# Have you made any devices to get lathe tools on center?



## HMF (Jun 17, 2011)

Hey guys!

Has anyone built a jog similar to this device to get your lathe tools centered exactly?


http://www.practicalmachinist.com/vb/south-bend-lathes/getting-lathe-tools-center-227189/


(Pictures would be great!!)


Thanks,


Nelson


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## pdentrem (Jun 17, 2011)

I bought the standard center height finder that has the bubble for level built in. Works for me.


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## lrudd (Jun 20, 2011)

Nelson,
I think a tool height gage with a dial indicator is clever, but mounting it in the chuck just wouldn't work for me. 
I made the attached "Tool height gage" a few years ago and it served me well for turning tools, but not for a cut-off tool. 
Your query inspired me to make "Tool height gage2" attached. I saw one somewhere on the web a while back and thought there were some important lessons in it. Think round, and Keep it simple.
Larry


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## Hawkeye (Jun 21, 2011)

Not long after I got the Hercus lathe (same as SB9A), I machined the steel block seen below the height gauge. It has a "V" at the far end and sits level on the ways. It is useful as a solid base for a dial indicator to dial in work in chucks or steadies, and as a base for measuring center height. Yesterday, I wrote the center height reading inside the hollow under the base.

[attachimg=1]

The height setting can then be transferred to the cutter in the QCTP.

[attachimg=2]

I suspect that this lathe spent a large portion of its hard life in a high school shop. More than a few chuck crashes.


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## coal miner (Aug 19, 2011)

Several good designs shown here . The old trick of pinching a 6" rule with the tool and the stock served me for a long time but it seemed to get close enough , but not dead nuts on . Came up with this , using a neodymium magnet super glued in a base threaded for a 3/8" rod . Made a 1/4" pointer with knurlled nuts to lock it in place and it sets on the carriage to check tool height . Faced off a piece of stock to get to get it set proper . Started checking some of my tool holders and found that most of them were only close and not spot on . Nothing fancy and made from scraps that were laying around .


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## cyrusb (Sep 1, 2011)

Over 40 years I have seen all the above and then some. As mentioned above, I use the tailstock center, but in the end I allways just take a face shot and clean the tit off. Done.


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## lrudd (Sep 1, 2011)

This?

What does"This" mean? Does it indicate how to set the height of a thread cutting tool?

Larry R


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## Tenn (Sep 2, 2011)

I,ve mostly just used the pinched rule method with a square.

Also a heigth gauge


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## Starlight Tools (Sep 2, 2011)

> author=B34VD link=topic=2457.msg24049#msg24049 date=1314913207
> 
> 
> > author=cyrusb link=topic=2457.msg24025#msg24025 date=1314896689
> ...



Ditto 

You have all sorts of tools about, many of them single purpose, but you already have the centre height established by the tailstock centre. Besides with a QCTP and Carbide insert tooling, once you are set and the tit cleaned off, you are set each time you change either the cutter tip or change from one tool holder to the other. If you have enough tool holders that is.

Walter


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