Edge finder Review…a repost

look like it dissapeared with the move so here it goes again

Review of Edge Finders and what I like.

When doing precision work it is necessary to know exactly where the edge of the material is in relation to the center of the cutting tool. Once you know this you can make your necessary measurements and drill holes and mill from this reference point.

There are several different types of edge finders and I am going to review a few of them I have used.

The Wiggler
First one is the wiggler. The wiggler is a funny type of edge finder in that when it finds the edge of your material it will then spin off its center axis and let you know you have just reached the edge of the material. It comes with several other tools and it very popular in many shops. Price runs $10-20
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In using the wiggler I found it easy to use but sometimes in a tight setup it the spinning probe can hit the vise or a clamp if things are tight for space. It works well but found the disc probe a couple of thousands smaller then it should be. So this has to be taken into account when finding the edge.

Laser Edge finder
I wanted to try the newest Laser edge finder. I used this for awhile and while it has some good applications edge finding is not one of them. The problem is you have to guesstamate the center of the laser dot when finding the edge. And while you can get close being consistently accurate is not that easy. It is not uncommon to be several thousandths off. There is a learning curve in using this and still is not as accurate as other methods. The company has made some improvements but the price has also increased to $84. There are better and more accurate ways of edge finding for much less. I still use my laser for tramming my vise. Making sure I am directly over a point for drilling. Using it to center my tailstock in the lathe etc. It is a funny handy tool but for the price it should be able to find the edge with no hassle accurately and frankly is a little bit of a hassle and takes to long to insure you are exactly on the edge.

Electronic Edge finder
The last edge finder I bought was an electronic edge finder. I got it off EBay for $10 which was a steal. They normally run $20-40. This edge finder uses an AAA battery and LED to indicate when you are on the edge. When it makes contact with the metal surface you are working on the LED will light up and that is it. You then are able to adjust your mill exactly over the edge. I was able to repeat edge finding with this one multiple times and within .0005” repeatability. The electronic edge finder was much more consistent and accurate over the wiggler and laser models. And even at full retail price the ease of installation and operation and accuracy make it my choice over the other two styles.