What is this

[ammcoman2]

I had to buy this "thingey" when browsing through a machinery dealer's offerings a few weeks ago. The price marked on the sticker was $5!


I knew exactly what it's new purpose will be the moment I saw it and I'll show progress on the project when I finalize the sketches/drawings.

The rest of the photos show different views of the gadget.






It has an angle adjustment using the graduated wheel on top giving a resolution of 0.01 degrees. and can move from -10 degrees to +90. The 360 degree plate is adjusted by the cogged wheel and can be disengaged by the little copper lever. The last photo (of the underside) shows an adjuster for lining up the jig?

I wonder if the collective wisdom of this group can give me an idea of its original purpose. The horizontal turntable has a cogged wheel attached to the adjuster and, if you look closely, the vertical adjuster has a threaded hole in the top. The whole unit is very well made with an adjustable gib strip and ball bearings on all shafts.

[Optics Curmudgeon]

It's a goniometer. Often used for positioning samples in X-ray diffraction measurements, but good for any sort of multi axis angular positioning.

Joe

[Mike Burdick]

What are you going to make...a ball turner? ....or a HSS tool bit sharpener? ....O' my, the ideas are endless!
.

[uncle pete]

5 bucks??? You got ripped off, Since I'm a nice guy and feel bad for you I'll be chairatable and send you $10 for it, You do not need to thank me now, I get a warm fuzzy feeling helping people out like this.

Seriously, Great score, It would be interesting to find out what that sold for new.

Pete

[winchman]

I was going to suggest it had been used to position a mirror for laser experiments.

Like Mike says, the possibilities are endless.

Roger

[mochinist]

I built a small machine last year and the customer had one of those to attach to it. It was a smaller version, maybe took up 3 square inches and new it cost over 1k US, I wanna say 2k but I dont remember the details. I think your 5 bucks was a good deal even if you havent found a use for it yet

[ammcoman2]

Thank guys, for the info, and for the offers. As one friend said "it will look good just sitting on a shelf in your workshop".

I feel bad about modifying it but I'm not into high precision angle measurements. My plan is to incorporate it into a small cutter grinder. This will enable me to have radius grinding capability and, if I can get the toolholder positioned at the right height on the swing axis, the ability to grind side etc. clearances without having to move the grinding head.

A few years ago I got a hardness testing positioner at the Barrie Flea market for $10. It has x and y micrometer movement as well as a slider section. The micrometers have 50 divisions and one turn gives 0.5mm movement.

I'm thinking of a mini cuttermaster or Stent style of grinder using small diamond discs and the grinder head (Foredom) will have accurate angle capability.

I have done some prework using the diamond disc/cheap import Foredom style sytem and the results have met my expectations. I got the idea from an article in MEW where the author used a Dremel head and a Unimat (I think) lathe bed to sharpen milling cutters. I must say that the real Foredom handpieces are very well made with correct preload on the bearings.

Thanks once again for the help in identifying this "jig".

Geoff