I recently got a HF 8x12 lathe and wanted to get the lathemaster qctp. Unfortunately, they are sold out and not getting any new ones in till May or June. Their version seems to be the most popular for these lathes because it has modified tool holders for proper alignment. Instead, I found a new way of allowing the standard 100 series to fit so I ordered the standard AXA 100 series from LMS.
First, I machined the boss flat with the compound so it was all the same height. Next I drilled and tapped the existing hole where the boss was to fit the big bolt on the axa qctp. You need a 9/16- 18 tap. I picked one up at the local OSH. The tap specified a 33/64 drill. They didn't have that so I used an existing 1/2" drill.
After putting the qctp on the lathe for fitment, I found that the tool holder wouldn't go down enough for proper tool alignment. This is why some have used cut down tool holders or the LMS machined compound that is thinner where the qctp goes.
Instead, I machined 2 edges of the compound to allow the tool holder to be lowered to the proper height. It now allows a wide range of adjustment and alignment using standard lower cost tool holders while base of the compound retains its stock thickness and rigidity.
Here was the original machine work:
I found however that I couldn't rotate the qctp to align at the right angle for cutting threads so I made one more diagonal cut. Now I can align the tool properly for cutting threads etc.
Here are some pics:
Here it is with the compound at 30 degrees and aligned 90 degrees to the chuck with more room for adjustment available. As you can see you can move the tool holder over a much wider range vertically than stock and align it properly on the compound while still maintaining the stock compound thickness:
Next mods are dro and VFD!