# Best Homemade Tools >  Lathe "work truing" tool

## Canobi

This is one of those very handy tools you eventually use all the time, and it's very simple to make:



I cobbled this tool together from items I had on hand, most of which is scrap I've salvaged from here n there so cost me time only, which wasn't very long.

I considered a press fit for the bearings but decided to bolt them in place as it to give it more flexibility, I'm fixing up a mill I got recently and it can also be used as an edge finder.

Job was simple, face, turn to size, drill, tap (M6 x 15), champfer, flip round, trim to length, repeat first four steps.

In this case though, it was a bit large for my small quick change toopost holder:



It held it very tightly though, so left it where it was and tried something new by doing a bit of light milling on the lathe. A 10mm two flute stub end mill took care of the cutting and just judged the cut depth by feel and eye, which went well all considered:



I then cleaned up the edges? flipped it round and it was a perfect fit:



For those that don't know how this kind of tool works on a lathe, here is a short demonstration video I made:

----------

Andyt (Aug 12, 2022),

aphilipmarcou (Jun 19, 2017),

Aussie48 (Mar 3, 2018),

Home-PC (Jul 4, 2022),

LMMasterMariner (Jun 20, 2017),

Moby Duck (Jun 19, 2017),

mr mikey (Aug 11, 2022),

Nick Jonkman (Feb 23, 2018),

olderdan (Jun 19, 2017),

Paul Jones (Jun 19, 2017),

philipUsesWood&Brass (Jul 2, 2018),

PJs (Feb 22, 2018),

Seedtick (Jun 19, 2017),

Sleykin (Jan 3, 2020),

sossol (Aug 11, 2022),

tonyfoale (Feb 23, 2018),

Wmrra13 (Feb 22, 2018)

----------


## olderdan

This is a well known tool but well worth posting for those yet to discover it and nicely presented.
I assume the other bearing is for bar stock, unlike face truing this needs some care as it works like a wobbler in reverse. In this use the bearing can not move so the work will if going slightly over centre try to climb over the bearing, nuff said.
Maybe useful also to mention re tightening the jaws after use.
I hope this is taken in the spirit of being helpful for the novice turner.

----------

Andyt (Aug 12, 2022),

Canobi (Jun 19, 2017),

Paul Jones (Jun 19, 2017),

PJs (Feb 22, 2018),

Toolmaker51 (Jun 20, 2017)

----------


## Canobi

> This is a well known tool but well worth posting for those yet to discover it and nicely presented.
> I assume the other bearing is for bar stock, unlike face truing this needs some care as it works like a wobbler in reverse. In this use the bearing can not move so the work will if going slightly over centre try to climb over the bearing, nuff said.
> Maybe useful also to mention re tightening the jaws after use.
> I hope this is taken in the spirit of being helpful for the novice turner.



Absolutely, I am that novice turner lol, so thank you for mentioning the extra details I forgot to include.

----------


## Ralphxyz

I am a novice novice turning and I do not see what it does.

But thanks for posting, eventually I usually catch on.

Ralph

----------


## KA4993

> This is a well known tool but well worth posting for those yet to discover it and nicely presented.
> I assume the other bearing is for bar stock, unlike face truing this needs some care as it works like a wobbler in reverse. In this use the bearing can not move so the work will if going slightly over centre try to climb over the bearing, nuff said.
> Maybe useful also to mention re tightening the jaws after use.
> I hope this is taken in the spirit of being helpful for the novice turner.



Every time I see your avatar, the little white pooch, I think of the attached file. So I decided you need to see it.

If you left click on it, it should get bigger.

Regards,

Ed

----------

olderdan (Jun 20, 2017),

PJs (Feb 22, 2018)

----------


## Canobi

> I am a novice novice turning and I do not see what it does.
> 
> But thanks for posting, eventually I usually catch on.
> 
> Ralph



Did you watch the demo vid, it shows you how it's used (well one side of it anyway)?

----------


## Ed ke6bnl

I made one a while back and use it often.

----------


## Ralphxyz

Yup, I watched it but did not see anything but the bearing rotating, what am I supposed to be seeing.

What does the tool do?

A few words and then the video might make sense.

Sorry but I am brand new to using a lathe.

I do not see where this would "true a lathe" it might indicate a lathe not being "true" or being true.

I do not understand a "trueing tool".

I can see how it might be used to indicate a tool post, if the tool post/tool holder was not perpendicular to the face of the 
test piece that would be obvious, but that is an indicator not a trueing tool.

Ralph

----------


## KA4993

Ralph, you may be over thinking this.... If you notice the title of the original post ... Lathe "work truing" tool . This tool is used to true the "work" that is in the chuck. If you look at the video again, you should see that at the start of the video, the item in the chuck is far from true but after making contact with the bearing... it is repositioned in the chuck and no longer wobbles. The tool trues the work... not the lathe or any component of the lathe.

Hope this helps,

Regards,

Ed

----------

Andyt (Aug 12, 2022),

Canobi (Jun 20, 2017),

Sleykin (Jan 3, 2020)

----------


## DIYer

Thanks Canobi! We've added your Lathe Truing Tool to our Lathe Accessories category,
as well as to your builder page: Canobi's Homemade Tools. Your receipt:















Lathe Truing Tool
 by Canobi

tags:
lathe, truing

----------


## olderdan

Thanks for the pic Ed, that one is a real hoot cant help laughing every time I look at it.
Bichones are noisy little buggers but always entertaining.

----------


## Ralphxyz

Thanks Ed, now it is "starting" to sink in.

The item in the chuck has to have a flush finished face at 90° to the spindle, most of my work pieces do not have a flush face so I am still having trouble
understanding.

Like you said I can see the workpiece is repositioned and no longer wobbles, and then olderdan's comment "Maybe useful also to mention re tightening the jaws after use." makes sense. The work piece would not be firmly chucked, I rely on firmly tightening the chuck to "true" the workpiece if the chuck is tight then the tool would not be able to reposition the workpiece so I think I am still missing something.

Thanks for the help.
Ralph

----------


## Frank S

Tools such as these are handy for truing the work in both the cylindrical as well as the face plane this would be why the OP has a bearing on both ends 1 bearing would be used for truing the face as in the video while the other end when the tool is mounted in the tool post parallel to a cylinder would be used to lightly preposition the work in the chuck. You would never need to engage both bearings to the work at the same time 
Using a tool like this would be a time expedient way a truing the work without the need to set up a dial indicator 
As always re-tightening the chuck afterwards is a common practice using either method a truing tool or an indicator

----------

PJs (Jun 30, 2018)

----------


## KA4993

Glad you like it... I too have to chuckle every time I see it and if enlarged enough you can see that the mouth is open.... also that the pooch is wearing what appears to be a red Fireman's Helmet.

----------


## Wmrra13

Thanks, I've got an upcoming project that begging for one of these!

----------


## Aussie48

A very handy addition to the lathe tools thanks for posting, simple effective like all good inventions.

Dick

----------


## philipUsesWood&Brass

> Yup, I watched it but did not see anything but the bearing rotating, what am I supposed to be seeing.
> 
> What does the tool do?
> 
> A few words and then the video might make sense.
> 
> Sorry but I am brand new to using a lathe.
> 
> I do not see where this would "true a lathe" it might indicate a lathe not being "true" or being true.
> ...



When one installs work into a 4 Independent jaw chuck it typically is not "True to the Axis" of the Lathe.

The Jaws are only slightly touching the work. At the point the bearing Starts to touch the work, it will only touch @ one spot, gently tightening THAT jaw will move the piece in the opposite direction, NOW two sides will touch the bearing!

Countinuing that process UNTIL All sides of the work rotate the bearing. At that point it is "True to theLathe". Tighten all Jaws. THEN RECHECK! 

That Recheck is like the carpenter's "Measure Twice Cut Once". Potential of moving a Jaw too Much is ~Frequent~ for Beginners, I know as I have been a Beginner for 25 years.

philip

----------


## Ralphxyz

"gently tightening THAT jaw"

We are talking about a 3 jaw chuck aren't we?

I see and understand and appreciate the function now, added to my to do list!!

Ralph

----------


## philipUsesWood&Brass

> "gently tightening THAT jaw"
> 
> We are talking about a 3 jaw chuck aren't we?
> 
> I see and understand and appreciate the function now, added to my to do list!!
> 
> Ralph



Ralph, I rewrote that to clarify. I Am MUCH Too Tired these days from tearin down my shop equipment & house to MOVE to another location. 

Sorry for the confusion, it was all on me.

philip

----------


## Ralphxyz

Well hey philip want to come over to my house and repair the termite and water rot on the entire perimeter of my 30' x 30' pool house?

I need to redo the sill plus 2' up around the entire building.

Ralph

----------


## philipUsesWood&Brass

Ralph,

So Sorry, I am now only licensed to be a Sidewalk Inspector, I sit by the Sidewalk & inspect those who walk by!

~ philip

----------


## mr mikey

Thanks for the useful tip. I learn something new every day. Mr Mikey.

----------

