Ok, bought the mill, now need advice on decent Dial gage indicator

chiroone

chiroone

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Just bought a PM 835s with a few other goodies, now need to get a decent dail gage I guess with magnetic base to tram the mill, any suggestions that will n ot break the bank?
 
You don't want the mag base to tram, you want to mound a rod in a collet, mount a rod on this rod and put the indicator on the end of the second rod. All connections snug to tight. Mag Bases often don't mount securely, but rock. Go a head and get the mag base, they are quite useful, just not for tramming.
 
One cheap thing i do, buy a cheap magnetic base indicator, unscrew the vertical rod that goes into the magnetic base, then stick the non threaded side of that post in the collet or drill chuck. Then use the rest of the dial indicator fixture to adjust tram and nod.
 
Buy the tool that works best for the application at hand, a drop indicator will give the best bang for the buck all around. A back plunger merely rotates the dial 90 Degrees so that it is easier to see when indicating a vice in a mill for instance. A lever arm indicator is excellent for jobs where a drop will not fit such as indicating the back of a chucked part through a bore like so or picking up a hole.
i-QfVdqng.jpg

I recently bought a 3" diameter Mitutoyo drop indicator for use in large (+20" diameter lathe work) because it is easier to see when it is on the end of the part 72" away and the part can not be spun by hand.

Buy what will work for you not what some random person on the internet tells you (-:
 
Ebay is the best source to find good quality indicators at very reasonable prices, before you know it you will own a dial test indicator, a plunger dial indicator and a back plunger DI, I would get one of each :encourage:.
 
RandyM said:
How big is the bank?
Click to expand...

I'm with Randy - what is your budget? Some guys want functional (Shars, other Chinese), while others want the best and only have to buy it once (Swiss indicators). Don't dismiss the Starrett back plunder indicator Ken suggested; it is accurate enough to tram a mill and is a lot easier to see than a dial indicator. Besides, tramming is a comparative maneuver and resolution is not a major deal. On the other hand, when indicating in a vise, a good DTI saves time.

Here are my suggestions:
DTI - Compac 214 GA or 215 GA, Interapid 312. You can buy a brand new Compac 214GA at Long Island Indicator Service right now for about $222.00 - one of the best 0.0005" indicators made: http://www.longislandindicator.com/p43.html.

Same price for a Interapid on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B...557MI&linkId=67683ba0614c77057d858325d2314229


DI - The older Swiss-made indicators are getting rare but you can always buy a Mitutoyo 2776S: http://www.longislandindicator.com/p55.html. I have two of these and they accurate and repeatable, although not nearly as smooth as a Compac or B&S DI.

I keep telling myself that if I buy a good tool the first time, I only have to buy it once. But I keep buying these Swiss indicators when I find a good deal, which is why I have 5 Compacs, several Interapids, several Mitutoyos, several B&S ... makes no sense!
 
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