"Cuezilla" wrote:

I was looking at the Enco catalog and they have the Phase 11 [QCTP]
for $109. and $199.00 One is a piston type and the other wedge. Is
there a difference that should make me spend the extra money?

Yes there is a difference. The piston type pushes the holder away from the
post which means that load bearing only occurs on the relatively narrow
contact of the dovetails. The wedge type pulls the holder toward the post
which means that load bearing occurs on the wide flats as well as the
dovetails. The wedge type is an inherently stronger and more rigid design.
It is similar in operation to the dovetail slides and ways on mills, lathes,
etc. The only advantage to the post type is that it's cheaper to manufacture
(and hence cheaper to buy).

If you are planning to use a QCTP on a small hobby lathe with only very
light cuts, you'll probably never know the difference between the two types.
But to get the maximum rigidity required for heavy cuts, the wedge type is
definitely the way to go.


Should I not even be looking the these and go for something higher
quality?

I have a Phase II wedge-type QCTP and am quite satisfied with its
construction. Like all "cheap" import tooling, it's a little rough in
non-critical areas (like the inside bore of the center bushing), but it's
precise and well-finished where it counts and is certainly worth its price.
However you will want to replace all the socket set screws in the holders
with quality fasteners (they are M10x1.5 x 20mm); Chinese fasteners are
notoriously weak and poorly formed.

Sure you can buy a much higher quality US set made by Aloris or Dorian, but
do you really want to spend over $400 for this?


Also they come in a package with the main post and 5 holders. Is
the assortment any good or should I see if I can buy the post,
(I saw some on ebay) and then buy the holders I want.

Buy the complete set as a start and grow your holders from there. Just look
at the prices of the individual holders and do the math. It's much cheaper
to get those five holders as part of the set than it is to buy them
separately. If I recall, you'll save money even if you throw away two of the
five holders.


I know I will probably need more then what it comes with.

1. Get the set.
2. Work with it.
3. Figure out what additional holders you'll need.
4. Add to your collection.
5. Repeat step 4 until bankrupt.


Is Enco a pretty good place to buy? I live about 15 minutes
from MSC and they have them but they are a bit more there
for the same thing. Enco's price is a sale price though.

Enco is an excellent source for tooling. (No affiliation. But I have given
them a lot of business--including buying my QCTP set from them.) MSC is the
parent company of Enco...so no harm, no foul on that count. Enco has great
sales (and damn good regular prices too: their policy is to beat any other
retailer's price by 5%). Enco often features other promotions too like free
shipping (which I believe they are offering this month) which can be
combined with the sale price.

Those QCTP are on sale at Enco almost every month so don't feel pressured
into buying before you're ready.

Good luck!
Michael