Serious Centre Finder

thingiverse

A centre locator is a handy tool that enables finding the centre of any cylindrical item with ease. The more spherical it is, the more precise will be the centre finder. On a log or irregularly shaped object, multiple lines can be drawn to locate an approximate centre. The Reliable Centre Locator is a dependable tool available in its original size for locating the centres of parts up to 254mm (10") diameter. It's engineered with sturdiness to avoid bending and its reference corners are robust. The tool features a sloped marking edge allowing precise line drawing. This tool is meant to last. Print Settings Printer Brand: RepRap Printer: Prusa I3 Rafts: No Supports: No Resolution: Optimal print - 0.3mm nozzle, 0.2 layer height, 4 walls, and 6 layers for the top and bottom. Infill: 50-100% Notes: Refrain from scrimping on infill when printing this tool. Use a lifetime approach. Preferably use PLA and avoid any softer material. Post-Printing Avoid cleaning the part, simply remove warpage. If your printer is calibrated correctly, you won't need to take extra measures, even if the initial layer exhibits excessive ooze-out. How I Designed This Project My trusty old wooden centre finder had become inaccurate. To accelerate finding a reliable solution, I downloaded numerous centre finders available on Thingiverse. Alas, most of these lacked precision due to size constraints and inferior materials - soft or easily bent designs rendered them useless in various projects where centre accuracy mattered. Feeling somewhat frustrated with these inadequate offerings, none possessed the reliability one needs for genuine trust in the outcome. Given this pressing need, I decided to design a better tool from scratch using my CAD program. My original wooden centre finder, constructed alongside my dad years ago, made its way into this new version after slight modifications and considerations for improved functionality. Initially, I lengthened it for better leverage when measuring, but kept in mind that larger sizes can be overwhelming when working on bigger projects; the aim here was to keep compatibility across standard printers. While keeping size practicality top-of-mind, another feature - an oversize markable area where you get to draw accurate and clear lines effortlessly whenever marking any reference points along parts being analyzed with precision. This reliable design is a stand-out model since, at my time of redesign, there were zero other dependable models offered on the same platform. Should you not possess such an essential centre locator tool already? A straightforward decision then: simply print it out to have one that serves well into your life long project ventures as parting thought when deciding how often.