MetalworkingFun Forum › Machinery › Milling Machines › Mill Tooling v
Best centre finder

Thread Modes
Best centre finder
Rickabilly Offline
Junior
****
Posts: 537
Threads: 15
Joined: Jun 2012
Location: Cambridge, England
#1
08-29-2012, 12:02 PM
As a sister thread to "Best Edge Finder"

I have a query, does anyone have a gadget for centering horizontal milling cutters on shafts, when for example you need to cut gear teeth or keyways, I have numerous methods, but no gadgets, in the best edge finder thread there must be a half dozen doo hickeys for that job so why not for this one.

Incidentally my "Go To" method for this job is a square on the milling table with the blade resting on the side of the shaft and then using the tail depth measuring bit of a vernier caliper or depth micrometers to locate the cutter in the right spot but while it works it is a hassle, and sometimes the rest of the machine gets in the way.

Best regards
Rick

PS, don't limit this to horizontal cutters, any centre finders are welcome on this thread Thumbsup
Whatever it is, do it today, Tomorrow may not be an option and regret outlasts fatigue.
Reply
Thanks given by:
SnailPowered Offline
Junior
****
Posts: 258
Threads: 13
Joined: Aug 2012
Location: USA
#2
08-29-2012, 01:05 PM (This post was last modified: 08-29-2012, 07:09 PM by SnailPowered.)
Hahahah, I answered my own question. I think I was tired. Can't wait to see some nifty gadgets!!
SnailPowered, proud to be a member of MetalworkingFun since Aug 2012.
Reply
Thanks given by:
stevec Offline
69 yr. old senior
*****
Posts: 2,685
Threads: 29
Joined: Feb 2012
Location: Nova Scotia, Canada
#3
08-29-2012, 03:43 PM
Rick, I would normally bring a woodruff cutter down till it touched the top (OD) on the end of a shaft, lock the quill, back off horizontally and then raise the knee by the radius of the shaft plus half the width of the cutter.
I've done the same with a gear cutter having measured the width (flat to flat) of the sides of the cutter.
It seems clear to me can I muddy it up fiurther for you?Rotfl
Busy Bee 12-36 lathe, Busy Bee Mill drill, Busy Bee 4x6 bandsaw, Homemade 9x17 bandsaw, Ad infinitum.
Reply
Thanks given by:
Rickabilly Offline
Junior
****
Posts: 537
Threads: 15
Joined: Jun 2012
Location: Cambridge, England
#4
08-29-2012, 09:53 PM
Hello Steve, I see what you are saying, in fact it's a lot like the method I set out above and yes it certainly works, but not always, if for example you are using a 2" cutter on a one inch arbour and you need to centre it on a three inch shaft,it's just not possible to centre by this method. In another case you might not be able to guarantee that the centre of the cutter form coincides with the centreline of the cutter, new cutters are fine as are commercially produced cutters but quite often we use resharpened or home made cutters.

If no-one comes up with a solution I have decided to design one

Regards
Rick
Whatever it is, do it today, Tomorrow may not be an option and regret outlasts fatigue.
Reply
Thanks given by:
Mayhem Offline
purveyor of mischief
******
Posts: 4,683
Threads: 93
Joined: Feb 2012
Location: Perth, Australia
#5
08-29-2012, 11:46 PM
(08-29-2012, 09:53 PM)Rickabilly Wrote: ...If no-one comes up with a solution I have decided to design one...

I'm sure you will have no shortage on people willing to beta test for you!
Hunting American dentists since 2015.
Reply
Thanks given by:




Users browsing this thread: 3 Guest(s)