Indicol on an Enco (RF30) benchtop mill

[tcweb]

I picked up an indicol for my mill. It's the model 178, which is (I believe) made for the Bridgeport. It fits perfectly on the Enco.

However...when you rotate it around on the spindle, it hits the knob on the front of the spindle that adjusts the depth stop.

Has anyone come up with a creative solution, or are people just not using the benchtop mills for complicated setups? (like centering parts under the spindle)

I could remove the entire depth-stop assembly, and replace it with a DRO at some point, but seems to me that there could be a solution. I like seeing the creative solutions that people come up with. I'll post pictures later today.

-Tom

 

[Bob Korves]

I use this:
https://www.amazon.com/NOGA-NogaFlex-Holder-Model-NF1018/dp/B0006J49MA

on my Millrite mill, which cannot fit an Indicol type tool properly (the spindle nose O.D. is tapered.) It works great, and is useful for many jobs on the mill and elsewhere, but the tooling does have to be removed from the spindle first, which is what the Indicol type tools are designed to eliminate..

 

[burdickjp]

I use this:
https://www.amazon.com/NOGA-NogaFlex-Holder-Model-NF1018/dp/B0006J49MA

on my Millrite mill, which cannot fit an Indicol type tool properly (the spindle nose O.D. is tapered.) It works great, and is useful for many jobs on the mill and elsewhere, but the tooling does have to be removed from the spindle first, which is what the Indicol type tools are designed to eliminate..

As often as I've used magnetic indicator bases of that design, and as much as I've fussed with my Flexbar mini indicol it has never occured to me to get an indicator holder for my spindle like the one you've shown.

 

[Bob Korves]

As often as I've used magnetic indicator bases of that design, and as much as I've fussed with my Flexbar mini indicol it has never occured to me to get an indicator holder for my spindle like the one you've shown.

Excellent for tramming the head and vise, also excellent for dialing in holes. I prefer it to a two indicator tramming tool, and also prefer it to a co-ax indicator. It is simple and has a wide range of uses. Quick to set up and take down. Down side, have to take the tool out of the collet, and often have to change the collet to the correct size for the Noga holder.

 

[burdickjp]

Excellent for tramming the head and vise, also excellent for dialing in holes. I prefer it to a two indicator tramming tool, and also prefer it to a co-ax indicator. It is simple and has a wide range of uses. Quick to set up and take down. Down side, have to take the tool out of the collet, and often have to change the collet to the correct size for the Noga holder.

I use Tormach TTS tooling and have a dedicated chuck for my indicator setup.