Re: centering / edge finder camera

On Sat, 22 Sep 2007 23:59:02 +0100, "Norman Billingham"
<n.billingham@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:


"Andrew Bishop" <andrew@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:1189882110.902593.42580@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
can anyone rember what issue mew they covered this topic
Im thinking of getting a usb microscope and using that for the camera

also has anyone made the hemingway kit found here if so how was it

http://www.hemingwaykits.com/acatalog/Centering_Microscope.html



Andrew

I built the Hemingway microscope, partly as an excercise in building it. I
find it extremely useful and very accurate, though havig to put it in the
mill then change to the chuck can be a bit fiddly. It's extremely good for
locating marks, but also unbeateble for centering the rotary table. I have
a taper that drops in the centre hole and has an accurately centered mark on
it - focus the microscope and move the table to bring the mark under the
centre of the graticule and its aligned.

Most people seem to manage perfectly well without one, but I like mine and
am pleased I built it.

Incidentally, the graticule is about the only difficult bit. You can use
any old objective from a microscope and the eyepiece is a standard X10 job.
The prism is essentially a front surface mirror. As I remember, the kit
used to be a lot cheaper - its quite pricey now. You do need to get the
thing anodised - I got mine done by a local company for about a tenner but
had to wait a while.

For those not looking for quite the same degree of accuracy, the
most useful thing I've picked up this year is one of the new laser edge and
centre finders. Roughly one inch and a half long by half inch dia barrel,
which contains a couple of button batteries, with a small additional spigot
for chuck/collet mounting at one end. The opposite end has a pin hole
aperture for a 'safe' red laser. Mount in chuck of mill, for example,
twist micro switch on barrel side, centre resulting red dot on work below
and it's aligned. No more 'take away half the diameter of the number you
first thought of' etc....! Switch laser for tool and off you go.

There's an optional add-on, a Polaroid filter cap can be slipped
over the business end and be used to change the diameter of the marker
spot. I find initial rough setting of 4-jaw lathe work is much easier, hold
laser in tailstock chuck, and move work until work ref point and laser dot
coincide. The other way round, laser in 3-jaw SC chuck in headstock switch
on and locate ref on work clamped to cross-slide table, or even check
tailstock set-over etc etc etc.

It's an extremely versatile bit of kit and I seem to use it every
time I go in the workshop. I'm sure I'll find lots more applications as
time goes on.

ISTR it cost about £30-£40, with an additional £25? for the filter.
Highly recommended.
--

Chris Edwards (in deepest Dorset) "....there *must* be an easier way!"
.

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