Lab Report: An improved cutter head mounting system with integrated dashpot

The need for a new suspension for our recently presented Presto MRC-16 modification project brought about yet another innovation from our R&D laboratory: The Agnew Analog Reference Instrument Type 6021 Lathe Suspension Toolpost!

Inspired by the toolposts used in metalworking lathes and improving upon the cutter head mounting system used by Neumann, the Type 6021 will accurately and rigidly hold any cutter head fitted with a suitable bar, including Neumann, Vinylium and FloKaSon heads, as well as any other head imaginable, through the use of our Series 1400 head mount adapter range.

It will even hold a metalworking lathe cutting tool with an appropriately dimensioned shank, should you get strange urges late at night when the moon is full....!

It all started with a solid block of aircraft grade aluminum alloy, prepared for machining.

While planning the machining operations, it was decided to machine a custom toolholder for a tiny boring tool, to enable internal turning of the dashpot on a lathe.

Finishing it off with a small chamfer, it was ready for its task. Half an hour later, a special tool had been ground and prepared for the boring operation.

Drilling a pilot hole to start with. This is one of those occasions when a long tailstock quill comes in handy!

Some serious chip production!

The boring part of the job... Actually, it was quite interesting, producing a good surface finish with no need for any additional operations. The toolholder and tool worked well. So, why not use this same system to hold a cutter head?

More chip... The thicker curls at the bottom are from the drilling and the thin curls on the top are from the turning.

Off to the milling machine to drill and tap the mounting holes.

Milling the slot... Kind of like the toolholder for the boring tool, but bigger... with a dashpot!

Edge detailing...

Marking the holes and drilling through...

Ready!

Stay tuned for the next episodes, where we will be covering the dashpot plunger with adjustable oil flow regulator, the depth of cut adjuster and many more custom parts.

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Should you need custom precision parts for your project, repair services, custom electronics, engineering consulting, or a complete disk mastering system, please feel free to inquire.