Used to zero my tools the same way every time until a guy at a shop in Portland showed me a better method

For about 5 years I always touched off my end mills using a piece of paper, same as my old teacher taught me. Then a machinist named Dave at a job shop in Portland said to use a feeler gauge instead since it gives a consistent thickness every time. I switched last March and my part dimensions have been way more repeatable, especially on titanium jobs. Has anyone else tried using feeler gauges for tool touch off, or is paper still the standard for you guys?

2 comments

2 Comments

jennifer_west10d ago

Huh, that's interesting about the feeler gauge. I've been using paper for like 8 years now and never thought to switch. But here's something nobody's really brought up - what about using a piece of shim stock instead of a feeler gauge? I keep a few different thicknesses of shim stock in my toolbox for setups, and a .002 or .003 piece works just as good as a feeler gauge. You can cut it to whatever size you want so it's easier to handle on small tools. Plus shim stock is way cheaper to replace if you drop it in the chip tray compared to a whole feeler gauge set lol.

lily8910d ago

hold up wait so are you saying you actually cut the shim stock to size with scissors or tin snips? cause i feel like that would leave rough edges that could mess with the feel of it when youre trying to set a tight gap. i guess i always figured feeler gauges were ground flat for a reason but maybe im overthinking it. how do you get consistent results with cut pieces or do you just eyeball it?