The original inventor was Carlo Baitella, patented in 1973 as CH549260A and 1975 as US3910538A - "Jointed stand for dial gages" - and founded the company FISSO which still makes them for both machining and medical applications. Noga, Bogen, Manfrotto etc. are all copies of that original design (now that the patent has expired).
Thanks Mr, Pete! The Noga arm is so taken for granted these days that most other machinist channels on TH-cam don't bother showing how it works. I've been wondering for ages. Great explanation!
Was watching Quinn's video (over at Blondihacks) on making a DSLR adapter for the Noga holder, and it got me thinking: how can a dial indicator holder hold something that heavy? Searched TH-cam and found Adam's review on Noga holders. Unfortunately he didn't show how they worked. And then I found this! Thank you, Mr. Shop Teacher!
Retaining Ring - I had lost one for another item and sort of figured I was in trouble. Then I thought of a SPRING. Went to the spring junk drawer and found one that was very close to the right size. I cut off a loop then enough for the opening and it is working great.
Lyle you have a down to earth ability to get the message across. Don't under estimate your unique ability as it always keeps me interested. The variety of topics ( from rust treatments to machines) really makes your videos. Not forgetting the road trips and auctions completes the picture for me. Cheers from down under and please keep up the great work.
Lyle, I agree with Greg. Don't worry about possibly over-explaining things. Many watch your Channel in order to learn these things and don't otherwise have a way to (easily) learn them without your explanations. The "experienced" Machinists probably either watch these teaching videos anyway because they know they don't already know _everything_ or skip to your machining videos, et al.
Just pointing out that even the Noga arms are imports. They are made in Israel. Of course most people(myself included) think China when we say import. Enjoyed the video. Thanks as always mrpete.
Thank goodness you were able to uncircumcise the thing and get it back to being a fully working member.... I think it's too late for me and mine though. I have to say, you did "Just Right!" Not over explained or under explained. I did enjoy learning how they work after all the years of using them.
we would have been happier if Noga has some respect for your great channel that exists much before some other that receive entire kit from them. And thanks for that demo that let us understand how it works.
Going through some of the backlog. I've watched several of the older videos, but seems like I missed a few. Great explanation as always. Thanks for sharing and take care.
Many thanks Mr Pete! I agree, it is so simple yet very clever. I recently took apart an articulated camera mount that uses 1/2 of the same mechanism and never realized it works the same way as the Noga. The camera mount is just a single ball with no arms, but it uses exactly the same wedge to tighten the ball. Then Noga (or whoever developed their mechanism) came along and realized that they could put two of the wedges back to back and move the balls out using hollow arms. Pure genius! Again, thank you so much for making this video. I really enjoyed seeing it. -- Mike Litzkow
As usual another great video, great way to start a Saturday . I have a very nice Noga and I sure wondered what makes it tick. For what it cost, I wasn't about to take it apart. Thanks very much for showing how it works and taking it apart. I never imagined that it works the way it does. My three functional brain cells weren't able to comprehend how that thing worked, so I thought it might be best to leave it alone. Then along comes Mr. Pete and explains it all. Thanks again for another great video....Ken
Very well explained, thank you. I have one of these cheap imports that's just got more and more seized up, so a search on how to take these to bits, and lo and behold it's my favourite TH-cam shop teacher! thanks again Mr Pete.
Good video, thanks for sharing. As an auto-truck-heavy equipment mechanic I used one of the CentralTool version for many yrs checking crankshaft enclosure, diff and axle play, rotor and flywheel runout, ect. Yes it has inherent play issues but the tolerances I was working with were multiple thousands. For engine building ect I used a properly secured base to measure from. The problem is in automotive work it's difficult to find an area of steel large enough to mount a magnetic base although over the years I've built a number of Rube-Goldberg setups to put a flat of steel in odd places.
Mr Pete, your explanation and illustration of the articulating arm was quite clear and informative. Thanks for posting, I learned something new from you (again).
I for one simply enjoy your teaching style. As Tom Lipton is apt to say "nothing too strong ever broke". There can never be too much information being taught by actual expert craftsmen. Knowledge is the key to a successful life,which come from the teacher to the student,passing the baton to the future,a wink&nod from the past.
Thank you Mr. Pete! Excellent explanation of such a useful tool. But come on, the Popeil pocket fisherman was just as genius as the Noga articulated arm! 😂😂😂
So glad you did this video. I have always sort of vaguely been wondering how these worked and finally sat down to find out. This video was extremely clear and right to the point. Thanks
Makes complete sense now that the secret is exposed! Thanks Mr Pete (and thanks to Mike also) for another enjoyable and informative video! Best wishes from down under.
Really appreciate your videos. I've wondered about how those things worked also. The plunger is small, but it's also pushing against that ring that has a diameter almost as large as the ball.
I had an idea about it and when you removed the ball end you confirmed what I had thought was how they worked. I still use the rods but now I'm thinking about getting an articulated arm or two, thanks for the video on it!
The rod pushing the ball doesn't need to resist the ball turning. It simply pushes the ball against the retaining ring you took out. Creating enough friction to immobilize that ball. To some degree, it's a combination of the two I suspect.
Noga came up with a brilliant design. I just bought a new noga with an odd looking permanent magnet to mount on the tool post for lathe work. The magnet is about 3/4" wide x 3" long. it's very strong for it's size, but easily removed by tipping it sideways. The only thing that I don't like about this new Noga is it only has a dovetail mount. No means of clamping the round bar on Swiss style test indicators. I haven't looked yet but Noga probably sells an adaptor.....Being the Greedy Devils that they are. : )
I've been wondering how these arms work and have been eagerly anticipating this video since you mentioned in the mag base video that it was in the works. Thanks for following through.
A truly elegant design: that is, simple and obvious when you take it apart and look at it BUT not so simple when you start with no previous information and a blank piece of paper.
I bought that exact indicator holder about two weeks ago. Works pretty well. Mine isn't as flexible when it's loosened but it is relatively rigid when it's tight.
Was thinking of machining a few new parts for one of these cheap Chinese knock offs and appreciate the disassembly video. Think I'll break down the portion that holds the dial indicator as well. Thank you very much Mr. Pete.
At first glance I kinda figured there was some kind of rod in there pressin the balls. Where I veered off is with the middle joint. Me being a gear head, thought there would of been a cam lobe in there instead of a simple wedge.... I guess that's where K.I.S.S. comes into play. Great video, thank you Mr. Pete!
Great video, I was looking forward to seeing how those arms worked. Like another commenter bendavanza, I own a Manfrotto "Magic Arm" for my camera which I guess works in the same way. In fact there are two types of Manfrotto Magic arm, one with a knob that is turned to lock the arm and another type with a lever. The lever mechanism sometimes gets out of position and you have to disassemble it and reposition a half-dozen ball bearings. I guess the rotary-knob version is better. I always wondered about the mechanism for locking three joints at once. Thanks for solving that mystery.
Thank you for demonstrating the action inside the arm. I don't have a Noga either but I do have a "magic Arm" from Bogen Manfrotto. I am sure it was made by Noga under license. It is as you mentioned a photography item and it is quite large, the arms are around 1" in diameter. it's action is much smoother and more secure than the knock off indicator. I imagine a little polishing to the wedge faces of the cheapo unit would improve the action.
Thanks for the video Mr. Pete. Very nice explanation on the inner workings of this type of indicator arm. As always a pleasure to learn something new from a favorite teacher.
Hey Lyle, you mention the end of the shaft is rather small but it's purpose is to push the ball against the retaining ring where yes, the actual contact area is maybe smaller but spread over a much larger radius. Love your vids by the way. Thanks for making them.
I have one of the first units you showed, and it cost me around 10 to 20 dollars, and that was the best that I have. But I saw one like the second one you showed, and for about 40 dollars, and I've never been so disappointed in a tool, as I have been with that one. It's not even good enough to hold a camera. The problem that I saw was, that after you get it where you want it, and tighten it up, you just watch it for a bit, and you can see it move around on its own, without even touching it. This will make a very good garage sale item for around 25 cents. That might even bee too much!!! I enjoyed the rest of the demo. Have a good day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Michael
Very educational video indeed Mr Pete. I've always been to afraid to take my Noga arms apart to see how the heck they work. They really are tough too. They cost an arm and a leg but I've had one for about 25 yrs and they keep on working. It may come down to the material's quality and the heat treatment. Thanks again…..Mike
I always wondered how those worked, I have the automotive one like you have Mr. Pete, as a Mechanic, I curse the thing daily, I love the Vicegrip part of it. But trying to use the old style rod type is more of a pain, but it at least doesn't move if a mouse farts a hundred yards away, while trying to measure runout on something, unlike the old ball and sleeve type with the cable in it. Thanks again for another great video and explanation.
Well done Lyle!! It really is a simple design, however the Noga is probably a little different in types of material used etc. Thanks for the vid and keep this type coming!
I really enjoy this series. It seems there is hardly a week that goes by that I need to tear something apart to repair it and there is always that bit of discovery before the repair. Sometimes I say aloud (no one listening in my shop) "what insane idiot designed this piece of excrement?" And then there are other times when I say, "I could have thought of that, but I didn't, great idea." I would say the second on this device. As you began I had all sorts of ideas including a rack and pinon setup (what a piece of excrement that idea would be). Great video Mr. Pete.
It's like a dead animal when it's loose. Nope, you are not overdoing or overexplaining anything. I like it. Take the knob off of that other style holder that you said you liked so much (your favorite) and you'll probably find another square nut spacer. It's a mystery. Some day we are going to have to have the surface area and holding friction talk and I know everyone is going to get upset about it, but it really is what it is. Size (or area) does not matter.
What did that guy just comment!!! Size doesn't matter?? Blasphemy, it's blasphemy I tell you. Don't listen to him! Cover your ears! ......... Yep, frictional forces are NOT a function of area for sliding solid to solid contact surfaces, area is not even in the equation for drag. (so, what about birds, boats and airplane wings? Not solid to solid.)
I've got an identical looking import on the way from China or somewhere . Thanks for showing us how it works. When it comes in I can use it, improve it, or dump it.
Dear Mr. Pete. I love your videos and I LOVE your projects and explanations. But - and this is a BIG but - your tip of using a noga arm* for camera mounting is a BRILLIANT ONE!!!!! I have tried it and instantly fell in love with the setup - now why the h@!! didn't I think of this myself??? Thank you SO much for this tip - this definitely solved a lot of camera fumbling and wasted time. Yours, Saar p.s. missed that video, or forgot about it, and just saw it a month ago... wow! (*ok, mine is a nockoff from china too)
How come the centre and the end balls lock at the same time? Are the rods cut to just the correct length? If the rods were a few thousands longer would it still tighten in the centre? Is there something else causing it to contact with the 3 points with the same force. Is the hole in the bushing larger the the bolt maybe.
I have some of the cheap ones and a Noga. The main differences are that the Noga has larger balls on the ends for more contact area and instead of a fiber washer, they have some sort of friction plate. The material almost looks a clutch pad surface or break pad material. Lots more grip even when it gets oil on it. The cheap ones goes all noodle arm on me if they get any oil on them. You get what you pay for. (I think there is a hydraulic version of these made by several different companies.)
It is my humble opinion that you explain things very well. Even me, a woodworker can understand and learn from it. It's not broken so please don't try to fix it!
there should also be force between the bottoms of the ball bearings and the captivating ring. so there is more contact than just the pin and more friction to lock it down :) great vid and thanks for taking it apart
Thanks for the explanation of the mechanism, but I have a question: is there a critical timing requirement to synchronize the three clamps? I would have thought the cam-notches and the fiber spacer must be tweaked in size so that they all tighten at exactly the same moment during the central screw's travel. Is this guaranteed by tight tolerances on the production parts?
If I understand the mechanics correctly I'd think the clamping force of the cams is more or less self equalizing (except for friction) and the central part probably has more than enough direct clamping force even with the fiber space taking up some of the tolerance.
You can pretty much just slap them back together and wiggle it around till it lines up. All the parts pull against each other in a stack so no adjustments are necessary. I do recommend swapping out that oversized nut for a proper and slightly shorter washer to get a bit more thread contact on the knob. Mine also came with that same nut originally.
Very relevant video to me because I'm waiting for mine to be delivered. Turns out to be quite a sturdy arm doesn't it with just one potential weakness that I can see which would be the fibre washer. Easy to replace though. I won't worry too much about that because I will not be using it on a regular basis. Anyway, thanks for easing my mind, you never can tell what you'll receive from China but this looks to be a very good purchase. Let's just hope that Robo customers are going to get their money's worth. Regards.
Now I think this type of articulated indicator arm will be one of mine upcoming projects - How to make an articulated indicator arm. Nice video - as always.
@Tony Wilson I had not looked at any of the channels you suggested when I made mine so it was probably my own version I made, but similar to the ones you can buy.
Man U saved me tearing one up thank you teacher ...I wanted to repurpose one into a test indicator holder for the Bridgeport but for some reason I thought I would make a new base ball end solid no threads then I woke ..up ill just tap a 1/2" sleeve 8mm x 1.25 screw it on and into a 1/2" collet on the mill ....duh
The articulated arm that I have (sold as a photography item) has teeth at the elbow to lock the angle securely. Would this be good for machinists as the elbow would be more rigid? For photography you might have a rather heavy camera on the end and would need more than mere friction to hold it in place. But possibly bad for machinists as the teeth limit positioning to set angles. My $0.02.
I was thinking that knurling the edges of the arms that make contact with the fibre washer would help keep that joint from slipping. More positions would be available than the photography arm. Short of knurling, use a letter punch, such as "W" or "I" and stamp the mating surfaces. The fibre washer should grab the raised bits to make the joint stiffer when clamped.
Interesting. I was wondering if they used some type of cam mechanism in them. Does the ball get pressed up against the retaining ring so it also helps provide some of the resistance to movement when tightened?
noga good, but not as nice to use as tekusa / mptec . the swiss made devices clamp in perfect sequence: shoulder, elbow and then wrist . there is a patent for this arm on google patents
Any thoughts about the steel quality of the pressure rods, that is, hardened or?? Thinking of life expectancy if used a lot. I would assume parts would be of some quality level, but nothing like Starrett.
The original inventor was Carlo Baitella, patented in 1973 as CH549260A and 1975 as US3910538A - "Jointed stand for dial gages" - and founded the company FISSO which still makes them for both machining and medical applications. Noga, Bogen, Manfrotto etc. are all copies of that original design (now that the patent has expired).
Thank you, very interesting. I will look up those patents.
That design is what some would call "'elegant." It's an interestingly simple yet clever design. Thank you for the tour.
Thanks Mr, Pete! The Noga arm is so taken for granted these days that most other machinist channels on TH-cam don't bother showing how it works. I've been wondering for ages. Great explanation!
Was watching Quinn's video (over at Blondihacks) on making a DSLR adapter for the Noga holder, and it got me thinking: how can a dial indicator holder hold something that heavy?
Searched TH-cam and found Adam's review on Noga holders. Unfortunately he didn't show how they worked.
And then I found this!
Thank you, Mr. Shop Teacher!
👍👍
Retaining Ring - I had lost one for another item and sort of figured I was in trouble. Then I thought of a SPRING. Went to the spring junk drawer and found one that was very close to the right size. I cut off a loop then enough for the opening and it is working great.
Lyle you have a down to earth ability to get the message across.
Don't under estimate your unique ability as it always keeps me interested.
The variety of topics ( from rust treatments to machines) really makes your videos.
Not forgetting the road trips and auctions completes the picture for me.
Cheers from down under and please keep up the great work.
Lyle, I agree with Greg. Don't worry about possibly over-explaining things. Many watch your Channel in order to learn these things and don't otherwise have a way to (easily) learn them without your explanations. The "experienced" Machinists probably either watch these teaching videos anyway because they know they don't already know _everything_ or skip to your machining videos, et al.
Thanks for watching
Just pointing out that even the Noga arms are imports. They are made in Israel. Of course most people(myself included) think China when we say import. Enjoyed the video. Thanks as always mrpete.
Thank goodness you were able to uncircumcise the thing and get it back to being a fully working member.... I think it's too late for me and mine though. I have to say, you did "Just Right!" Not over explained or under explained. I did enjoy learning how they work after all the years of using them.
we would have been happier if Noga has some respect for your great channel that exists much before some other that receive entire kit from them. And thanks for that demo that let us understand how it works.
Going through some of the backlog. I've watched several of the older videos, but seems like I missed a few. Great explanation as always. Thanks for sharing and take care.
So intelligent and simple solution. Very clever people invented this....
Wow! It's s such a simple mechanism. Whoever invented this was incredibly clever. It's a fantastic design.
Many thanks Mr Pete! I agree, it is so simple yet very clever. I recently took apart an articulated camera mount that uses 1/2 of the same mechanism and never realized it works the same way as the Noga. The camera mount is just a single ball with no arms, but it uses exactly the same wedge to tighten the ball. Then Noga (or whoever developed their mechanism) came along and realized that they could put two of the wedges back to back and move the balls out using hollow arms. Pure genius! Again, thank you so much for making this video. I really enjoyed seeing it. -- Mike Litzkow
As usual another great video, great way to start a Saturday . I have a very nice Noga and I sure wondered what makes it tick. For what it cost, I wasn't about to take it apart. Thanks very much for showing how it works and taking it apart. I never imagined that it works the way it does. My three functional brain cells weren't able to comprehend how that thing worked, so I thought it might be best to leave it alone. Then along comes Mr. Pete and explains it all. Thanks again for another great video....Ken
Very well explained, thank you. I have one of these cheap imports that's just got more and more seized up, so a search on how to take these to bits, and lo and behold it's my favourite TH-cam shop teacher! thanks again Mr Pete.
Glad it helped
Good video, thanks for sharing. As an auto-truck-heavy equipment mechanic I used one of the CentralTool version for many yrs checking crankshaft enclosure, diff and axle play, rotor and flywheel runout, ect. Yes it has inherent play issues but the tolerances I was working with were multiple thousands. For engine building ect I used a properly secured base to measure from. The problem is in automotive work it's difficult to find an area of steel large enough to mount a magnetic base although over the years I've built a number of Rube-Goldberg setups to put a flat of steel in odd places.
Mr Pete, your explanation and illustration of the articulating arm was quite clear and informative. Thanks for posting, I learned something new from you (again).
I for one simply enjoy your teaching style. As Tom Lipton is apt to say "nothing too strong ever broke". There can never be too much information being taught by actual expert craftsmen. Knowledge is the key to a successful life,which come from the teacher to the student,passing the baton to the future,a wink&nod from the past.
Joseph Wilson Well put
Great video a coworker and I were just wondering how these worked today, ingenious and simple design, awesome.
Thank you Mr. Pete! Excellent explanation of such a useful tool. But come on, the Popeil pocket fisherman was just as genius as the Noga articulated arm! 😂😂😂
So glad you did this video. I have always sort of vaguely been wondering how these worked and finally sat down to find out. This video was extremely clear and right to the point. Thanks
Thanks
Makes complete sense now that the secret is exposed! Thanks Mr Pete (and thanks to Mike also) for another enjoyable and informative video! Best wishes from down under.
Really appreciate your videos. I've wondered about how those things worked also. The plunger is small, but it's also pushing against that ring that has a diameter almost as large as the ball.
I had an idea about it and when you removed the ball end you confirmed what I had thought was how they worked. I still use the rods but now I'm thinking about getting an articulated arm or two, thanks for the video on it!
The rod pushing the ball doesn't need to resist the ball turning. It simply pushes the ball against the retaining ring you took out. Creating enough friction to immobilize that ball. To some degree, it's a combination of the two I suspect.
You saved me the trouble of taking one apart myself out of curiosity. Thanks!
Excellent, thank you. I have a couple on which I will remove the large knob and put a touch of grease on the tapered portions.
Noga came up with a brilliant design. I just bought a new noga with an odd looking permanent magnet to mount on the tool post for lathe work. The magnet is about 3/4" wide x 3" long. it's very strong for it's size, but easily removed by tipping it sideways. The only thing that I don't like about this new Noga is it only has a dovetail mount. No means of clamping the round bar on Swiss style test indicators. I haven't looked yet but Noga probably sells an adaptor.....Being the Greedy Devils that they are. : )
Thanks for the very thorough explanation of how these work. I have wondered ever since I got them but wasn't brave enough to take one apart.
Lonnie
GREAT JOB !! MR. PETE EXPLAINED VERY VERY WELL YOUR ARE A VERY SMART MAN JOE
Thanks
Can you tell me how were you able to put back the ring easily?
I've been wondering how these arms work and have been eagerly anticipating this video since you mentioned in the mag base video that it was in the works. Thanks for following through.
A truly elegant design: that is, simple and obvious when you take it apart and look at it BUT not so simple when you start with no previous information and a blank piece of paper.
I bought that exact indicator holder about two weeks ago. Works pretty well. Mine isn't as flexible when it's loosened but it is relatively rigid when it's tight.
Simple but, very clever. No wonder there are so many knock-offs. Thanks for sharing, Mr. Pete.
Was thinking of machining a few new parts for one of these cheap Chinese knock offs and appreciate the disassembly video. Think I'll break down the portion that holds the dial indicator as well.
Thank you very much Mr. Pete.
👍
Ahhh, Finally, I have been waiting anxiously for this one since you announced that you would be doing it. You nailed it, thank you!
At first glance I kinda figured there was some kind of rod in there pressin the balls. Where I veered off is with the middle joint. Me being a gear head, thought there would of been a cam lobe in there instead of a simple wedge.... I guess that's where K.I.S.S. comes into play. Great video, thank you Mr. Pete!
Great video, I was looking forward to seeing how those arms worked. Like another commenter bendavanza, I own a Manfrotto "Magic Arm" for my camera which I guess works in the same way. In fact there are two types of Manfrotto Magic arm, one with a knob that is turned to lock the arm and another type with a lever. The lever mechanism sometimes gets out of position and you have to disassemble it and reposition a half-dozen ball bearings. I guess the rotary-knob version is better. I always wondered about the mechanism for locking three joints at once. Thanks for solving that mystery.
Good stuff. I was sure it worked with a cam mechanism, but this is not what I had envisioned. Simple, and yet effective.
Thank you for demonstrating the action inside the arm. I don't have a Noga either but I do have a "magic Arm" from Bogen Manfrotto. I am sure it was made by Noga under license. It is as you mentioned a photography item and it is quite large, the arms are around 1" in diameter. it's action is much smoother and more secure than the knock off indicator. I imagine a little polishing to the wedge faces of the cheapo unit would improve the action.
bendavanza I
Thanks for watching
th-cam.com/video/qnHfHl7LI7Y/w-d-xo.html
Hey, Mr. Pete! Another nice video. I wouldn't worry about whether you're over or under explaining things. Just do your thing.
Thanks for watching
Thanks for the video Mr. Pete. Very nice explanation on the inner workings of this type of indicator arm. As always a pleasure to learn something new from a favorite teacher.
Thank you mrpete222 for demonstrating such a nice and mind-blowing video. Great and caps off.
👍👍
Thanks, I've seen Abom79 use one of these a few times and I was curious how the one knob locked all of the joints, very well done sir.
Hey Lyle, you mention the end of the shaft is rather small but it's purpose is to push the ball against the retaining ring where yes, the actual contact area is maybe smaller but spread over a much larger radius. Love your vids by the way. Thanks for making them.
I wondered about the mechanism for locking three joints at once. Thanks for the video.
Thanks, Lyle. I have wondered how they work for a long time. Now I know. You are great!
I have one of the first units you showed, and it cost me around 10 to 20 dollars, and that was the best that I have. But I saw one like the second one you showed, and for about 40 dollars, and I've never been so disappointed in a tool, as I have been with that one. It's not even good enough to hold a camera. The problem that I saw was, that after you get it where you want it, and tighten it up, you just watch it for a bit, and you can see it move around on its own, without even touching it. This will make a very good garage sale item for around 25 cents. That might even bee too much!!!
I enjoyed the rest of the demo.
Have a good day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Michael
And again thanks to you I learn something about an every day tool, THANK YOU MR Pete !! MArk
Very educational video indeed Mr Pete. I've always been to afraid to take my Noga arms apart to see how the heck they work. They really are tough too. They cost an arm and a leg but I've had one for about 25 yrs and they keep on working. It may come down to the material's quality and the heat treatment. Thanks again…..Mike
Thank You Sir for every bit of info that You have shared with the world .
My pleasure
I always wondered how those worked, I have the automotive one like you have Mr. Pete, as a Mechanic, I curse the thing daily, I love the Vicegrip part of it. But trying to use the old style rod type is more of a pain, but it at least doesn't move if a mouse farts a hundred yards away, while trying to measure runout on something, unlike the old ball and sleeve type with the cable in it. Thanks again for another great video and explanation.
Well done Lyle!! It really is a simple design, however the Noga is probably a little different in types of material used etc. Thanks for the vid and keep this type coming!
Super clear explanation. What a great idea!
Simple but yet effective.
Thank you Me Pete.
HI MR. PETE, YOU ARE A GREAT !!!!! INSPIRATION TO MANY OF US !!!! THANKS SO MUCH . JOE OUT IN S. JERSEY.
Surprisingly simple, thanks Mr Pete!
Thanks for showing us how these things work.
Very interesting.
Thanks Tubalcain! I wondered how they worked, but never wanted to take one apart to find out. I would have lost the clip!
Thanks again Mr Pete for all your help understanding the universe. Clever simple ideas that I never would have thought of. Keep up the good work.
Own a Noga articulated arm. Never been brave enough to take it apart
Always wondered how they work - now I know. Thanks Mr. Pete.
👍
I really enjoy this series. It seems there is hardly a week that goes by that I need to tear something apart to repair it and there is always that bit of discovery before the repair. Sometimes I say aloud (no one listening in my shop) "what insane idiot designed this piece of excrement?" And then there are other times when I say, "I could have thought of that, but I didn't, great idea." I would say the second on this device. As you began I had all sorts of ideas including a rack and pinon setup (what a piece of excrement that idea would be). Great video Mr. Pete.
Thanks to you and Mike for this video. So simple yet brilliant, then again so many are, one of those"why didn't I think of it". Thanks Peter
VERY nice design (smart, simple, works every time) and a very good explanation! Thank you Mr. Pete!
Class 5 Beverage Alert at 8:00 I almost lost some spaghetti in the sinus cavity.....
Good clear explanation. Thank you!!
LOL me too ........makes it extra funny when you consider it's an Israeli made product
It's like a dead animal when it's loose. Nope, you are not overdoing or overexplaining anything. I like it. Take the knob off of that other style holder that you said you liked so much (your favorite) and you'll probably find another square nut spacer. It's a mystery. Some day we are going to have to have the surface area and holding friction talk and I know everyone is going to get upset about it, but it really is what it is. Size (or area) does not matter.
What did that guy just comment!!! Size doesn't matter?? Blasphemy, it's blasphemy I tell you. Don't listen to him! Cover your ears! ......... Yep, frictional forces are NOT a function of area for sliding solid to solid contact surfaces, area is not even in the equation for drag. (so, what about birds, boats and airplane wings? Not solid to solid.)
You should try a Manfrotto magic arm for your camera.
Thanks Mr Pete, I have one like that and have often wondered how it worked.
I've got an identical looking import on the way from China or somewhere . Thanks for showing us how it works. When it comes in I can use it, improve it, or dump it.
Great video! I have often wondered how those things work! Thanks for all the shop classes!
Dear Mr. Pete.
I love your videos and I LOVE your projects and explanations.
But - and this is a BIG but - your tip of using a noga arm* for camera mounting is a BRILLIANT ONE!!!!!
I have tried it and instantly fell in love with the setup - now why the h@!! didn't I think of this myself???
Thank you SO much for this tip - this definitely solved a lot of camera fumbling and wasted time.
Yours,
Saar
p.s. missed that video, or forgot about it, and just saw it a month ago... wow!
(*ok, mine is a nockoff from china too)
👍👍👍
How come the centre and the end balls lock at the same time? Are the rods cut to just the correct length? If the rods were a few thousands longer would it still tighten in the centre? Is there something else causing it to contact with the 3 points with the same force. Is the hole in the bushing larger the the bolt maybe.
It would be interesting to see if you can machine one on a larger size.
Interesting and informative. Well done and congratulations on receiving a fine gift to add to your indicators.
I have some of the cheap ones and a Noga. The main differences are that the Noga has larger balls on the ends for more contact area and instead of a fiber washer, they have some sort of friction plate. The material almost looks a clutch pad surface or break pad material. Lots more grip even when it gets oil on it. The cheap ones goes all noodle arm on me if they get any oil on them. You get what you pay for. (I think there is a hydraulic version of these made by several different companies.)
Very clear and informative. Thank you.
now how do you put that snap ring back on the ball joint?
very helpful video for me... thank you for making me to understand the concept of it
.
👍
It is my humble opinion that you explain things very well. Even me, a woodworker can understand and learn from it.
It's not broken so please don't try to fix it!
there should also be force between the bottoms of the ball bearings and the captivating ring. so there is more contact than just the pin and more friction to lock it down :) great vid and thanks for taking it apart
👍👍
I always wondered how those work. Thanks for the explanation.
Thanks for the explanation of the mechanism, but I have a question: is there a critical timing requirement to synchronize the three clamps? I would have thought the cam-notches and the fiber spacer must be tweaked in size so that they all tighten at exactly the same moment during the central screw's travel. Is this guaranteed by tight tolerances on the production parts?
If I understand the mechanics correctly I'd think the clamping force of the cams is more or less self equalizing (except for friction) and the central part probably has more than enough direct clamping force even with the fiber space taking up some of the tolerance.
You can pretty much just slap them back together and wiggle it around till it lines up. All the parts pull against each other in a stack so no adjustments are necessary. I do recommend swapping out that oversized nut for a proper and slightly shorter washer to get a bit more thread contact on the knob. Mine also came with that same nut originally.
A well articulated instructional presentation!
Very relevant video to me because I'm waiting for mine to be delivered. Turns out to be quite a sturdy arm doesn't it with just one potential weakness that I can see which would be the fibre washer. Easy to replace though. I won't worry too much about that because I will not be using it on a regular basis. Anyway, thanks for easing my mind, you never can tell what you'll receive from China but this looks to be a very good purchase. Let's just hope that Robo customers are going to get their money's worth. Regards.
Awesome and looks like be a fun shop project . Thank you !
thanks for the video, a while ago I could only find diagrams and patents when I was trying to figure out how these worked :)
Now I think this type of articulated indicator arm will be one of mine upcoming projects - How to make an articulated indicator arm. Nice video - as always.
@Tony Wilson No need to do so. I made one 2 years ago.
@Tony Wilson I had not looked at any of the channels you suggested when I made mine so it was probably my own version I made, but similar to the ones you can buy.
@Tony Wilson Thank you!
@Tony Wilson Sweden and we are all doing well thank you. Stay safe.
You did a great job explaining this !!
Thanks for watching
Good explanation. I always wondered how they worked.
Man U saved me tearing one up thank you teacher ...I wanted to repurpose one into a test indicator holder for the Bridgeport but for some reason I thought I would make a new base ball end solid no threads then I woke ..up ill just tap a 1/2" sleeve 8mm x 1.25 screw it on and into a 1/2" collet on the mill ....duh
👍👍
The articulated arm that I have (sold as a photography item) has teeth at the elbow to lock the angle securely. Would this be good for machinists as the elbow would be more rigid? For photography you might have a rather heavy camera on the end and would need more than mere friction to hold it in place. But possibly bad for machinists as the teeth limit positioning to set angles. My $0.02.
Thats good info--I was unaware of the camera product
I was thinking that knurling the edges of the arms that make contact with the fibre washer would help keep that joint from slipping. More positions would be available than the photography arm. Short of knurling, use a letter punch, such as "W" or "I" and stamp the mating surfaces. The fibre washer should grab the raised bits to make the joint stiffer when clamped.
Interesting. I was wondering if they used some type of cam mechanism in them. Does the ball get pressed up against the retaining ring so it also helps provide some of the resistance to movement when tightened?
What a fantastic explatanion profesor!!!! thanks a lot!!!!
Some of us likely need things to be over explained ....as I get older I tend to forget things a lot easier . Thanks for the video
So do I, LOL
noga good, but not as nice to use as tekusa / mptec . the swiss made devices clamp in perfect sequence: shoulder, elbow and then wrist . there is a patent for this arm on google patents
the angle on the bushing that locks on a round shaft is called a split cotter
because in a tailstock there are two cotters
Abom79 uses one and I was wondering how he tightened the arm up with one twist. Thanks.
Any thoughts about the steel quality of the pressure rods, that is, hardened or?? Thinking of life expectancy if used a lot. I would assume parts would be of some quality level, but nothing like Starrett.