Dial Gauge

 

Ok whats the second knob for. Doesn't appear do do owt except undo and fall off I presume the two plastic bits are so you can split a difference ( I know what I mean).

And they didn't send me anything to mount it on I was expecting a clip or summat. OK so how do I go about mounting it. I do have a metal block with post and scriber holder.

 

Edited By Wolfie on 27/10/2010 21:25:35

Edited By Wolfie on 27/10/2010 21:26:41

Edited By V8Eng on 27/10/2010 22:10:12

You do not need a ‘clock gauge’ to centre a 4 jaw chuck. One way I often use is with a bar in the tool post. How do you do it?. If the work piece is symmetrical you centre up roughly using the circles machined into the face of the chuck. Your jaws are in pairs. Say 1 & 3. First pair then 2 & 4. Set 1 facing you 3 is opposite you. Bring up the tool post with its bar (or tool)and wind it in until it just touches the work now set the setting circle to 0. Next move the tool post away from the chuck and rotate the chuck 180° so that 3 is facing you and 1 is opposite. Bring up the tool post and move the tool to touch the work and note the reading beware of ‘backlash’ and compensate for it if needed. Wind the tool post away from the chuck and adjust the position of the tool to half that distance. Bring the tool post back and adjust the 1&3 as required checking both sides. Now use that tool post setting to set up jaws 2&4. Now re-check everything. Repeating until you are satisfied.

If the thing is totally asymmetric or you wish to bore something eccentric mark out the centre you want to make a long armed wobbler. This is a length of straight rod about 1/8” diameter some 13” long (a bit of silver steel). Machine a nice point on each end. Get a bronze ball – about 3/8” dia- (they are advertised) drill it right through and locktite it about 1” from the one end of the pointed rod. Make a carrier from a bit of metal (I used alloy) drilling a hole across one end and countersinking it on both sides Drop the ball and rod into one side of the countersink and check the swing you have. It should be about 2” overall. Make up a cover plate and ‘habeas-corpus’. To use it chuck your work piece put your wobbler into the tool post short end to the chuck. Pop the point into centre mark and do the business of 1&3, 2&4. I usually put a centre into the tail stock to act as a guide. With a 10 to 1 (or there about) a 1thou run out will show up at the other end as 10 thou. This shows up well.

Edited By Andrew Johnston on 28/10/2010 21:59:11

Edited By chris stephens on 29/10/2010 00:14:42

Hi again.

A good source for magnets to make the bases for dial gauges etc etc, is to take out the magnets from old radio speakers, grind off the spare bits of metal, and the if you are lucky you can drill and thread these new bases, also drop one in a plastic bag, to pick swarf or lost screws and nuts and bolts, invert the bag, remove magnet, find lost items then dump the rubbish, no dirty hands, or splinters.

It's getting warmer and wetter here. John Holloway

I'm not sure about the magnet from a magnetron - they're so powerful, you might not be able to shift it afterwards  !

Edited By WALLACE on 29/10/2010 14:27:56