Quick change tooling

Hi all,

I finally got round to taking a few snaps of some of my tailstock and lathe tool post quick change tooling. in my album if you want to view them all.

The tailstock tooling is made by Arrand engineering and it is beautifully made, I love using it as its so good at what it does. I don't do massive volume work but even setting up to do a short run of items is so much easier when I can just swap holders, moving from centre drill to live centre to morse taper drills and taps or dies.

The tool post is a genuine Swiss multifix which cost me an arm and a kidney but which again is a joy to use. I pick up holders as I find them and can always make use of them for some tooling. I can even leave the exotic stuff like spherical turning tools and knurls in place and set to centre height ready for immediate use.

Thanks for posting the photos; especially the Arrand Tooling

The Multifix has long been a 'object of desire' but that Arrand tailstock tooling joins the list. [am I right in assuming it's a Breech Lock arrangement?]

... Such a pity that Arrand is no longer with us.

MichaelG.

Edited By Michael Gilligan on 29/01/2016 13:51:47

Hi

The fitting at the top left of the first pic is interesting, wonder how you fit dovetails at right angles in to the storage block?

Only the faces are at right angles, the dovetail joins those faces directly, hence it slides

Nice tooling kit Tractor man; ...Like the multi fix system myself but have now a range of Dickson type holders... cuttings left in the tap ?

George.

Tractor man:

Thanks for the photos. I, too, would like to know the working principle of the Arrand tailstock tooling. Did it come with any drawings that you could share?

I like the look of the Arrand stuff but Google says it doesn't exist(!). How did you find it? Does it have some form of trade name?

.

1. Thanks
2. I fear so, but would be delighted if wrong [provided of course that 'new Arrand' keeps the same people making the same quality products; and isn't just a sale of the Brand]

MichaelG.

**LINK**

It is unclear whether they still exist, but they have never embraced the web so a phone call or letter may determine whether or not they are still extant. Very high quality stuff - I have a couple of their milling spindles and a boring head. i think the horizontal spindle that came with my Sharp mill was also an Arrand item but as they never seemed to mark anything it's hard to tell. The second milling spindle I bought was sold as home made!

Rod

Michael Gilligan:

"Breech Lock arrangement" - the lever does rather suggest this. Where's Ruby Loftus when you need her?

The best way I can describe the locking mechanism is that the tailstock tool holder has a circular hole with three lobes which mate with three similar holes on the tool carrier. Turning the handle takes the lobes of the holder behind the tool carrier ring, which is held from rotating by a silver steel pin. A thread mechanism advances the backplate of the tool holder a small amount to trap the tool carrier and hold it fast. A very stubby central taper ensures concentricity of the tool carrier and tailstock tool holder.

I will post a couple of photos to hopefully illustrate what I'm struggling to describe.

Mick

Does that make it any clearer? very accurate machining required to get this thing to be any good at all.

Thanks a lot for the extra photos, Mick

... Must keep an eye open for these !

I wouldn't have much hope of making them

MichaelG.

Tractor man:

Many thanks for taking the trouble to describe and illustrate the Arrand tooling.

My impression is that few of these were sold by the maker on account of the perceived high price and that fewer still are sold on by users because of their real worth. As to the difficulty of making, have you considered whether the individual carriers are too demanding for the ME to reproduce as opposed to the lever-operated holder which fits in the tailstock?

For many purposes this arrangement seems better than a tailstock turret.

Can you show the tailstock end? How is the rotating locking sleeve retained on the bit that fits into the M/T socket.

Regards Ian.

Very interesting thanks Tman, I have two questions: (1) Can you explain the purpose of the three small 'half-moon' notches in the segments of the outer body, and (2) In your description you say 'A thread mechanism advances the backplate of the tool holder a small amount to trap the tool carrier and hold it fast'. Can you explain this further / show a photo, please? I had imagined that the three tongues on the outer body (the part with the handle) 'cammed' or wedged behind the three wings on the tool holder to lock it solidly onto the taper. I could imagine a threaded ring on the main body that would be run up against the rear of the outer body to prevent it releasing through vibration.

Or is the fit so precise that there is no 'wedging' action, yet achieves sufficient rigidity?

Thanks, Roger

Edited By Roger Head on 30/01/2016 13:31:42