Can anyone identify this machinist tool?
- Thread starter tearlessj
- Start date
Packard V8
Well-known member
Don't recognize it either. Starretts usually have a number on them somewhere.
jack vines
jack vines
It is a center finder / wiggler for the lathe, they haven't been made for a long time. It is missing the long rod that goes through the gimble. Really cool, but kinda out dated. If you are planing to sell it, shoot me a PM please, I might be interested. Yea, I'm old school like that.
crewchief888
Well-known member
I found this at school and can't seem to figure out what it is. It's made by Starrett. That's all I know.
the flat bar resembles a part of a dial indicator set...
the rest of it, i'm stumped
rlitman
Well-known member
I think you mean thickness/feeler gauge set.
No, zkling is right. It goes in a toolpost, and is a center finding wiggler.
Pretty easy to google for:
http://www.practicalmachinist.com/vb/general/old-useful-do-your-self-tool-260981/#post1980489
Yes, exactly so, its a Starrett 'No. 65', called a 'Center Tester' in the old catalogues.
I've used mine maybe three or four times in all the years I've owned it.
Its used to centre a centre punch mark on a workpiece, in the lathe.
An example of its use might be in making an eccentric, in which you need a bored hole well out of concentricity with the outside diameter of a part, and the accuracy level required is such that working from layout lines and centre-punch dimples is adequate.
The workpiece would be set up in a four-jaw, and approximated. Then the 'Center Tester' would be put in the tool post, and the point of the short end of the long indicator rod set in the centre-punch mark. The spring holding the 'gimbal' would be adjusted to have the long end of the indicating-rod near to the tail centre.
'Dialling in' the workpiece with this tool would involve slacking/tightening the appropriate chuck jaws until the long end of the indicating-rod remained aligned with the tail-centre as the workpiece was revolved. Alternatively, the workpiece could be clamped to a face-plate, and gently tapped into alignment, with the clamps 'just snug'......when the centring was correct, the clamps would be tightened.
The purpose of the 'short end/long end' configuration was to magnify any error by an order of magnitude, so that, say, an .005 error at the short end would be a viusually noticeable .050 error on the long end. In practice, an .005 error is just barely visible, so if you can read the instrument that closely, your centre-punch dimple would be running out only half a thou.
Needless to say, its a rather obscure tool, and seldom needed.
Its use goes back into history, when good boring-heads for the mill weren't commonly available, so machinists back then would clamp workpieces to a lathe face-plate for boring.
added on edit.......I had to dig out a 1927 Starrett catalogue to find the original 'name' they called that tool....as a bit of trivia, it was priced at $3.75 in 1927.
cheers
Carla
Last edited:
crewchief888
Well-known member
yea, i'd say it's a little before my time...
i worked in a machine shop from '76-83 with a LOT of old timers, i dont ever remember seeing anything like that.
i worked in a machine shop from '76-83 with a LOT of old timers, i dont ever remember seeing anything like that.
Thanks Zkling and everyone else! My school was built in the mid 30's and I'd say about 75% of the shop was just as it was back then. My teacher that started in 1975 didn't know what it was, so I knew it was old.
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=218416
Another one of those came up in the above thread. They seem to be falling out of the woodwork this week. Carla gave a good explanation of its use and the above link shows the complete tool and a link to how it is used. Looking at the picture in the above link maybe you can find the center rod for it.
lg
no neat sig line
Another one of those came up in the above thread. They seem to be falling out of the woodwork this week. Carla gave a good explanation of its use and the above link shows the complete tool and a link to how it is used. Looking at the picture in the above link maybe you can find the center rod for it.
lg
no neat sig line
I've never seen one either, but I'm sure Zkling is correct.
The "modern" way to do that is a 6" long rod with a center in one end and a 60 degree point on the other end. The point goes in the center mark and the center goes in the lathe center. Then, a test indicator can be used on the rod near the workpiece to indicate the center in.
The "modern" way to do that is a 6" long rod with a center in one end and a 60 degree point on the other end. The point goes in the center mark and the center goes in the lathe center. Then, a test indicator can be used on the rod near the workpiece to indicate the center in.
I found this at school and can't seem to figure out what it is. It's made by Starrett. That's all I know.
I began apprenticeship in 74; worked at that time with lots of old timers. It seems I remember one of these in use about that time.