Home Made Lathe Centering Tool

[clockboy]

I normally use commercially made bushings, such as by Bergeon but sometimes there is a need to make a custom made bushing. A simple job on the lathe apart from sometimes catching centre is a bit hit & miss. So I decided today to make a centering tool that I see a few years ago on the net so here goes.

 

1. facing off a 7mm brass round rod

 

2.Then the dreaded catching centre (this time OK)

 

3.Started by drilling on the lathe with a 1.90mm drill held in a pin vice

 

4.However changed to my Proxon piller drill as it gave more control 

 

5.Inside conical shape formed

 

 

6.Checking the fit with the 1.90mm pivot wire

 

7.Grinding point for the handle then hammered on

 

8.Marked with a sharpe pen into 4 for a diamond style point 

 

9.The finished tool

 

10.The tool in action finding centre one handed you just know when you have centre with the conical shaped end and with gentle pressure on the handle it marks centre

 

JOB DONE

[seang]

Very nice, very nice indeed

[Geo]

Novel Solution CB, nice job! :)

[mwilkes]

A most elegant solution. I guess the only scary bit is getting a dead-straight bore through your brass sleeve...

[clockboy]

I have made slight mode to the one made for the pics. The one in the pics I drilled using a 1.90mm drill but it actually drilled a little bit bigger than the 1.90mm. This caused a tiny bit of slack so I have re-made the main body & re-drilled with a 1.80mm drill & smooth broached the hole to get a real snug fit.

Getting a dead straight bore is not essential but desirable. If I had a tailstock that was fitted with a drill attachment then it would be really easy to achieve. Also my lathe centre to centre is marginally out so I cannot trust it.

[Mark]

Top notch stuff CB. I love custom made tools!