Dial Gauge Question

[Chris W]

I recently inherited a Baty dial gauge and magnetic stand from a neighbour who was moving into a care home and needed to clear his workshop.  Unfortunately there are no instructions and I wanted to see if any of the more experienced 'engineering' members could assist me with understanding how to read the scale.

The 360 degrees of the 'clock face' is marked in intervals of 5 from 0 to 45 (50 being back at the 0 position) and there is a subsidiary dial counting full rotations.

The dial face is marked 0.0005" which I take to be the scale.  On this basis, I assume each hash mark represents 5thou so if the needle is pointing to 5 this means the plunger has moved 5 x 0.0005 or 25thou.

Does this make sense and is my logic sound?

As ever, all comments gratefully received.

Oh, it turns out I can add a picture!!!

 

[thebrookster]

Not quite. Each mark is 0.0005" (which is actually half a thou). Every two marks (ie each longer line) is marking every thou.

So when the needle points to 5, it has moved 5 thou, or 0.005". So one revolution equals 50 thou, or 0.05".

Kinda confusing, because this gauge basically has two sets of hash marks (long and short) however this is simply for ease of reading. The marking on the face should always tell you the measurement between ANY two adjacent lines/marks, no matter the size of the lines/marks.

Phil

[JohnD]

Lucky you, Chris!   Baty are the Rolls Royce of dial gauges, and last for ever, if you don't drop them!

You will have found that the outer scale is adjustable and has a knurled edge so you can set it up and then zero it for easy reading.    On some, you can lock the scale ring so it won't be moved in use.

What do you plan to use it for?    It's one of the basic tools of the precision engineer, like Phil, but even in our hands has many uses.  A favourite that is easy to do is to check the end float on the crank shaft, for thrust washer wear.

John

Edited March 27, 2021 by JohnD

[Chris W]

Hi Phil,

Thanks for the gentle way you pointed out my schoolboy error with decimal points!!  Relating to my day job, a penny is 100th of a pound £0.01 so obvs 1000th must be 0.001

The good news is, as you say, the scale is a lot easier to read

 

 

[Chris W]

14 hours ago, JohnD said:

Lucky you, Chris!   Baty are the Rolls Royce of dial gauges, and last for ever, if you don't drop them!

You will have found that the outer scale is adjustable and has a knurled edge so you can set it up and then zero it for easy reading.    On some, you can lock the scale ring so it won't be moved in use.

What do you plan to use it for?    It's one of the basic tools of the precision engineer, like Phil, but even in our hands has many uses.  A favourite that is easy to do is to check the end float on the crank shaft, for thrust washer wear.

John

Hi John,

More lucky than you can imagine as Ted's relatives (quite rightly) had first pick of his tools and there was very little left by the time I was invited to sift through what was left.  I can only assume they didn't know what it was.

regarding zeroing the scale, I had figured it should be adjustable due to the knurling but it was pretty stuck and I didn't want to force it.  Armed with your comment, I had another go and hey presto, it is now free to turn so thanks for that.

There is was another gauge in the box with the name 'Mercer' on it.  From 'feel' alone I would say it is better quality than the Baty gauge but I'll take your word for it.  Maybe Rolls Royce and Bentley.  The Mercer gauge is intact but the bezzle fouls the needle and there is no cradle or bracket to attach it to a stand.

As far as use is concerned, yes I had in mind crank end float as the 1st and most obvious job for it but I guess there are a number of other applications.

for crank end float I've only measured once and suspect the stability of my mounting but it is looking like movement is 8thou. 

[rogerguzzi]

Hello All

             This my collection of dial gauges

I use the Mercer one the most I find the Baty one a bit to sensitive for general work and 0.001" is usually close enough

The Verdict one is useful for poking into holes etc(but I do have a little pivot device I can just slip over the end of the mercer one which converts the motion to up and down)

Plus if I use the Baty one I have to remember to little dial is 0.050" per division not 0.100" as the Mercer.

Roger

[Nick Jones]

Mercer is a very decent make too. These things last indefinitely with a bit of care.

[rogerguzzi]

Hello All

              I thought about a digital one but it probably confuse the hell out of me or the battery would be flat!

I think I am an analogue person it the same with Clocks and Watches I only want to know if it is past the hour or coming up to the hour etc.

I do not want to know it is 14.07 its just gone 5 past or coming up to 10 past the hour

Roger the Old F**t 

[JohnD]

I know how you feel, Roger, but that won't do for end float!

[Chris W]

11 hours ago, rogerguzzi said:

I think I am an analogue person 

Hi Roger, I know what you mean.  As the opening lines of a new Joe Walsh record put it....

   Welcome to Cyberspace

   I'm in a fog

   The whole world's Digital

   I'm still Analogue