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Tool Centre Height

How good is this? A gimmick or useful? - lathe tool height setting

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Chris Trice06/08/2011 12:44:41
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1376 forum posts
10 photos
All true but then there are many ways to set the tool adequately approximately right by eyeball including scribed lines on squares, centres, etc. It's also true that on 'small' lathes the work is often of a 'small' diameter where tool height needs to be more accurately set. My personal preference (because I'm naturally lazy) is to use the height setter as above because it's quicker and easier without having to traverse the saddle to a new location or take a test turn. I get consistently good, reliable and accurate setting of the tool everytime, certainly to within the limits needed for anything other than watchmaking. Trapping a flat object between the tool tip and the bar is an old ploy more commonly used for centring a drill over round bar when through drilling but I'd put money on the height setter getting it right more times than a ruler pressed against the work.
john jennings 106/08/2011 15:31:54
69 forum posts
I use a simple system advocated by John Wilding the Clockmaker.
 
Take suitable length of free cutting hexagon bar (1/2" AF plus ) face off one end.
 
Mark off the required length equal to the centre height above the lathe bed and face to this length. Then stand the bar upright on the cross slide upper surface and remark centre height. Turn the length above this cylindrical and a little smaller diameter than the AF dimension.
 
Use either full or reduced height to set the turning tool depending on which location is most convenient.
 
Repeat for your second lathe.
 
Simples
 
John

Chris Trice06/08/2011 18:01:43
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1376 forum posts
10 photos
Same principle, just the other way up. As you say, simples.
Jon07/08/2011 21:28:17
1001 forum posts
49 photos
At last someone else that sees it my way John S, mark 1 eye ball works every time no faffing about exactly spot on every time.
 
Any other method relies on eye sight, operator and angle looked at, any one of the three out will the gizmo useless.
John McNamara14/08/2011 15:51:34
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1377 forum posts
133 photos
Hi All

This simple centre height tool has served me well. Some will recognize the Red “Eclipse” button magnet at the base. An old fashioned Alnico magnet not strong compared to the new rare earth magnets but the right pull to hold the gauge upright and in place. If you use a rare earth magnet put it in a steel tube to reduce the pull, otherwise you will spend a lot of time trying to get the swarf off. A simple matter with the eclipse magnet

The eclipse magnet came screwed ¼ whitworth so it was an easy matter to thread a small piece of ¼ inch bar and make a small slider block from scrap.

I prefer to be able to see the alignment and found that I can feel any error with my finger; others may prefer to use the bottom surface of the gauge block.

Cheers
John
 



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