A while back, I picked one of these up to help determine pesky z-axis settings for spindles without fixed tooling. Here's what it looks like:
In use, it's a nifty tool. You touch your tool tip to the button, slowly move the Z, and when the indicator is zero'd, your tool is exactly 2.000" above the base of the gauge. It works fine.
Time for a long-shot question... the spring in this thing is HEAVY. I'd like to use it for some extremely sharp and somewhat fragile 1/8" carbide engraving cutters, and I am almost positive it'd both damage the cutter tip, and score the gauge. I'd like to take it apart and cut a turn or three off the return spring. Has anyone done this?
Lacking such a gauge, the best way I've found for setting Z is to use a round pin gauge. Let's say you have a 0.500" pin gauge - jog the spindle down until you cannot roll the gauge pin under the tool. Incrementally jog up as needed while gently trying to roll the pin gauge under the tool. When the pin gauge rolls free, I generally jog back down 0.001", and set Z = 0.500. This works well.
But I'd still like to use this gauge on the small & fine cutters. Has anyone got any other fast, easy, and accurate methods of setting Z?
In use, it's a nifty tool. You touch your tool tip to the button, slowly move the Z, and when the indicator is zero'd, your tool is exactly 2.000" above the base of the gauge. It works fine.
Time for a long-shot question... the spring in this thing is HEAVY. I'd like to use it for some extremely sharp and somewhat fragile 1/8" carbide engraving cutters, and I am almost positive it'd both damage the cutter tip, and score the gauge. I'd like to take it apart and cut a turn or three off the return spring. Has anyone done this?
Lacking such a gauge, the best way I've found for setting Z is to use a round pin gauge. Let's say you have a 0.500" pin gauge - jog the spindle down until you cannot roll the gauge pin under the tool. Incrementally jog up as needed while gently trying to roll the pin gauge under the tool. When the pin gauge rolls free, I generally jog back down 0.001", and set Z = 0.500. This works well.
But I'd still like to use this gauge on the small & fine cutters. Has anyone got any other fast, easy, and accurate methods of setting Z?