Test indicator suggestions

I'm looking to purchase a. 0001 indicator for use for finer indicating then my current mitotoyo. 0005 with a 1.5" face.

I see 3 or 4 major contenders as far as which companies. I've used many. 0001 indicators but they've all been mitotoyo, and one broken interapid.
I really don't care for the readings off the mitotoyo, they seem too jumpy for my liking, the brown and sharpe screens are all small that I've seen. As well as interapid being very pricey.

Should mention that I'd be using it primarily on a lathe with a noga holder with fine adjustment.

Thanks John.

Easily the finest tenth indicator in my opinion:

http://longislandindicator.com/Resources/compac215gaand21.jpeg

That Compac is pretty nice!

As far as B&S dials all being too small, B&S makes a BesTest .00005 DTI that has a 1 1/2" dial if that would help at all.

aerodark said:

Easily the finest tenth indicator in my opinion:

http://longislandindicator.com/Resources/compac215gaand21.jpeg

Click to expand...

I love my Compac indicators, I like them better than my Interapid's. However Long Island Indicator is sold out on most of them, and they say they don't know when they will get them back in.

Glenn Wegman said:

B&S makes a BesTest .00005 DTI that has a 1 1/2" dial if that would help at all.

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I have a 1-1/2" Bestest 0.0001" DTI and the dial is very easy to read. Maybe the OP only has seen the 1" version (?). I've had this indicator for about 3 years and have been very happy with it.

opscimc said:

I have a 1-1/2" Bestest 0.0001" DTI and the dial is very easy to read.

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I have a standard 1" .0001 BesTest and was unaware of a 1 1/2" version, which is why I also ended up with the .00005.

Thanks for that!

I am happy with both of my Interrapids. Both .0005 and .0001 units have the 1.5" dial. I rarely use the tenth one, and in fact I usually use an old Last Word, out of habit, and save the Interrapids for the fussier stuff. It'd be handy to have an Interrapid in the vertical style but I've always muddled through without.

machinistrrt said:

I rarely use the tenth one, and in fact I usually use an old Last Word, out of habit, and save the Interrapids for the fussier stuff. It'd be handy to have an Interrapid in the vertical style but I've always muddled through without.

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I, too, muddled through just fine for years with the horizontal style, so by no means is it essential. Very nice to have, though.

I was surprised to discover as a result of this thread that I have 9 mechancial DTIs and 2 electronic. As for the mechanical ones, most of them I never use. I usually reach for a 1-1/2" dial 0.0005" Interapid and, the few times that isn't good enough, the 0.0001 Bestest. Both the wider range and the lower (but still high) resolution of a 0.0005" indicator makes it ideal for most things I need a DTI for. If, for example, I have a smooth part centered in my lathe to better than the smallest division on a 0.0005" indicator, seldom would I need to do better.

I have an old Talyrond roundness tester whose electronics are shot and not worth reviving. It allows me to center a part to 10 microinches, so that's the one place where I routinely reach for either a 0.0001" mechanical, or 10 microinch electronic, DTI. Even there, the limited range of the 0.0001" DTI usually means it's faster to do the "rough" centering with a 0.0005" DTI and then switch to a higher senstivity one.

If I could have only one DTI, it would be a 0.0005" horizontal Interapid with 1-1/2" face. It would even substitute for some of the (relatively few) places where I now use a 0.0001" indicator. However, my second indicator would be a 0.0001" horizontal style, also with a 1-1/2" face. Those two would take care of 98% of my DTI needs. The other seven mechanical and two electronic I have are needed for the final 2%...

Any need for 50 milionths on an indicator

Glenn Wegman said:

That Compac is pretty nice!

As far as B&S dials all being too small, B&S makes a BesTest .00005 DTI that has a 1 1/2" dial if that would help at all.

Click to expand...

I to have been trying to decide between a standard .0001 or .00005 (50 milionths) graduations on the Bestest/Tessa 1 1/2" indicators. The Bestest just has finer graduations spaced closer together and may just cause readability issues rather than any real benefit. Any feedback from the experts?

That compaq with .004 per revolution vs .008 for most indicators looks interesting as it would appear to have 2x the sensitivity of a 0-4-0 dial.

My application for the tenths indicator is mostly on the surface plate comparing gauge block stack ups to jig/fixture dimensions, checking parallels, or 123 blocks for exact dimensions, parrallelism and squareness, or checking larger surfaces for flatness. Measuring runout on spindles and collets, usually <.0005.

wr4t said:

I to have been trying to decide between a standard .0001 or .00005 (50 milionths) graduations on the Bestest/Tessa 1 1/2" indicators. The Bestest just has finer graduations spaced closer together and may just cause readability issues rather than any real benefit.

My application for the tenths indicator is mostly on the surface plate comparing gauge block stack ups to jig/fixture dimensions, checking parallels, or 123 blocks for exact dimensions, parrallelism and squareness, or checking larger surfaces for flatness.

Click to expand...

As you rightly note, the 0.00005" Bestest just paints additional marks between the divisions of the same mechanism used by the 0.0001". Since I can interpolate by eye just as well, that seems to be of little or no benefit. Only by doubling the mechanical leverage would it be worthwhile. And then, only if the quality of the mechanism were up to the task.

I have a Mahr Supramess dial indicator with 0.5 micrometer resolution (0.000025" -- 25 millionths), and the mechanism in it is good enough that the resolution marks on the dial actually are achieved without jumping around. It advances smoothly between the marks. Actually, I find it pretty remarkable that this resolution is achieved mechanically in an instrument not restricted for use in a careful laboratory environment, since 0.5 micrometers is the wavelength of light (blue/green light, to be exact).

Any suggestions as to where to buy the compac indicators?

Lyk31337 said:

Any suggestions as to where to buy the compac indicators?

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Google came up with Penn Tool: Compac/Alina Dial Test Indicators << Precision Measuring << Online Catalog << Penn Tool Co.

If you go to Penn Tool and look them up, they say call, and no prices are listed: Compac Dial Test Indicators << Quality Control << Online Catalog << Penn Tool Co.

I bought my Compac 224 GA from Travers about 10 years ago. They seem to no longer carry them. All of the other Compac's that I have I got on eBay.