Starrett last word indicator

Richard King said:
RLWP, What's that icon picture of? Your name is Richard too?
Click to expand...

Yes, I'm also a Richard

The picture is the governor from a Gleniffer DB2 marine engine, circa 1935. It's one of the jobs that went through my workshop last year

I love the weird complexity of all those linkages

governor10.jpg

governor9.jpg

Richard
 
At someone's request,I have made measurements of 3 indicators. A last Word in new condition,A Mitutoyo in new condition,and a plunger back Starrett in new condition. The Starretts were kept in boxes,and the Mitutoyo was out in the open,attached to a magnetic base,where it had the possibility of collecting shop dust from the air. It seemed clean.

The way I tested them was by pressing each stylus on a very delicate digital stone weighing scale that registers in 1/10 grams. Each indicator was pressed until the dial read .005".

The Last Word took 2.2 grams to reach .005". The Mitutoyo took 1.0 grams. The Starrett plunger back took 4.4 grams. Each were oiled with Starrett Instrument oil,but only on the joints where their stylii swivel. I do not let oil get inside them.

So,the Last Word took more than twice the force of the Mitutoyo to register .005". The Starrett plunger back,freshly oiled,too,took more than twice the force of the Mitutoyo to register .005". The plunger back is an entirely different type of indicator mechanism,and I think it is not really fair to compare it to the others. I did it because I had it handy,and out of curiosity,included it.

This was a scientific test and cannot be called an opinion because actual data was collected,all indicators were in new condition,and all were oiled with Starrett instrument oil.WD 40 has never been used on my indicators because I know it is bad,and leaves a varnish deposit.

Previously,for several years,I used a cheaper Chinese indicator,which to my trained fingers,felt about as sensitive as the Mitutoyo. I got the Mitutoyo cheap,hardly used,and gave my Chinese one to my journeyman. I never tested it because we did not have the stone scale,and the subject never came up.
 
I found this info and it's interesting:

The first 2 paragraphs is in line with the point I am trying to make. The Indicator score card listed after the list of indicators is very revealing too.


http://www.longislandindicator.com/p14.html



Have a great week. Rich
 
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I've always heard good things about Long Island, and that page is a good bit of information, although some of it is probably just informed opinion. But if you want an opinion about indicators, where better to get it than from a service facility? I haven't seen or heard of shearing off of rack teeth, but evidently they have, so I imagine it must be true. I can't see that happening in normal service, but damage from dropping maybe.

Thanks for posting your test results, George. Anyone else want to see if they can replicate his tests, perhaps with other makes of indicators? I may dig out some of mine and see what I get.
 
I'm not trying to enter the discussion of which is better or not but, I get the distinct impression that the industry is going toward the "throw-out-when-damaged" mindset.

Some years ago when I was looking to buy my 1st DI and TDI's, I came across the longisland site and thought, oh boy, I'll just get one of the better ones listed on the chart. -Then I saw the price tag and felt dizzy. Next, I looked at eBay and found a couple but by then, I had already been burned buying used equipment that was worn out... Once bitten, twice shy.

For us newer guys on the block, we're getting forced into the "disposable" mindset.

What I would like to know, is if anyone has done any gauge block testing to see if the new generation of stuff even reads properly or not. I have several DI and TDI's that cost 30-40 bucks each and I've taken it for granted they actually read properly... I only have a few gauge blocks of dubious quality. Does anyone know about this? If this is too far off track for this thread, please let me know and I'll ask to remove it and start another.


Ray
 
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