Homemade Height Gauge and ruler Stand

[Andre]

Just finished up my long needed height gauge. It is more of a fancy surface gauge, since it doesn't read any measurements but ah 'ell with it!

Made from parts out of some Xerox printer copier flatbed scanner thing and given to me aluminum. The orange/yellow handwheel is a paper roller, rack is from the machine (no idea what it did) guide rails are from another paper feeder roller arrangement and gear also from the machine. C clip, pin, and screws were from the random parts bin and the scriber tip was found in a box of taps. Can't beat it for a free project with scrap.

Can scribe from 0-3.55, locks, and adjusts with a rack and pinion.

 

[Chucketn]

Nicely done, Andre! My kind of project!

Chuck

 

[Andre]

Nicely done, Andre! My kind of project!

Chuck

Thank you very much, Chuck! This project really posed me a challenge, I learned how to cut a square hole and grind a keyway broach. I think it turned out well.

If there was something YOU would change if you made it yourself, what would it be? I'm open to all suggestions, just out of curiosity.

Thanks.

 

[ddmunroe]

Very resourceful ! I'll think twice about throwing out my printers now :thinking:
As you mentioned the scriber is a tap how did you fix it to the end (welding or ? )
When you use the locking screw at the back does the initial height setting change ...
Good result
dd

 

[Ray C]

I think you should market it as a "Digital height gauge"... afterall, you need to use your fingers to turn the knob :lmao:.

---Cool project!


Ray

 

[Chucketn]

Thank you very much, Chuck! This project really posed me a challenge, I learned how to cut a square hole and grind a keyway broach. I think it turned out well.

If there was something YOU would change if you made it yourself, what would it be? I'm open to all suggestions, just out of curiosity.

Thanks.

It works, that's all that matters. And, YOU made it! I wouldn't change a thing!
I am a retired computer tech (among other things) and always stripped printers for bars and bits. I've made lots of tools from them. Nice turning stuff. I think the first thing I made from a printer bar was a test bar for my lathe!

Chuck

 

[Andre]

Very resourceful ! I'll think twice about throwing out my printers now :thinking:
As you mentioned the scriber is a tap how did you fix it to the end (welding or ? )
When you use the locking screw at the back does the initial height setting change ...
Good result
dd

I found the scriber tip in a box of taps, didn't make one from it. Although I reground a broken tap to make the broach to cut all the square holes.

I do not believe it changes height when I lock it. It's a firm fit on the rods, and I'm just using a scale to judge height anyhow. I'll throw an indicator on it tomorrow, thanks for pointing that out.

 

[Bill Gruby]

Very nicely done Andre.

"Billy G"