Quick Change Tool Post for Raglan 5inch Lathe

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Meldonmech:

Andrew, I cast a couple of tool holders from a recent scrap melt which consisted of aluminium carpet thresholds which were surprisingly hard, and some old hard drive cases which contained some tiny copper coils. The resultant casting was so hard it blunted my HSS fly cutter and I had to use a carbide tool. The casting was also quite brittle. I dropped one tool holder I had finished and rather than a burr which I half expected, it had chipped the edge. The finish on this hard material looked almost polished, and was very reflective.
What form was the copper you applied to your melt, for instance was it filings? I think my melt may have contained too much copper. The percentage required is quite small.

Cheers David

vtsteam:
About 4% by weight copper would put it in line with the major copper-containing high strength non-tempered aluminum sand casting alloys. Increase in hardness seems to be from about 45 to about 60 Brinell.

I might try that today as the day's experiment...... :dremel:

(looks like it needs 6% silicon -- so a combination of piston and 6061 extrusion scrap I have here...)

Edit: here's the aluminum trial: http://madmodder.net/index.php/topic,10705.0.html

vtsteam:
Aluminum tool holders can certainly work. Here are some QCTP Norman style holders I made 9 years ago for the Gingery lathe. The regular 1/4" lathe tool holder held up well, but the deeper one that I used to hold a cutoff tool broke -- you can see the crack. Next to them is a raw casting. Pretty clear to me now both aluminum tool holders could have been made about 1/8" or more thicker on the bottom, and I doubt I'd have had the breakage problem.

I later made 8 tool holders from steel -- featured in a thread here. But I still use the aluminum holder -- they're all interchangeable.

krv3000:
good post

Zadig:
Great post, very interesting to watch develop.

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