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DoALL Indicator

Anyine ever hear of these? Says made in England on the face. Oh, this is a dial test indicator, model R1.

The may be others, but the most experienced source that I am aware of, and one that is also expert as to history of whom it was as made the "works" back of a(ny) brand on the visible dial, is "still here".

Second-generation? Third, even? Surely of Swiss ethnicity. Have a read. Right sidebar, same webpage:

Companion Reference Guide for Test Indicators
 

The LIIndicator web page in thermite's useful link is dated 2020. This date implies that they are currently still in business, which I see as a good thing. I had thought, erroneously it seems, that I had seen some reference to them closing down. My experiences with them, the most recent being maybe 6 or 7 years ago, have all been excellent. It is, in my view, typical of their character as a company that they publish manuals for individual indicator brands that contain information that might well induce one to attempt one's own repairs, something that few repair companies encourage.

-Marty-
 
So, would this be a good indicator to buy? This one is new, old stock, sealed in the box. I couldnt find andthing on their website.

Up to you. What do you have at risk?

Apropos of nothing much.. I have probably five times the count of indicators I have any reasonable need to use. NEARLY all "mechanical", no batteries required.

That is largely off the back of what I already knew to prefer or AVOID, then greatly enhanced by reading what.. ta da .. "Long Island Indicator" has been generous enough to SHARE.

Result? I worked from the OTHER end. Selecting the best quality movements "recognized', admitting of only select and well-known "house branding".

Ex: Hamilton, the watch company, for a time also made very high grade DI's. Dorsey bought-out that line - production equipment AND the hire of key staff to run it.

Pratt & Whitney "house branded" both - but "not only".

So MY collection of Hamilton, Dorsey, or P&W dials on DI all have the same family of "guts", even if not all the exact same variants of them.

Most of the rest are from the top Swiss makers of their age, a few branded for Brown & Sharpe.

Bottom Line? I have worked "top downward". Then stopped. Skipped-over all the many, many, many "medium grade" US & European goods.

And laid-in SEVERAL "brand new" Chinese-made "El Cheapo" DI's that won't cause me to shed the LEAST tear if/as/when one goes into the coolant, gets flung off a table, or crunched under a length of truant steel that I have fumbled the handling of.

"The good stuff" lives at a safe distance from the chip-making, not even IN the shop, ordinarily.

It is brought out with care - even "reverence" - but only if/as/when the tasking at hand NEEDS "the good stuff". EG: "not often".

Shorter take?

What you have falls into my "gap". A "medium grade" that I don't have either of a "collector's" niche OR a "working" niche for.

YOUR "mileage" may vary, of course.

I/we/PM community .. haven't the least klew what your needs or wants might be, long term OR short term.

"2CW"
 
Basically it will be used for gunsmithing needs on a mill. Indicating vises, fixtures, centering roundstock in my rotary table. I bought a "cheap" test dial indicator for 40.00. Used it once and its getting sent back. I knew thing was junk as soon as i felt it. Im used to using Mitutoyo, but at my old job we had a tool account which made buying expensive stuff easy. Now that i have to pay for it out right its much more difficult. My orginal mitutoyo got "lost", more likey grew legs and walked off. I found a used Intrepid, but am skiddish buying used test indicators. I have search all over the internet and find nothing on DoAll indicators, and frankly dont wanna buy a book to see if its in there. Just want a repeatable, accurate middle of the road test indicator.
 
Just want a repeatable, accurate middle of the road test indicator.

Tesa mechanical. Mahr electronic.

See also Interapid, Compac, B&S-Swiss branding...

And ALWAYS ... "condition, condition, condition", newer is better as well.

Great deal better than "middle of the road", but among the "low-risk", bought used, and cheap enough, used, that you can afford a spare. Or several.

Look for "full kit". You CAN shop-fab clamps, but why wuddja if they haven't gone missing?
 
Probably made by Hemco. We have a couple DoAll dial bore guages and by my research, Hemco made them under the DoAll brand. I was trying to find replacement tips for ours and found that they were obsolete, but they might still have stuff for the indicators themselves.

I've also seen some old Fowler stuff that was an exact match for our DoAll/Hemco pieces.
 
Probably made by Hemco. We have a couple DoAll dial bore guages and by my research, Hemco made them under the DoAll brand. I was trying to find replacement tips for ours and found that they were obsolete, but they might still have stuff for the indicators themselves.

I've also seen some old Fowler stuff that was an exact match for our DoAll/Hemco pieces.

Fowler themselves only "branded" a rather large percentage of what they sold. Some of it, their OEM sources are well-known, and usually second-tier or lesser, NOT top-tier.

I've no klew how much they actually manufactured themselves -- if even any at all.
 
I havent bought this one yet, maybe from the sound of it i should pass? Seems hard to find an affordable indicator. Ebay stuff makes me very hesitant, cause if i have to send one off to get repaired, i will have as much into it as a new one.
 
I havent bought this one yet, maybe from the sound of it i should pass? Seems hard to find an affordable indicator. Ebay stuff makes me very hesitant, cause if i have to send one off to get repaired, i will have as much into it as a new one.

Take proper CARE of your tools, "repair" is not a frequent need.

My oldest DI was a gift.
From a Mentor and Master Machinist.
Summer of 1963.
George was 81 years old, that year.
The DI is now about 100 years old.
And it still works as well as it always has.

Finish your research:

Test Indicator Brand Comparison

Grow a pair.

Make a decision.
 








 
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