DTI doohickey

[LEEQ]

I got myself a test indicator to go with Dad's pile of nice indicator holders and sticky indicators. One problem, nothing fits the eyelet in the back of the indicator. Pooey. I need to hold my indicator to dial the pieces in for making an indicator holder. So I cobble up a bunch of @#$% to indicate work in 4 jaw from the top. Not recommended but worked,slowly. As you can see in the photos there was not much excess material. This led to the grinding of a left and right hook that cuts on both axis to true diameter and cut a square shoulder without hitting chuck or live center. Forgive it's funny looks, but form followed function. The finished piece fits in the eyelet and the other end fits in indicator holders at .250. I need to make a screw that I can operate with my fingers without using the knurling tool I don't own yet. I have my eye on a piece of small brass hex that would work well.

 

[markknx]

Do you have some way of indexing the screw in a mill or the lathe. if so you could cut a star style knob for the screw. For that matter you could proablly even just do the lay out and line it up by eye for this. Draw a circle then draw 4 intersecting lines through center evenly spaced. this would give you 8 points on the outside that could be milled or broached to a half moon shape giving you a knob like you might see on a camera mount. The piece could be held in a boring bar holder with a clamp sleeve.
Just one way I could think of.
Mark

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Or you could glue a threaded rod into the adapter and just use a wing nut.
Mark

 

[LEEQ]

I was thinking cut off 1/4" of hex and drill /tap 8-32. then cut the head off an 8-32 screw and red locktight it in the hex. Plenty strong enough for finger tight. I also have these things on hand. I don't want to trust me with brass threads that small. I think I might kill it. Who knows, I might just make the whole screw out of brass.

 

[LEEQ]

I just came into a knurling tool from altas. Tool looks like death warmed over, but wheels look sharp. That changes things

 

[markknx]

Yes that can changes a lot of thinks funny how things like that just work out sometimes. Glad to hear that.
Mark