School me on dial indicators

[Kevin B.]

It's about time I had one, I'm getting ready to rebuild a tcase and I don't want to fake it. I won't use it often, but I don't want to cheap out on a precision instrument either.

What are the quality brands? How much should I be prepared to spend for a usable tool? Do they require calibration very often, and do I dare look at used ones?

 

[Tacoma]

I've bought used Starrets, seemed to be accurate enough measured against some standards I got from my dad a million years ago. *shrug

 

[BCGPER]

Starrett is all I use. You'll be looking at about $150 for a basic starter kit.

 

[skippy]

I use them every day of my life..... Buy a starrett thats what we use at work and they arent to expensive

 

[Kevin B.]

I was afraid those $40 setups on Amazon were too good to be true.

 

[UFAB]

Shars

Cheap China stuff works.

How often do you use it?

Check out

CDCO


It's all the same China crap.

Are you looking for interapid style





Sent from my SPH-L720 using Tapatalk 2

 

[Kevin B.]

Are you looking for interapid style

I didn't know there was more than one style. The CDCO one you mentioned looks different than the others I'm looking at, does it work different?

 

[Rot Box]

Starrett is my preference as well although I did end up with a Snap-on set that works well too.. Get one that comes in a kit so you have all the different rods and attachments. That said don't be afraid to make your own base or brackets if needed. Some (not all) of the clamp and magnet designs are difficult to attach on some surfaces and any movement will throw off your numbers. I welded one up a million years ago that bolted solid onto the Toyota third member for example that worked well.

I have a nice kit if you want to borrow it..

 

[Kevin B.]

I have a nice kit if you want to borrow it..

That might be cool, actually, just so I can get a feel for what I'm buying. I've got a couple other projects before I get to the tcase, but I'll hit you up when I'm ready, thanks!

 

[I Lean]

Only slightly off topic...but I can't recall anything in a Toy Tcase that requires measuring like that. It's been several years since I've been inside one, so I could surely be wrong....

 

[Kevin B.]

Only slightly off topic...but I can't recall anything in a Toy Tcase that requires measuring like that. It's been several years since I've been inside one, so I could surely be wrong....

I don't know if it requires it, but the FSM thinks it does, and 4.7 gears aren't cheap.

 

[Hickey]

I've setup gears and built a couple driveshafts with a cheap Chinese one off Amazon. These parts all still work fine after several years. It had a magnetic base too.

 

[Caleb]

I've setup gears and built a couple driveshafts with a cheap Chinese one off Amazon. These parts all still work fine after several years. It had a magnetic base too.

Yep, I got a chinese magnetic based one from Harbor Freight. It worked to setup my gears in my buggy...that's was the only thing I ever used it for. It's been in the tool box since

 

[bobdog]

I have Starrett indicaters in my garage that almost never get used, but at work where I use them all the time it's the cheep ones. They all measure 0.001 just fine and the way you set them up will introduce way more error than the instrument itself. I also have heard from machinists whose work I know and trust that Mitutoyo makes better instruments than Starrett these days.

 

[jackjoh]

I've setup gears and built a couple driveshafts with a cheap Chinese one off Amazon. These parts all still work fine after several years. It had a magnetic base too.

Mine are Japanese bought in 1972 to rebuild Dana 44's in one of my Scout II's. The dial was $26.95 but could not find price on the mag mount which I think was about $15.
They both work and the dial is right on at .005 using a standard. The Dana 44's were still working when I sold the Scout in 1999 so they must be ok. Be sure and buy a cheap feeler kit too.