I just bought my first lathe, which is a Rivett 1020S, Serial Number
225, and it was manufactured December 11, 1952.

My lathe has the taper attachment but it's missing the following
Rocker and Tool Post parts on top of it:

· Tool Post Screw (1020R-9-639)
· Tool Post (1020R-9-733)
· Rocker Collar (1020R-9-192)
· Rocker Base (1020R-9-116)
· Tee Bock (1020R-9-133)

I need to decide if I should just buy some off the shelf attachment
(because it's cheaper and/or has more features) or to have the parts
fabricated.

What is your opinion?

I bought all the manuals for it from Tony at (lathes.co.uk) and if I
decide to fabricate them it will help if someone happens to have some
of the key measurements for these parts.

For example:

· Diameter and height of the Rocker Base and Rocker Collar; it looks
like the Rocker Collar is convex on the bottom and fits into the
concave top of the Rocker Base-is this true, and what's the purpose
of that?...is the Rocker Base secured to the Tee Block? It also
appears that the Tool Post passes through a bored center hole in the
Rocker Collar and Rocker Base, but it's hard to see if it's
attached to the Tee Block or just how it's secured below the Rocker
Base.
· What is the height of the Tool Post, and the width height of the
channel cut through the middle of it.
· What is the size of the Tool Post Screw?

Thanks in advance for your help.

Mark Main
North Branch, MN USA

Mark Main wrote:

I just bought my first lathe, which is a Rivett 1020S, Serial Number
225, and it was manufactured December 11, 1952.

My lathe has the taper attachment but it's missing the following
Rocker and Tool Post parts on top of it:

· Tool Post Screw (1020R-9-639)
· Tool Post (1020R-9-733)
· Rocker Collar (1020R-9-192)
· Rocker Base (1020R-9-116)
· Tee Bock (1020R-9-133)

I need to decide if I should just buy some off the shelf attachment
(because it's cheaper and/or has more features) or to have the parts
fabricated.

What is your opinion?

I bought all the manuals for it from Tony at (lathes.co.uk) and if I
decide to fabricate them it will help if someone happens to have some
of the key measurements for these parts.

For example:

· Diameter and height of the Rocker Base and Rocker Collar; it looks
like the Rocker Collar is convex on the bottom and fits into the
concave top of the Rocker Base-is this true, and what's the purpose
of that?...is the Rocker Base secured to the Tee Block? It also
appears that the Tool Post passes through a bored center hole in the
Rocker Collar and Rocker Base, but it's hard to see if it's
attached to the Tee Block or just how it's secured below the Rocker
Base.
· What is the height of the Tool Post, and the width height of the
channel cut through the middle of it.
· What is the size of the Tool Post Screw?

Thanks in advance for your help.

Mark Main
North Branch, MN USA

Rocker tool posts allow you to set the tool point on center height
without having to resort to shims. The toolholder sits upon the base,
which sits upon the concave collar. When the toolpost screw is tightened
the whole assembly is clamped together to the compound. The post is
retained in the tee by a plate with a hole in its middle. The toolpost
has a larger section at it's base to match.
www.grizzly.com item H6014 is under US $50


You got a pretty kick-ass lathe as a first lathe.

For what its worth, most guys that are serious at all tend to fire the
rocker tool posts into the tool drawer and replace it with a quick
change tool post of some sort, usually as good a one as budget or luck
allows. (find prices on new Multi-fix toolposts, and you'll understand
about the luck comment) Rocker toolposts are not the most rigid setup
available but they have been used succesfully for a long time.

If you want an original rocker toolpost to complete the set, as it
were, then you should get familiar with as many used tool dealers as you
can, as well as Ebay. If you wish one to use, the forgings used to be
available for the Armstrong brand rocker toolposts. They were one of the
more common toolposts out there, and while the completely machined ones
are very expensive new,the forgings are pretty reasonable. Or you just
buy a complete used rocker toolpost from a dealer or Ebay and skip most
of the work for about the same price. Likely is that you will have to
machine the plate that fits to the tee slot on the compound. Normally
the plate provided with the new units must be fitted in this way, so
this is no hardship.

Cheers
Trevor Jones

....
Mark Main
North Branch, MN USA

Mark, I live about 2 hours away from you: Dassel,MN. I've been there for
Jesse James days a few times. You got one fine lathe there. If you really
want a rocker tool post, I've got a couple you could have for free. (If I
can find them, they are in with the metal scrap) That's a little more than
they are worth Grin

Get yourself an Aloris size B tool post and holders for that machine. One
saying I've heard, "You buy the machine again when getting all the tooling."
Tooling ain't cheap, but you want good stuff to go with that excellent
lathe.

Karl