A center gauge is a tool used in machining to check the angle of tool bits used to cut screw threads. It is a small, flat, portable object made of metal with triangular notches used as templates to shape the tip of the machine tool. The tool is used to ensure that the tip of the tool is the correct size to cut these wires. The angle of the sides of the tip of the tool should match the angle of the desired thread. The tool is most often used by home machinists and other workers who grind tool bits by hand.
A center gauge, also known as a fishtail gauge, is a tool used in machining to check the angle of the tool bits used to cut screw threads. It is a small, flat, portable object made of metal, about 2 1/4 inches by 3/4 inches (about 57 by 19 millimeters) in size. Triangular notches are cut into the metal with precise dimensions and angles and these notches are used as templates to shape the tip of the machine tool. For the finished screw to work properly, the screw threads must be cut at a precise and even angle. The center gauge helps ensure that the tip of the tool is the correct size to cut these wires.
The screws are made using a device known as a lathe. Lathes work by turning the work object, in this case a metal cylinder that will become the screw, through the tip of a tool. As the cylinder rotates through the tip, the sharp edge of the tip cuts through the metal, creating scratches on the metal surface. A helical pattern is formed by advancing the cylinder in one direction through the tip as it rotates.
The spiral cut created in this process forms the screw thread. Threads allow screws to grip surrounding material or to be driven into other threaded components. It is important that the thread is cut evenly and of an accurate size for the screw to function properly. To do this, the tip of the tool used to cut the wire must be shaped specifically.
The angle of the sides of the tip of the pointed tool used to cut the screw threads should match the angle of the desired thread. This angle is determined using a central gauge. When the tip is originally ground, it is formed according to graduated notches in the center gauge, which are cut at specific angles. A center gauge will often include two or more differently sized notches as guides for different bits.
In large-scale industrial screw production, automation takes care of the thread angles and the use of a center gauge is generally not necessary. This tool is most often used by home machinists and other workers who grind tool bits by hand. Center gauges can be purchased from manufacturers that offer other specialty tools for hand machining. They are available in a variety of different grades for various thread sizes.
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