🔍 Mitutoyo 050101 Edge Finder Shank: Ensuring Precise and Accurate Machining Review

I have to say right away that I'm not a machinist; I'm just a guy who likes to tinker with Makerspace on a vertical mill. But this little tool is a joy to use and keeps bouncing sideways in the same spot, making it almost too easy to find the center of an object. It's awesome and I wish I had known years ago.

I recently installed a scope on a Winchester 9422 rifle. The job required drilling two holes in my beautiful discontinued firearm. The error was zero. With this finder I easily found the right spot, drilled, tapped and mounted the scope. Perfection. Works as advertised. Get it if you want your work to be 0.001 or better.

I bought this because the budget version I was using was worn out or damaged in some way. It's a little more expensive, but not by much, and works better. The movement of the head at the edge point is much more so it's easier to see, and if you step back a little it comes right back to the center. This is of great importance when working with students who do not always work as slowly as they should.

This thing works very well, very accurately, and I found I could locate the edge to about 0.001 inches. I made the mistake of driving it hard into the workpiece along the Z axis a few times and it still works! It's also very forgiving when moved horizontally. When using it, I usually spin the spindle at around 100-300 RPM, so misalignment is very noticeable. I've used it against mild steel, aluminum and plastic and there is no visible wear on the tool. I should buy a spare or two.