How to center round stock in mill

[purpleknif]

Get an Interapid indicator and make an aluminum bar for it.

 

[werowance]

Get an Interapid indicator and make an aluminum bar for it.

ok, I had never heard of an interapid indicator so I had to look them up.

to me it looks just like my dial indicator? what do they do differently?

here is a picture of an ebay listing of one took a look at just to see.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/INTERAPID-D...ist-tools-M-/351541534185?hash=item51d9821de9


fortunately though for me, after learning how to use my DRO to find the center I am good, however I do like learning the different ways to do this. very interesting.

thanks
Bryan

 

[canadianhorsepower]

what do they do differently?

brand name

[/QUOTE]

after learning how to use my DRO to find the center I am good,

thanks
Bryan[/QUOTE]

what brand of DRO do you have ?????

 

[werowance]

i have an igauging dro. that i havnt had for very long, or more specific, i havnt had it installed for that long

what i didn't understand was in my way of thinking i had to find the furthest point of the circle to hit with the edge finder,

but once it was explained that just as long as i hit the left edge, then lift the mill chuck and move over and hit the right edge then split the difference, that was center on that axis and then repeat on the other axis. i cant believe i didn't think of it that way and was smaking my forehead in disbelief when i read it thinking "why didn't i think of that" i was just over complicating it.

i mostly use the dro on the lathe portion of my combo machine, just to get depth and spacing of things like cooling fins on the bj cicada engine and so forth.

 

[SmithDoor]

The fast way I have found it to center the Tee Slot and place the bar stock in the tee slot for milling
This can be done with no more than a round stock machine to size of tee slot chuck in the mill. This will have a accuracy of less than 0.005" this works for most key ways. If I need great I will use dial indicators

Dave

 

[werowance]

The fast way I have found it to center the Tee Slot and place the bar stock in the tee slot for milling
This can be done with no more than a round stock machine to size of tee slot chuck in the mill. This will have a accuracy of less than 0.005" this works for most key ways. If I need great I will use dial indicators

Dave

but isn't that for finding the center of the side of a piece of round stock and not the face? or is there a way to do this to find the center of the face so a slot can be milled across the face?

 

[purpleknif]

An Interarpid indicator has an on center round stem on the end with a friction clutch so you can swing it easily. This makes it way more versatile than a dovetail mount. I've been a machinist for over 30 years and wouldn't have anything else. With a simple aluminum cross attachment I haven't run into anything it can't do. Thet're also considered the gold standard for accuracy.