Purpose of this gauge?

[ebinmaine 71,943]

What might this be used for? Looks like it has some sort of magnetic mount but I don't know why the push button is there. Arm appears to be adjustable in many many different ways and directions. Is this simply some sort of universal ish tool?

 

 

[ri702bill 9,220]

Eric:

That is a Test Indicator and Magnetic Base with the not-so-rigid knuckled arm. Probably used to check brake rotor run-out.

That indicator, if it moves smoothly, has limited (+/- .010) travel, and is good to have. The magnetic strength on the base can diminish over time - just replaced mine this year, bought in in the 1980's.

The posable arm (think GI Joe doll) will wear out first - the cam action over time will not be enough to hold all the joints tight. I prefer the solid arm version.

Bill

Edited November 29, 2021 by ri702bill

[Achto 29,299]

That is a dial indicator on an adjustable mount with a magnetic base. I have used them on a lathe to check trueness, also used them when lacing a spoke rim to check trueness. When lacing a Harley rim the tolerance is .015" on the wobble and .015" on the hop.

 

 

Edited November 29, 2021 by Achto

[ri702bill 9,220]

Just looked at the pictures again - Brown & Sharpe - I worked there twice, but never in the Industrial Products Division.

EXCELENT Bestest indicator - jeweled movements - cleaned up is is a gem.

Bill

[Gregor 4,847]

23 minutes ago, Achto said:

 also used them when lacing a spoke rim to check trueness. When lacing a Harley rim the tolerance is .015" on the wobble and .015" on the hop.

 

That has to be really tedious work.

[Achto 29,299]

1 minute ago, Gregor said:

That has to be really tedious work.

 

Yep, lock the door on the garage, put up the "Do not disturb" sign, and leave the cell phone in the house. 16" rim is not too bad, a 21" rim is a bit more challenging.

[Gregor 4,847]

With the amount of time involved, I would think it would be just as cheap to buy a new rim.

[rmaynard 16,234]

I have a similar unit that I use to set the timing on Tecumseh engines by finding the piston top dead center. It is called a Disc Brake Runout Gauge.

 

[Gregor 4,847]

Would the push button turn the magnet off?

[Achto 29,299]

12 minutes ago, Gregor said:

With the amount of time involved, I would think it would be just as cheap to buy a new rim.

 

At one time I could knock one out in about 1 to 1.5hrs. I installed a lot of fancy twisted spokes on rims. Haven't done one in a while so might take me a bit longer now.

Edited November 29, 2021 by Achto

[Pullstart 66,069]

A dial indicator can be used in a mill for picking up center on a hole to.  Eyeball close, then run about 1 turn on the dial on the back wall of the hole, then again on the front wall.  At this point, side to side doesn’t matter as long as you spin the indicator 180 degrees.  Whatever the difference in readout is, split the difference and meet in the middle.  Adjust the table whatever that half distance is, then check the back again and you should be centered on your Y axis.  Find one side of the hole on the X axis with that magic number you decided was perfect between the front and back, and you have center.

 

 

[ebinmaine 71,943]

Excellent answers as always folks. Thank you very much.

 

Any idea on the value of such an item?

[Ed Kennell 41,437]

1 hour ago, Gregor said:

Would the push button turn the magnet off?

Yes, it releases the magnet.

Brown and Sharp  0.0005 " Best Test dial indicator with magnetic base and flexible arm.

I used one for 40 years for centering bearings and aligning shafts.

Around $50 bucks for the mag base.   $200 for a Best Test indicator.

Edited November 29, 2021 by Ed Kennell

[Pullstart 66,069]

Worth we’ll more in your tool box than someone else’s 

[Gregor 4,847]

8 minutes ago, Ed Kennell said:

Yes, it releases the magnet.

Mine has a knob to turn.

[lynnmor 7,730]

That indicator has been abused like so many things.  It has no place in the hands of folks that have no respect for quality tools.  The price when new is over $200.  Example

[ri702bill 9,220]

The indicator and dovetail mount are invaluable in tramming the vise back jaw to see if is truly 0-0 dead on aligned with the axis of travel on the milling machine.

@Pullstart - ever us a device to find center called a "Wiggler"?? Kind of a cousin to the edge finder. Inserted into the hole and spun at a low speed - it follows the hole profile and when the part is truly concentric to the spindle it snaps to attention straight up in the center - darndest thing. It did not work well at all on out of round or threaded holes though. Never owned one, but the first Automated Machine Company I worked for had a sister division, a job shop that did high volume production runs for their customers - they made the parts to the B&S Wiggler....

Bill

[Gregor 4,847]

When you think about machines that make parts for cars, planes, milling machines, lathes, and other equipment, imagine the tolerances they have to keep. Now think about the machines that make parts for THOSE machines.

[Pullstart 66,069]

@ri702bill yes I have, and have used them along with edge finders in the past, but in my apprenticeship at a big tool and die shop, grumpy old Neil who pretty much hated the world taught me how to pick up a hole with the dial indicator.  I’m nearly as fast that way as I am finding a wiggles or edge finder 

[Ed Kennell 41,437]

18 minutes ago, ri702bill said:

"Wiggler"??

Used the Wiggler to locate hole centers during part set up on the 5 axis mills and co-ordinate measuring machines.

Brown and Sharp Best Test similair to Starrett Last Word.    ~ $200 each

[ebinmaine 71,943]

42 minutes ago, lynnmor said:

That indicator has been abused like so many things.  It has no place in the hands of folks that have no respect for quality tools

Odd thing about this particular situation is this fellow kept everything he had in the original case. His widow says he was not at all known for buying things used or vintage or anything like that so it's likely he had this for many years.

He was what I would call and avid experimental woodworker.

She had said that he was very well known for starting a project to mess with it some and then not finishing it. Often on purpose.

 

Given the information in the previous posts so I'd say it's likely that he used it to check things on his wood lathe which he used a lot.

 

I don't understand for the life of me why it's so full of dust. I wonder if it got misplaced and then lost in the shuffle somehow. The workshop area was STUFFED.

 

[Gregor 4,847]

Not much sense using something like that on wood. Wood isn't that stable from one week to the next.

Or one day to the next.

Edited November 29, 2021 by Gregor

[ri702bill 9,220]

36 minutes ago, Gregor said:

When you think about machines that make parts for cars, planes, milling machines, lathes, and other equipment, imagine the tolerances they have to keep. Now think about the machines that make parts for THOSE machines.

Indeed - when I worked the first time in the Machine Tool division of Brown & Sharpe, the allowable runout on the spindle driven gear was 50 millionths of an inch (.0000050).

The second time there I worked in the Metrology division, assembling and calibrating Coordinate Measuring Machines - the calibration took out the error of each of the 3 axes to produce an accuracy within the volumetric cube (the measuring area)  - I recall 4 microns (about .0016 inch) was allowed - had a few come in at 1 micron (.0004 inch) Not bad ....

Bill

[ri702bill 9,220]

37 minutes ago, Pullstart said:

grumpy old Neil who pretty much hated the world

@Pullstart I think he had a brother that I worked with at that Automation House - he used to down a 6 pack for his liquid lunch and grumble & complain all afternoon about his life (or lack of one).

Bill

[ri702bill 9,220]

Eric:

Perhaps he used it to check the runout on sawblades???