How to Perfectly Center your Lathe Tool

[@OCT566]

Brilliant ! Thank God for us OLD TIMERS

[@nevilledailypay]

A great tip I have almost always battled to get the tool height right and this is definitely one of the simplest methods I have seen Thanks for sharing

[@nlo114]

This is good knowledge that should be passed on to all young people learning the trade skills. I was shown slightly different; chuck-up a piece of known round bar, bring the tool tip up to it and adjust for vertical. (Same principle but 90 degrees about; usually done as a final check on the work you are about to start.)

[@JTOOLMAN]

Thanks that is also a great trick. I will do a short video on it.

[@eddiegarcia7959]

GREAT CONTENT!!! THANKS FOR POSTING THIS!!! I'm going to try this tomorrow.

[@lawnmowerrecycler]

Also you could draw a vertical line on the back on the back splash with a fine tip sharpie to help line up the ruler.

[@JasonRoy21]

Thank you, from someone who has his first lathe on the way. :)

[@cheo1949]

+Jason Roy A whole new world awaits! Enjoy!

[@douglasbattjes3991]

Very simple way to center, Keep more tips coming👍👍.

[@pierresgarage2687]

This is a neat trick to prepare the holders, you can push it a little further by turning the point just before lining up all the other tools... ;)

[@JTOOLMAN]

+pierre beaudry Right.I like to have the tool just a hair under center. Seems to cut even smoother. This Quick Change Tool set is a generic imported one but it is very well built. It comes with about 5 inserts which I have preloaded and at the ready.Joe

[@bambiluong9759]

Thank you for sharing your experience.

[@battleminion]

So simple and usefull awesome thanks for sharing

[@JTOOLMAN]

Thanks. I learned this from an old timer machinist

[@normcook9335]

Thanks for passing along - clever.

[@fierceflyer5]

Can you show how to set up the lathe to be ready to use out of the box? You mentioned adjusting the gibs in a prior video, can you demonstrate how that is done as well as the tail stock centering? Thanks for this tip on centering the tool.

[@JTOOLMAN]

+Fierceflyer55 Thanks for the questions. I will definitively do that in a future video!Other versions of this lathe come practically unusable. Some come perfectly adjusted.Depends where you buy it from.Harbor Freight is TERRIBLE and LittleMachineShop.com is very good as is Grizzly tools.If you understand Chinese Manufacturing philosophy, you pay more per unit? They will do a better finish and prep. You pay little and you basically get a machine will casting sand still in the corners and painted over. Basically you will have a boat anchor that looks like a lathe.Thanks again and please pass the word about my fledgling Machine and Miniatures Channel.Joe

[@PintoBlades]

Cool technique! I have to try this one. Thanks for sharing!

[@bigbothoee8617]

Lol nice made my life easy how do you do the tail centre ?

[@clist9406]

Great info , quick and simple.

[@adnansikandar2332]

I have just one CNC lathe and i want to make its tool zero. Might be a childish question, can i make that brass cone on the same machine?

[@qwertyui90qwertyui90]

which quick change tool holder are you using that has adjustment like that for the height ?

[@SpatialGuy77]

This is a great little ‘shortcut’ used in the industry, even putting the ruler between the side of chucked barstock and the cutter - so long as people realise that it is a ‘shortcut’ and not the most accurate method, so not for extremely tight tolerance work. 😉

[@henryfarley5917]

Is there a tool that is designed to find center of a lathe

[@PacoOtis]

Great instruction! Well done! And, thanks for not having background music!!! LOL

[@JTOOLMAN]

Thanks! I hate BG music! I mean this is Machining for God's sake!

[@bollumnmcgillicutty6026]

Great tutorial! this will certainly come in handy!

[@JTOOLMAN]

Thank you.

[@agg42]

that is okay for general machining work. The 'perfect' technique is to cut a free cutting material like brass intentionally lower than center then measure the center feature with a toolmakers microscope. But I recognize not everyone will have the auxiliary equipment to perform (as close to) 'perfect' work.

[@WILSON-SN]

can tell me the tip center height until the bus please

[@martinveintitres8883]

genius. the insert is always in the center? i put them a bit lower, and sometimes it broken

[@MissouriOldTimer]

that was a great tip and very easy to do.

[@calvinjohnson3989]

Nice lesson thanks

[@Mikkee33]

Hi, perhaps a stupid question, but do all cutting tools have to be centred? I have a similar lathe with several extra cutting tools but they will not centre because of the different shapes. Any input appreciative.

[@cheo1949]

+Mikkee33 Not 100% of the time. If you are facing work yes. Turning boring or parting off, the tool should be to be a bit bellow the spindle axis but never above.

[@Mikkee33]

That's helpful, many thanks.

[@JTOOLMAN]

+Mikkee33 Thank you!

[@SuperKingslaw]

outstanding tip! more please!

[@JTOOLMAN]

Will do.

[@1brancaleone]

Really simple and practical. Thank you Veramente semplice e funzionale. GraZIE

[@JTOOLMAN]

+Franco Spinelli Thank you too!

[@frankrowland63]

I am new to working with metal lathes i have a 4 jaw chuck i cant seem to get the rod dead center of the chuck any tips would be great

[@JTOOLMAN]

I will do a video on how to do that!

[@magiclarry7688]

Wow, that is a great tip. Thank you.

[@ironken1796]

Thank you for sharing, Jose!

[@JTOOLMAN]

Thank you as well.

[@arrlmember]

That's great. Surely it's more difficult to align the tailstock.

[@tobiasgertz7800]

This is beautiful

[@yomama5785]

omg brilliant tip. thanks.

[@soportemanager6505]

Grerat trick! tks for sharing with us!

[@JTOOLMAN]

Thank you. Glad you liked it! It was taught to me by an old machinist who was a league and milling genius!

[@shaneplatt3128]

Brilliant!

[@briangoulding2855]

how have you attached your tool holder to the compound ?

[@JTOOLMAN]

Directly on it on the tool post.

[@theonlyvinz]

thanks to help newbie like me

[@MrSprocket2u]

nice and easy .... taught this at school in the 80s

[@JTOOLMAN]

Thanks!

[@manojuk1]

Superb technique.. 👌👌👍

[@andym5195]

what a great tip ! thanks dude

[@yizeren]

I like this tip thanks for sharing!

[@JTOOLMAN]

Thanks, glad you like it. Old timer machinist gave it to me. We are truly losing a ton of knowledge from these guys as we are losing many every year.

[@billr111]

Thanks for the great tip, and I really appreciate it, but the operator still must "eyeball" the metal piece to determine when it is vertical. This leaves room for error. Would not the use of a square assist in assuring that the metal piece is truly vertical? God bless.

[@JTOOLMAN]

The longer the blade the less the error. You can be a bit low and it will be just fine unless you want a perfect facing cut without a center dipole.

[@justathought6966]

Thanks

[@AmiltonJr]

Very nice. Thank you

[@JTOOLMAN]

Thank you!

[@JTOOLMAN]

Thanks

[@hicomtech]

nice trick

[@hiseminencetheholymacdiarmada]

This is very similar to how I drill into round stock

[@Burnersforvanlife]

Spot on

[@jkelectrical]

Haha, thankyou. I will subscribe now.

[@mohlateef1037]

great job

[@JTOOLMAN]

Thanks you!

[@ttp_007]

Oh wow, thanks for the tip!!!

[@davidboyce1905]

Nice tip thank you

[@JTOOLMAN]

Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it.

[@msf4514]

Excelente ideia!!!

[@JTOOLMAN]

I got this from an old Lathe Operator with like 50 years experience.

[@boandersson8603]

as simple and ingenious

[@JTOOLMAN]

I thought so as well.

[@timmer9lives]

clever...I like it. Especially since the eyes aren't as good as they were 20 years ago.

[@cheo1949]

+Tim C same here my friend! I learned a bunch of little tricks from someone I considered a master of the lathe and mill! He has since passed on so why not pass these along before it is my time.

[@anthonysellick3520]

+Tim C couldn't have said it better. Great tip Jose, thank you.

[@cheo1949]

+Anthony Sellick Thank you!

[@erniehenshaw4065]

Nice!!

[@darrylmurray2261]

Thanks for that great tip. : ^ )

[@pradith1]

excelent sistem, thanks!!!

[@JTOOLMAN]

Thanks.

[@pradith1]

I tested it today JTOOLMAN1949

[@JoseRocha-tp9hc]

As simple and efficient.

[@JTOOLMAN]

Gracias Jose

[@sureshdhiman82]

VERY GOOD AMAZING

[@JTOOLMAN]

Thanks

[@BMRStudio]

Who can dislike this video??? whyyyyy?

[@JTOOLMAN]

What? I got an unlike???

[@BMRStudio]

JTOOLMAN1949 dislike. sorry

[@martingreen530]

it needs to be smack on center nto start.....cosne value

[@wongwong7306]

，

[@99shujah]

very nice. thank you.