A Scribe And Indicator Base

Mark
The one other one you have made of gray iron is more than likely been hardened and will not flake as easy as what you made your from. But as much as you or I would use it and as clean as you keep your plate there is no way you will wear low spots. Very nice project.
Nelson
 
Great build , Mark I have been wanting to make an old style round one. After seeing them in pictures . But I've several in differing sizes and learned to use them in many ways during my apprenticeship years. Even can be used to center items on boring mills , shappers, and planners using the table with the pins . All kinds of ways to do set ups on lathes , there like trammel sets underutilized. Everything now's a noga this or that . Old machinist didn't have the indicators we have now and they built a nation.
 
Mark, what purpose do the push pins serve?

I keep one small unit set up for my lathe, the pins locate the base on the ways, aligning the indicator on top of the piece in the chuck/collet.
 
My starrett surface gauge, like you are building, is hard steel. The bottom face looked original but wasn't flat.
I tried scraping it but it kept chipping my carbide. Finally used stones to finish it.
About 4 months ago I bought a Starrett 665 indicator set.
The base is cast iron and not hard. Had to scrape it in as well. Haven't done the sides yet.
A flat pull scraper works well for tool surfaces that will be used on a surface plate.
Almost forgot.
The glue on paper backing can introduce high or low spots.
If you wet the surface plate and press the plain backed paper to it, it will hold well and
be more accurate.
 
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The ball on the end of the rod, from what I've read, is to protect the sharp point of the scribe.
You "curl" the point around the ball when not in use. The newer Starrett surface gages do not have this ball.
I own several vintage Starretts and they are light years better than the current offerings.
Nice work. Your gage looks very sturdy. I would like to build something similar, to check squareness with an indicator holder.
 
My starrett surface gauge, like you are building, is hard steel. The bottom face looked original but wasn't flat.
I tried scraping it but it kept chipping my carbide. Finally used stones to finish it.
About 4 months ago I bought a Starrett 665 indicator set.
The base is cast iron and not hard. Had to scrape it in as well. Haven't done the sides yet.
A flat pull scraper works well for tool surfaces that will be used on a surface plate.
Almost forgot.
The glue on paper backing can introduce high or low spots.
If you wet the surface plate and press the plain backed paper to it, it will hold well and
be more accurate.
The paper I use is not sticky back paper. It doesn't have "glue" on the back. It has a "tack" property. It is not sticky and you cant tell or feel any film. It doesn't "stick" down on the granite. It just won't slide. I been using it for years. It leaves no residue behind and doesn't lay uneven.
 
Old thread ...But I constantly learn stuff that has just bugged me. I have always wondered about that ball on the end of the rod. It does make sense.
Also...On a side note, Mark I use regular wet/Dry sandpaper and I keep a can of the 3M spray adhesive. One can goes a long long way. And I always seem to find another use for it. Its so much faster than using contact cement.
By the way, I also love the brass. It looks great.

https://www.amazon.com/3M-90-24-Spr...=1513982539&sr=8-3&keywords=3m+spray+adhesive
 
I think Stefan came up with a new way to use the surface gage rod w/ball. I'm not sure that it was the original plan.
57-065-354.jpg makes their new surface gage w/o a ball on the end of the rod. (probably to save costs).
 
Mark, do you have a drawing of this? I’d like to make one. If you don’t mind?
 
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