Things my mama did not teach me

[tornitore45]

A couple of months ago I bought a Test Indicator. I t came with a 2"x3" instruction sheet telling about the cosine error, which is nothing new since the device is intrinsically an angle measurement tool calibrated in thou.
Being a precision instrument I treated it with kid gloves, ever so careful not to bang or overdrive the pointer beyond the 30 thou.

The pointer was set ad an odd agle, and I had a hell of time. Some indication jobs were easier but most had the tip just pointing in the wrong direction, indicating the inside of the TS required me to hang from the ceiling to read the dial when it was facing the rear of the lathe.

Perhaps, I thought, I do not have the right holder; so I made all sort of holder to mount it in the chuck or on the tool holder.

Still could not indicate the TS.

I was almost sure that the pointer was adjustable to any initial angle but could not tell how to do it, so I broke down and remove the 4 tiny screw on the cover and the two pivot screws.

Discovery:
The pointer is not as fragile as it seems. The end stop is on fairly strong lever hitting something, not on the gearing as I thought.

Forcing the pointer beyond the limit is slips on a rudimentary ring cluck repositioning the pointer while the measuring lever is firmly stopped.

Now I have a much more useful test indicator.

Granted, even a knuclehed machinist should know that, but my mama never told me and the info sheet did not either.

[seal killer]

tornitore45--

I think I know what you mean about the info sheet.

In the early '90s, my wife owned and operated a very successful computer business. We built them from scratch. Well, as you and everyone else knows, that was the only way to get a cheap, good computer . . . a few years later. We were way ahead of the pack and made very good money while providing our coustomers good deals.

However, the instructions (which came with components from Taiwan [like now; if we were lucky] and China) were written in Gookinology. This language is written, only, and is a strange mixture of English and how Asians THINK. Most of the time the drawings were ok. Not good. Just ok. The written portions of the instructions were way WORSE than useless.

Today, I suppose all Taiwanese are rich and can afford to hire US high school graduates to write instructions. The Chicoms do well just to hire folks that can ALMOST read and ALMOST write English.

In any case, they ALOMST own the entire machine industry. Soon, they will have it all. There is a good reason for this, although none of us like it. Hopefully, along the way they will learn the language of Planet Earth: English.

--Bill

[spro]

The eyes can still work them little screws. That's good stuff. We can rail against Chinese stuff and then go buy it to save a buck.
How about early clockmakers and instrument makers were so fine at detail close up in bad lighting. They didn't drive 70 mph and pilot heavy machines with a head full of hi-tech info with the radio or more going.

[JimGlass]

For milling, I think this is the best indicator holder. It clamps the the mill spindle and can be used for squaring the vise, the head and for indicating holes. I have been using one for 35 years.

Another tip on dial indicator care. Do not leave an indicator on a running machine like a lathe. I used to do that all the time untill the vibration frequency of the running lathe made the screws fall out of the indicator. After that the indicator needed to be sent away to be repaired.
Jim

[Bill Shields]

I used to leave an indicator stuck to an I beam above my lathe on its magnetic base.

One afternoon, a long chip got hung up on a lathe jaw and spun around, hit the indicator...at which point Sir Isaac took over and the indicator ended up in the trash.

NOW, all the indicators sit above the tailstock rather than the headstock.

I like the indicators that attach to the quill itself, but haven't gotten around to replacing the one that WAS attached to the tool...

[spro]

A Canticle for Lebowitz? No you are talking Newton.