Any information greatly appreciated. 2

Hopefully somebody can tell me something about this?

Looks like a Mercer 108/401 comparator stand. Used in a test lab or toolroom. It is a very heavy piece of kit and very stable.  Could also be a CE Johansen item as they were almost identical.

regards

Edited By Oldiron on 20/01/2021 19:47:23

I have one, but don't remember noticing a maker's name. To elaborate Oldiron's post, if uncertainty persists, the small dia. rod, lying adjacent to the corner of the base casting, fits into the clamp already fitted on the vertical rod. A dial indicator is clamped onto the small-dia. rod. It's a very high quality, and rigid, stand, for use primarily on a surface plate. Horribly expensive new!

Another vote for a comparator stand. For inspection room use rather than production. Production comparators would have the reference surface incorporated into the instrument. The name Sigma seems to ring a bell.

The arm and fine adjust clamp look very similar to my Eclipse stand. Perhaps they were a standard item?








It's rock solid, but a bit bulky and heavy to use, particularly the magnet button which takes some effort to push in.

The Eclipse stand has, from memory, a 5/16 BSF tapping for the standard pillar. The heavier one shown is a later addition. A good upgrade.

But the OP's equipment looks to be of industrial quality, and good solid kit to have. It may well have from a Standards Room or a Toolroom. so is likely to have been misused.

A good acquisition.

Howard

If you look up something like "cast iron indicator stand" in your favourite search engine, you will come across images such as this one
https://innovative-measurement-technology.co.uk/products/hand-workshop-tools/control-rulers-squares-and-stands/stands/column-dial-indicator-holders/art-250-dial-indicator-holder-with-moveable-column/

Which should give some idea of its use.
I have something similar, again with no makers marks at all.
Mine has a nice black crackle paint finish; I assume mine is US/UK as the column is 13/16" and the cross arm is 1/2", rather than either being metric.
The other obvious difference in mine is the top slot; yours and the one I linked to are T slots, whereas mine is dovetailed.

Mine came without the cross bar and accessories, so the plan is for a length of ½" silver steel and a holder for the end to take my various clocks.

Bill

When you say "Industrial Quality" - mine's got "Turbine Dept Sept 69" stamped on it, so I think it was used in a factory somewhere. Once clamped, it's going nowhere...

I'd think if the O/P's stand was used as you suggest, it would have been looked after far better than a shop floor item.

Hi, here's a photo of the Mercer 108/421 that I have. Looks a little different than the O/P's one.

Regards Nick.

Edited By Nicholas Farr on 21/01/2021 20:40:35

I have one similar to the first one shown. It was made by Brown & Sharpe. It does not have the fine adjustment screw. Most of the time it just sits quietly in its box.

Not the best of photos, I forgot to do it before it went dark.
Anyone know what make mine is please, just out of curiosity really.
Almost certainly UK/US as the sizes are imperial, ½" hole for the cross bar, so this shock absorber spindle is just too loose. 13/16" for the column.

The base is 6"x 2¾" x 1 ¾"

Thanks

Bill

Edited By peak4 on 22/01/2021 22:38:55

We have one of the base castings at the museum, I had an idea what it was, but have never seen the whole thing. Our one has a tee slot rather than a vee. To make ours more useful, I milled the rads at the base square so it could be clamped down to the mill bed. I also drilled three holes through the slot to use bolts to hold it down. We already have some tee nuts which fit, I cannot remember what size they are.

Possibly a Starrett 665JZ indicator stand.

regards

Nice box Nicholas. Have you got the platen that goes with the base for comparison measurements? I have one some where but not sure where at the minute.

regards

Hi Oldiron, all you see is all I have, it was take it or it goes it the skip, where I used to works years ago.

Regards Nick.

Nice to have though as is. I only use mine on my surface plate as an indicator stand as it is nice and heavy

regards