Best edge finder?

[Highpower]

(08-28-2012, 04:57 AM)Rickabilly Wrote: Another handy edge finder is the Laser one I have, it is pretty much a really fine laser pointer that has a shaft for spindle mounting and some centering screws for adjustment, you simply mount it in the spindle, turn it on, run the spindle, and bring it up to the edge, when you first see the light on the side of the work stop and zero the dials then continue travel until the spot is on top of the job and the lightest bit is still running down the side (just a shadow of the beam light, not that you can have a shadow of light, but you would know what I mean when you see it) read the dial, halve it and you have edge. They advertise it by saying just see the light and you're on centre and it's close but not quite, I prefer to split the beam. I have attached a picture below. It is really handy if you are setting up to parts that are complex in Z as you just leave the Z up to 12" away and the light beam does all of the "up and down work" for you, it's also great for centering drills in centre punch marks


Regards
Rick

I almost bought one of those until I saw the price.

Then one day I saw a sale ad ($20) for a similar unit designed for boresighting rifles. It had a much larger aperture and beam however for obvious reasons, but I thought I might be able to make it work.

I turned down an old brass pin punch to make a new aperture that would press fit into the units factory aperture. Then drilled a tiny hole through it so that only a pin hole sized beam can exit the laser. It works like a champ.

I mainly use it for lining up work in my drill press. As you say, it makes it simple to get a drill bit dead on a center punch mark with one try.
Also good for use in the lathe tailstock for offset drilling in a 4 jaw chuck.