Another laser finder.

[Jon]

Congratulations tonyfoale - your Laser Aligner is the Homemade Tool of the Week!

Another huge week here! Some other nice builds: Ford Injection Pump Wrench by Frank S, a Shrinker/Stretcher Stand by bobs409, a Battery Charger by Ed., a Vertical Milling Slide by olderdan, a Washer Turning Fixture by Frank S, a clever Nut Tightening Article by rgsparber, a Vernier to Digital Height Gauge by tonyfoale, and another nice Laser Alignment Tool from editor@glue-it.com. We also had multiple excellent tools from jjr2001, including a Disc Brake Mill Tramming Aid, a Lathe Form Tool Spring Tool Holder, and a Parting Tool Spring Type Holder,

tonyfoale - you'll be receiving a $25 online gift card, in your choice of Amazon, PayPal, Giftrocket, or bitcoin. Please PM me your current email address and gift card choice and I'll get it sent over right away.

More importantly, this is your 5th Homemade Tool of the Week win! I've just added the silver wrench-on-pedestal graphic to the awards showcase in your postbit, visible underneath your avatar.

Great job, and you're in excellent company joining these other 5-time winners: rossbotics, Christophe Mineau, Brendon, mklotz, and Vyacheslav.Nevolya.

Here are all of your wins. Congrats again

Horizontal Milling Machine by tonyfoale

tags: mill

Drum Brake Grinder by tonyfoale

tags: grinder, brake drums

Shock Absorber Dynamometer by tonyfoale

tags: suspension, measurement

Valve Holding Collet by tonyfoale

tags: valve, holder, collet

Laser Aligner by tonyfoale

tags: alignment, laser

[editor@glue-it.com]

Hello Tony, this is a cool way of making the alignment tool fit to the mill/drill. The fact I have to remove the cutting bit, change the collet size, fit the alignment tool and back again, is frustrating. Thanks, Nigel

[tonyfoale]

Hello Tony, this is a cool way of making the alignment tool fit to the mill/drill. The fact I have to remove the cutting bit, change the collet size, fit the alignment tool and back again, is frustrating. Thanks, Nigel

Nigel,
All due credit must go to Dan Gelbart for the base idea. I just took that and added my own take on it.
I am sure that it took me much longer to make than yours which is so elegant in its simplicity.
In case anyone wants to make one like mine I'll admit to a design mistake. I made the internal clamp shape, 4 sided. Of course it will only clamp up tight on three points and so it is not as firmly located as it would be with a 3 sided clamp with the contact points more evenly spaced. I am surprised that I made that mistake because normally I look for the self aligning way of doing things and more often than not I use 3 supports. Isn't hindsight wonderful?

[tonyfoale]

In case anyone wants to make one like mine I'll admit to a design mistake. I made the internal clamp shape, 4 sided. Of course it will only clamp up tight on three points and so it is not as firmly located as it would be with a 3 sided clamp with the contact points more evenly spaced..... Isn't hindsight wonderful?

Isn't Photoshop great, you can fix your mistakes in a few seconds.



A bit of milling and some JB weld (or real weld) should fix it with minimal work.

[olderdan]

I was thinking you may do something like this to fix it, I think its great to see mistakes as they can be as valuable as successes.
By the way since your post on shear tools I have started using them again and have achieved a new level of finish and accuracy especially combined with the tangential top slide use.
Many thanks and congrats on your award.
Olderdan

[tonyfoale]

I was thinking you may do something like this to fix it, I think its great to see mistakes as they can be as valuable as successes.
By the way since your post on shear tools I have started using them again and have achieved a new level of finish and accuracy especially combined with the tangential top slide use.
Olderdan

Alan,
Mistakes are a darn nuisance but they happen and may help learning. In this case it is not really much hassle in practice, because it was made to fit the spindle nose, it is more a case that I know it is not optimal. I have lived with it for the couple of years since I made it but this discussion may prompt me to fix it.

I have never understood why the so called "shear" tool is not more widely used. It is not suitable for all jobs of course, like turning up to a shoulder, but is a great aid in most cases. I am glad that you got inspired to use them again.

[CHP]

great tool
do you have plans available for it

[tonyfoale]

great tool
do you have plans available for it

Sorry no plans, not even a napkin sketch. Things like this I just make without sketches to fit whatever it is going on.
the photos give the idea which hopefully is enough for anyone else to make something to fit their own machine and available materials.

[Responsible]

It has been a long time since I saw Dan Gelbart's video which I referenced above. Last night I revisited it but was very disappointed. The video that I recall had a lot more detail showing him aligning bearing bores and a lot of other stuff with the laser centre finder. So either I am inventing memories, the video has been edited or there is another video there which I couldn't find last night.
Anyway I still recommend Gelbart's videos for forum members viewing.
Another excellent YouTube channel is Don Bailey at Surburban Tool.

While researching this further I found this:https://drive.google.com/drive/folde...WtXQjIwWnU3V0E
It has some drawings and a description of it's use. It might be helpful for others, and complimentary to Tony's descriptions.

Pete

[tonyfoale]

While researching this further I found this:https://drive.google.com/drive/folde...WtXQjIwWnU3V0E
It has some drawings and a description of it's use. It might be helpful for others, and complimentary to Tony's descriptions.
Pete

Pete,

That is closer to the design that I recall Gelbart showing some years back using two pieces of spring steel, the video that I referenced seemed to have a different construction using a rubbery material. No matter, it is the idea that counts, there are an infinity of ways to make a particular example once you have the idea.
Were the documents that you posted from Gelbart's site or elsewhere?