How to use Wigglers ?

I am a beginner with the lathe, I just have a Unimat Classic with a few accessories.

I have bought a set of wigglers, but I have no idea how to use them ! Not an intuitive device !

Please can anyone give me a link to a good page on "How to use Wigglers" ?

Hello ElectroFrank,

Welcome to the Forum

Wigglers are really intended for use in centreing work under a vertical milling machine spindle. At this stage in your workshop experience I would leave them in their packaging, they are of little use on a lathe. Later on when you have added a mill would be the time

I suggest some reading on lathe work to develop your understanding of the subject. A good start would be with Workshop Practice #34 by Harold Hall, Lathework, a Complete Course from Tee Publishing and well worth the £7.95 it is priced at

Bob Loader has also written WPS #32 based on the Unimat 3 lathe that you might find helpful, same price and supplier as above.

Regards Brian

I can recommend Harold Hall's book too. An excellent introduction to lathe work. I'm working my way through mine at the moment. Welcome to the Forum

Hi Frank, you can use a wiggled on a lathe, indeed there is one job I do where it would be impossible without a wiggler. Below is a link to a page with some info, I don't have a photo handy of the particular piece I make but if you PM me I'll see what I can do.

http://www.toolsandmods.com/lathe/mini-lathe-center-finder

John

 http://www.toolsandmods.com/lathe/mini-lathe-center-finder

Edited By JohnF on 04/10/2014 17:48:03

Hi Frank
I photo may help new members a Wobbler/ edge finder may be confused with a wiggler as in John's post.
They are both useful in the home workshop and at work
Nobby

Hi Frank,

I would agree with the book choices but wobblers are not only for mills. I use one for centring jobs in the four jaw chuck.

Mark your centre with a fine pop, mount the body of the wobbler in the tailstock chuck and set the point in the centre pop. Rotate the chuck by hand and set the job in the chuck for no run out, use a test indicator to check your run out if it is critical, otherwise your eye is pretty accurate - you are looking for no sideways movement of the wobbler - er, no wobble - to set the job on centre.

If you have one of the sets that are common now, the different ends are for different size centres and for finding the edge of a job - same principal as for centring, but you use the barrel-ended wobbler. Set the machine (lathe or mill) going and watch for the wobbler to straighten as you bring the job up to it, When it is straight then the machine head is dead in line with the edge (assuming that you have a good set and the barrel is concentric with the shaft. You then zero your dials and work coordinates from that datum.

As Nobby points out (I think), a wobbler is east of the pond, a wiggler is west of it.

Andy (I will duck down below the parapet now)

Oops!

Sorry, I have just reread my post.

The head would NOT be over the edge of the job, it would be half the thickness of the barrel away from it...which is why they stipulate the width of it on the packaging.

Sorry again.

Andy