Having "lost" two center finders in my shop and none available in any local stores (the nearby Woodcraft shuttered late last year), I decided to make one. I bought an 18" stainless steel rule and used some maple scraps to make a larger version to accommodate bowl turning. The markings on the ruler are really not needed, but the thin, wide metal would not deflect when scribing a line and was cheaper than buying a length of metal. The wood was mitered and glued together using a picture frame clamp to hold them in alignment. The join was reinforced with bamboo cross pins and a 1/16" thick by 1" wide piece of maple across the back side of the joint after the glue cured. The wood was dyed with a water based aniline dye and give 4-5 applications of polyurethane varnish. The SS rule was predrilled for mounting screws and then bonded to the wooden body with e6000 glue. Everything was aligned by clamping it all to 6" speed square until the adhesive cured. Then the four screws were installed to complete the assembly. This one can hang on the shop wall with some T-squares. Maybe I won't lose this one as easily.
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Having "lost" two center finders in my shop and none available in any local stores (the nearby Woodcraft shuttered late last year), I decided to make one. I bought an 18" stainless steel rule and used some maple scraps to make a larger version to accommodate bowl turning. The markings on the ruler are really not needed, but the thin, wide metal would not deflect when scribing a line and was cheaper than buying a length of metal. The wood was mitered and glued together using a picture frame clamp to hold them in alignment. The join was reinforced with bamboo cross pins and a 1/16" thick by 1" wide piece of maple across the back side of the joint after the glue cured. The wood was dyed with a water based aniline dye and give 4-5 applications of polyurethane varnish. The SS rule was predrilled for mounting screws and then bonded to the wooden body with e6000 glue. Everything was aligned by clamping it all to 6" speed square until the adhesive cured. Then the four screws were installed to complete the assembly. This one can hang on the shop wall with some T-squares. Maybe I won't lose this one as easily.Jim Frye
The Nut in the Cellar.
I've gone out to look for myself. If I return before I get back, have me wait for me. -
Looks great, and hopefully it will serve you for years to come and not end up in the lost tool universe.
Chr's
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An ethical man knows the right thing to do.
A moral man does it. -
Did anyone catch my obscure homage to a Gibson Les Paul?Jim Frye
The Nut in the Cellar.
I've gone out to look for myself. If I return before I get back, have me wait for me.Comment
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Loring in Katy, TX USA
If your only tool is a hammer, you tend to treat all problems as if they were nails.
BT3 FAQ - https://www.sawdustzone.org/forum/di...sked-questionsComment
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Probably 25 years ago I bought this brass centerfinder from Sears. It was significantly off, I should have returned it. Instead I drilled out the four rivets, enlarged two holes to allow some adjustment, put in two countersunk screws adjusted to be perfect as I could make it. Then drilled two alignment holes thru the assembly and pinned with some metal roll pins for permanence. Sigh, it worked 25 years and still today but I should have just returned that piece of cr*p.
Loring in Katy, TX USA
If your only tool is a hammer, you tend to treat all problems as if they were nails.
BT3 FAQ - https://www.sawdustzone.org/forum/di...sked-questionsComment
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How to check yor center finder for accuracy.
while you can locate the center with 2 lines, i always use at least three from multiple angles around the circumference.
They should all meet at the center point. Even if you draw 4 or 8 lines or more. If they don't meet then the gauge is off or the item is not round!
If the gauge is off, the center guide is not perfectly centered, then multiple lines will form intersections in a circle locus, the size of the circle is the error. Here, I taped a 1/10" shim to one arm of the "V" to simulate a bad centerfinder. This is a 1.25" diameter dowel.
It pretty easy to check your center finder and, like I do, check it every time you use it.Last edited by LCHIEN; 02-06-2025, 09:53 AM.Loring in Katy, TX USA
If your only tool is a hammer, you tend to treat all problems as if they were nails.
BT3 FAQ - https://www.sawdustzone.org/forum/di...sked-questionsComment
twistsol
LCHIEN
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