Adapting a more modern tool post to an old lathe

The old lantern style post on the SouthBend kinda sucks.  Happily I was gifted a tool post from my FSAE team as they were clearing out some of their old tools and I was in the right place at the right time.  Now I'm wondering how best to modify this thing.  I don't really have a mill in order to cut it down.  I could potentially cut a new t-nut in the lathe?  I can't really find anyplace selling anything new (because the lathe is older than my father, so of course I can't) and stuff on eBay doesn't give any dimensions
Are there other options?

SouthBend Measurements:

What's gotta change:

New toy:

Do you have a 4 jaw? If yes, you can cut one on a lathe. Some of the eBay vendors do list dimensions for T nuts and some will also custom cut one.

What is the bittom thread on the tool post? You should be able to trust just buying by south bend, swing, and thread.

I had one that was too big and I trimmed it down with the 4 jaw, which was much easier than starting from scratch.

Edit: did you get tool holders that go with that post? If not, buying a set will come with a new post and hardware. The sets are cheap.

Have you investigated the possibility of drilling and tapping the t-nut that's in the lathe now to accept the new post?

McMaster-Carr sells t-nuts in different sizes so that might be an option.

What size stud is it? I'll check my inventory, if I have any stock of a suitable size I can mill it up for ya.

Just checked. Closest I have is a strip of .75"x1.3"x3" scrap steel.

In reply to Brotus7 :

I'd really appreciate that.

The stud is 5/8" diameter, but looking at the bottom I'm not sure it actually has threads there or if it was welded on or what.  I'll take pics later, I'm headed out the door. 

I have the same issue years ago when I did this to my Logan lathe.  The "T" nut that came with the tool post was harden and not very machineable so I just made up one from steel scrap. A piece of flat plate that I cut to fit the wider part of the nut and the another to fit the slot. I welded them together and then drilled and tapped for the hold down bolt. It's been about 20 years and it works fine.  

I know it kinda defeats the purpose of owning machine tools, but this might do the trick for you too.

Fleabay

Aren't you pretty close to Daytona? I'd be happy to cut that down on the Bridgeport if I ever find some free time. 

Tom Suddard said:

Aren't you pretty close to Daytona? I'd be happy to cut that down on the Bridgeport if I ever find some free time. 

I'm just outside of Tampa, however Mom is in Palm Coast, so I could swing by when I go to visit her next.  Not sure when that will be, though.
We can talk about it and figure it out

APEowner said:

Have you investigated the possibility of drilling and tapping the t-nut that's in the lathe now to accept the new post?

Unfortunately, it won't work.  Here's the lantern style.

In reply to Mr_Asa :

I both love those things for their simplicity but hate them for how hard they are to get in the right spot. 

I cut the T nut for my quick change with an angle grinder and a cutoff wheel.

If you take your time, it will be accurate enough to get the job done. I didn't bother to remake mine even after I bought a mill.

Mr_Asa said:

APEowner said:

Have you investigated the possibility of drilling and tapping the t-nut that's in the lathe now to accept the new post?

Unfortunately, it won't work.  Here's the lantern style.

Rats.  I haven't used a lantern style in a couple of decades and I forgot that's how they're made.

If you can't come up with something let me know and I'll make a T-nut for you.  You just need to pay shipping from Albuquerque.

In reply to APEowner :

I'm honestly thinking I'll either turn something myself or just weld or braze something together 

Gods I hate this.  My tools are E36 M3 right now.  So frustrating that this would be so easy with the good tool post.

"Halfway" through it though.  Little past the second pic shown.

That looks smarter than what I did. I did offset cuts and ended up with a football shape in the middle.

In reply to matthewmcl :

I'm basically following this guy's video

I teach the kiddies how to set up the old school lantern tool posts.

Mainly because when I came to the school, the kiddies would right shatter the carbide cutter, not notice, and continue machining their project with the tool holder.

I can sharpen a whole hoard of HSS cutters before I even come close to how many carbide they'd go through.

At home: Carbide in a quick change, all the way.

I almost got really REALLY pissed off at myself.
Had the cutting tool in the wrong spot and turned it on, crashed the tool and broke the tip.  Started to dig in the multiple drawers that the lathe sits on and found this in the bottom-most that is usually blocked by a couple heavy boxes.

Pulled it out and just stared at it for about 3-4 minutes

Finally went to try and put the post in and was vindicated

So I kept cutting.  I needed to file down the center circle a bit but then it fit very nicely.
Now I need to braze or weld a bolt on there for the post.

As I mentioned the other day in the rant thread, I had a E36 M3 day with the various metal glue guns I have.
MIG - I was out of gas.
Fluxcore - Had barely enough wire on the spool to do this job, but it was binding for some reason.  Go to adjust the tension and it just bird-nested and ruined the spool.
Brazing - Started to heat the stupid thing up.  Got just to the point where the bronze was starting to flow and then I noticed that it started to get cold again and the bronze froze.  Shortly after the MAP gas ran out and I didn't have another bottle.

So I cussed for a little bit, then I bought a big boy torch that hooks up to a 25lb propane bottle.  Got in last weekend, but this past week has been so damned busy that I haven't been able to start anything with it.

Next we need to trim that bolt head down in order for it to fit in the T-slot

Hooray!

Now I've got it taken apart for cleaning.  I assume this thing needs some sort of grease or lube in there?  Any suggestions?