Dorian SQCTP

[plasmaman]

Asian tool blocks (everything from China) uses ISO fasteners, but Dorian & Aloris use ANSI screws. One will sometimes force fit into the other but that rarely works well.

+1

All my Aloris & Dorian blocks have the threaded collar instead of the hex nut. They are much easier to use & never move by accident.

More language barrriers!
ISO = metric
ANSI = UNC/UNF
right?

Yes, the clone toolholders I have use M10 setscrews. I don't have experience of quality holders such as Dorian and Aloris, but guess that they use UNC threads as they are made in US.
These M10 stainless dog point screws are a straight replacement for the metric screws that are supplied in the asian clone holders and are light years better.
I guess you won't need to replace the screws in the US made holders as I am sure they will be of much better quality (and the M10s don't fit!)
john

 

[precisionworks]

More language barrriers!
ISO = metric
ANSI = UNC/UNF
right?

Exactly

you won't need to replace the screws in the US made holders

New holders don't need replacement screws but used ones often do. I picked up 32 new grub screws for the last 8 holders that were purchased - most of those screws were pretty sorry. Also replaced all 8 height adjustment screws with new Allen set screws that are longer than standard, as most of my holders sit low on the tool post - 14" swing is close to the bottom end of the CXA range for center height.

 

[darkzero]

I decided to stick with my clone toolholders (I have 10 and need a few more). My biggest beef with these is the totally crappy set screws they use. The allen/hex socket is awful, sometimes undersized, soft,not centred, etc etc

I agree. The stock set screws in my clone holders are just as you described. Some varied in length & my biggest gripe were the off center hex socket & sloppy threads.

I also replaced all of my set screws with hardware from Mcmaster. Aside from the crappy quality, two reasons why I change them, one is because of the hex size. All the bolts on my lathe are metric so I keep a metric hex handle set nearby. I have the same manufacture holders as my AXAs but strangely the M10 set screws on the BXAs have 3/16" hex sockets. It's annoying having to keep an additional 3/16" hex handle around.

I found this very odd & have only encountered one other time that I had a metric/sae combo on a bolt. Generally a M10 set screw should have a 5mm hex socket but these sure enough have a 3/16" hex socket. A 5mm hex is way too loose & even the 3/16" is not a force tight fit.

Secondly, I also sand down the sharp cup points on at the set screws which gets old everytime I buy more holders. I hate sharp cup point set screws digging into my tools especially on boring bars which get adjusted frequently. With the replacements I now have better fitting screws, 5mm hex socket, & no need to sand down the cup points.

I wish I could afford all Dorian holders but that would take me a lifetime just to get how many clone holders I have now. I have two Dorian holders now & I can tell they are much harder than the clone holders much like how my Dorian tools are much harder than some other tools I have. Makes me wonder if the clone holders are even hardened at all.

 

[precisionworks]

I wish I could afford all Dorian holders

There are more used Aloris & Dorian holders than you can imagine, both on eBay and on used tooling sites.

The six holders above (four Aloris & two Dorian, all CXA-1) cost $85.00 at http://www.shop.yourtoolingstore.com/main.sc . All these are "experienced" tool holders, meaning they needed new screws or height adjusters, cleaning & a touch of Brownell's cold blue ... but you can't beat $14.16 each

He has more in stock (individually) for $34.99, and will try to make a deal if you want more than one.

 

[unterhausen]

I guess it's too much to hope that he might have BXA toolholders hidden in the back somewhere?

 

[darkzero]

I guess it's too much to hope that he might have BXA toolholders hidden in the back somewhere?

Yup, man, wouldn't that be a treat.

I've kept my eye out for Dorian BXA holders on ebay but they don't pop out too often so even at used prices it seems it would take me way too long to aquire a nice collection of them. It seems the DA & CXA size pop out all the time.

a touch of Brownell's cold blue

Do they really touch up well? I tried touching up some clone holders before & the Brownell's didn't do a damn thing no matter how good or what I cleaned them with. It only seems to be effective on absolutely bare steel.

Does the Brownell's 44/40 formula work any better? I have the Dicropan stuff.

 

[precisionworks]

Do they really touch up well?

All my used Aloris & Dorian blocks needed some TLC ... sometimes quite a lot of TLC Both the Dorian CXA-1 holders are very old, having no roll stamping at all, just a faint etching along the bottom face - they colored perfectly. As did everything Aloris. I've never tried the cold blue on any Chinese holders, as there are no longer any in the shop.

 

[darkzero]

Hope you don't mind me posting here, didn't want to create a new thread. Wanted to share this deal.

My current largest boring bar is a solid carbide 3/4" x 10" SCLCR-3 but I needed something a bit more heavier duty to use negative inserts. Scored a brand new Kenametal 1" x 12" MCLCR-4 & was using it with a common boring bar holder.

Some time ago I scored a practically unused Dorian HD boring bar holder which I've been using the 3/4" bar in.

I really like the Dorian holder since I don't really have to mess with alignment everytime I adjust the bar. So I was looking to buy another one for the 1" bar even if that meant paying full price on it. I came across a $30 discount code for this place called Zoro Tools, they had the holder listed for $102.25 plus free shipping. I took a chance and ordered it for $72.25 shipped. Took just over a week to ship it but once it did I received it the next day.

Sure enough, I got the holder I was looking for & at an excellent price. Only $20 more than what I paid for the first one & this one was brand new.

I'm not sure when/if the coupon code is expired, I think they allow a discount to be applied only once per customer. The $30 code is FOX312. Hopefully it might still work if anyone is interested. I tried to apply it again today & it came up invalid for me.

 

[wquiles]

I'm not sure when/if the coupon code is expired, I think they allow a discount to be applied only once per customer. The $30 code is FOX312. Hopefully it might still work if anyone is interested. I tried to apply it again today & it came up invalid for me.

I tried today and it no longer works, however, thanks to the "magic" of Google, I found another one "snowday" which takes $15 off (over $100) and also ships free. I used it to buy a Dorian D30BXA-7-71C:

Like you, I already have one, which I use with my super sharp carbide-tipped cutoff bar (fantastic for Delrin due to being supper sharp), but I needed a second holder for a thinner cut-off bar I recently bought (ISCAR 19-1):

I have been "hunting" for that Dorian holder for months, and not only Zoro Tools had the Dorian holder cheaper than everyone else by a good $25-30, but with the extra $15 off (snowday) and free shipping, it was easily the BEST deal I have found, so I pulled the trigger

Thanks much,
Will

 

[darkzero]

No problemo Will, glad you scored too!

Funny, I have that same 7-71C holder as you that I got the same week I got the first Dorian boring bar holder. But I never got around to getting a parting blade for it. The last one I had that actually would fit it I gave to my brother with the 8X14. I love using the Manchester parting tools so much that I haven't wanted to try anything else.

 

[wquiles]

I love using the Manchester parting tools so much that I haven't wanted to try anything else.

I am the same exact way with the Iscar Do-Grip stuff. The inserts have a very unique shape/chip breaker that folds the cut metal inward so that the width of the chip is narrower than the slot in which they came from, which makes for a much smaller change of chips getting in the way and jamming things up

Will

 

[darkzero]

I know what you mean. It's a great feature & you can really tell the difference. I often would rather use the parting tool than the bandsaw as much as I can, much quicker for those days I don't feel like waiting around. And at my rate, the inserts last me a very long time.

 

[precisionworks]

Parting off with a 10" or smaller machine is questionable at best. A 12" machine with good tooling does a nice job. IMO the most important point to remember is that narrower is better. For my 14" machine a 2.3mm (.093") insert is the maximum useful size. As long as the lubricator is pointed directly down at the insert the parting off goes well.

Some people get into trouble when the insert breaks through the inner wall, jams, breaks the insert, etc. Stopping the machine before breakthrough will eliminate this & a band saw or hack saw can finish the cut.

 

[unterhausen]

I use the carbide cutoff blades for that reason, I'd always be breaking inserts. The blades are less than $20 and you can grind off the part that you just broke by pushing too hard when it breaks through. Although if I was parting off something expensive, I'd probably want to use a tool with inserts and go slow.

Back when I used a 9" Southbend, parting off was the most annoying aspect of any job. With the 13" lathe I have now, the grip on the part is almost always the weakest link, but I generally have no problems unless I'm careless.