Precision Mensuration
Last updated on
Sunday, May 19, 2013 09:11:43 AM
Eastern US Time Zone
Indicators, Z-Offset Gages,
Depth Gages, Height Gages,
Universal Gage,
Inside Diameter Gages,
Pin Gages, Runout &
Bore Gages, Calipers, Micrometers,
Dial Test Indicators,
Coaxial, Indicator Holders,
Thread
Gages,
Angle Meter, Angle Gages,
Radius Gages, Infrared Thermometer,
Tachometer, Sound Level Meter
Precision -
Made so as to vary minimally
from a set standard.
Mensuration - The act, process, or art of measuring. Measurement of
geometric quantities.
Resolution - Smallest difference between indications of
a displaying device that can be meaningfully distinguished.
For a digital display device, this is the change in the indication when the
least significant digit changes by one step.
Accuracy - Closeness of the agreement between the result of the measurement &
the
true value of the measurand.
Measurand - A quantity that is being determined
by measurement.
Decimal
Equivalents of Fractions
Decimal Equivalents of #
Drills Decimal
Equivalents of Letter Drills
Inch to mm Conversion
mm to Inch Conversion
Metric & Inch
Equivalents
Machinist Calculator
Indicators

Mitutoyo electronic indicator
(½" range).
Resolution is 0.00005" (50 millionths).
A linear encoder, it
always
displays the spindle's absolute position from the
origin at power-on. Digimatic indicator
manual &
drawing.

Mitutoyo electronic indicators
(½" range) with
a Noga magnetic base indicator holder
(all from Japan).
See digital indicator manual.


A wooden
holder
for ⅜" stemmed digital & dial
indicator gages. Many tools are supplied with their
own
indicator.
Two came with dial indicator comparator stands & two with gun cartridge
measurement
fixtures. The
second gage was my first digital style which is upgraded by the front gage that
has much
higher resolution.
The gages vary by their respective measurement ranges, accuracies, &
resolutions.

Their positions are offset to accommodate the lug back mounts.
The plungers of the more costly units are not compressed while stored.

Two, dial indicator comparator stands.
Used for quality
assurance (QA) size
measurements of many parts. Serrated anvils are purportedly more accurate.

Several two-inch range gages were used on various machines before changing to
advanced DROs.
For example, I used two gages just for the
Taig
micro lathe & to good effect, providing excellent control.
I liked it so much I went digital for both X &
Z-axes but later extensively modified the
lathe to be CNC.
Surprising accuracy & repeatability though low durability, but given the cost,
acceptable if on a budget.


A two-inch range digital indicator that reads to 0.0005"
resolution. It has an 8mm stem.



The fine adjustment mechanism for the stand.

A collar was made to adapt the 8mm stem to ⅜". The screw is threaded
through to directly contact the stem.

An old, heavy, Brown & Sharpe No. 731 10" x 3" x 1¾" (L x W x H) inspection
holder (USA).

Note the robust adjustments.


Different types of dial gage interchangeable 4-48 threaded
indicator points.
To keep from straining or breaking a gage's internal alignment pin, completely
depress the plunger
so the
rack absorbs the loosening & tightening forces before changing the points. Never use
Loctite.
Z-Offset Gages

4.000" height, Z-axis tool length setting gage (USA). One-inch contact face
picks-up all the flutes of
large end mills, easy to read 2.2" dial face, a setting repeatability of
0.0002", & hard, red anodize.
Needle-based Z-setting gages are not damaged by over travel like some electronic
types.
The unit's overall ergonomic & mechanical design is excellent & has a good,
heavy feel.


Z-axis offset animation showing a ¾" end mill being set at 4.000" above the vise
bed.

A 3.000" height offset gage using a 40 mm (1.5")
diameter face Mahr dial indicator (GER) that reads to 0.0005".
Stem is 8mm (.315"). The 7.5mm (0.295") diameter flat tip is an ideal shape. The
bracket is all steel construction.
All critical surfaces of the parts, including the round post ends, were
precision surface
ground for high accuracy.
An adjustable, brass, over-travel
stop was added so the needle can only turn about one revolution.


Starrett also makes a superior (expensive) 4-inch
special dial depth gage for
Z-height setting.

The bottom of this Z-offset gage
needed lapping which was performed on a granite
surface plate first using
320 followed 400 & 600 grit silicon carbide papers. Move the part in a figure-8 pattern to insure an even
removal of material. Significant surface improvement resulted. The edges were
deburred
with an India stone.

This offset gage has a magnetic bottom which attracts debris.
The spring is too strong for very small end mills.

This Z-offset gage is 2" high. A 3"
micrometer & a 123 Joe block were used to set the gage's zero at
2.0000".
The micrometer was first locked at 3.0000" using the
gage
block.

Mill Z-offset gage (instructions)
used to set tool lengths.
Needle-based, Z-offset gages set the
mill more quickly & accurately than
illuminated types plus they are not damaged by over travel.

Animation showing a 2.000" Z-offset height being set on the
Taig CNC Z-axis using the Mach3 MPG step mode.

Electric-type Z-offset gage with 0.0002" repeatability.
It has a 1" x 2" x 3"
form factor. Uses 2, LR44 batteries.
Aluminum faces do not chip brittle carbide end mills. May not work properly on
anodized surfaces (e.g., Taig).
The analog dial-type with a needle have superior
setting ease, accuracy, & repeatability.

Checking the height & light/battery circuit.
Z-offset gage instructions.

An animation showing a 1.0000"
Z-offset being set.

With the gage light illuminated, the value was then
entered into the mill DRO, below.

Here the electric gage is working on the
CNC Taig mill's anodized table. The connection was
completed by grinding off the black anodize on the T-nut inner face & making
multiple punch marks.
The vise should not clamp the gage that is deep in the jaws as that would short-out
the upper & lower plates.

The punch
marks are raised & sharp thereby piercing the table's inner T-slot anodized
surface to complete
the connection. Though maybe not necessary, this can be done for all the T-nuts
that hold the vise in place.

A tooling plate is mounted
onto the anodized table where a 0.2 ohm conductivity is realized via 6, T-nuts.

The gage can also be used with parallels & lightly clamped into the vise.
Depth Gages

Baker dial depth indicator (India) with a 0" to 10" range & where one gradation = 0.001".
Rod extension chart.



The dial indicator gage itself has a 0 to 0.5" measurement range.
Example: Measured Depth =
0.1840" (dial reading) +
0" (extension rod
length) = 0.1840".

Micrometer depth gage with a 0-6" range & where one gradation
= 0.001". Depth = reading + rod length.




A Mitutoyo digital micrometer head combined with a hardened &
precision-ground depth base.
Note: Over tightening the setscrew can distort the mounting flange & bind the
mechanism.


The scale is not reversed like its mechanical counterpart,
but digital micrometers can
be zeroed at any location & then the negative sign is simply ignored for the
readings.

Hardened & precision-ground depth base attached to a Mitutoyo digital
caliper.

Digital depth gage with a large base.
See digital caliper manual.
Height Gages

A Mitutoyo, 8", 543-244 digital height gage with fine
adjustment mechanism. The height gage & a granite surface
plate make an accurate
combination for measuring parts or laying out
precisely scribed lines.
Resolution: 0.0005".
Absolute electrostatic capacitance type linear
encoder.
A fine adjustment carriage is a requirement for fast, accurate
settings.
See Mitutoyo 543-244 digital height gage
manual &
dimensional drawing.
For accurate, repeatable
measurements, insure the surface plate, height gage, &
scribe working surfaces are free of debris/grit.
Check to
see if the scribe bracket is tight. Periodically inspect the adjustable
ways of the transducer for excessive play.

The heavy base has an excellent ergonomic design. The bottom
surface
is ground & lapped to perfection.

Mitutoyo depth & center-finder attachments for the height gage.

Hole center-finder attachment.

Hole center finder animation showing how the fine adjustment
of the height gage is used to zero the needle.

Using a test gage in conjunction with a height gage allows measurements of
both dimensions & tolerances
without having to use separate instruments.
See instructions on how to
set tip geometry
& see illustration.

Height gage with digital indicator for both height & tolerance measurements.

Starrett No. 3751 digital height gage.
Auto-off in 5 minutes but retains zero; auto-on when the slide
is moved.
Zero to 6.45" max range, 0.0005" (0.01mm)
resolution & ±0.001" (± 0.03mm)
accuracy.
Supplied with an extra
scribe & clamp plus an excellent, padded, aluminum hard case.
The vertical
column is set-in from the tip
of the base's nose for better
stability. This height gage's compact size
is
especially valuable when measuring parts with
very small features or using it on my two mills.
The scribes
are not carbide-tipped.
The fine-edged, HSS scribes are limited to semi-hard metals &
the rounded tips
limit
scratch depth. This height gage is ideally suited for use on small, delicate
work.

Starrett No. 3751 digital height
gage manual.

Adjusting to a specific height can be accomplished by
picking it up & using it much like a regular caliper.
Slightly increasing the slide resistance of the transducer (a small, side
setscrew) helps adjustability.
Setting an exact numerical value with this type of adjustment mechanism is
slower than
that of a height gage equipped with a fine adjustment carriage mechanism.

A Starrett Last Word DTI mounted onto the small, 3715 height gage using the
711-49 bar attachment.



A carbide-tipped (Mitutoyo)
10", dial height gage on a
granite surface plate (± 0.0001").
High accuracy can be
achieved using
gage blocks to set specified heights.
Use layout die to make the scribe marks easier to
see. Mitutoyo height
gage manual.
Surface plates are useful for precision alignment when
assembling parts, too.

Mitutoyo
OEM wooden case.

Depth attachment. Rod accepts different 4-48 threaded
indicator points. This was my first height gage.
It is easier to miss-read an analog dial than a digital readout though analog
scales can be interpolated.

Measuring distances between holes using a center-finder attachment
from Mitutoyo.

Height gage with digital indicator for both height & tolerance measurements.
Universal Gage

Starrett No. 995E (USA) Universal
Precision Gage set is best in class. This gage
has multiple uses:
height gage, scriber, planer/shaper setup, an adjustable parallel to measure a
gap, transfer
measurements, precision level, & layout work on a
surface plate using gage blocks or
a sine bar.
Starrett Model No. 995E
Universal Gage exploded diagram.

Nominal dimensions of the base are 5.25" x 2.5" x 0.75"
(W x H x D). Hardened & precision ground.
The slide has a combination of both a flat & a V-way to provide excellent accuracy.

The slide has a fine adjustment mechanism allowing faster &
more accurate
settings.
No other similar gages have this important feature. Note the
mineral spirits bubble level.

Offset attachment with clamp bolt extends the nose for a
minimum height of 0.17" allowing use in tight areas.

One-inch & three-inch extension rods can be screwed in at four different locations.

A toe clamp holds a hardened HSS
scribe which is shown being set at 3.0000" height using a gage block.

A Starrett Last Word DTI mounted onto the 995E Universal Gage using
the 711-49 bar attachment.

Telescoping & half-ball
Mitutoyo inside gage sets (Japan). The half-ball type can get into a shallow, blind
hole
better than a ball type.
Expand into hole, lock & then measure the gage with a micrometer or caliper.

Left: The small hole gage is
expanded by the center wedge.
Right: The telescoping inside gage posts spring outward, self-center & are then
locked.
They can then be measured with a caliper or a micrometer.



Full-ball, small hole gage set.

Pin Gages

Pin/plug Gage
Sets - ID type
gages for measuring hole diameters & slot widths.
0.011" to 0.060" x 0.001" minus Class ZZ pin-gage set
(50 pieces).
Tolerance +.0000" -.0002".
10µm finish or better. Hardness 60-62 RC.

0.061" to
0.250" x 0.001" minus Class ZZ pin-gage set (190
pieces).
Tolerance +.0000" -.0002".
10µm finish or better. Hardness 60-62 RC.

Detail of the 0.061" to
0.250" x 0.001", minus pin gage set (still in the grease).
Two-inches overall lengths.

0.251" to 0.500" x 0.001", minus Class ZZ pin-gage set (250 pieces).
Tolerance +.0000" -.0002". 10µm finish or better. Hardness 60-62 RC.

0.501" to 0.625" x 0.001", minus Class ZZ pin-gage set (125 pieces).
Tolerance +.0000" -.0002". 10µm finish or better. Hardness 60-62 RC.

Go/no go pin gage handles. Shown holding 0.25" & 0.050" pin gages.
Runout & Bore Gages

Back-plunger dial
indicator set (India) with 'G'
clamp, universal clamp,
swinging-arm
assembly, tool post
holder,
holding
rod, Tommy bar &
2nd anvil. Swinging-arm assembly
enables the back-plunger dial gage for use on
internal
work to a depth of 1.6" (40mm); similar to a lever-type
gage. Allows multiple types of mounting possibilities
for
gaging applications
like concentricity checks, alignment of machine tools, testing parallelism,
& surface plate work.




Back-plunger dial gage with swinging-arm attachment.

A self-centering, 1.4" to 6" cylinder
bore gage (instructions).
The gage is first set up to measure a specific size (zeroed) then run through the bore
to measure its variation.
To keep the extensions in order, a vibrator engraver was used to label each size on
a non-critical surface.

The dial gage must be
inserted deep enough to preload (or move) the needle about 1 revolution
(0.050").
The black plastic shroud can be installed after calibration to protect the head
under heavy shop use.
These ½" travel digital indicators, preloaded to 0.050" depth, can also be utilized but
others may not work.


Exploded view of the 1.4" to 2" measurement head, the 1.4" range
anvil & knurled anvil lock nut.
The pointed rod end (at the lower left) engages a rod inside the handle.

Anvil installation animation.

The center measurement anvil moves in & out.
The outside mechanism depresses under spring tension to center the head.

Small anvil animation.

Assemble the appropriate anvils & spacers (left side) for the
target measurement size.
Then, using a gage block, set a micrometer (e.g., 2") to the bore size & zero the dial
scale.
The gage is then run through the cylinder & the variation from set size, noted.

Bore gage measurement
animation.
Note the small measurement anvil (left) depresses &
the self-centering guide
mechanism slides to the right.
Calipers

Mitutoyo Absolute Digimatic caliper
(Japan).
An excellent digital caliper that is very accurate throughout its entire measurement
range.
Always maintains zero, large LC display, greater than 3 years battery life. No irritating auto-off.
Mitutoyo digital
caliper manual.

A digital caliper (manual) that measures & displays
inches, millimeters & fractions to 1/64th inch.
Handy for wood work & sifting through raw stock.
This LCD has a somewhat narrow optimal viewing angle.

Chromed, dial caliper gage with a 0 to 0.8" measurement range
& a 0.0005"
resolution (China).
The jaws are spring-loaded closed & are opened with the lever. Custom wooden
box storage.



Ball bearing tips.

Before use, calibrate the dial scale against a
gage block of appropriate size.

I bought these two gages to allow me to make measurements in tight mill
setups.

A snap thickness gage. Close & zero the scale first.


8-inch digital linear scale for instrumenting tools like
drill presses,
mills, & lathes.

This open-weave drawer liner has (Microban) antimicrobial properties that prevent bacterial growth.
The non-slip black cushion protects the instruments & keeps them from moving
(banging) around, too.

Mitutoyo digital
measurement tools: depth gage, caliper & micrometer (older models).
Superior quality Mitutoyo (Japan) digital micrometer that reads down to 0.00005" or
0.001mm.
The scales are engraved, not chemically etched thus have superior readability &
durability.
Even if the battery is removed, the micrometer's scales allow it to be used as a
standard instrument.
It has a micro-polished, carbide-faced working surfaces & an effective spindle lock.
DO NOT store a micrometer (any style) with its measurement
anvils touching.
See micrometer manual.

The holder adjusts to different angles & has rubber pads that protect the
instrument from clamping damage.

Another style micrometer
stand/holder. This model has a nice, heavy base.


Mechanical digital-type outside micrometer, 1-2" range. Standard & adjustment
tool, included.

Mechanical digital-type outside
micrometers, 2-3" range (above) & 3-4" range (below).
Standard & adjustment tool, included.
Digit Micrometer Manual.


The one ten-thousandths inch (0.0001") measurements are read off
the (barrel) vernier.

All three shown for size comparisons

Small, 0.6" (non-locking) & standard 1" micrometers. The
smaller micrometer's scales are chemically etched,
the larger micrometer's scales, engraved. Superior instruments have engraved
scales for clarity & durability.

2-inch mechanical micrometer.

Micrometer set zero through six inches with its wooden
storage case (import).
One, two, three, four & five-inch sized standards plus adjustment wrench are
included.
The plastic insulating grips on the standards reduce warming effects (expansion) due
to handling.
Acquired for use mainly on the 9x20 lathe.
Excellent accuracy, engraved scales, & a good value.
All micrometers read to 0.0001".
The wooden case was re-glued in places & then sanded.
See micrometer scale reading instructions.

Though low-cost, the scales are engraved, the positive
locking lever is metal, & the ratchet
thimble is precise.
A good value for light use.

Detail of the 1" to 5" standards for the 0" to 6"
micrometer set.

6" to 12" micrometer set. The
smaller wooden case holds size standards 6" through 11".
All micrometers read to 0.0001".

6" micrometer, shown.

12" micrometer shown with the standards case, open. The holes
lighten the instrument for easier handling.
I needed the 7", 8", & 9" micrometers (for e.g., a flywheel) so
it was more economical to buy the whole set.

I needed four aluminum rods to be exactly 9.6250" in length so the
9"-10" micrometer was used.

Two micrometer sets covering the 0"
through 12" range. Eleven size standards; 1" through 11".
Two separate sets can make handling/storing the boxes easier than one big heavy 0" ~
12" set.


A 0.6" micrometer compared to a 12"
micrometer.

A micrometer head that can be
incorporated into other devices e.g., an
adjustable lathe carriage stop.
½" range. The tip of the 0.2" diameter anvil is rounded & hardened. The collar
is ⅜" diameter x 0.32" long.

Mitutoyo digital micrometer head.

Hub micrometer that measures 0-1" to 0.0001" & designed to clear through a ¾"
hole.
Handy in tight places especially in milling setups. A spindle lock would have
been better.


A 6" throated micrometer having a measurement range of 0 to 1" maximum with a 0.0001" scale.

Locking levers made of metal are a plus for durability & precision of
the mechanism movement.

Caliper-type micrometer measures to 0.0001".
Measuring anvils are approximately
¾"
above the micrometer.
The thread mechanism that keeps the anvil from rotating also acts as a somewhat
effective lock.


Disk micrometer with a 0.0001" scale.


0-1" range, 0.07" diameter anvil, tube wall thickness micrometer that measures to 0.0001".


0-1" range, 0.19" diameter anvil, tube wall thickness micrometer
that measures to
0.0001".


Carbide-faced electronic blade micrometer for measuring in narrow
slots & recesses.
The thread mechanism that keeps the anvil from rotating also acts as a lock.
A 0.00005" minimum readout. Non-critical parts are plastic. Digital
blade micrometer manual.

The blades are 0.030" thick.

1 to 2-inch blade micrometer
supplied with a 1-inch standard & adjustment wrench.

Carbide-tipped, small faces or spline micrometer for measuring in tight areas.
0-1" range with 0.0001 scale.
The anvils are 0.0775" diameter.


Carbide-tipped, point micrometer for measuring in very tight areas. 0-1" range with 0.0001 scale.
Points have a radius of approximately 0.012".

Screw
thread micrometer with five different anvil pairs measure both
unified &
metric external pitch diameters.
0" to 1" measurement range with a 0.0001" scale.
The left anvil holder floats back & forth to allow zeroing then
it is locked
into place.
However, the anvil itself always floats rotationally to maintain ease of
measurement.

SCREW THREAD MICROMETER ANVILS ANVIL #
1
2
3
4
5
TPI RANGE
64 - 48
44 - 28
24 - 14
13 - 9
8 - 5
METRIC RANGE
0.4 - 0.5
0.6 - 0.9
1 - 1.75
2 - 3
3.5 - 5
Anvil pairs are clearly marked for pitch range.
Example measurement of a ¼-20 screw. The micrometer reading is 0.2160". Table pitch value is 0.2164" max.
A fast & accurate thread measurement tool. The bolt can freely rotate around the micrometer's anvil axis.
Carbide-faced inside micrometer gages with locking mechanisms. The top gage range is 1"-2" & the bottom
gage range is 0.2"-1.2". Supplied with 1" & 0.2" inside ring standards, respectively. One gradation = 0.001".
Dial Test Indicators
(DTI)

Interapid 312B-1 (Swiss). Best in class dial test indicator having: a monobloc metal
housing with two dovetails,
jeweled movement, ball-bearing lever system, micro-polished carbide tip, large tilted dial face,
& an additional
revolution counter.
Bi-directional measuring with automatic reversal inside the movement & extra
wide ±0.060"
range makes it especially versatile.
True readings when the angle between the stylus & workpiece surface is 12°.
| Interapid Model 312B-1 Horizontal Style DTI | |
| Graduation | 0.0005" |
| Dial Reading | 0-15-0 |
| Range | ±.060" |
| Point Length | 0.687" |
| Point Diameter | 0.080" |
| Dial Face Diameter | 1.5" |
| Stem Diameter | 0.156" (4mm) 5/32" |
| TESA Number | 74.111370 |

Accessories (Swiss): slotted reduction sleeve ⅜" to 5/32",
height gage bar w/clamp, contact point wrench &
axial support with ⅜" diameter
stem.
The white tube in the gray fitted storage box holds extra contact points.


Note the small secondary revolution counter needle used to
track the wide ±0.060" range.

5/32" (0.15625" or 4mm)
pivoting stem, dovetail mount, & monobloc metal housing.

Starrett surface gage &
Interapid dial test indicator on the
granite surface plate being zeroed
using a 1" gage block. If possible, move the part not the gage when
measuring a surface.

For highest
accuracy, the angle between the stylist & part surface should be as close to
12° as possible.

The wide-range (±0.060") Interapid held by the rigid, precise
Starrett is a nice combination on a surface plate.

Indicating the Parlec solid jaw, animation. The slot on the
top of the solid jaw can also be used.
The Interapid indicator has 0.0005"
resolution. See instructions on how to
set tip geometry
& see illustration.
The stylist does not have to be at the optimal 12° measuring angle as this
is an indication of relative error.

An excellent BesTest Brown & Sharpe (Swiss) dial test indicator set. One
gradation = 0.0005".
This model
incorporates an auto-reversing feature & dovetail mounting. The Swiss
instruments are quite sensitive.

This
Starrett Model No. 711 DTI has a
small side lever to select
the needle direction. No dovetail mounts.

The carbide tips have multiple spring-loaded detent positions. Quick & easy tip changes.

Rugged LS Starrett No. 711 Last Word DTI
& attachments (USA).
One gradation = 0.001".
If needed, fast & easy to send back to Starrett for repairs. They stand behind their
products.
I have damaged it twice & Starrett quickly repaired it charging only a nominal
price for return postage.


Starrett 711-49 attachment:
2⅝" OAL, ⅛" x 5/16" x 1⅞" rectangular shank, & a ¾" long x 15/16" round tip.
Used to affix the Starrett 711 Last Word DTI to either the
3751 Height Gage or
the 995E Universal Gage.

Gem DTI (USA). One gradation = 0.001".
Rod & dovetail mounting.
Gem dial indicators & accessories.
See instructions on how to
set tip geometry
& illustration.
Essentially a copy of the
Starrett No. 711 but with slightly different dimensions so accessories are not
interchangeable.

Federal Testmaster DTI (USA). One gradation = 0.0001".
Note needle reversing lever & dovetail mounting.

Various DTIs showing dovetails. Top to
bottom: Brown & Sharpe (Swiss), Federal, & Gem (USA).

Fowler DTI set (import). Moderately low quality. One gradation =
0.0005". Dovetail mounts.
Using Dial Test Indicators - Test
indicators are primarily used for the testing or checking of parts & for machine
setups.
Test indicators come in two types; the plunger style & the lever style. The
lever style is more adaptable to smaller,
confined working areas. The lever style differs in measuring because the lever
contact moves in an arc rather than in a
straight line, as in the plunger style. This can cause a slight inaccuracy
called cosine error, if reasonable care is not
used in setting the angle of the lever to the work piece. If, for example,
a lever was set off 20º more at the start of a
reading than it should have been, there could be an error of .0006” in a .010”
range (0.012mm in a 0.2mm range).
This is not important when zeroing-out, but only when looking for a measurement.
It is best to keep the contact at or near
90º to the direction of movement unless the manufacturer specifies another
angle (see illustration).
Test indicators
should always be “loaded” 1/10 to ¼ of a turn before measuring. Test
indicators are not hand-held absolute measuring
tools. They are comparative instruments that check & compare to known standards
or that are used to zero-out setups.
Coaxial Indicator

Coaxial indicator (import) that takes
measurements while the spindle is spinning (800 RPM maximum).
The point can be used to locate a punch mark. See
centering indicator instructions.
Different length probes affect the scale's absolute readout values. Good for
large parts.

Indicator Holders

Sparro 1st
Word dial test indicator holder (USA).

Using a Sparro 1st
Word holder & an LS Starrett Last Word DTI
to check the alignment of the mill/drill. Nicely made, very rigid indicator holder.


Animation showing how to check alignment by indicating the Rong Fu RF-25 mill table.

Noga indicator holder (Japan) for both dovetail & ⅜" stem types. Note the fine
adjustment mechanism.

Noga
NF1018 indicator arm (Japan) with ⅜" & dovetail clamp.
This style arm is very quick & easy to set up plus it has very good rigidity.

Noga arm held by a modified,
V-groove tool post, mounted off the headstock side T-slot of the
Taig mill.
Setup shows indicating a work piece before rotating to a
specific cutting angle.
The Noga arm is good for aligning mills,
lathes & rotary tables.

Zero-set universal dial test gage attachment (import).

A Federal 0.0001", dovetail mount, DTI being used to
indicate the Parlec vise's solid jaw.

This style universal DTI holder gives a broad sweep
of the small 18" mill table.

IndicOL #178 (USA) DTI holder attaches an
indicator to the mill's spindle. Best in class attachment.
Dovetail or stem-style test dial indicators can be attached to this holder.

Half-round combination DTI (dovetail & stem)
with a ¼" shank.

Modified an indicator clamp to hold various stemmed DTIs; close to the center; rigid, compact, & quick.
Reamed two, 3/16" holes & the thumbscrews are 6-32
SS cap-head screws with pressed-on plastic caps.


Added another setscrew to hold the half-round combination
DTI holder.

Detail of the close-fitting brass bushing (⅜" OD, ¼" ID) that
is held in using red Loctite.
Added a 5/32" hole & setscrew for the Interapid stem size.

Tramming a 6", 4-jaw chuck on a rotary table.

A Mighty Mag (USA) magnet holds ⅜" (or smaller) stemmed
indicators.

Ultra low-cost 2" range analog positional readout; quite
accurate, though.
Thread Gages

Left to right: imperial & metric (yellow) screw thread gages (2),
fractional, & numbered drill bit gages.
These plate-type thread gages would be more accurate if they were two or three
times thicker.
Having just a few threads, it is easy to make an error.

Fractional, numbered, & metric
drill bit gages.

A metric drill bit gage 1mm to
13mm by ½mm. A ¼" hole is on the far right end.

These gages check both nuts & bolts. Metric have black oxide
& imperial have galvanized coatings.
Superior to plate-type gages which use only a few threads per size for testing.

Standard imperial & metric thread gages.
Angle Meter

Starrett AM-2 angle meter (USA).
The RF-25 mill X-axis is shown being level.

Back label of the AM-2 angle meter.
Angle Gages

Angle gage set 5° to 90° every 5°.

Multiple edges provided for a given angle.
Radius Gages

Radius gage set 1/64" to 17/64" by 1/64" & 9/32" to ½" by 1/32" with handle.

Multiple edges provided for a given radius.
| Measurement Range | - 4°F to 968°F | - 20°C to 520°C |
| Measurement Accuracy | ±4°F below 212°F | ±2% above 212°F |
| Response Time | 500 msec | |
| Distance to Spot Size | 8:1 | |
| Battery Requirement | Standard 9V | |

The red laser beam is used solely for aiming. An infrared (IR)
sensor actually measures the temperature.
The distance to spot ratio is 8:1., so for e.g., at a 16" (407mm) distance the
measurement area is 2" (51mm).


Tachometer

Sampo Digital Tachometer: five digits 18mm (0.6") White backlight LCD.
| ATTRIBUTE | VALUE |
| Accuracy | ±(0.05%+1 digit) |
| Sampling Time | 0.5 sec (over 120 RPM) |
| Range Select | Auto-Ranging |
| Memory | Max., Min., Last. Stores 96 sec of data |
| Time Base | 6MHz Quartz crystal |
| Detecting Distance | 50 ~ 500mm |
| Power Consumption | Approx 55mA |
| Measuring Range | 2.5 ~ 99,999 RPM |
| Resolution | 0.1 RPM (2.5 ~ 999.9 RPM), 1 RPM (over 1K RPM) |
| Total Test Range | 1~99,999 |
| Frequency Range | 1~1,666.6Hz |
| Resolution | 0.01Hz |
| Battery | 4x1.5V AA or external 6VDC regulated power supply |

Measuring RPM of the
9x20 lathe
variable DC motor. Works best using a small patch of retro-reflective tape.
Sound Level Meter

Sometimes I want to know sound pressure changes of equipment or re-equalize my
home theater systems.
See the lathe
sound pressure levels for the variable speed drive.
Sound level meter manual.


The meter's microphone.
Indicators, Z-Offset Gages,
Depth Gages, Height Gages,
Universal Gage,
Inside Diameter Gages,
Pin Gages, Runout &
Bore Gages, Calipers, Micrometers,
Dial Test Indicators,
Coaxial, Indicator Holders,
Thread
Gages,
Angle Meter, Angle Gages,
Radius Gages, Infrared Thermometer,
Tachometer, Sound Level Meter