# Adding An Indicator To An Adjustable Table



## Matthew Gregory (Sep 9, 2015)

Hey gang,
I've got to make an adjustable table/work rest for my belt grinder, and I'm looking for a way to set repeatable angles with the top plate. I've considered using touch marks as rough identifiers, but the problem with this is that things could easily get muddled in my head. Anyone know of an add-on miter gauge or a dial of some sort that I could bolt on/adhere and then index as I see fit?

This is sort of what I'm thinking...


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## schor (Sep 9, 2015)

Find a metal protractor?


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## Matthew Gregory (Sep 9, 2015)

That was my thought, as well, but I figured someone might know of a source for nifty things like this.

I meant to add that I've found 3" adhesive backed protractor dials in McMaster-Carr's catalog, but I need this to be quite a bit smaller. I'm thinking and inch or thereabouts...


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## Fabrickator (Sep 9, 2015)

You need to mount something with *two blades*.  A bubble type won't work with no true reference to the level of your table.

Try one of these and chop it to size and mount it. I got one and they work great, reasonably priced.

http://www.grizzly.com/products/10-Digital-Protractor-with-Rule-Blade/T23019


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## kd4gij (Sep 9, 2015)

Member davidh sales an angle cube that would work good for your app.


http://www.igaging.com/page11.html


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## Matthew Gregory (Sep 10, 2015)

All good suggestions, guys. kd4gij, I'm trying to avoid needing something like that. I've used them in the past, and they certainly work, but it adds yet one more step, whereas I'm hoping to have an adjustable lever handle on this. Loosen, index, tighten, go! Sounds like it wouldn't be such a big deal, but the smoother you can keep the workflow going, the better.

...did I mention I have a habit of dropping stuff in the spark bucket full of water directly underneath the grinder?

Fabrikator, that just might work, assuming I can't find a dial type small enough.


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## kd4gij (Sep 10, 2015)

Do you have an indexer of some type?  You probably know where I am going here.


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## Matthew Gregory (Sep 10, 2015)

Not sure what you mean... Love to hear what you're getting at, though!!


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## Matthew Gregory (Sep 10, 2015)

...think I might have found my huckleberry...


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## kd4gij (Sep 11, 2015)

Matthew Gregory said:


> Not sure what you mean... Love to hear what you're getting at, though!!



 If you have an indexer you can make the dial you want.


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## Matthew Gregory (Sep 11, 2015)

For whatever reason, I wasn't following you, but think I see where you're going, now.  You mean a dividing head or something similar, correct? Alas, I have no such nifty tool... I understand why that would work, though, and you're right - that would have worked perfectly.


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## astjp2 (Sep 14, 2015)

I have one of these I can give you if you cover the shipping.  You can trim it and install it on your machine.  Tim


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## chips&more (Sep 14, 2015)

If you need repeatable angles and I assuming the same angles over and over again. Then I would make sample/referance templates out of say aluminum sheet metal. Each template would be made with the angle needed. Simply rest the template onto the table and belt, adjust and lock. You could paint the templates different colors or mark them with the corresponding angles for ID…Good Luck, Dave.


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## Matthew Gregory (Sep 15, 2015)

astjp2 said:


> I have one of these I can give you if you cover the shipping.  You can trim it and install it on your machine.  Tim



Thank you for the generous offer!

No need, though, as I think I've got to re-engineer my table plans. I might need to make a compound adjustment for it, and that might negate the ability to use ANY sort of dial. I may end up just doing it as others have mentioned, with either an angle cube or fixed templates.

Thanks again for so many great suggestions, folks. It's really helped me hash this out in my head. I'll let everyone know what I finally come up with.


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## mikey (Sep 15, 2015)

Hey Matt, I'm not sure what you meant by setting repeatable angles with the "top plate". Do you mean you need to set repeatable angles with the tool rest? If so, I went through the same process and came up with this:

http://www.machinistblog.com/modifying-a-craftsman-2-x-42-inch-belt-sander-for-tool-grinding/

Might be something that could be made to work for you. The two features that a tool rest must have - it must be solid so there is no chance the rest can move in use and it must be quick and easy to set precise angles. This one does that.


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## Matthew Gregory (Sep 17, 2015)

Mikey, that's an excellent method for that grinder. VERY capable, and obviously well thought out!

My grinder accepts tooling arms, and one of my goals is to have this table/work rest mounted to it's own arm, to be used in conjunction with the variety of attachments I have for it, including wheels, platens, etc.

At this point, I've got to stop fooling around with designing tools and get making some knives - have to pay for all this stuff, somehow. 

Thanks for the input - there's elements of this that I might want to take into account for my own design.


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## mikey (Sep 17, 2015)

My table is made specifically to grind lathe tools, although it works fine for general grinding. For knives, no, but it does index precisely and it is very solid. If it gives you some ideas, that is great.

Good luck!


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