Alternative method for setting tool height

iusedtoberich

iusedtoberich

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Attached is another method of setting the tool height on the lathe. This actually works quite well, and is very fast. It is especially useful if you are changing tools in the middle of a job, and your part no longer has a center area (you drilled it). One key is to walk all the way to the tailstock end of the lathe and put your head inline with the axis of the lathe, so you can tell for sure that the scale is vertical. If you don't place your head there, you will never get a good perspective to tell if the scale is vertical.
 

Attachments

  • Slide1.jpg
    Slide1.jpg
    99.3 KB · Views: 508
This is an excellent method to find CL for tools. But a word of caution to users with cermit and brittle carbide tooling. Too much pressure can chip the tools edge.
This is an old way of finding CL on Machines that it is not easy to set up. It works very well and I would like to thank iusedtoberich for the posting.
Neil Lickfold
 
> I was shown this trick by my original machine shop instructor. I even use a 5" length of .025 thick aluminum to do it with now,so I don't continue to gouge my Starrett 6" ruler,and I quit chipping tools because the aluminum is softer than the steel ruler.

This same trick also works for boring bars,internal threading,etc,you just have to set it up different. Tommy D.
 
Yes, having a dedicated tool for this would protect the cutting tool better. Anything thin and straight will work. The thing with the scale is its always in my apron pocket, so it is always there when I need it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top