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Author Topic: anyone know where to get an optical edge finder?  (Read 68509 times)

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anyone know where to get an optical edge finder?
« on: October 21, 2006, 11:20:05 PM »
Hello,

I saw in a shop a black thing you could put in a collet and look through to find the edge of a part to high accuracy.  Anyone know where to get one of those?  I did a google search but didnt find anything.

Thanks,
Mike
Re: anyone know where to get an optical edge finder?
« Reply #1 on: October 22, 2006, 01:33:34 AM »
Look for a toolmakers microscope. Be careful to make sure that the crosshairs are centered when you use it.

Offline Graham Waterworth

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Re: anyone know where to get an optical edge finder?
« Reply #2 on: October 22, 2006, 03:58:37 AM »
Laser Centre & Edge Finder with 6mm Dia Shank(Reference #LCEF..)
The Laser Center/Edge Finder ® was introduced by SDA Mfg. at the Visalia, CA "Men, Metal & Machines" show on October 4th 2004.

Designed to replace traditional wigglers and mechanical or electronic edge finders

6mm shank - can be used with the smallest of machines

Precision edge finding without readjusting for radius of edge finding tool

Quickly locate center punch marks or scribe line intersections

Can be used with drill presses, to set mill head angle, realign lathe tailstock after taper cutting, lathes with 4-jaw chuck setup or to align the vice on the mill table.

Product Overview:

The Laser Center/Edge Finder ® is a new tool for your mill that will save setup time. For the new Home Shop Machinist it will eliminate the frustrations and doubts of learning the century old Indirect Method with the conventional Edge Finders or Wiggler.

The Laser Center/Edge Finder ® is a Direct Method center or edge finder. Current Center/Edge Finders are Indirect Methods. Current Finders require the Mill operator to determine where the edge of the material is by imposing sufficient pressure on the finder to just slightly bump the material and then move over one-half the diameter of the edge finder to locate the true edge of the material. Another accepted method is a center/edge finder that has a spring loaded conical disc that kicks sideways when touching the edge of the material and the Mill operator then moves the mill table over one-half the diameter of the edge finder to locate the true edge of the material.

The mechanical/electrical center/edge finders function as the mechanical ones do except that instead of a spring loaded offset disc it utilizes electrical continuity to determine when the edge finder has contacted the material (not always useful on non-conducting material). The Mill operator hears an audible signal or a light comes on indicating contact has been made. The operator must still add half the diameter of the edge finder to determine the true edge of the material.

The Laser Center/Edge Finder ® only requires the Mill operator to move the table under the small Laser beam until the laser light shows that the light is at the edge of the material to locate the true edge of the material. If the Mill operator is attempting to position the Mill quill to a Center Punched mark on the material, the table is moved until the laser light centers on the punched mark. In both instances this Direct Method eliminates the most common mistake of forgetting to add half the diameter of the conventional center/edge finder to locate the true edge of the material.

SHANK DIAMETER: - 6mm

OVERALL DIAMETER:- 20mm

OVERALL LENGTH: 70mm

LASER MODULE: Class IIIa (<5 mW) 640-660nm 4.5v

BEAM SPOT DIAMETER: 0.1mm-0.5mm (Dependent on surface reflectivity)

BATTERIES: LR44 1.5V (3X) (batteries included)

CLICK THE IMAGE FOR A LARGER PICTURE

OR CUT AND PASTE THE FOLLOWING INTO YOUR TOOLBAR TO VIEW A SHORT VIDEO DEMONSTRATION

http://www.lasercenteredgefinder.com/video2.html

•No Calculations

•No Guesswork

•Works From 1"- 4" Away

 


Price inc UK mainland carriage:  £48.47 £56.95 Including VAT(appl European union only) at 17.5%

http://www.chronos.ltd.uk/acatalog/index.html?http%3A//www.chronos.ltd.uk/acatalog/Chronos_Catalogue_What_s_New___137.html&CatalogBody

How about this type

Graham.
« Last Edit: October 22, 2006, 04:02:33 AM by Graham Waterworth »
Without engineers the world stops

Offline Chaoticone

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Re: anyone know where to get an optical edge finder?
« Reply #3 on: October 22, 2006, 08:45:38 AM »
These people have the optical ones.
http://www.jlindustrial.com/

I do like the one Graham suggested better though. :)
;D If you could see the things I have in my head, you would be laughing too. ;D

My guard dog is not what you need to worry about!

Hood

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Re: anyone know where to get an optical edge finder?
« Reply #4 on: October 22, 2006, 09:03:19 AM »
Only problem with the laser one is its questionable accuracy, 0.1 to 0.5mm is not that great :( I was dissapointed with the edge finder I made when I could only get it to 0.01mm, gonna work on that again one day to make adjustment easier ;)
Hood

Offline Graham Waterworth

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Re: anyone know where to get an optical edge finder?
« Reply #5 on: October 22, 2006, 02:13:42 PM »
If you want the ultimate setting device, have a look at this.

I use one of these nearly every day.

http://www.mahr.com/index.php?NodeID=10865&SourceID=10862&LayerMenuID=3

Graham.
« Last Edit: October 22, 2006, 02:38:44 PM by Graham Waterworth »
Without engineers the world stops

Hood

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Re: anyone know where to get an optical edge finder?
« Reply #6 on: October 22, 2006, 02:29:22 PM »
Looks expensive, any idea of the cost?

Hood

Offline Graham Waterworth

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Re: anyone know where to get an optical edge finder?
« Reply #7 on: October 22, 2006, 02:36:56 PM »
About 300.00 quid.

Graham.
Without engineers the world stops

Hood

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Re: anyone know where to get an optical edge finder?
« Reply #8 on: October 22, 2006, 02:39:53 PM »
Not too bad for what you get, any idea of where to get in the UK?.

Hood

Offline Graham Waterworth

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Re: anyone know where to get an optical edge finder?
« Reply #9 on: October 22, 2006, 02:43:56 PM »
I got mine last year from Mahr UK, direct, it was on offer at the time and I think I paid 250.00+vat

Graham.
Without engineers the world stops