I was taught to put a scale/ruler or similar between the part and the tool and adjust the height until the scale looked vertical. Works well enough, works quickly, requires no thought, and anybody who has a lathe SHOULD have a scale.

@caploader111

7 ай бұрын

Same here. The first scale I owned had several dents and scratches from me not being careful. So I started using bandiing strap or EZ-Lap diamond files with the plastic handle.

@radboogie

6 ай бұрын

There's lots of ways to set tool height, this is just another one that is useful in some situations. Use whichever technique works for you.

@williamdillingham5781

10 күн бұрын

That's exactly what I was taught also many years ago

You are doing very unique work

Fantastic tip!!! Many thanx.

Simple and elegant.

Very nice work. Thanks for sharing it

great information Richard, cheers from the US, Paul

Not a bad view and great natural light. Good vid as well 👍

Beautiful machine

Nice work

Nice tips! im thinking of getting one of those mini lathes myself so your video will be really helpful!

@radboogie

7 ай бұрын

Thanks, these are great little lathes for the money. Go for it, they're good fun and get the job done 👍

Very nice approach

@radboogie

7 ай бұрын

Thanks Guy 👍

No need to use dti. Simply measure height at 180deg. Divide by two and that's the number you aiming for. Personally I made a centre height setting block. It's knurled and had decent base. I an instantly check centre height especially when the lathe is used by others.

you can also use the second depth gauge on the digital caliper that is on the back side of jaws..... it has a bigger surface to align to.......hope this helps, Paul

@radboogie

6 ай бұрын

Nice one Paul, I always forget that feature is there!

@ypaulbrown

6 ай бұрын

I find it is a bit more accurate......at least for larger surfaces, little holes, I still use the tail depth pin.....@@radboogie

Great video. i never actually thought to rotate the grub screw on the tool like you did to make it more precise then turning the knobs. Though the downside of doing it that way is that the thread could move over time. I always thought those screws were supposed to be loctited in and you use the knobs to adjust then locking with the nut.

excellent

@radboogie

4 ай бұрын

Thank you! Cheers!

Hi, Very cool and clear ….. another easy way to centering your tools is to put a mini laser pointer with a very small gap in your chuck …. most accurate in an independent four jaw chuck. The laser beam will point your insert on the correct center height …..

@radboogie

2 ай бұрын

Interesting idea, thanks.

@pulidoggy

27 күн бұрын

At first I had the same idea, but soon discarded it considering that a laser pointer's spot is usually larger than the expected precision of a few hundredths of mm of a digital caliper. And yes, you could use a focusable laser module, but even then the precision of the system could be affected heavily by the angular error of the beam, due to the sum of three key factors: chuck runoff, unpredictable (and not repeatable) positioning tolerances at every new clamping of the laser module and, what's worst, no guarantee at all that the inner laser diode and its outer casing are perfectly aligned and parallel on assembly. The sum of these angular errors could thus result in quite a large peripheral deviation of the spot, even at relatively short distances.

Your presentation is nicely done. I would request that you sir, or anyone watching this would learn to hold the handle of the file in your left had, and the file tip in your right hand, while stepping a bit to the right. This has two advantages. The first being a great reduction in the chances of getting your elbow clipped by a jaw of the chuck. The second, is to remove most of your body parts out of the line of fire, if the file is thrown back at you after getting hit, again by a spinning chuck jaw. I have had experience with both of these situations. Safety first, stitches next.

@radboogie

Ай бұрын

Thanks Robert. Personally I would not want to use my non dominant hand and work cack-handed or stand in an uncomfortable place as this would mean less control over the tool and more chance of hitting the chuck. The safest option is to not use this technique unless you have to, and if you do use it observe the following: No sleeves, no jewellery, elbows well away from your sides and keep the file orthogonal to the lathe bed i.e. 90 degrees to the axis of the chuck. Do not use the technique on awkward shaped jobs with protrusions or when the chuck has the jaws protruding too far out. Stay alert and stay safe.

Sounds like a lot of measuring, got a tip for you. Take steel 6inch rule out your top brest pocket and plumb it up against the side of your stock bar, lightly hold it with your tool point and Eye it up vertically. By dinnertime you'll be a dab hand at it and have it perfect ,fast and efficiently every time. P

@radboogie

2 ай бұрын

Except the times when the job isn't round.

@Phil-fj5fe

2 ай бұрын

Unless your going to use a faster to hold something square you'll not get a square object in a 3 jaw self centreing chuck. .

@radboogie

2 ай бұрын

@@Phil-fj5fetry it with hex bar.

@Phil-fj5fe

2 ай бұрын

Fair point

@Phil-fj5fe

2 ай бұрын

@@radboogie think I'll just keep using center in tailstock to eye up tooling in that case though it's the way I've been trained. And to be honest it takes seconds instead of mins . But your way could be beneficial on more complicated independent four jaws tasks .p