Aloris vs aftermarket tool post

[farmbif]

I'm getting fixed to set up one of my ole South Bend 9" lathes and need a need a tool post for it. I've got a box full of Aloris and Dorian AXA size tool holders but no tool post. Is it worth it to invest in a genuine Aloris or Dorian wedge style post or are the aftermarket ones any good. When I set this thing up Its time to upgrade from the old rocker style tool post.
I've got Yuasa CXA tool post that is great and an old beat up Aloris BXA that still does what it should do but have no experience with the inexpensive stuff and these days funds are limited.

[M-Tecs]

I much prefer Aloris but some the copies are very good and some not so much. I had a business dealing with the president of Dorian that left a very bad taste in my mouth so I no longer use Dorian. I don't remember what other brands of clones I have used but some were junk and some very good.

[farmbif]

CDCO generic AXA wedge post with 5 holders for $136 a new Aloris is probably $300, I guess I need to sell off some of the stuff I no longer have use for. I sold my big 14" lathe before moving but kept the tooling for an old South bend 15" that's at my moms place and haven't been able to move yet.

[elmacgyver0]

I have the CDCO AXA and very happy with it.

[country gent]

The aftermarket / knock offs should be fine on a home use machine. You may see a difference putting them on a shop machine that sees use 24-7. I would check see whats available in your area also. buying a holder that every thing as to be ordered for may be come a hassle over being able to make a run to the store and getting what you need. I prefer the aloris but that is what came on my lathes ( along with 13 or 14 various holder blocks). The big difference I could see in the 2 is the heat treat and finish on the none working surfaces.

If funds are tight check the used vendors for them you might save some buying used. There isnt a lot to go wrong with them.

I also have lanterns and Armstrong holders for my machine just in case, sometimes they are easier to set up and use

[deltaenterprizes]

My import works fine!

[GBertolet]

I bought a Phase II clone, for about 1/3 of the price of the Aloris. I have it on my 10" Rockwell lathe. Works great, and I don't regret it's purchase.

[Pete44mag]

Try looking or contacting a used machine tool dealer, they often have used tools a greatly reduced price. I would always check with one when I needed any type of tool before I went out and bought new.

[Green Frog]

If you can find one of the Phase Two units with wedge lock, they seem to work well for me... I fell into a bunch of Aloris AXA blocks that work well with my P-2. One of the best precision machinists I’ve ever had the honor of knowing had this very same setup in his well equipped home shop. For some reason, the plunger style posts (both high end and lower priced) give me less repeatability, but that may just be me.

Froggie

[samari46]

Have a Jet 13x40 gearhead lathe and am using the Phase II about the olnu complaint was the piece that fits into the compound was hardened. Couldn't it thin enough to fit on the compound. Called them up and explained the problem and within a week I had the needed part. But while I was waiting managed to thin it down using silicon carbide paper. So the old one went to work and the new one went in my tool box. relative new comer to having a bigger lathe so each time I use it there is a learning curve. Frank

[country gent]

Another route to consider is to make one. For the smaller hardringe lathes we made a simple block with the 2 dovetails on it solid. the holders had the front dovetail and a sliding wedge on 2 dowel pins in back with a 10-32 thumb screw to lock. These repeated very good and were easy to make. I made the first one with 5 tool holders. probably a dozen made after to mine so all the holders interchanged. In these lathes boring tools were ground from 3/8" square lathe bits so the 1 style holder did it all. A 3 x 3 block of cold rolled 3-4" long and some 1 x 2" 3" ling would make a nice holder in this style. On bigger machines a cap head screw with an allen wrench to lock might be better. On my thumb svrews I did edm a 1/4" allen socket in them but never needed it. I always thought about a 3rd dovetail in the back side so facing and boring larger sizes I could use the back of the tool post to gain 2" more.

These holder were close to the aloris with no lever, the lock was the thumb screw on the back of the blocks.

[DougGuy]

I bought a Phase II clone, for about 1/3 of the price of the Aloris. I have it on my 10" Rockwell lathe. Works great, and I don't regret it's purchase.

+1 for the Phase II wedge style here, using it for 4-5yrs no issues at all.

I don't like the design of the plunger style posts, the plunger pushes in the center of the tool holder and pushes it away from the post where the wedge style spreads the clamping force evenly on both sides and is very solid. This puts the clamping force parallel with the side of the post facing the chuck and pulls it tight toward the post.

I also found that you can use the 1" tool holders very easily by simply milling a dovetail into the side of the shank, and these 1" holders are dirt cheap on fleabay, so now you can use all the same carbide inserts as the bigger machines use, much more variety with those.

My 1" Kennemetal holder is just the right size and height for the 9" lathe with the Phase II tool post, if I need to raise it up I just put a coin underneath it and lock it down.

[Scrounge]

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002YPDQ4G/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 this is the one I bought for my Atlas TH42. Price has gone up since then. I got mine for $130 a few years ago. When I get the SB Heavy 10L up and running, I'll be buying another for it. It is the wedge style, and what I saved on even a phase II or Aloris bought me quite a bit of tooling. I'm an amateur, not professional machinist, so YMMV, of course.

[firebrick43]

I have had both phase 2 piston(original one owned) and cdco wedge type. I got the wedge type thinking it was an upgrade but about 1/2 my holders did not fit at all. I imagine I just got a mis machined tool post. I sent it back. The aloris that have used at work are nicer and better quality and I would have no qualms about the price if I was making money with my own shop. But as a hobby, the difference in price will buy a lot of holders or tooling.

[Willbird]

FWIW I got a piston type with my Grizzly ans it has worked great for me. IMHO the typical setup is engineered to take a LOT more Hp and torque than a SB lathe will subject it to.

I bought some extra tool holders from this person here. I referred my brother in law to them and he bought this whole set. This one here is actually a wedge type, in theory superior to the Grizz one I have. I have been meaning to get a few more tool holders, seems one can never have too many.

https://littlemachineshop.com/products/product_view.php?ProductID=2280

[porthos]

i read somewhere on a machinist site ; that if you wanted to economize on a tool post system : "buy the best tool post and economize on the tool holders". i bought aloris everything for my southbend.

[elmacgyver0]

If you need bragging rights buy the high dollar stuff.
If you just need something that works you can get buy with the cheap piston style.
It is all up to you and your ego.

[oldred]

If you need bragging rights buy the high dollar stuff.
If you just need something that works you can get buy with the cheap piston style.
It is all up to you and your ego.

Couldn't agree more and I vote for the Phase II, IMO the Phase II is for all practical purposes going to be as good as the Aloris in most any home shop. While technically something like the Aloris is going to (likely) be better quality I seriously doubt anyone will EVER see any advantage in a home shop and probably in the vast majority of commercial shops the phase II will work just as well there also. Maybe several years "down the road" with a lot of use The Phase II might not hold up as well as an Aloris but in a home shop it should last just about forever.

[Gone_rabid]

Bought the shars Axa 250-111 for my 10” Rockwell. Wedge style. Couldn’t be happier.

[BS2]

Brother and I both have Shars on our South Bends. Work Great!

[country gent]

I believe the differences will only show up in a manufacturing type setting. Where you set up 3-5 tools and run to a digital read out replacing tools for needed operations. You might have 1 facing, 1 turning,1 relief, a boring bar and a threading all with the numbers from tool 1 set. When changing the differences will show in how well the tools repeat to the readout numbers

[lastditch]

Been using the Phase II wedge style on my atlas for about 8 years. Light duty machine but the Phase II holder been working fine. Spend the money saved to buy more tool holder, always short on them. You can also check auctions houses that do machine shop closing auctions most have a web site for shop inventory. One is usually set up at the Tulsa gunshow, got some good buys at the show from them.

[McFred]

For some reason the Aloris tool holders hold a LOT of value. Last April, I actually could buy straight from Aloris cheaper than auctioned rusted/crashed/beat up Aloris tool holders. No Tax, no shipping, and 30% off made it easier to swallow the going rate for supporting American manufacturing. I mean New Jersey's communist, but they're American communists (which probably doesn't make it any better).