Question on Dial Test indicator

When I rotate the bezel without the probe touching anything. it cause the needle to stay in one position and the probe will be loose like it isn't attached to anything.
 
When I rotate the bezel without the probe touching anything. it cause the needle to stay in one position...

That's as it should be. Rotating the bezel should rotate the dial but not disturb the needle. The purpose is to match zero up with where the needle is. That's save you from having to do subtraction when doing something like measuring runout.


...and the probe will be loose like it isn't attached to anything.

It's not clear what you mean by that. Do you have the unit I linked to above? Assuming that the unit is positioned as in the picture what happens when you push the probe directly away from you? When you pull it toward you?
 
I email Enco and they sent UPS to pick it up and will check it out. Now I guess I need to buy a better one.
I want one to check my vise and tram the mill, I use this in my knife making and playing around trying to learn with it. I could spend $100-to-$135. I see were Enco has the Mitutoyo 513 series on sale in that range and have some SPI's brands. What would you suggest in that price range?


Thanks
Rick
 
Tony

I had to work over and didn't get to take a picture. Her is some information on the indicator I got from ENCO. Automatic reversing, max measurment 0.030, Graduation 0.0005, dial reading 0-15-0. I was checking it if I hold it in my hand and have the Zero straight up and the probe straight down, the probe will move in both directions and the needle is showing .0006 on the counter clock direction. If i turn the dial counter clockwise it goes to .0004 and the needle sticks, when turning it in the clock wise position it goes to .0004 and does the same thing. Is this how they work? I hope I'm explaining this so you can understand me. I'm a noobie.

Do you know what .0004" means?

Use it to measure in one direction at a time, it is a wonderfully made tool.
 
Rick,

There are two basically different types of dial indicators (and a lot of variants of each). With the type that you originally bought, if you hold the indicator in one hand with the dial in the vertical plane and the actuator probe sticking straight down, and push or pull the probe away from you or toward you, the needle should move in one direction to .015 or so with a push and in the other direction to .015 with a pull. Rotating the dial bezel (the knurled ring around the glass) should not move the needle (unless you bump the probe with your fingers while rotating). This is the better of the two styles to use for aligning your vise jaws parallel or perpendicular to the mill table axis.

The other style looks similar but the probe is round and moves into the indicator body when you press on the end of the probe. If you pull on the probe, nothing should happen. This is the better style to use for tramming the mill.

The best thing to use to tram the mill is a dual-indicator unit made specifically for tramming. But they tend to be fairly expensive and would be probably be justified only if you very often rotate the head and then need to set it back to perpendicular.
 
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