Need to Beef up your Lathe? Try a Gibraltar!

by John Viggers

Nothing beats a Gibraltar for a rigid toolholder. I machined mine from 120mm diameter mild steel. Check your scrap box and come up with a size that will work for your lathe. Remember, bigger is better!

When doing a job where I want the ultimate in rigidity, I use this holder to replace the tool post and tool post base, or the quick-change holder. The photos show it in use, cutting a faceplate.

I must confess, since this one was made in Oz I actually call it “Uluru.” Click here to see how I came up with this name.

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