Center finding pin

[morsa]

A few years ago, one of the casters of a revolving chair broke into pieces. Regarding the chair, a replacement caster was placed and still remains in use. With regard to the broken caster, surely most people would have thrown it in the trash, and that's the end of the story. But for those like me, who like to reuse materials, it was an opportunity to transform waste into something useful....and to have fun.

With the stem of the caster I made a center-finding pin on the Unimat lathe:














This is a commercial center finding pin: Center-Finding Pin - Lee Valley Tools

This tool is useful for accurately aligning the center point marks on the workpiece with the center point of the drill press. You only have to grasp the pin in the chuck, align the pin with the mark, clamp the workpiece, replace the pin by the drill bit, and you are ready to do a precision work.

This center finding pins would also be useful on the mill, lathe and router.

With the wheels I made a pair of threaded knobs, gluing the bolt with epoxy resin.





Regards, morsa.

[DIYer]

Thanks morsa! We've added your Center Finding Pin to our Measuring and Marking category,
as well as to your builder page: morsa's Homemade Tools. Your receipt:

Center Finding Pin by morsa

tags: centering

[DIYer]

Thanks morsa! We've added your Threaded Knobs to our Miscellaneous category,
as well as to your builder page: morsa's Homemade Tools. Your receipt:

Threaded Knobs by morsa

tags: fasteners

[pfredX1]

Center finding pin? It's a spud.

[mklotz]

Center finding pin? It's a spud.

Is "spud" a machinist slang expression?

The only spud tools I know of are used to align holes in ironwork (spud wrench) or remove bark from logs (bark spud).

[pfredX1]

That is just what a center alignment tool is called. It's a spud. Like the example you gave, a spud wrench. It's a spud wrench because of the pointy end.