Making a Split-Cylinder Edge Finder Tool

Today we build a simple tool to help locate angled edges in the mill using an edge finder.
This idea came from an excellent video by Stefan Gotteswinter. You can find his video here: • Making an aid for edge...
If you'd like to follow along with the build, here are some links to some of the tools used in this video:
*This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated
YG-1 1/4" 120 degree spotting drill (eBay*): goo.gl/6zqTzb
YG-1 Tank-Power 3/8" powdered metal roughing end mill (eBay*): goo.gl/4QmiZi
YG-1 4-Flute Carbide 1/4" end mill (eBay*): goo.gl/1dLomn

[@Tristoo]

w o a h. you lost a lot of weight man.. massive massive respect. I've been watching your videos for a few months and I had no idea, I just got this in my recommended. wow.. not something you see everyday, I'm flabbergasted, congratulations man. this just made your videos 10x better because now I know they're made by a certified badass.

[@jpwipeout99]

I was thinking the exact same thing! I thought I clicked on the wrong video or something! He did an amazing job.

[@ToBeeOrNotToBeHoney]

Oh My I have been watching the newer videos and ran it to this one and that was my very first thought. Good job!

[@twobob]

Fun watching these older ones

[@StefanGotteswinter]

Well done! Good solution for measuring the step-height!

[@Clough42]

Thanks for the idea. Having the tool in my box, I keep finding uses for it.

[@hairyfro]

I'm really enjoying your videos. Your work flow is very methodical, and there are tons of "oh yeah!" moments where you pull out an elegant solution to a problem.

[@glennedward2201]

This is perfect I’ve had the makings of a tool post grinder for a year or so now and just purchased a $5 edge finder versus making one and plan to take similar steps as you. The plan has been to setup the tool post grinder which is actually a 3.2kw 18000 rpm spindle so I can do internal and external grinding as well as sub c work. I’ve just made a thread in adapter for a timing pulley to mount in the back of my spindle where the spider would go so I made it two part a spider and pulley mount. This way I can use a magnetic shaft brake that can engage and disengage the sub c when I’m not running the main motor. Pretty excited I’m getting close. People don’t realize the time involved to get it all prepared and complete unless you absolutely have nothing else going on and lots of free time ;-). Edit: you must not do any direct Mt arbor or 5c spindle work since you have that plate and guage mounted front of saddle.

[@rbrianlindahl5499]

Thank you for editing the fumbling. :) Loving your videos - not sure I'll ever build the grinder, but just might end up with the jaws & the electronic lead screw. Keep up the good work!

[@roadshowautosports]

Thank you for this video. I came to your channel from blondiehack channel! Well brought up such useful tool we didn’t even know we needed! Super duper idea! What amazes me is how clever humans can be, and they were in the beginning of humanity, also creative they were! At the time, there was no tools nor machines capable at the time to start with, still they made so many little gadgets and adapters to perform tasks that, based on their inventions, today we have machines to do it, or we can but it pre made anywhere! Why the humans today can’t stop building killing machines for wars and just concentrate in doing good for all humanity instead? Ain’t that hard, as we can see in this video! Awesome job!

[@ZPositive]

Impeccable German pronounciation, sir!

[@Engineerd3d]

Thank you for sharing. Love the work.

[@Clough42]

You're welcome. Thanks!

[@Wongsterwish]

Wow... the level of precision! Thanks for sharing how the measurement can be done with gage blocks.

[@Clough42]

You're welcome! Gage blocks and a dial indicator are great tools to have in the shop.

[@fourtwo7612]

Yes, I was impressed with the accuracy achieved with a relatively simple setup and tooling. On my todo list 👍

[@glennedward2201]

Guage blocks are definitely a luxury item and something that will make you a better machinist. We often put purchases like that off until we grow at a level where we need finite precision and then wonder how we lived without them.

[@machinist123]

The INATOOL Flex Edge Finder is a different approach to edge finding and it is fast, easy, and precise. Unskilled machinist can edge find within a couple tenths, first try. If you guys have tried to train new machinist you may know it is difficult to get them to use a wobbler or indicator arm correctly, resulting in scrapped parts. The flex edge finder is an indicator accessory, which makes an indicator a very precise edge finding tool.

[@andrewbrimmer1797]

Very nice

[@johnantliff]

I have a reservation about your accuracy check at the end of the video. Sitting the tool on a guage block that is half the diameter of the initial stock and checking with a surface dial indicator does not guarantee that the cutout portion is half the diameter of the initial stock. The cutout portion could be more than half the initial diameter but sitting it on a guage block might mean that there was a gap underneath and that all you are indicating is the diameter of the initial stock! If the cutout depth is less than half the stock diameter then yes you will get an indication of that condition. However I like the application and so I went out into my workshop after immediately watching your video and made 2 of these blocks. I just hope I remember to use them when the need arises!

[@psmola101]

I understand your concern, but the gauge block that was under the tool was .400, not .375, thereby ensuring that the gauge block was in direct contact with tools machined surface. With that setup the tool should be about about .025 +/- machining error, above the surface of the granite. I would agree with you if he had used a .375 gauge block. His measurement technique looks fine to me.

[@johnantliff]

@@psmola101 Yes on reflection my concern was not valid - proves I ought to consider my commet carefully before going to print! Thanks.

[@N1gel]

Adding a makers mark. I expected to see a big cold chisle & a 5 lbs club hammer come into frame.

[@AndyGJorgensen]

Interesting I ran into this problem with making a similar fixture. I solved it differently by milling a spot in the fixture that I could use specifically with an edge finder then set my coordinate to that feature. I will have to make one of these for when I need it.

[@marcolin2249]

never thought about that!i think i would end up scraping it to specs,my tools are far from ideal,thanks for sharing

[@hanifikilic3197]

I’m from the future and have some good news for you! You’ll be way skinnier

[@Clough42]

That's great news!

[@terrycannon570]

James I love the idea of using the gage blocks to get the correct measurements but watching the difficulty you are having holding the mic and the blocks I would suggest placing one gage block on the right side of center and the other on the left side of center. Thus giving you parallel surfaces to measure. Also when making a gage I would recommend making a few tenths over and lapping to dead nuts. Thanks for the video

[@Clough42]

The issue here is that the reference point for the block is above the centerline of the cylinder, meaning only about half the anvil is in contact with the block. Placing another block on the other side might make it easier, but also introduces a second surface that must be kept in contact with a square reference against the force of the micrometer. I'm not sure how much easier it would really make it.

[@georgespeake5089]

I would have liked to see 30 seconds, or so, of how you were using that .0001. But, thanks for all your videos. We are learning a lot of good techniques. God bless!

[@Clough42]

This is an old video, so I'm not sure if I understand the context of your question. Do you mean why I'm concerned about a couple of tenths? It really doesn't matter that much in the absolute sense, except that every error adds up. The feature I later made with this tool measures only .015" and I wanted to be able to just ignore any error in the tool.

[@sierraspecialtyauto7049]

@@Clough42 I suspect he's referring to the ~20 minutes you skipped at 34:50.

[@simonconvey9645]

For setting to in the mill, since you have a reamed bore, how about a press fit guage pin to rest on the vice jaws instead of the parallel ?

[@greybeard3759]

Well done. I know nothing about CNC or your machine but just wondering if you could have touched off on a gauge pin inserted in the bore and set your DRO from there?

[@Clough42]

Yes, that would also have worked. Of course, that's a drilled and reamed hole, so the size is very close (within a few tenths) but there's likely some error in the position. It might be interesting to measure now and see how close it is. In the end, I wanted this to be within tenths, so I measured as precisely as I could between the faces I cared about.

[@billdoodson4232]

Must admit to being unsure why you moved to holding the work in the middle of the vice when both parts were fully square to the mill after the roughing operation.

[@ellieprice363]

This is an “edge finder tool” according to your title but I don’t understand how it works. After 60 years as a machinist and tool maker I’ve never seen one or how they’re used. I’m familiar with cylindrical edge finders but can’t imagine how this type works.

[@Clough42]

This just provides a cylindrical surface of a known diameter, accurately locate on the corner of a workpiece. You use a normal edge finder against the side of the cylinder and then add or subtract the radius. Without a tool like this, there really isn't anything to register your edge finder against.

[@PaulSteMarie]

A 0.0001" DTI and you think it's remarkable that it required 20min of fiddling? 😅 A drop indicator with a button tip would be easier, but getting one that reads tenths is pricey.

[@tobiasripper4124]

so, you are making a tool, the split cylinder edge finder, to make a tool.. the talongrip edge jaws.. which will then be used to make another tool, the soft jaws.. to make yet another thool... the motor clamp for the toolpost grinder? #toolception

[@Clough42]

Yeah. That's about right. And of course I'll be using the toolpost grinder to make more tools.

[@tobiasripper4124]

that's what i thought hahahaha. i've been binge watching your videos, and i must say im impressed with your work. congratulations.

[@chauvinemmons]

If you had a real life CNC machine that kind of rpm your running on that lathe might be relevant but on that hand machine it would serve you right to have that part come out and hit you right in the head you're not going to get nice finishes running that tool on that hand machine by hand. I've run manuals and I've run CNCs better than forty years now you're better off simply taking reasonable cuts at reasonable feed rates at a reasonable rpm. Just running that machine at that RPM is dangerous the inertia alone will cause that scroll Chuck to open taking parts right to zero isn't a good idea either how will you account for the crust left from heat treating and why in the world would you use simple fractions ending in tenths of a thousandth of an inch when you be better off using a diameter that is an even decimal like .6 or .8 or even 1.0 so the resulting offset is .3 .4 .5 . Too damn much fussing around on s*** that don't matter and blowing it on everything that does. Seriously,