# marking lathe dials



## kd0afk (Nov 9, 2012)

I want to upgrade my SB9"'s lathe dials so that they are readable. Right now the area at the "0" mark is worn down and very hard to read. Tried bluing them but the marks are so thin it didn't help any. I don't own a universal dividing head nor the money to buy one but I want to mark the new dials I make. This might be a dumb question but can't I just use a 100 toothed gear as an indexing disk to set the incrementation of the dial marks? Seems too simple to work right but that's just me. It would save me a ton of money if it would work.


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## n4zou (Nov 9, 2012)

Use a dial indicator instead of attempting to remark your dials. Think of it as a poor mans DRO. It will be much more accurate than your dial too.


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## kd0afk (Nov 9, 2012)

If I go with a DRO I'll go with with something like this:




http://www.arceurotrade.co.uk/Catalogue/Measurement/Digital-Readouts-with-Dedicated-Remote-Display


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## MachineTom (Nov 9, 2012)

What diameter is the dial you are needing. I may have one that will fit. Tell me ID and OD.

So time ago I refitted the dials from a 10" SB that was too much work. Then i got these others.


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## Tin Falcon (Nov 9, 2012)

> This might be a dumb question but can't I just use a 100 toothed gear as an indexing disk to set the incrementation of the dial marks? Seems too simple to work right but that's just me. It would save me a ton of money if it would work.



 a hundred divisions is a hundred divisions does not matter how they are generated as long as reasonably accurate. holes turning of gears or the gear itself. 
Tin


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## abby (Nov 9, 2012)

I would advise you give that DRO a miss , unless it's for woodwork.


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## ProdEng (Nov 10, 2012)

Coincidentaly I made a dial for my leadscrew handwheel today using a rotary table.






Your idea of using a gear will work, you just need to mount the gear on the rear of the spindle, arrange some kind of detent  along with a spindle lock.


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## Tin Falcon (Nov 10, 2012)

KD

the entire collection of popular mechanics magazine is archived in google books. 
do some research there for simple indexing methods and dial making. it would give you a few ideas if nothing else. 
tin


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## Gordon (Nov 10, 2012)

If you subscribe to Model Engine Builder magazine they just released a digital article on making dials. I have not really read it yet but it looks like a good article but probably more than you want to tackle for a one time fix.


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## kd0afk (Nov 10, 2012)

Gordon said:


> If you subscribe to Model Engine Builder magazine they just released a digital article on making dials. I have not really read it yet but it looks like a good article but probably more than you want to tackle for a one time fix.


 If it's the article I read, it talks about re-purposing a dial from another machine but I will double check it.


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## kd0afk (Nov 10, 2012)

abby said:


> I would advise you give that DRO a miss , unless it's for woodwork.


Wow, I just noticed the position of the decimal point. Thanks.


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## MachineTom (Nov 10, 2012)

Look again at the spec's the resloution is .001", the 1/32 is only when set to the fractional scale. 

The problem I see with the cheap DRO's is the swarf issues that affect all dro's. The cheap ones look to have no wipers at all on the scales. Each scale on my machines has shields over the scales and heads, but chips find there way in regardless. The wipers are the only thing that keeps out the chips from the reader heads.


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## kd0afk (Nov 11, 2012)

ProdEng said:


> Coincidentaly I made a dial for my leadscrew handwheel today using a rotary table.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Did you cut the lines with that end mill? If the one MachineTom has doesn't work out I was thinking of using a cutter ground down to a fine point and mounted in the qctp and scribe the lines on. And making a stamp holder for the numbers.
As for the DRO, I do believe that the tire gauge/DRO's will read the strips that come with the kit. If not, I found a place that sells 3' lengths of the strip PC. Put that together with the home built power supply and interface I have seen elsewhere in other forums and enclose the whole thing in some aluminum c-channel and I think it would be as reliable as an accurite. Might not have all the bells and whistles but it will do what it's designed to do. If you knew how to program chips you could even give it the bells and whistles.


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## lampy (Nov 11, 2012)

kd0afk said:


> If I go with a DRO I'll go with with something like this:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Looks like the one I saw at Grizzley http://www.grizzly.com/products/12-Digital-Scale-with-Remote-Readout-Inch-Metric-Fraction/T23012


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## kd0afk (Nov 11, 2012)

found this at grizzly. http://www.grizzly.com/products/T24360


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## ProdEng (Nov 12, 2012)

KD,

The lines where indeed cut with the endmill.


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## martik777 (Sep 7, 2013)

Easy way to index the graduations is to print out a 'lined' pie chart, glue it to the back of your chuck and make a pointer. As long as your spindle stays in place this works very well. I just tension up the belt on my South bend and it stays put. 

or 

You can get a 100 division dial like this for <$10
http://littlemachineshop.com/products/product_view.php?ProductID=3359&category=


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## chipenter (Sep 7, 2013)

I have just last week upgraded my SB 9" with larger dials , and what a difference the extra 3\4" makes so much clearer and easer to read , a 100 tooth gear will work just need some ingenuity to mount and lock to cut .


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## martik777 (Sep 8, 2013)

Did you do the whole thrust bearing upgrade and leadscrew extension or just graft a new dial on ? Got a photo?


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## bb218 (Sep 8, 2013)

I assume since it is a 100 division dial it is on radius,  I would search Ebay for a 200 division Hardinge dial so you will be working on the diameter and adapt it to fit.   Mike


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## Hopper (Sep 8, 2013)

Yes using a 100 tooth gear on the mandrel with a detente plunger mounted to the change gear banjo or whatever is convenient is the traditional method of indexing on the lathe for slotting etc. All of the old lathe books by LH Sparey, Tubal Cain etc mention it. You can also use a compound gear train to get all sorts of combinations. Have fun.


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## workshopman (Sep 8, 2013)

The methods described by Martik777 and Hopper can be see on my website, as can other methods. See here http://www.homews.co.uk/page425.html See photographs 12, 13 and 14

Photo 15 shows a basic dividing head using change wheels that you may like to consider, more details here. 
http://www.homews.co.uk/page132.html   For an occasional use some make a simplified version.

If you are not conversant with my website then the book style index is a good place to start, 
http://www.homews.co.uk/page463.html

Hope this helps
Harold Hall


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## Mark Rand (Sep 10, 2013)

kd0afk said:


> Wow, I just noticed the position of the decimal point. Thanks.




An hundredth of a millimetre is a bit less than half a thou.What's the problem?


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