to investigate that, I've never used that function if it does. I should at least look into it for my most commonly used tools. You gave me a lot to think about. Rigidity hasn't been a major problem on my Ikegai A20, but it's a large 20" swing lathe built like a tank, I always keep the compound locked down. I have had the tool post swing loose on occasion during heavy material removal though.... now I use a pipe on a wrench to tighten that sucker down. Your attention to detail and organization blows my mind...my OCD has got nothing on yours. ;)

[@ROBRENZ]

Thanks Marcel, good points and thanks for watching and commenting!

[@michaeltilse4233]

Great Idea! Thanks for the illustration and background thinking. I guess you have to re-zero your x axis once you reinstall, so all your tool holder offsets remain good.

[@OldIronShops]

very insightful on all the problems that the compound can cause . im certain there are many oxen among us here . i also like that rotary broach love to see how you made it .

[@sharkrivermachine]

Great idea! I have been working on a design to build new slides for my Atlas lathe. This gives me another design idea. Thank you.

[@ROBRENZ]

Thanks Steven and thanks for watching and commenting!

[@stxrynn]

Excellent project for increased rigidity. I saw Stefan Gotteswinter's take. Thank you for posting this.

[@glennfelpel9785]

Thank you, sure did appreciate the graphic of the tool post model as I could not quite understand the explanation without it. Great idea and excellent content.

[@ROBRENZ]

Thanks Glenn and thanks for watching and commenting!

[@anonymousgeorge4321]

Excellent! My compound has been driving me crazy, and now it's going.

[@ROBRENZ]

Thanks George and thanks for watching and commenting!

[@dasworkshop4967]

I can always count on you and Stefan Gotteswinter to satisfy my quest for precision in the home machine shop. I'll have to admit a bit of angst watching you semi-retire the singular feature I covet Hardinge lathes for, the compound threading retract. Once I saw the jaw dropping cutoff, well, I completely understand. Anyone who has parted off any metal immediately understood once they heard the cut.

[@ROBRENZ]

Thanks DASWorkshop and thanks for watching and commenting!

[@robertengl9152]

Another great video. Love the way you think and explain things.

[@ROBRENZ]

Thanks Robert and thanks for watching and commenting!

[@lorenlieder9789]

Great video and good way to keep all of your tooling memory in your DRO.

[@ROBRENZ]

Thanks Loren and thanks for watching and commenting!

[@kimber1958]

I hit the send button too soon but now I forgot what else I wanted to say thank you for your content I’m just figuring this whole thing out and I’ve only had my little mini leave for a couple months and I’m trying to document my learning through my channel and I’m learning from people like you thanks for being in her

[@kimber1958]

I can’t believe the balls that little lathe has now

[@aaronholstrom1971]

Great video. Can you show the construction and use of the tall post through the center of the tool post? How did you go about bluing and scraping the mounting points?

[@ROBRENZ]

Thanks Aaron, tha is just a grade 8 hex bolt with a small tapped hole in the top to hold the rod for the indicator mount. You will have to wait for me to do a scraping video for those details. Thanks for watching and commenting!

[@mgbrv8]

Wonderful! , I would love to see more of your rotary broach

[@ROBRENZ]

Thanks The Mechanist, it is on the list. Thanks for watching and commenting!

[@mrsnrub3712]

I always thought those tool post drill chucks were a bit silly. The concept was great, but the rigidity was lacking, at least, with a standard compound. This modification makes a lot of sense and stirs up some ideas. Coincidentally, I bought my HLV-H last year, just about the time you published this video. The more I use it, the more I find tweaks that need to be done. Since I do not have a DRO...yet...I do use the compound, but it is absolutely the weak link. In fact, my compound has a crack in it on the thin spot of the threading lever.

[@886014]

Excellent, thanks very much for that. It's something I really should do on my noodle, but was surprised would make much difference on such a nice lathe like you have. Some other good tips, so keep up the excellent work. It's always a good day when I see one of your videos have been published.

[@ROBRENZ]

Thanks Pete F and thanks for watching and commenting!

[@roleic7246]

You present an interesting albeit radical approach to increase rigidity. The manual of the original Swiss Multifix QCTP (e.g. used by Abom79 in his home shop) mentions that in case of high tangential loads the fixed part should be mounted using 2 dowel pins in addition to the big threaded post. That should take care of pushing the post away by tangential loads. The repeatability of the original Multifix is known to be excellent. Instead of removing the compound you could make it more rigid by using the tapered gib to lock it. Or with a straight gib tighten all lateral adjustment bolts to lock it down in order to increase the rigidity. Readjusting the gib is still quicker than putting the removed compound back in place. After those alternative, less radical methods your approach only has one advantage left which is the angled surfaces to make the chips fall away easily. In that respect your approach is really neat. A short bristled brush is the next best solution for those who don't want to blow the chips off.

[@ROBRENZ]

Thanks rol eic and thanks for watching and commenting.

[@MrJugsstein]

interesting demo with the cut off. thanks for the figures as well. The hard (mounted) man of machining Will

[@onewheeler]

Magnificent video, particularly the compound crank and the little details like no horizontal surfaces on the riser. Also I'm glad I'm not alone in battling compounds. I had the very problem you described when indicating a sine bar before cutting a very precise taper on a Rivett 1020. Ended up using the TA to get around it. So when you cut tapers, do you usually default to using the taper attachment and/or form tools?

[@ROBRENZ]

Thanks onewheeler, I use a lapped form tool but I don't do a lot of long tapers in my general work. Thanks for watching and commenting!

[@johnv341]

You have convinced me! Subscribed and looking forward to absorbing more of your shop wisdom.

[@ROBRENZ]

Thanks John and thanks for watching, subscribing and commenting!