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Advice on dial indicator for checking run of a drill press/input on Novs Voyager Drill Press
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I would like to acquire a dial indicator and base to check the run of my drill press and would like the groups’s input on which one to buy. ?Obviously I can go top shelf and it looks like one could spend well on $300.00 on the dial indicator and base but hopefully there are options less costly that will get accurate results.
Also would like any input on Nova Voyager Drill Press—-technical issues as well as maintenance issues.
Thanks
Fred Burgess
|
Fred, you will find my preferred dial indicator and magnetic base recommendations in the attached. ?But the following would suffice for your intended purpose provided it has the necessary arm length to indicate from your mounting position to whatever you’re trying to check..
David Best
DBestWorkshop@...
https://www.flickr.com/photos/davidpbest/collections/
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
On Jul 9, 2023, at 8:03 PM, fred burgess via groups.io <fredbhelp@...> wrote:
I would like to acquire a dial indicator and base to check the run of my drill press and would like the groups’s input on which one to buy. ?Obviously I can go top shelf and it looks like one could spend well on $300.00 on the dial indicator and base but hopefully there are options less costly that will get accurate results.
Also would like any input on Nova Voyager Drill Press—-technical issues as well as maintenance issues.
Thanks
Fred Burgess
|
I like the Oneway multi-gauge. ? It’s not the best suited for the drill press; but it works and is much better for other machines like jointers , fences ect…. ? About a hundred bucks?
| |
The Nova is a pretty solid machine. ?The chuck is pretty poor though, so plan on replacing that. ? ?You’ll need/want to have a surge protector installed for the power infeed to protect the electronics.?
D
I have three dial indicators - two Wen and a Teclock. The Wen’s were very inexpensive; the price of the Teclock is lost in time. All three are serviceable and give repeatable results. For setting up machines they seem to be adequate,
One of my mag bases is the old style with separate arms. The other is a brand name with an articulated arm like the one in David Best’s r]suggestion. Both work, but the articulated one is much easier to use. I use these very sporadically, and there is a definite learning curve to the old style and I have to re-climb that learning curve every time I use it. The old style has a fine adjuster that my articulated arm does not. I rarely feel a need to use that fine adjuster.
Some bases attach to a ug on the back of the indicator, and others attach to the shaft of the indicator. I favor gripping the shaft, particularly when trying to get parallel to a saw table. Make sure your base and indicator are compatible.
I have the Nova Voyager. I like the computer speed control. I usually use the speeds suggested by the machine, but some folks disagree with those suggestions. It has a relatively generous work table. Other than the fancy DVR it is a pretty basic light drill press.
It has no work light, and I went through several iterations before I found a light that works. No laser designator, but I’m not sure those are that helpful.
I tried once to update the computer, but was not successful. One day perhaps ?I’ll try again. One has to install a program on a laptop and take the laptop to the drill press to do the update. That is a real nuisance, and the update instructions are not easy to follow.
Not too long ago I was having issues with run-out. The quill seemed to be true, so I replaced the original chuck with an Albrecht (maybe I am spelling that correctly) keyless chuck with integral Morse taper. I should have spent the time and effort to remove and re-set the original chuck to try to get it aligned better before I spent the money on a new chuck. The Nova depth indicator occluded the upper ring on the keyless chuck just enough that I could not tighten the chuck. Fortunately a friend was able to mill a little off the bottom of the depth indicator and now the chuck works the way it should.
By the way, the new chuck cost $500 through a US supplier. I found out too late that an outfit in the UK would sell it and send it to me for half of that.
To make a long story short, it is a decent consumer-grade drill press. I love the DVR and will never go back to changing belts, but would certainly look for that feature in sturdier drill presses if I had to replace my Nova.
--
John Hinman
Boise ID
K700S and A941
|
By the way, many dial indicators come with only a small ball tip. A broad flat tip is essential if you want to measure to a point, like a saw tooth. If an indicator comes with a wide flat tip as an extra, that is a real plus.
The indicator that comes with the OneWay has a good flat tip.
(I guess I actually have 4 indicators, including the one that came with my OneWay).
--
John Hinman
Boise ID
K700S and A941
|
More details here on the specific models and arm lengths: ??https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjzxbBU
David Best
DBestWorkshop@...
https://www.flickr.com/photos/davidpbest/collections/
https://www.youtube.com/@David_Best
|
In addition to the great advice received, I'd buy a point set with the indicator.? They are not very expensive and come with 10-12 different tips.? Most indicators use the same threads so the tips seem interchangeable.
If only drilling in wood this is irrelevant but if drilling in metal. I've come to depend on my pin gauges to tell me how my old Moore Jig Bore is drilling.? I like to build stuff using pins and I know that usually my holes are oversized .0015-.002.? Drilling
a hole and measuring it with a pin gives you information on how the runout affects the bore.? Sometimes the angular contact bearings used on drill presses will show runout when not under load but will tighten up loaded as that is how the bearings are designed.?
I'm not familiar with the Nova but if you work much with metal, pin gauges tell you a lot and you don't need an expensive precision set for most work.
Dave
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
I have three dial indicators - two Wen and a Teclock. The Wen’s were very inexpensive; the price of the Teclock is lost in time. All three are serviceable and give repeatable results. For setting up machines they seem to be adequate,
One of my mag bases is the old style with separate arms. The other is a brand name with an articulated arm like the one in David Best’s r]suggestion. Both work, but the articulated one is much easier to use. I use these very sporadically, and there is a definite
learning curve to the old style and I have to re-climb that learning curve every time I use it. The old style has a fine adjuster that my articulated arm does not. I rarely feel a need to use that fine adjuster.
Some bases attach to a ug on the back of the indicator, and others attach to the shaft of the indicator. I favor gripping the shaft, particularly when trying to get parallel to a saw table. Make sure your base and indicator are compatible.
I have the Nova Voyager. I like the computer speed control. I usually use the speeds suggested by the machine, but some folks disagree with those suggestions. It has a relatively generous work table. Other than the fancy DVR it is a pretty basic light drill
press.
It has no work light, and I went through several iterations before I found a light that works. No laser designator, but I’m not sure those are that helpful.
I tried once to update the computer, but was not successful. One day perhaps ?I’ll try again. One has to install a program on a laptop and take the laptop to the drill press to do the update. That is a real nuisance, and the update instructions are not easy
to follow.
Not too long ago I was having issues with run-out. The quill seemed to be true, so I replaced the original chuck with an Albrecht (maybe I am spelling that correctly) keyless chuck with integral Morse taper. I should have spent the time and effort to remove
and re-set the original chuck to try to get it aligned better before I spent the money on a new chuck. The Nova depth indicator occluded the upper ring on the keyless chuck just enough that I could not tighten the chuck. Fortunately a friend was able to mill
a little off the bottom of the depth indicator and now the chuck works the way it should.
By the way, the new chuck cost $500 through a US supplier. I found out too late that an outfit in the UK would sell it and send it to me for half of that.
To make a long story short, it is a decent consumer-grade drill press. I love the DVR and will never go back to changing belts, but would certainly look for that feature in sturdier drill presses if I had to replace my Nova.
--
John Hinman
Boise ID
K700S and A941
|
Dave another way, quite handy for specific tasks. Three point carbide anvils.  Designing and building for 50 years
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
On Jul 10, 2023, at 8:32 AM, David Kumm <davekumm@...> wrote:
?
In addition to the great advice received, I'd buy a point set with the indicator.? They are not very expensive and come with 10-12 different tips.? Most indicators use the same threads so the tips seem interchangeable.
If only drilling in wood this is irrelevant but if drilling in metal. I've come to depend on my pin gauges to tell me how my old Moore Jig Bore is drilling.? I like to build stuff using pins and I know that usually my holes are oversized .0015-.002.? Drilling
a hole and measuring it with a pin gives you information on how the runout affects the bore.? Sometimes the angular contact bearings used on drill presses will show runout when not under load but will tighten up loaded as that is how the bearings are designed.?
I'm not familiar with the Nova but if you work much with metal, pin gauges tell you a lot and you don't need an expensive precision set for most work.
Dave
I have three dial indicators - two Wen and a Teclock. The Wen’s were very inexpensive; the price of the Teclock is lost in time. All three are serviceable and give repeatable results. For setting up machines they seem to be adequate,
One of my mag bases is the old style with separate arms. The other is a brand name with an articulated arm like the one in David Best’s r]suggestion. Both work, but the articulated one is much easier to use. I use these very sporadically, and there is a definite
learning curve to the old style and I have to re-climb that learning curve every time I use it. The old style has a fine adjuster that my articulated arm does not. I rarely feel a need to use that fine adjuster.
Some bases attach to a ug on the back of the indicator, and others attach to the shaft of the indicator. I favor gripping the shaft, particularly when trying to get parallel to a saw table. Make sure your base and indicator are compatible.
I have the Nova Voyager. I like the computer speed control. I usually use the speeds suggested by the machine, but some folks disagree with those suggestions. It has a relatively generous work table. Other than the fancy DVR it is a pretty basic light drill
press.
It has no work light, and I went through several iterations before I found a light that works. No laser designator, but I’m not sure those are that helpful.
I tried once to update the computer, but was not successful. One day perhaps ?I’ll try again. One has to install a program on a laptop and take the laptop to the drill press to do the update. That is a real nuisance, and the update instructions are not easy
to follow.
Not too long ago I was having issues with run-out. The quill seemed to be true, so I replaced the original chuck with an Albrecht (maybe I am spelling that correctly) keyless chuck with integral Morse taper. I should have spent the time and effort to remove
and re-set the original chuck to try to get it aligned better before I spent the money on a new chuck. The Nova depth indicator occluded the upper ring on the keyless chuck just enough that I could not tighten the chuck. Fortunately a friend was able to mill
a little off the bottom of the depth indicator and now the chuck works the way it should.
By the way, the new chuck cost $500 through a US supplier. I found out too late that an outfit in the UK would sell it and send it to me for half of that.
To make a long story short, it is a decent consumer-grade drill press. I love the DVR and will never go back to changing belts, but would certainly look for that feature in sturdier drill presses if I had to replace my Nova.
--
John Hinman
Boise ID
K700S and A941
|
What size ranges ?? I have the two prong bore indicators but have wanted the three but stocking so many sizes slowed me down.? Dave
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
Dave another way, quite handy for specific tasks. Three point carbide anvils. 
Designing and building for 50 years
On Jul 10, 2023, at 8:32 AM, David Kumm <davekumm@...> wrote:
?
In addition to the great advice received, I'd buy a point set with the indicator.? They are not very expensive and come with 10-12 different tips.? Most indicators use the same threads so the tips seem interchangeable.
If only drilling in wood this is irrelevant but if drilling in metal. I've come to depend on my pin gauges to tell me how my old Moore Jig Bore is drilling.? I like to build stuff using pins and I know that usually my holes are oversized .0015-.002.? Drilling
a hole and measuring it with a pin gives you information on how the runout affects the bore.? Sometimes the angular contact bearings used on drill presses will show runout when not under load but will tighten up loaded as that is how the bearings are designed.?
I'm not familiar with the Nova but if you work much with metal, pin gauges tell you a lot and you don't need an expensive precision set for most work.
Dave
I have three dial indicators - two Wen and a Teclock. The Wen’s were very inexpensive; the price of the Teclock is lost in time. All three are serviceable and give repeatable results. For setting up machines they seem to be adequate,
One of my mag bases is the old style with separate arms. The other is a brand name with an articulated arm like the one in David Best’s r]suggestion. Both work, but the articulated one is much easier to use. I use these very sporadically, and there is a definite
learning curve to the old style and I have to re-climb that learning curve every time I use it. The old style has a fine adjuster that my articulated arm does not. I rarely feel a need to use that fine adjuster.
Some bases attach to a ug on the back of the indicator, and others attach to the shaft of the indicator. I favor gripping the shaft, particularly when trying to get parallel to a saw table. Make sure your base and indicator are compatible.
I have the Nova Voyager. I like the computer speed control. I usually use the speeds suggested by the machine, but some folks disagree with those suggestions. It has a relatively generous work table. Other than the fancy DVR it is a pretty basic light drill
press.
It has no work light, and I went through several iterations before I found a light that works. No laser designator, but I’m not sure those are that helpful.
I tried once to update the computer, but was not successful. One day perhaps ?I’ll try again. One has to install a program on a laptop and take the laptop to the drill press to do the update. That is a real nuisance, and the update instructions are not easy
to follow.
Not too long ago I was having issues with run-out. The quill seemed to be true, so I replaced the original chuck with an Albrecht (maybe I am spelling that correctly) keyless chuck with integral Morse taper. I should have spent the time and effort to remove
and re-set the original chuck to try to get it aligned better before I spent the money on a new chuck. The Nova depth indicator occluded the upper ring on the keyless chuck just enough that I could not tighten the chuck. Fortunately a friend was able to mill
a little off the bottom of the depth indicator and now the chuck works the way it should.
By the way, the new chuck cost $500 through a US supplier. I found out too late that an outfit in the UK would sell it and send it to me for half of that.
To make a long story short, it is a decent consumer-grade drill press. I love the DVR and will never go back to changing belts, but would certainly look for that feature in sturdier drill presses if I had to replace my Nova.
--
John Hinman
Boise ID
K700S and A941
|
Very limited, the size range gets smaller the smaller the hole size is, but not uncommon for range to be between .100" and .400” from smallest to largest. You need a lot of Tri-mic’s to cover the whole range. They are also not the easiest to use.
Brian Lamb
blamb11@...
www.lambtoolworks.com
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
On Jul 11, 2023, at 6:38 AM, David Kumm <davekumm@...> wrote:
What size ranges ?? I have the two prong bore indicators but have wanted the three but stocking so many sizes slowed me down.? Dave
Dave another way, quite handy for specific tasks. Three point carbide anvils. <IMG_0808.jpeg>Designing and building for 50 years On Jul 10, 2023, at 8:32 AM, David Kumm <davekumm@...> wrote:
? In addition to the great advice received, I'd buy a point set with the indicator.? They are not very expensive and come with 10-12 different tips.? Most indicators use the same threads so the tips seem interchangeable.
If only drilling in wood this is irrelevant but if drilling in metal. I've come to depend on my pin gauges to tell me how my old Moore Jig Bore is drilling.? I like to build stuff using pins and I know that usually my holes are oversized .0015-.002.? Drilling a hole and measuring it with a pin gives you information on how the runout affects the bore.? Sometimes the angular contact bearings used on drill presses will show runout when not under load but will tighten up loaded as that is how the bearings are designed.? I'm not familiar with the Nova but if you work much with metal, pin gauges tell you a lot and you don't need an expensive precision set for most work.
Dave
I have three dial indicators - two Wen and a Teclock. The Wen’s were very inexpensive; the price of the Teclock is lost in time. All three are serviceable and give repeatable results. For setting up machines they seem to be adequate,
One of my mag bases is the old style with separate arms. The other is a brand name with an articulated arm like the one in David Best’s r]suggestion. Both work, but the articulated one is much easier to use. I use these very sporadically, and there is a definite learning curve to the old style and I have to re-climb that learning curve every time I use it. The old style has a fine adjuster that my articulated arm does not. I rarely feel a need to use that fine adjuster.
Some bases attach to a ug on the back of the indicator, and others attach to the shaft of the indicator. I favor gripping the shaft, particularly when trying to get parallel to a saw table. Make sure your base and indicator are compatible.
I have the Nova Voyager. I like the computer speed control. I usually use the speeds suggested by the machine, but some folks disagree with those suggestions. It has a relatively generous work table. Other than the fancy DVR it is a pretty basic light drill press.
It has no work light, and I went through several iterations before I found a light that works. No laser designator, but I’m not sure those are that helpful.
I tried once to update the computer, but was not successful. One day perhaps ?I’ll try again. One has to install a program on a laptop and take the laptop to the drill press to do the update. That is a real nuisance, and the update instructions are not easy to follow.
Not too long ago I was having issues with run-out. The quill seemed to be true, so I replaced the original chuck with an Albrecht (maybe I am spelling that correctly) keyless chuck with integral Morse taper. I should have spent the time and effort to remove and re-set the original chuck to try to get it aligned better before I spent the money on a new chuck. The Nova depth indicator occluded the upper ring on the keyless chuck just enough that I could not tighten the chuck. Fortunately a friend was able to mill a little off the bottom of the depth indicator and now the chuck works the way it should.
By the way, the new chuck cost $500 through a US supplier. I found out too late that an outfit in the UK would sell it and send it to me for half of that.
To make a long story short, it is a decent consumer-grade drill press. I love the DVR and will never go back to changing belts, but would certainly look for that feature in sturdier drill presses if I had to replace my Nova.
--?
John Hinman
Boise ID
K700S and A941?
|
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
Very limited, the size range gets smaller the smaller the hole size is, but not uncommon for range to be between .100" and .400” from smallest to largest. You need a lot of Tri-mic’s to cover the whole range. They are
also not the easiest to use.
Brian Lamb
blamb11@...
www.lambtoolworks.com
On Jul 11, 2023, at 6:38 AM, David Kumm <davekumm@...> wrote:
What size ranges ?? I have the two prong bore indicators but have wanted the three but stocking so many sizes slowed me down.? Dave
Dave another way, quite handy for specific tasks. Three point carbide anvils. <IMG_0808.jpeg>
Designing and building for 50 years
On Jul 10, 2023, at 8:32 AM, David Kumm <davekumm@...> wrote:
?
In addition to the great advice received, I'd buy a point set with the indicator.? They are not very expensive and come with 10-12 different tips.? Most indicators use the same threads so the tips seem interchangeable.
If only drilling in wood this is irrelevant but if drilling in metal. I've come to depend on my pin gauges to tell me how my old Moore Jig Bore is drilling.? I like to build stuff using pins and I know that usually my holes are oversized .0015-.002.? Drilling
a hole and measuring it with a pin gives you information on how the runout affects the bore.? Sometimes the angular contact bearings used on drill presses will show runout when not under load but will tighten up loaded as that is how the bearings are designed.?
I'm not familiar with the Nova but if you work much with metal, pin gauges tell you a lot and you don't need an expensive precision set for most work.
Dave
I have three dial indicators - two Wen and a Teclock. The Wen’s were very inexpensive; the price of the Teclock is lost in time. All three are serviceable and give repeatable results. For setting up machines they seem to be adequate,
One of my mag bases is the old style with separate arms. The other is a brand name with an articulated arm like the one in David Best’s r]suggestion. Both work, but the articulated one is much easier to use. I use these very sporadically, and there is a definite
learning curve to the old style and I have to re-climb that learning curve every time I use it. The old style has a fine adjuster that my articulated arm does not. I rarely feel a need to use that fine adjuster.
Some bases attach to a ug on the back of the indicator, and others attach to the shaft of the indicator. I favor gripping the shaft, particularly when trying to get parallel to a saw table. Make sure your base and indicator are compatible.
I have the Nova Voyager. I like the computer speed control. I usually use the speeds suggested by the machine, but some folks disagree with those suggestions. It has a relatively generous work table. Other than the fancy DVR it is a pretty basic light drill
press.
It has no work light, and I went through several iterations before I found a light that works. No laser designator, but I’m not sure those are that helpful.
I tried once to update the computer, but was not successful. One day perhaps ?I’ll try again. One has to install a program on a laptop and take the laptop to the drill press to do the update. That is a real nuisance, and the update instructions are not easy
to follow.
Not too long ago I was having issues with run-out. The quill seemed to be true, so I replaced the original chuck with an Albrecht (maybe I am spelling that correctly) keyless chuck with integral Morse taper. I should have spent the time and effort to remove
and re-set the original chuck to try to get it aligned better before I spent the money on a new chuck. The Nova depth indicator occluded the upper ring on the keyless chuck just enough that I could not tighten the chuck. Fortunately a friend was able to mill
a little off the bottom of the depth indicator and now the chuck works the way it should.
By the way, the new chuck cost $500 through a US supplier. I found out too late that an outfit in the UK would sell it and send it to me for half of that.
To make a long story short, it is a decent consumer-grade drill press. I love the DVR and will never go back to changing belts, but would certainly look for that feature in sturdier drill presses if I had to replace my Nova.
--?
John Hinman
Boise ID
K700S and A941?
|
Will this base be long enough to reach across a slider and measure its tilt? I can't find dimensions on Amazon.
|
Mike,
Per the questions answered by vendor, arms are about 4” long, so ~8” reach.
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On Jul 12, 2023, at 8:26 AM, Mike <mike@...> wrote: ?Will this base be long enough to reach across a slider and measure its tilt? I can't find dimensions on Amazon.
|
David,
My apologies for not responding and thanking everyone sooner for their input concerning dial indicators and Nova Drill Press. ?I am going with your suggestion on dial indicator and if I need an upgrade down the road, then this suggestion has not killed the bank.
Concerning the Nova Voyager, I remain on the fence but I am committed to replacing my Delta 18-900L Drill press as I never change belt speeds but realize the results are not optimal for some of the work. ?My hesitation on the Nova are the comments made on this forum and others that the Nova has great features but is a light duty drill press. ?Probably light duty is good enough but I will continue my search for a heavier machine with variable speed from the control panel upfront but of course these are available but $2000.00 becomes $3500.00-$5000.00 plus.
Again thanks to everyone and if anyone has other suggestions, I am all ears.
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On Jul 10, 2023, at 5:49 AM, David P. Best <dbestworkshop@...> wrote:
Fred, you will find my preferred dial indicator and magnetic base recommendations in the attached. ?But the following would suffice for your intended purpose provided it has the necessary arm length to indicate from your mounting position to whatever you’re trying to check..
David Best
DBestWorkshop@...
https://www.flickr.com/photos/davidpbest/collections/
On Jul 9, 2023, at 8:03 PM, fred burgess via groups.io <fredbhelp@...> wrote:
I would like to acquire a dial indicator and base to check the run of my drill press and would like the groups’s input on which one to buy. ?Obviously I can go top shelf and it looks like one could spend well on $300.00 on the dial indicator and base but hopefully there are options less costly that will get accurate results.
Also would like any input on Nova Voyager Drill Press—-technical issues as well as maintenance issues.
Thanks
Fred Burgess
|
That indicator stand does not have arms long enough to reach across the sliding table. ?The attached document discusses a similar type with sufficient reach, or a method of making your own for table alignment. ?
David Best
DBestWorkshop@...
https://www.flickr.com/photos/davidpbest/collections/
https://www.youtube.com/@David_Best
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Show quoted text
On Jul 12, 2023, at 5:26 AM, Mike <mike@...> wrote:
Will this base be long enough to reach across a slider and measure its tilt? I can't find dimensions on Amazon.
|
I made the long-reach indicator holder similar to the David Best shows. I could not be confident that I could “zero” the indicator, though. The indicator would tell me if I was moving the table up or down, but not whether I had it where I wanted it. I eventually used two indicators at the right edge of the table, and used my level to see if the slider was parallel to the iron table top.
Any suggestions for how to “zero” the left-side indicator would be helpful. I want to try adjusting the slider again, this time to reduce toe-out, and I know I’ll have to work with slider elevation at the same time.
--
John Hinman
Boise ID
K700S and A941
|
If by “zero” the indicator you mean altering its height so the indicator hand points to the 12-o’clock position, a micro-adjust will do that. ?However, this is not necessary. ?The common method to “zero” the indicator is by twisting the outer dial bezel so that the zero position on the dial face matches the arrow position - then when you reposition the indicator to another place, the indicator will tell you the exact difference. ??
|
David Best - via mobile phone?
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On Jul 12, 2023, at 11:45 AM, John Hinman <jhinman1911@...> wrote:
?I made the long-reach indicator holder similar to the David Best shows. I could not be confident that I could “zero” the indicator, though. The indicator would tell me if I was moving the table up or down, but not whether I had it where I wanted it. I eventually used two indicators at the right edge of the table, and used my level to see if the slider was parallel to the iron table top.
Any suggestions for how to “zero” the left-side indicator would be helpful. I want to try adjusting the slider again, this time to reduce toe-out, and I know I’ll have to work with slider elevation at the same time.
--
John Hinman
Boise ID
K700S and A941
I could be wrong, but I took his question as he has a hard time getting the indicator over a flat surface to zero the indicator referenced off the base surface of the mag base, then swinging it all the way over the slider and having any confidence that his zero is still zero.
I actually like a large surface gage I have for reading way out on the slider, similar to this one, maybe 12” tall though:
Brian Lamb
blamb11@...
www.lambtoolworks.com
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On Jul 12, 2023, at 12:36 PM, David P. Best <dbestworkshop@...> wrote:
If by “zero” the indicator you mean altering its height so the indicator hand points to the 12-o’clock position, a micro-adjust will do that. ?However, this is not necessary. ?The common method to “zero” the indicator is by twisting the outer dial bezel so that the zero position on the dial face matches the arrow position - then when you reposition the indicator to another place, the indicator will tell you the exact difference. ??
|
David Best - via mobile phone?
On Jul 12, 2023, at 11:45 AM, John Hinman <jhinman1911@...> wrote:
?I made the long-reach indicator holder similar to the David Best shows. I could not be confident that I could “zero” the indicator, though. The indicator would tell me if I was moving the table up or down, but not whether I had it where I wanted it. I eventually used two indicators at the right edge of the table, and used my level to see if the slider was parallel to the iron table top.
Any suggestions for how to “zero” the left-side indicator would be helpful. I want to try adjusting the slider again, this time to reduce toe-out, and I know I’ll have to work with slider elevation at the same time.
--
John Hinman
Boise ID
K700S and A941
Nope. I understand that.
What I mean is a way to relate the slider to the iron top. Right side is so close to the iron that I zero to the iron and move the base that fraction of an inch to the slider.
When moving the long arm from the iron top to the left side of the slider the zero can be lost if the iron is not perfectly planar. The length of the arm magnifies any variation in the iron top.
--
John Hinman
Boise ID
K700S and A941
|
When moving the long arm from the iron top to the left side of the slider the zero can be lost if the iron is not perfectly planar. The length of the arm magnifies any variation in the iron top.
Then use the top surface of the sliding table itself to zero the indicator. The sliding table top surface is flat “enough” for this application - certainly flatter than most cast iron tops. Lay your indicator base and indicator on the top of the slider, parallel to the long direction of the slider and zero the indicator. Then reposition the base to the cast iron top. I often use the slider table top surface as the reference surface for all kinds of things including glue-up of torsion boxes: David Best.
|
David P. Best
Mike
imran
