I became very disillusioned today after what I thought would be my pride and joy, a laser edge finder. Setting my CNC mill was a nightmare to say the least, the laser dot over the edge of the workpiece is highly inaccurate. Any feedback on the electronic edge finders available from MATTOOLS or indeed, any other suppliers, would be welcome, age is getting the better of my eyesight, so figured electronic or something with lights on is the way to go........... Bob
Inaccurate in which particular way? Not aligned properly or too large a spot? If it's the latter, the edge finder _may_ have a focusing lens built in to it.
I don't have one yet so I'm curious to know their strengths and weaknesses.
Bob you want to make a filter from a polarised lens (half a sunglasses). You can rotate the lens the dim the spot, and make it much smaller, and accurate.
I thought about getting one of these when mine broke a few weeks ago, but never having used one I was a bit wary and played safe with a new Starrett from J &L. Nice, very smooth kick-out on it. Sorry, that wasn't much help really was it :(
I agree, or rather, would have done at first but after quite a lot of buggeration I'm finding it more useful now. I purchased the American one from Chronos. Initially, it was difficult to see a precise spot. Then they had the nerve to send a follow-up advert suggesting you need the polarising filter. I thought about making one but in the end sent off for their matched one. This did produce a big improvement and when (as suggested) using it on marking blue - the spot was very clear & precise. I have two remaining complaints about this bit of kit:- (1) When changing over from say mill to drilling machine, you have to go through the tedious ritual of adjusting the 3 side screws to centre the spot as you turn the mandrel by hand. This then has to be repeated whenever you change machine. This is a deal more irritating than using the precision wobbler. (2) The device is housed within a soft alloy case. Even just gently hand-closing a chuck on it can mark the shaft. I have bored out a blank 2MT arbour to hold the thing by a friction fit from which it is now seldom removed. This has improved it's usability quite a lot and has reduced - tho' not eliminated - the need to keep adjusting the 3 screws to centre the laser spot as you swop it between machines.
So by now, its reproducibility is quite good as I mainly use it with the digital read-out on the mill's table. I also use it for setting tool height on the lathe (2MT arbour in tail stock). This application alone almost makes me think it was worth the large amount of money it cost !
I know toolmakers who use nothing apart from a 10mm dowel pin and a thou feeler gauge. Move the dowel towards the work until the feeler gets tight. Although this is usually for centering on work, so any discrepency would be balanced out by using the same method on both sides.
Haven't tried the laser ones, but have always been dissapointed with the electronic ones.
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