After a recent project that required a lot of drilling, I decided I needed a better way of locking my tailstock in place. When I purchased my lathe it came with a 19mm wrench for locking the tailstock. It worked fine for occasional use, but was a pain when you needed to move the tailstock a lot. I considered making a cam lock tailstock, but they can’t provide the clamping force a wrench can.
Below is the solution I came up with, it’s a shortened 19mm reversible ratchet wrench. It’s as quick and easy to use as a cam lock mechanism, with the added benefit of producing a lot more torque. A short stiff spring between the base casting and the locking plate insures enough tension on the bolt to make the ratchet actuate.
I’m still waiting for some parts to arrive for my next project, so I’ve been spending my “goof off” time playing in cad. My latest project is this 1/2-20 bolt designed to class 2A tolerances. If you want to take a look at it in 3D you can download the RhinoCad file here.
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My latest Cad doodle, a CCGT 21.52 insert with 15 degess of back rake. I have no idea if it would actually work, but is was fun to design. If you want to take a look at it in 3D you can download the RhinoCad file here.
I ordered a bunch of boring bars the other day, but before I could use them I needed to figure out how to clamp them in the AXA holder. So how do you hold a 1/2″ boring bar with a holder designed for 3/4″ bars? With a sleeve of course. Sleeves are very easy to make; all you need is a lathe & a bandsaw.
My QCTP came with this 3/4″ boring bar holder but I have never used it.
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