Low profile part off tool?

Hey Y'all
I have a Femco HL-25 with the twin disk "Durga" turret. I am having a hard time getting a good part off blade for it. So far the only thing I have been able to fit in there with my OD tools in is a iscar self grip. I need a tool where the clamp does not protrude above the top of the shank. I am wanting to get a clamp style holder instead of the self grip style. I am open to all suggestions so let em fly.
Thanks
Dan

What size shank?

There are lots of low profile holders designed for Swiss type machines. Even Iscar has a Do-Grip with a smaller head size.

Then there are the 55 degree parallelogram types that screw in from the side. You can get those from Toshiba, Sandvik, Iscar, etc...

Also there is this tool from Utilis - http://www.genswiss.com/multideccut.htm

Almost forgot, Toshiba has a new three edge insert one with a flush head. - http://www.tungaloy.co.jp/ttj/english/products/pdf/346.pdf

Empire has their "Twin Bit" system - http://www.empiretool.com/twinbit.html

Dan,

I can get any of the Iscar grip range to work..SelfGrip, CutGrip, HeliGrip...

Sticking with the blade you could try a Do-Grip, Tang-Grip or a Penta-Cut. The Penta's have a limited diameter range for Cut off though. But you get 5 edges per insert.

Do-Grip - http://www.iscar.com/Ecat/familyHDR.asp/fnum/74/app/51/mapp/TG/GFSTYP/M/type/1/lang/EN

Tang-Grip - http://www.iscar.com/Ecat/familyHDR.asp/fnum/2447/app/51/mapp/TG/GFSTYP/M/type/1/lang/EN

Pentacut - http://www.iscar.com/Ecat/familyHDR.asp/fnum/1934/app/51/mapp/TG/GFSTYP/M/type/1/lang/EN

The clamp on these Do-Grip holders is reduced - http://www.iscar.com/Ecat/familyHDR.asp/fnum/991/app/51/mapp/TG/GFSTYP/M/type/1/lang/EN They are what we use in Swiss where you can't have the tool sticking out a mile.

We also use these - http://www.iscar.com/Ecat/familyHDR.asp/fnum/2407/app/51/mapp/TG/GFSTYP/M/type/1/lang/EN

And these - http://www.iscar.com/Ecat/familyHDR.asp/fnum/1864/app/51/mapp/TG/GFSTYP/M/type/1/lang/EN

We have the same problem on a lot of machines.The top of the clamping block covers the wedge screws in the turret so you can`t tighten the toolholder in.
Easy solution is to buy the clamp blocks with the removable clamp.Put the block in the turret tighten up then put the blade in the holder and replace the clamp.
All the manufacturers offer the block as a fixed or loose clamp version.
If I`ve completely missed your point here,sorry.
Mark.

What choice to go with depends first and foremost upon what diameters you are cutting off. The smaller the diameter, the more choices you'll have.

As someone else mentioned, the Pentacut has 5 edges per insert. Coromant (Sandvik) has a nice one that has 3 tips, and is designed in a way that even if you break off 2 tips, you can still use the third one. (The insert is nested differently than others in the holder.)

For bigger lathes where you need really deep grooves (or cutoff of big diameters), I like the Valenite VSG blades and inserts.

Mark McGrath said:

We have the same problem on a lot of machines.The top of the clamping block covers the wedge screws in the turret so you can`t tighten the toolholder in.
Easy solution is to buy the clamp blocks with the removable clamp.Put the block in the turret tighten up then put the blade in the holder and replace the clamp.
All the manufacturers offer the block as a fixed or loose clamp version.
If I`ve completely missed your point here,sorry.
Mark.

Click to expand...

Mark,

That is part of the problem. The Femco Durga has a cool twin turret arrangement that is different than anything I've ever seen on any other lathe. The OD and ID tools can index seperate from each other. It's like having two turrets in one. So the OD tools have to clear every ID tool position on the turret. The holders I linked to are lower profile than some of the others that Iscar makes. IOW, Iscar has some that will fit and a bunch that won't, but both the one that fits and the one that doesn't takes the same insert. Iscar's catalog is a mess, IMO.

The problem with most cut off tools with a clamp arrangement for holding the insert is that the clamp forces you to stick the tool way out in the X-axis direction. On any other lathe this isn't a problem but on the Femco it interferes with the ID tool holders since the OD tools index seperately from the ID tools and vice-versa.

But in my mind the advantages of the double turret probably outweigh any inconvenience. I always thought the Durga was a cool little lathe.

Thanks for the replies. I decided to try out a holder and seperate blade like wms has a pic of. Just sick of the those iscar bust-grips.