Rocker & Quick-Change Tool Posts
Exploded view of a rocker-style tool post made from a standard tool post.
See manual rotary table.
Rocker allows adjustment of the
tool bit height. Uses a machined, steel rocker.
It has a 1½" diameter. Three rockers were cut from one turning.
Milled curve using a rotary table. Adjust tool height to
1¼" or just below.
Make a brass tool bit
height gauge to help set the tip at or just below 1¼".
Can be used for setting boring bar & cut-off tool heights, too.
Added 10-32 threaded ratchet levers (MSC)
to all tool posts. Made SS spacers that sit inside the counter-bored hole.
Used a brass washer & a length of 10-32 threaded rod. Did not chamfer bottom
of the rod; ground flat.
Then, permanently attached the
square nut on the flat rod end to eliminate turning.
Tightening now occurs only at the lever thread which is about 0.4" deep.
Top row: rocker & standard posts.
Bottom row: backside tool post, backside cut-off tool & boring bar holder.
Cut-off tool blade is used upside-down at the
backside. The tool works well & blade is easily re-sharpened.
Uses a standard 1/16" x ½" x
4" cut-off blade.
Superior to the ¼" x ¼"
shank cut-off tool bit.
All-steel construction.
Standard tool post modified to hold an
8mm indicator holder rod.
Quick-change Tool Post (QCTP)
by A2Z CNC.
A2Z CNC
quick-change tool post. Nicely finished, hard-anodized aluminum, CNC fabricated
& quality hardware.
Low price, quick-changes, pre-adjusted tool heights, very rigid design, ½"
cut-off blade, holders for up to 3/8" square tool bits & 3/8" diameter boring bars.
Tool bit can be held to the left of the cross slide allowing work on certain short/large
diameter shapes.
Relatively large size uses up space on an otherwise small machine. I used
molibdimum disulphide to
lightly lube the entire mechanism.
I replaced the original steel jam (locking) nuts with brass thumb nuts & added a
brass washer.
I have added a threaded ratchet
lever to eliminate the need for a hex driver. Used a ¼-20 threaded rod & a brass
washer.
I punched the bottom of the base thread so the rod does not pass all the way
through & damage the aluminum cross-slide.