Unimat Lathe QCTP Tool Holders

[Paul Jones]

A few years ago I purchased a Quick Change Tool Post (QCTP) and several QCTP Tool Holders designed for use on Sherline and Unimat types of lathes (these are small lathes with approximately 3” swings). This year I decided to make more of the tool holders with the QCTP 60 degree slip-on dovetail design.

Pictured are a few of the ones I built. Shown is a tool holder for ¼” dia. solid carbide boring bars and grooving tools from Micro 100. This tool holder can also hold a sliding center punch used for layout work when using the indexing plate on the lathe headstock (see the HMT postings for adapting indexing plates to the Unimat). Another photo shows another tool holder for ½” dia. Cobalt HSS boring bars equipped with small diameter cutting edges.

All the tool holders are fabricated from 6061-T6 aluminum bar stock, height adjustment cap screws are 10-32, and 8-32 cap head screws for boring bar clamping screws. Also shown is a single 6-32 screw used to register the flat spot on the Micro 100 boring and grooving bars.

More photos and information about the Unimat modifications can be seen at http://www.homemadetools.net/lathe-modifications .