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Setting the Compound Angle
by Don Peterson
The November 2020 email by Leon Ridenour showed a great way of adjusting the compound rest angle. However, Leon’s method doesn’t work if you are using collets like I often do. The following method works with any chuck or collet that can hold a chunk of ground rod.
Although one can always use the scale on the compound to set the angle, the scales typically are only graduated in units of degrees and can be hard to read. For more precise positioning, use a dial indicator and a piece of ground rod.
Chuck the ground rod in the headstock and support it with a center in the tailstock. Rotate the compound to the desired angle and set the dial indicator against the ground rod to measure the movement along the cross feed direction. Then, move the compound rest a known distance x. If the compound is set at the desired angle θ, then the dial indicator will read x sin θ. If it reads less, open the angle a small amount and repeat (and vice versa).
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