Specs for Pittsburgh / Harbor Freight Magnetic Base

lesrhorer

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Does anyone out there have a Pittsburgh multi-position magnetic indicator base from Harbor Freight? I need to know the diameter of the vertical pole and the dimensions of the magnetic base without the mag switch lever.
 
This one? Don't mind the mag base that's on it now, it was left over from something else & I just threw it on there for storage. The mag base that came with it was repurposed for the lamp.

The larger dia rod is 12mm & the smaller dia rod is 10mm. Those are nominal measurements, actual is slightly smaller, I can give you exact measurements if needed but I'm sure there are variances due to the plating, etc.

The mag base is 65.7mm L (not including the switch but incl the face plate) x 49.6mm W x 55mm H.

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:grin: Will , what DON'T you have ? :big grin:
This morning I started looking on Amazon for cheap refractometers. After 20 mins I thought, "ya dummy you already have one!". Went and dug it out & found out that I have 2 of them, a cheap one & a not so cheap one! And to be honest, I can get by perfectly fine without one. :D :bang head:

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And to be honest, I can get by perfectly fine without one.

They are for checking coolant mixtures ? I haven't used one since 99 ! :big grin: That base on the left ..................I think I just pulled the same one out of my box in here at work last night . Does it start with the letter K?
 
They are for checking coolant mixtures ? I haven't used one since 99 ! :big grin: That base on the left ..................I think I just pulled the same one out of my box in here at work last night . Does it start with the letter K?
Yes, for checking coolant mixtures. And I don't even run flood coolant! :D

Mine doesn't have the letter K on it but I assume most of the generic ones from China are pretty much the same. Only says Magnetic Base on it. I bought it years ago just to use the base for something & tossed the rest. Well as you can see I didn't actually toss out the arms, I can't throw stuff out in case it may come in handy for something someday. Last year I repurposed the base again for that lamp. Come to think of it, I think I have one more some where too. HF used to sell them so cheap they were worth buying just for the base.

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Does anyone out there have a Pittsburgh multi-position magnetic indicator base from Harbor Freight? I need to know the diameter of the vertical pole and the dimensions of the magnetic base without the mag switch lever.

Just curious, but why do you need to know any of this? I also wouldn't depend on any of these measurements, because HF will change them without notice. You can buy something from them one month, then say, "I really like this product, I think that I'll go pick up a couple of spares..." go back to the store and find out that that same thing is the same, but different.
 
Just curious, but why do you need to know any of this?
It's top secret. I could tell you, but then I would have to kill you. :)

I bought one online, but it hasn't arrived yet. I am going to use it to make a chip shield. The frame will be 3D printed, and it will hold polycarbonate inserts that wrap around the tool area. The magnetic base will attach to the carriage, so no matter where the tool is cutting, the shield will deflect the chips down into the sump.

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I also wouldn't depend on any of these measurements, because HF will change them without notice. You can buy something from them one month, then say, "I really like this product, I think that I'll go pick up a couple of spares..." go back to the store and find out that that same thing is the same, but different.

Meh, I'll chance it. I wouldn't expect it to change too much, if at all. If it does, I can easily chuck the base attachment into the lathe and enlarge the hole, or add some epoxy and drill the hole smaller. I am also making a steel base plate to attach to the carriage as a platform to which the magnet will attach, but that size does not have to be exact, and again, I would not expect it to change much.
 
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