Like David Coney, (EIM, August) I too am a mainly self-taught model engineer, but I did do a couple of SMEE courses, which I highly recommend! This little tip came up in conversation during one of those courses, and it is one of those tips that leave you thinking; "Why didn't I think of that?" All you need to set the height of a lathe tool is a six-inch rule. Either place it against the workpiece in your lathe, OR (as in my photo) against the body of the three-jaw chuck. Then wind the cross-slide in until the point of the cutting tool just 'nips' the rule and holds it gently in place.
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