Rear toolpost for Chester craftsman

Hi can anyone help me I’m after a rear tool post for a Chester craftsman,been onto Chester

machines they don’t reply to emails when you ring them they don’t seem to know what a rear toolpost

is, I haven’t got a milling machine so can’t make one any help would be appreciated

thanks

steve

I made one for my Craftsman lathe using a piece of box tube and two pieces of 16mm plate [which were to hand ].

Just welded the whole lot together with a

few guides to hold the tool bits and a 12mm rod to fix it to the slot in the top slide. Nothing fancy, but it,s been working for the last few years. I dont think Chester do rear posts.

Dont need a milling machine to make one.

Warco sell a rear tool post which fits their 250 lathe, I know it has a tennon for the T slot but don't any sizes. Hemingway Tools also do a kit but how much work is involved again I don't know, sorry.

Could post a picture of my tool post, if it would help. Very easy to make, and better still, it works !

Could post a picture of my tool post, if it would help. Very easy to make, and better still, it works !

Could post a picture of my tool post, if it would help. Very easy to make, and better still, it works !

I'd like to see a picture of your rear toolpost please, I have a craftsman and was thinking of making one so it you be much appreciated.

I have totally given up going anywhere near Chester again, I think my lathe is great but wish I could have got it from somewhere else. Chester is an appalling company to deal with. My lathe came with a broken gib, they claimed they would send another one for free, and then nothing, and that was12th August 2020, they still ignore my emails. Given up with them a total shower. My bandsaw came from Warco and so probably will my milling machine when the time comes.

Look in my Albums. There are some pictures of mine.

I made a four way indexing back toolpost for my Engineers ToolRoom BL12 -24 (Which is a Craftsman / Warco BH600 clone. Look at Taiwanese lathes on Lathes UK! )

It started life as a length of steel, machined to 3 x 1 (Scrap at work! ) which was cut into lengths and laminated to make the Toolpost and the base.

One day, an article might appear in MEW detailing how it was made!

Howard

A good idea, but like a lot of Warco's other products, they're out of stock. I think you'll need their cross slide base plate to fit it. Waiting patiently for a replacement WM250.

I look forward to this. I wasn't clear from the photos how the indexing was achieved.

ega.

The indexing is absolutely basic.

Four dowel holes in the base, one dowel hole through the laminations of the toolpost, (The other three holes are occupied by Allen bolts that clamp the laminations together. )

Spring loading the dowel has been on the Round Tuit for many years- Don't hold your breath!

Unclamp the toolpost, lift dowel, index, refit dowel, clamp toolpost, cut.

It carries chamfering tools for front and back chamfering, and of course a parting tool; all mounted inverted.

It locates against the back of the Cross Slide with two dowels. It is clamped to the Cross Slide by a long T nut carrying two M8 studs.

This is why my Centre Height Gauge has two blades. One for tools in the Front post, and then other for tools in the Back one.

Whether the article ever appears would depend on Neil, and then the MTM graphics folk being able to change my drawings into something printable.

It must be the only time that I have ever made drawings, I usually work off a sketch on the back of an envelope, as I make it up as it goes along!

Howard

Howard

Thanks for taking the trouble to explain.

My own scaled up GHT-style RTP is only one way, at least at the moment, but I "got round" to adding spring-loaded indexing recently because I was finding it desirable to swivel the tool out of the way of the tailstock turret; indexing allows me to re-set the tool quickly and accurately.

Here is a picture of my rear toolpost but it was made for an M Type Drummond /Myford lathe but it can be modified to suit any lathe.

It is on dead center and is still using the original insert cutter after over a years use. If you want my drawings drip me a line and I will email them.

David