DoN. Nichols wrote:

[...]

That's what your milling machine is for. :-)

After milling 8 t-nuts down to size over a whole afternoon I am wary of
doing the same to 15 or so very small parts when I can use one at a time :-)

[...]

What about if you use the middle screw, and make it a
particularly long one, with the knurled height-adjusting nut and the
locknut below the head but well above the holder? You'll have to
loosen the locknut and re-adjust the height nut anyway if you change
the tool bit in the holder, so that should not be a problem.

And you don't need the extreme overhang anyway -- just a
knurled nut large enough in diameter so it overlaps the side of the
toolpost. The overhang on that one would proably reach to the middle
of your holder, which is just air anyway. :-)

I can't seem to find the 1147 toolpost that the one with the
overhang fits anyway. :-) I wanted to see just what that screw was
supposed to touch.

I could not find it either. I am sure there are several ways to skin this
particular feline.

[ ... ]

It just occured to me that it might be simplest just to make a
separate toolpost just for the parting tool along the line of the
original Taig toolpost just with a shallower groove inclined at 8-10
degrees and half an inch wide to allow the use of commercial parting
blades *if* one parted at a single distance only. Is the groove on
the toolholder that holds the T-shaped parting tool shaped in any
special way or can one just get away with a rectangular profile?

The groove is a little deeper where the wider T-head is. Or the
slot is slightly tilted to fit the V-shaped parting tools, and this
works with the T-head ones as well.

But why make a separate toolpost -- just make a separate tool
holder to fit your existing toolpost.

OK. I suspect that the depth and width of the part of the slot that
accommodates the transverse portion of the 'T' is not critical - as long as
the vertical part of the T is snug against the side of the holder. This
should be doable even with my Kalashnikov-like skills.

I have two toolposts now:
1) the original Taig which clamps the tools into it directly - there are no
separate holders
2) The "auction" toolpost with many holders, none of which would take a 1/2"
parting tool from LMS. Each holder is 0.612 tall. Any taller and the height
adjustment will diminish significantly. OTOH It may be worth having a go and
make a slightly taller one but given the way the holders are milled to fit
the post it will not be a simple propostion - not in my hands, anyway.

The thought was simply to take an existing chunk of aluminium and mill a 10
degree inclined slot with a deeper portion near the top, drill and tap for
set screws and a central holding screw, make a posh handle like I made for
the Taig toolpost and voila!
However, if my daughter's guilt stretches to a LMS QCTP I shall be grinding
tops of the parting tool to get the rake. No point having a dog and barking
yourself.

BTW, in my studies I came across an interesting conversation from this forum
that you had about year 2000 with a gentleman called R. Bastow (sp?) who I
believe went under the pseudonym "tee-nut". It related to parting tools and
their use. He seemed to advocate a side relief ground in the top part of the
tee back from the cutting edge as well as the shallow v-groove along the top
like you mentioned earlier. Actually it was only then I grasped how it was
supposed to work but could not get to visualize the practicalities of making
such a feature. The nearest I got was clamping it in the mill vise and run a
pointy contersink along the top.

Interestingly, he never mentioned the top rake but at his stage of life he
may have been taking it as given. I read a few of his other posts and his
knowledge of the subject seemed encyclopaedic.

Talking about spirited threads, I have to mention another one that I came
across: Ed Huntress holding forth on grinding HSS tool bits in 2001. A
really well presented argument including extensive research showing
convincingly (to me anyway) how an oft repeated lie becomes the truth.

[...]

P.S. That 3" milling vise looks cute. A clone of the Kurt Anglock
style, but smaller and more affordable. Now if I could just
find a 2" of the same design for the Emco C5 mill (adaptation of
the mill column for the Compact-5 lathe, but with a heftier X-Y
table below it.

??? Which one? LMS?

This one:

http://littlemachineshop.com/products/product_view.php?view=classic&ProductID=3487


It showed up in the left sidebar yesterday. I had to search for it
today. They seem to move these things around.

Just like most supermarkets. I have got a 2" which looks similar but then I
would not know the subtle differences. All's I know that mine still lifts
things up a bit when tightened.

--
Michael Koblic
Campbell River, BC