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O/T Attempted repair of a frozen Aloris Too lpost

texasgeartrain

Titanium
Joined
Feb 23, 2016
Location
Houston, TX
In shopping around for Aloris CA stuff, I came across this Aloris CA tool post listed as "frozen, for parts or repair only". Do to the price, $157 total to my door, I'd thought I'd gamble that I could fix it.

After placing the order I had a touch of buyers remorse. What's wrong with me ? Am I the patron saint of wrecked tools ? I swear, if its frozen, broken, or otherwise scrap metal, I think: Yeah ! I gotta have that !

As you guys tend to hang out here, I'm guessing it might be a common condition.

Reminds me of a conversation on these forums a few years ago. When I suggested the possibility of repairing machines for resale. Swatkins said, "become a hotdog vendor, go sell hot dogs, you'll make more money."

Knowing the time I put into some machines, he ain't wrong, lol.

With that in mind, as a fun exercise. I figured I'll see if I paid $157 dollars for a 21 lb paper weight. And how much time I may put into it for victory or defeat.

Edit: #%*2@^* sob, can't edit title. Now I have to look at that everytime I post, lol
 
Having done research on wedge type tool posts prior to buying any, I had an idea of what the working parts were.

I'd say think of it as a 2 jaw scroll chuck. Four main components: The main body, the jaws(wedges), the scroll, and a retaining bolt to hold scroll into place.

For a related visual of what parts look like, I stole this pic:

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To give that person credit, here's their link and story:
Purchased a Bostar AXA wedge QCTP from CDCO -

The Home Shop Machinist & Machinist's Workshop Magazine's BBS
 
Day 1

Received it in. Gave it a visual inspection.

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It had obvious use. Some minor dings to unimportant areas. The post body and one wedge appear to have contacted work or chuck, but not heavy damage.

Also a shop or personal engraving on data tag side.

Contact areas for tool holders on both wedges and body look pretty good.

184.jpg 186.jpg 187.jpg 190.jpg
 
The tee bolt I consider a push on time. Any tool post I would need to cut and fit, so I won't count time on it.

A previous owner put a bead of weld down two sides of tee nut. Just removing those welds will put me real close to that upper dimension. I need to remove some material from lower dimension.

191.jpg 192.jpg
 
Still day 1

Looking down the threaded hole for tool post handle, as well as the bottom of jaws. The type of crude I saw, made me think coolant was used on whatever machine this was on, and used often.

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Setting it up in vice. I can see distortion on slots for retaining bolt. Someone tried to get it apart.

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Screwing in the handle for tool post, its taking an eccentric arc while turning. The threads on handle are bent.

Worse, with just a little effort, I can straighten it. It's 5/8 fine thread. If I can bend it this easy, I know the threads on handle are cracked. It will break soon.

I soaked tool post down with penetrant. The wedge jaws are not froze, I can move them a little.

The scroll and retaining bolt are froze solid. I dropped the whole thing in a bucket of mineral spirits for a few hours. Returned, and tried to free it. No good. I used a piece of flat bar in the spanner slots, with a big cresant wrench on it. Won't move, bent the flat bar, lol.

End day 1. Two hours invested.

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Screwing in the handle for tool post, its taking an eccentric arc while turning. The threads on handle are bent.

Worse, with just a little effort, I can straighten it. It's 5/8 fine thread. If I can bend it this easy, I know the threads on handle are cracked. It will break soon.

I'm not that familiar with the "C" series of tool post, but 5/8" on the handle? Seems a little large. Anyway, thread a rod to fit the socket and set the handle aside. You don't want extra work digging out a spud when it finally breaks.

I think that penetrating oil is going to be your friend here.
 
Here are some diagrams that might be of use to you:

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I ended up making a TOOL custom fit in the DA slot - and big enough to bore thru cross wise for a 1 1/4" cheater bar

Also important was holding the body in a 14" vise bolted to my 8700 Lb shaper.

But most important of all was rigging the tool and block so it was impossible for the tool to back out of the slots
 
Not sure if Aloris are but I have an import model and the center retaining tube was left hand threaded.

Good luck
 
Not sure if Aloris are but I have an import model and the center retaining tube was left hand threaded.

This would be an interesting thing to investigate. The one shown looks to have only been turned for a right-handed thread. If they ARE left-hand threaded, opening it up may be simpler than thought.

Not that it is the gospel, but the drawing of the patent shows that part with a right-handed thread.
 
If it is gummed up with dried coolant I suggest soaking in boiling water. That worked for me when I had a seized up Tenthset boring head.
 
I'm not that familiar with the "C" series of tool post, but 5/8" on the handle? Seems a little large. Anyway, thread a rod to fit the socket and set the handle aside. You don't want extra work digging out a spud when it finally breaks.

I think that penetrating oil is going to be your friend here.

You know, it would have been really cool if you could have communicated that earlier. And thanks for the kiss of death by the way, :D.

203.jpg

Yeah, it is 5/8", I had measured it at the home shop. And I know, I know, lol, I really know. . . When I could straighten it up without a cheater pipe, well yeah.

At home I didn't have other options on hand, and was impatient, but I didn't break it then. I drug it up to work with me on day 2. We have nut and bolt bins up to 3/4". But having a brain fart, I grabbed the handle and ripped it right off, lol.

Luckily the threads on both sides were pretty nice, I tapped one edge with a chisel, then spun it out by hand.

Like the tee nut, I'm placing it to the side for now. If the main tool post turns out usable, then I'll repair or replace.

But in thinking ahead, if you look in 2nd pic, the base of handle is pretty thick. Now the material seems pretty hard, not sure if it will drill and tap. But if it can, I'm thinking I might chop the threaded portion of that grade 8 bolt off, screw and loctite it half way into handle.

204.jpg

If that don't work out, I may make my own from scratch. Or at worst I can buy it for $55 from Aloris:
Handles for CA

Awesome patent drawings btw. And holy cow, I would never have guessed 1957 and 1961. I really thought it was a more modern design.
 
I ended up making a TOOL custom fit in the DA slot - and big enough to bore thru cross wise for a 1 1/4" cheater bar

Also important was holding the body in a 14" vise bolted to my 8700 Lb shaper.

But most important of all was rigging the tool and block so it was impossible for the tool to back out of the slots

You obviously really know, haha. I will have more pics later, but yeah, trying to hold downward force on whatever tool in that spanner slot, while trying to put a little ass into pulling. . . Well you know the tooling keeps wanting to pop out. And everytime it does, that slot is a little more damaged and unfriendly.
 
Not sure if Aloris are but I have an import model and the center retaining tube was left hand threaded.

Good luck

Seems no one has mentioned using HEAT...is that forbidden? Just wondering why.
(Love those patent drawings!)

PMc

To answer BDRetz and Mcload simultanious, as I had a major concern, that runs in hand with your thoughts.

I didn't save the link, and I couldn't even tell you how I found it. I do a lot of reading, on a bunch of stuff, and my memory is not always crisp, lol.

But in researching tool posts and repairs. I came across a thread, where atleast one comment, the guy had stripped his threads on retaining bolt. And I don't think he was the poster of the thread, but commented.

Not Knowing where its froze at, and looking at bottom side. My guess is the threaded portion of bolt to be thin. Besides stripping the threads, I was concerned about totally snapping it off. I can tell you I did try turning both ways, not so much on thinking it was reverse threads, but trying to break whatever corrosion free.

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I do have updates and more pics, but need some time to get them posted, probably later this evening.
 
Here is my tool. Been years ago, but I suppose threads in blind hole were used in restraining tool from exiting slots

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You obviously really know, haha. I will have more pics later, but yeah, trying to hold downward force on whatever tool in that spanner slot, while trying to put a little ass into pulling. . . Well you know the tooling keeps wanting to pop out. And everytime it does, that slot is a little more damaged and unfriendly.
 








 
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