TIL a retired machinist showed me how to set tool offsets without a probe

I was struggling with a new HAAS VF-2 at a job shop in Akron last month. An old timer named Dave walked over, watched me fumble for 10 minutes, and just said 'stop overthinking it kid.' He pulled out a 1-2-3 block and a sheet of paper, used the paper trick to barely touch the tool to the part. Then he set the offset from that spot, ran the first cut, and measured with mics to dial it in perfectly. Saved me like 20 minutes per tool change on repeat jobs. He retired in 2019 but still comes by every Friday to shoot the breeze. Has anyone else learned a weird old-school trick from a veteran operator?

2 comments

2 Comments

michael89516d ago

Tbh, I get the nostalgia but paper tricks and guesswork aren't exactly a skill I'd brag about. You can nail the offset faster with a simple touchoff tool or an edge finder, no need to run a cut and hope you measured right. Old school methods worked back then because they had to, not because they were better.

joelthomas16d ago

Man that's awesome. There's something about old school machinists who just have that sixth sense for setup work. I love hearing stories like this, really makes you appreciate the guys who learned it all without the fancy stuff.