AndyF -- great to see a Rolls Royce lathe! Now that would be something to brag about in the workshop.
![:med:](https://madmodder.net/Smileys/default/meditationf.gif)
I realize that I had seen the wedging toolpost on the mikesworkshop site and was very impressed. It's very tempting to do that now, since I could simply make a new toolpost -- or maybe even modify the present one.
But I hesitate to do that because I do wonder if slitting the post reduces the overall toolpost stiffness. I think I wouldn't trade convenience for stiffness in this type of post -- it is already of smaller cross section than the commercial square dovetailed QC posts, like the ones that inspired this thread.
This brings up the point I'd like to make in general that though the post design I'm using is easy to fabricate, it is not the equivalent of a toolpost like Daveo has. It is going to be somewhat less stiff because the cross section is smaller, it is less massive, and it is not as quick to change (QC) since it requires a wrench, and commercial models have a built in lever and cam action. I sure can't change out a tool as fast as Doubleboost can in his videos.
However, this design is much better than the standard lantern style toolpost which came with my lathe, so I'm very happy with it. And it's nice to have something I made myself on the machine within my machining capabilities to produce. I'm not quite up to the precision fit dovetail level yet.
I like the wedging toolpost a lot, very tempted by that, since it allows multiple tools and is very quick change. On the other hand, now that I'm making a bunch of holders, the need to have a lot of lathe tools in a single holder seems less imperative. And another advantage to simplicity I can think of -- there's less to get cut on if there aren't tools sticking out in odd directions.