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Micrometer Stop with Dial Indicator 16" lathe

OldMachinist

Cast Iron
Joined
Mar 28, 2010
Location
Nashville, IL USA
The other day I took my micrometer stop apart for cleaning and to take some measurements because I was going to make a bracket for a dial indicator like I've seen others have. After taking it apart I decided I could just make a new spindle for it that would double as a dial indicator holder. Here are some pictures of what it looks like.
DSCF0843.jpg

http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg49/calfranch/South%20Bend/Stop/DSCF0839.jpg
http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg49/calfranch/South%20Bend/Stop/DSCF0840.jpg
I made a brass plug with a oring on it to put in the hole when i'm not using a indicator.
http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg49/calfranch/South%20Bend/Stop/DSCF0844.jpg
Here's one with a 3" travel indicator.
http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg49/calfranch/South%20Bend/Stop/DSCF0845.jpg
 
That’s a lot classier than my 16” set up! What travel does that indicator have? Thanks for sharing, that’s a fine idea you had.
southbend.jpg
 
The indicator in the first picture is just a 1" travel with rod extensions to get it all the way thru the new spindle. I got the extensions from McMaster Carr McMaster-Carr
The indicator in the last picture has 3" of travel.
 
How do you make the end of the shaft and the nut so they become a collet and squeeze the micrometer shaft when tightened? Are the threads tapered somehow? How big is the bore in the holder relative to the diameter of the shaft on the micrometer?

DSCF0840crop.jpg
 
The end of the threaded area has a 45 deg. chamfer on it and I cut a mating taper in the nut. The bore that holds the dial indicator is a close fit with shank on the indicator and the nut squezes the bore tight. I don't remember what size the hole is that the moving stem comes thru but I have a sketch out in the shop, tomorrow I'll try to find and post it.
 
OldMachinist,
I've read this thread and looked at your pictures over and over. Great Idea, Nicely executed! I am inspired! Thank you for sharing.
-daleroe
 
Thanks for the compliments folks I'm glad you like it.
I wanted add something since some people are thinking of making one. The only tricky part about making the spindle is cutting the 6 slots on the threaded end without distorting the part. I cut them with a die grinder and abrasive cut-off wheel mounted in a lathe milling attachment. This left nearly no burr and didn't distort the part.
DSCF0851.jpg

I put the part in a hexagon collet block and put it in the 3 jaw chuck. I had the back gears and bull gear engaged to lock the lathe spindle. I advanced the cut-off wheel in with the apron by hand to depth. Backed off the apron, loosened the chuck and indexed the collet block one jaw and repeated 2 times.


Click to enlarge

 
Just out of interest, and because I did some work with a slitting saw for the first time earlier this week, the collet looks to be engaged to the block with a drawbar so it can be moved around as you want? In which case it could be mounted in the vice on the milling slide using 2 flats to index each time?

If so another way to achieve a similar goal would be to use a slitting saw on an arbour held in a collet (or the chuck if it's true enough). I don't think I had much of a burr with this approach - mind you I had to drill and tap perpendicular to my slot so I filled it with swarf anyway.
 
I was going to use a slitting saw in the mill but didn't have one thin enough on hand(plus I couldn't find my arbor) so I decided just to use the cut off wheel.
 
Cool, just checking. There are more than one way to do most things, I have a slitting saw (now) but no die grinder :)

Here is my slitting saw in action on my take up nut:



Jim
 








 
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