Center tool gage

This new tool from Alisam Engineering, makes centering your lathe tool to your lathes axis a quick and easy task! Ideally for those jobs where you need to switch to a different tool while in the middle of a turning, but even when you just want to set up your tool(s) before a job. There are many other ways of accomplishing this but we and our many machinist friends believe this is the simplest, fastest, coolest way!

  The idea was taken from the “old timers” trick of using a machinist’s rule captured between the stock and tool tip and adjusting the tool height until the rule was straight up and down. This method worked great but you had to keep moving over to the tailstock end to sight over the bed to visualize how straight the rule was or at least strain to look over your compound, cock your neck and sight the rule.

  The novel idea of placing an accurate bubble level on the end of the rule, and using the same, time tested, “old timers” trick, allows the user to easily see when the tool tip is centered on the lathe’s axis. You can make fine adjustments and watch as the bubble tells you when the tool is on center. No more straining your neck or running over to the tailstock to peer over your bed! Could even be used to get your stock close to centered in the chuck by placing the gage in the center of one side of the rule and aligning rule with axis of lathe on stock, then rotating chuck checking every 90 degrees or so. Wood turners may find this setup useful when re-chucking rough turned bowl blanks or such on their wood lathes.