# Large dials for an Atlas mill



## JPMacG (Feb 12, 2017)

I found the dials on my Atlas mill difficult to read.  Besides being small, the engraving was weak.  I had to use a magnifying glass and a flashlight.   

There is a guy on eBay who sells engraved 6061 rounds.  Each piece has engravings for three dials.  I saw his eBay listing but thought the price was too high - until -  I viewed the Tubal Cain video on making dials and saw how much of an effort it was for him.  So I went ahead and purchased the engraved round.   I cut the part into three dials, bored the IDs to fit the atlas, polished using a buffing wheel and compound, filled the engravings with a black lacquer stick, and added thumb screws.  I made the stationary parts out of some scraps of 12L14.  The dial for the X axis is going to be more difficult.


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## wawoodman (Feb 12, 2017)

Looks like a great job!


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## tweinke (Feb 12, 2017)

Would you be able to post a link to that ebay listing that might be handy. nice job on the dials by the way!


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## JPMacG (Feb 12, 2017)

Thanks.  Here is the item: 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Atlas-Craft...498645?hash=item35e85a4c95:g:K8QAAOSwv0tU9lTl


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## woodchucker (Feb 12, 2017)

I made large dials for my SB 9, I didn't find it too much work. A few hours to make 1. I had 200 lines on the dial, as I wanted to go to direct reading.
See http://imgur.com/a/bpq3M


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## tweinke (Feb 12, 2017)

JPMacG said:


> Thanks.  Here is the item:
> 
> http://www.ebay.com/itm/Atlas-Craft...498645?hash=item35e85a4c95:g:K8QAAOSwv0tU9lTl



Thanks!


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## ndnchf (Feb 13, 2017)

Wow - those look great.  I'd love to make a set for my Atlas 12x24.  My aging eyes struggle with the original dials.


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## Billh50 (Feb 13, 2017)

I may make a set for the Atlas if the weather ever lets up so it can be delivered.


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## JPMacG (Feb 13, 2017)

woochucker said:


> I made large dials for my SB 9, I didn't find it too much work. A few hours to make 1. I had 200 lines on the dial, as I wanted to go to direct reading.
> See http://imgur.com/a/bpq3M



Very nice work woochucker.  Tubal Cain's method was similar to yours.    Is 200 a common saw blade tooth count?


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## Rob (Feb 13, 2017)

JPMacG said:


> Very nice work woochucker.  Tubal Cain's method was similar to yours.    Is 200 a common saw blade tooth count?



Home Depot sells a 10" one for $10.00.


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## wa5cab (Feb 14, 2017)

They also sell one with 100 teeth.  Of course, everyone is free to set their machines up as they wish.  And some machinists do think that the so-called "direct reading" cross feed dials are the way to go.  But not all will agree with that.  One should also consider the cases where it would be a disadvantage to convert a machine from normal before doing it.


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## Rob (Feb 15, 2017)

wa5cab said:


> They also sell one with 100 teeth.  Of course, everyone is free to set their machines up as they wish.  And some machinists do think that the so-called "direct reading" cross feed dials are the way to go.  But not all will agree with that.  One should also consider the cases where it would be a disadvantage to convert a machine from normal before doing it.



I agree, one of the reasons to go to a larger dial is to make it easier to read.  If you then make it 200 div it is just crowding it up again.  I did use the 200T to make a 100 div dial just used every other tooth.


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## wa5cab (Feb 15, 2017)

Yes, there is that as well.


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## VSAncona (Feb 15, 2017)

On a lathe, it makes sense to go to a dial with 200 divisions because you are reducing the diameter of the stock. But on a mill I don't really see the benefit. I would actually find it more confusing.


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## Billh50 (Feb 15, 2017)

VSAncona said:


> On a lathe, it makes sense to go to a dial with 200 divisions because you are reducing the diameter of the stock. But on a mill I don't really see the benefit. I would actually find it more confusing.



Bridgeport's have a 200 division dial. It has to do with the pitch of the lead screw. If they had only 100 divisions every line would be .002 movement instead of .001


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## woodchucker (Feb 15, 2017)

JPMacG said:


> Very nice work woochucker.  Tubal Cain's method was similar to yours.    Is 200 a common saw blade tooth count?


I got my idea (well not mine) from Tubalcain. The cost for dials on EBAY is the $300 range.  When I found that the ply blade I had from the 1970's (7" blade) was 200 teeth I was shocked. I had to count it a few times. If I do another dial I will make the etches deeper. I love direct reading.. So much more accurate now. I would never go back to 100..

I don't know if it's common, I just had it.


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## wa5cab (Feb 16, 2017)

Well, each to his own.  Just remember to double everything if you are threading, milling or using a DOC table.


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## woodchucker (Feb 16, 2017)

wa5cab said:


> Well, each to his own.  Just remember to double everything if you are threading, milling or using a DOC table.


There's no need to double anything. when you use a dial that is moving .001 per .001 you need to 1/2 your cut. When you use direct reading, when you are shooting for a .325 and you are at .335, you only need to move the dial .010, with the my old dial, I had to divide by .5 and move .05  So for my preference, I am much quicker, more accurate (due to less F ups), and much happier.


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## wa5cab (Feb 17, 2017)

Nope.  Most of the cuts made on a lathe are governed by trying to remove metal as quickly as possible.  About a month ago, I had to make a part out of a 3" diameter chunk of 4140 that was all that I could find for the job late Friday afternoon.  The largest diameter on the finished part was 1-1/2".  And that dimension wasn't critical anyway.  It was just a handle.  The actual important work didn't start until two-thirds of the billet was reduced to shavings.  Which took half the night.  

Then there are plenty of other cases where the critical dimension is how far the cross slide moves, threading, grooving and milling being three.


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## mattygee (Feb 26, 2017)

I purchased the dial blank and made a set for a 12" craftsman commercial lathe I just restored.  As previously mentioned, not cheap but a nice item.  I added thrust bearings so it was a little more work.  A write up of the job is over at machinist web.


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## welderr (Mar 18, 2017)

I really like those dials, I seem to have a daily battle after supper out in the shop what is gonna give out first the eyes or the knees Tylenol buys me some time with the knees but this might give the eyes a chance, might try cleaning the dials and the black background first though, thanks for the idea. T J


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## Silverbullet (Mar 18, 2017)

I don't know if I trust dials that much. Anytime I worked on machines I set up indicators to show the amount of movements don't trust them for precision.
Just the way we had to work with old machines I guess , hard to change from the old way I guess for me. An old Scotsman taught me to never trust them. With his brough even his cussing was funny  but he knew how to machine metal tricks he taught me helped get ahead , before I got screwed up by doctors in operating room. Good ole Alec ,, taught me how throw anything and make it stick . Knives screw drivers axes spikes. On breaks we let off steam .


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