RDG Myford Quick Change Tool Post

[Michael WildeParticipant @michaelwilde12011]

Hi folks, I’ve just got back from the Myford open day. They were doing 0 vat on tooling etc which got me looking round for their Dickson Quick Change Tool Post. Unfortunately it was still out of my price range at £150. I’ve seen the RDG version that looks very similar? Does anyone have one of these and care to comment on the quality? I wouldn’t expect it to be outstanding for less than half the price of the Myford unit (£65 new on Ebay). They look very similar in design, are the tool holders interchangeable?

[Michael WildeParticipant @michaelwilde12011]

Anyone have one and care to comment on quality?

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

I have bought holders from another regular advertiser in ME and found they needed a little work on them before they would fully seat on my original Dickson post, holders I have previously bought from Myford fitted fine.

 

The quality of the cheaper holders seems just as good as the proper job.

 

Jason

[John CParticipant @johnc47954]

Hi,

 I have an RDG and also a Myford tool holder. The RDG ones are good value but the quality has been known to vary – if you can get to the shop it would be worth having a look at a few sets.  I returned a set (a while ago, it must be said) with canted adjusting screws and it was replaced immediately with absolutely no quibble. The build quality of the Myford is better with slightly beefier adjusters, better fitting tool clamping screws and slightly less rotation to the cam lock operation – but it should be for an extra £100!  My RDG has done perfectly well and has survived a couple of serious jam ups.  When I get round to it I plan to replace the adjusters on the RDG but that’s all.  The holders that I have are interchangeable both ways – that is Myford tool holder on RDG bock and vice -versa –  but that may not be the case for every set.

It would be great to support Myford but if you didn’t buy their product anyway they have not lost out.  I would endorse the RDG version as good value for money and you could buy several extra toolholders with the price difference………

Rgds ,

John (no connection etc)

[mgjParticipant @mgj]

Generically I don’t think there is a problem, but spare toolholders has been my issue.

 

Some Chiwanese ones I have bought have been perfect and on some the compatible bevels has been not so compatible, and they have been prone to shake loose under vibration. OK for light duty like holding DTIs or bevel tools etc.

 

Having said that the ones that did fit properly have been perfect for several years.

 

The toolpost is genuine Myford Dickson and is not far off 30 years old – thats fine!

[KWILParticipant @kwil]

I have only one RDG copy that fitted properly, all the rest went back.  Myford ones are UK made, as for supporting Myford John, it is either support them or loose them. This means that the Spares support we expect from them would also go.

[John CParticipant @johnc47954]

Kwil, I support Myford plenty!  The OP stated that he didn’t buy their toolholder because it was out of his price range.  He didn’t not buy it because he thought the RDG ones were better value – he made the deciion that it was simply too expensive.  Therefore it makes no difference to Myford’s finances whether he uses the toolholder he has now or buys a different one.

John

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

MGJ if yours are loose I found that on some of my imported ones they were touching either side of the cam before the bevels were seated, quick touch on the linisher soon removed the offending metal. They all lock solidly now with now play and at five holders for about £50 I think they are good value.

 

Jason

[mgjParticipant @mgj]

Thanks Jason – I admit I didn’t look overcarefully, but I will this evening.

 

(On another note I took your recommendation . I’m just starting a Metre Maid and asked Helen Verral if she’d do the boiler. You’ve always said shes very good in copper. Delivery is 11 months which is OK)

[Rob ManleyParticipant @robmanley79788]

Does anyone know where i can get the Bison/Toolmex ones from?  All of a sudden they seemed to have dissapeared from the face of the earth.  I have heard stories of fettling having to be done before they fitted and really that seems to be silly but hey ho.

[Michael WildeParticipant @michaelwilde12011]

Thanks for all your replys!
I agree about supporting Myford, it was brilliant seeing the premesis on Thursday, it was different to what I was expecting. I thought I’d see massive production lines etc. In actual fact it was a bit like where I work! A normal workshop with a few bits racked up at the machines ready for attention. also seeing all the new machines (drool) was excellent, the craftsmen on hand to show techniques and answer questions was superb. I’ve promised myself a new Myford one day, but for now I’ll be very happy with my old ML7 I’ve just bought. I’m not going to go out and buy a rdg straight away, I’m going to sleep on it a bit, by that time I might have saved up sufficient to buy the Dickson!

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

Rob, Rotagrip do Dickson posts & holders, just make sure you are sitting down before looking

 

Jason

[KWILParticipant @kwil]

Toolmex have gone.  Rotagrip do Bison

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

Bison ones on rotagrip site

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

Bison ones on Rotagrip site, could not get them from the index

[John Stevenson 1Participant @johnstevenson1]

I hate the Dickson holders and their variants. I have a large one T2 or T3 on the TOS lathe and with all the sticky up bits i spend more time unravelling turnings off it that a little.

 

My smaller lathes have home made toolposts and holders on them and other than a small hight screw all the other screws are allen grub screws and hidden in the holder, result is nowhere for the turning to get wrapped up.

 

John S.

[John Stevenson 1Participant @johnstevenson1]

I hate the Dickson holders and their variants. I have a large one T2 or T3 on the TOS lathe and with all the sticky up bits i spend more time unravelling turnings off it that a little.

 

My smaller lathes have home made toolposts and holders on them and other than a small hight screw all the other screws are allen grub screws and hidden in the holder, result is nowhere for the turning to get wrapped up.

 

John S.

[Chris TriceParticipant @christrice43267]

I must confess, I love mine. I’ve got a genuine one with a selection of tools on my Super 7 and a cheaper clone set from Chronos which went on my ML10. The ones I have are fully interchangeable between kits and the only real giveaway is the unimportant back face of the cheaper toolholders is a rougher finish than the Dickson ones. My only beef with a couple of the cheaper ones, that is easily fixed, is the allen screw which locks the height adjuster in place isn’t long enough or the thread it engages with doesn’t go all the way through the knurled adjuster and it tightens up before doing the job it’s intended to do. Considering the set was at least half the price of the Dickson item, and as much as I love and admire Myford tooling, I’m not completely immune to ‘market forces’ and so far the cheaper ones have proved fine.

Edited By Chris Trice on 19/04/2010 00:56:53

[KWILParticipant @kwil]

The other giveaway is that genuine ones have an engraved “W” on the backface.

[Rob ManleyParticipant @robmanley79788]

Ouch, i see what you mean.  I think i remember buying a bison set with toolpost and three holders for that amount!  But, you cant argue with the quality of them – they are superb.  Still, at least i didnt buy a multifix system – over £200 for a toolpost! 

-firmly sat down. 

[David Clark 13Participant @davidclark13]

Hi There

I have both, a cheap set and the Myford set.

The cheap set were covered in knocks and dents.

I used a file on them to deburr them all over.

I have since bought a couple of Myford sets and am very pleased with them,.

I got back from the Myford show yesterday having purchased another 4 tool holders.

The cheap set will be on EBay soon.

 

Myford have recently released a back toolholder that takes a standard inserted tip blade.

They are not cheap, and neither is the blade but the operator was demonstrating parting off with one of these, 1in. bar at 1000 revs or so.

 

With the Myford rear tool block, it only has one dovetail for tools. I think it is better to get a spare twin dovetail block to fit at the back.

That way, you can use the side for parting and the front face for chamfering or boring.

 

regards David

 

 

 

Edited By David Clark 1 on 19/04/2010 17:53:07

[Michael WildeParticipant @michaelwilde12011]

Hi David, I saw you on Thursday and was meaning to stop and chat but everytime I was passing you were engrossed in conversation! It was a great day, I dragged my dad along with me and he seemed to enjoy it too. I couldn’t believe the amount of pre-owned equipment that sold in the 5 or so hours I was there!

Unfortunately I’ve done the dirty and bought an RGD tool post today, all I could afford after the lathe purchase. Best get my Chester DB10Vs sold! Advertised on this site.
I intend on using this RGD toolpost for a bit, saving up and buying a myford version (maybe next open day) and then making a rear tool post to fit the RGD to.

Would this work ok with the rotation of the work trying to lift the tool holder up?

Mike

[TerrydParticipant @terryd72465]

I personally don’t bother with the Dickson type toolpost.  I am quite happy to use known shims and find it takes very little longer to set up my tools using these. Sometimes I find shimming quicker and more reliable. No screws to slip or re adjust.  Once I have set up a tool i keep the shims together with it as a dedicated set and usually just stone my HSS tools to keep them ultra sharp.

 

I’ve never had a problem with a getting a good finish on the correct quality steel for the job.  I also find the finish from well ground HSS to be at least comparable with Carbide, without the grinding problems or expense of replaceable tips.  Carbide tools are great for high rate stock removal and high temperature production operation, but we are hobby engineers mostly with a little time to enjoy the nuances of the hobby. 

 

Phew I’m glad I got That off my chest.  Grumpy Old Men – Tschk!! – they have nothing on me!!!! 

 

Terry

[Michael WildeParticipant @michaelwilde12011]

I too am a great believer of HSS over carbide in the home workshop. It’s cheaper and easier to sharpen (no special ‘green grit’ wheels etc). I’ve just made a mini boring bar from a broken 5mm hss drill following Harold Halls’ advice.

 

Incidentally,  the drill was marked ‘HSSE’. What does the ‘E’ stand for?

 

 I’ve got a set of brazed carbide tools that have had very little use, maybe just the 45 degree for chamfering most commonly. I’ve a sandvick tipped tool for the odd occasion when some serious ploughing is needed or the material’s tough.

 

I like the quick change tool holder for the ease of tool height setting. I’ve made a lathe centre height post to David Clarks’ design in MEW and use this for setting tools to height. 

[Michael WildeParticipant @michaelwilde12011]

Well I got my RGD version today, I took it to work for something to do while my machine was doing it’s roughing cycle (7 hrs!). I say something to do because every component needed de-burring, I also stripped the main block, cleaned it up, removed a bit of gritty stuff and (off?) grease from the plunger that’s actuated by the ‘cams’. Everything was then de-burred, greased up the internals and built back up. The box was a bit smashed up as received, but it came with adequate packing for this to NOT occur! (shredded paper inside the wooden toolpost box and the box wrapped thoroughly in cardboard). Obviously been shipped from the east and been aloud to bang around. Some of the holders and the block were bruised here and there but nothing a diamond Lapp couldn’t sort out. The components wern’t seriously smashed up, nothing to warrant sending the toolpost back anyway. Just a little annoying. You get what you pay for I suppose. As far as functionality goes, it’s early days yet but all the holders seem to locate ok, nice and solid. I’ve managed to steal an hour in the garage this evening, fitted the toolpost and machined some acrylic for some new oilers (see my photos). All seems ok so far. I think if I buy more holders it’ll be the Myford items, especially the “Piddington?” holders. Then eventually I’ll buy a Myford main block and heypresto! A Myford quick change tool post set up.

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