Dial Indicator purchased on eBay is Damaged

[erikmannie]

I bought a used dial indicator on eBay, so it is not surprising that I ended up with a damaged instrument.

The indicator is a Do-All 1/2” travel dial indicator with .001” graduations.

Everything is fine up until .482” travel and then there is a “bump” (i.e. resistance) as it progresses up to .500”. So it is fine almost the whole way.

I found it odd that the dial indicator was shipped bottomed out. That is, it was pushed in ALL the way (which is .535”). That is not good. It was in bubble wrap, and that was in a 4” X 4” X. 6” box.

The shipper said that it was fine when he shipped it.

 

[erikmannie]

The shipper got back to me and said that he did NOT ship it bottomed out.

When I got it, it was bottomed out so hard that it stayed bottomed out. I had to pull it out and work it back and forth a few times before the needle on the dial moved.

 

[matthewsx]

Nope, send it back. eBay is full of this. Does the seller deal with measuring instruments as a normal line or is this a one off for them?
If he didn't ship it that way then he didn't pack it correctly, it should be his problem getting satisifaction from the shipping company, you probably know that better than anyone on here

Cheap dial indicators are available from all the regular sellers, new and with a guarantee, was this one really special?

John

 

[darkzero]

Dial indicators are much easier to work on than DTIs, well to open up anyway. Me personally I'd return it but if you are keeping it I'd remove the back & have a look at the rack & pinion gear. See if something got lodged in there causing that bump or if there is a damaged tooth. You should be able to easily access the return spring there too. Also possible that the stylus or whatever it's actual name is could have been bent. All it takes is an ever so slight bend to cause it to bind.

 

[erikmannie]

I have never taken a look at what other items this guy sells.

This dial indicator will be used for centering a 4J chuck. It mounts in a .375” diameter, .3/4” long hole (picture .

I just wanted a quality dial indicator, and by quality I mean not made in China.

I would have liked .0005” or .0001” graduations, but I had to keep the cost down.

For this purpose, a 1/4” to 1” travel would have work, but most 1/4” travel dial indicarors don’t have a shoulder long enough to fit in the 3/4” long hole in my dial indicator mount.

 

[erikmannie]

Not what I expected to see when I took off the back.

I am going to go on YouTube and try to find a video on rebuilding a dial indicator.

 

[darkzero]

Oh man sorry, nm, I'll shut up now. Not what I expected either & have never seen that on any of the DIs I've opened up.

 

[erikmannie]

Oh man sorry, nm, I'll shut up now. Not what I expected either & have never seen that on any of the DIs I've opened up.

Not a lot of Do-All indicators out there anymore.

The shipper refunded everything & said to keep it:

 

[matthewsx]

This is what sellers should do in cases like this

JOhn

 

[darkzero]

Good to hear that you got a refund. I was gonna say that I think there is some kind of damage to it or it was worked on previously & not assembled correctly. In your frist pic, take a look at the main dial, looks crooked, notice the .100 needle not centered.