Very nice indicator Tom. I have the exact same model and have used it in a few of my videos. It seems to work the best on video for allowing the viewers to see the dial better. My set has an arm that attaches to the dovetail that is a swivel mount. Work perfect for sweeping small holes in line with the spindle. I'll show it in use on my next video actually. Thanks for sharing Tom. Adam
The little round thing is a wrench you would use to interchange different size and length contact points, which has flats on them so that the wrench can fit
Hey Tom, I still prefer the Interapid indicator. Try this, find the high and low of a bore with your BestTest and take the difference and add your tip diameter to find the bore diameter. You'll find that the BestTest has .002" of backlash, or looks like .004" on a diameter. The Interapid doesn't have this error. Yes I am, going different directions on the tip, but works for me on my Interapid, to half a thou, in the machine, when I can't go the same direction against a Cadillac gauge on the surface plate (I'm using the DRO or CNC control to take the difference). I'm still researching why this is, and I stumbled upon your video. My hypothesis is that it is the mechanism that allows the BestTest dial to always move clockwise (some sort of automatic reversal intermediate gear switch??), while the Interapid goes either direction depending on tip direction, like most dials(which have an extra gear preloaded by a hair spring to remove the back lash) which is not a problem if you notice that an Interapid face has a black stripe down one side so you know the direction. Let me know if you know why BestTest has back lash. Thanks, see you at work! :P
I just picked up the same 7031-5 at an estate sale today along with a bunch of other stuff. I not only got an amazing deal, the woman who passed the tools along to me was really happy knowing that her fathers tools wood have a good home and continued use.
I also have a BestTest on a Noga. A killer combo. I see that folks already said what the wrench is for, which I guess would make the rest of my comment pointless. Enjoyed the video. Thanks!
B&S made great test indicators, I've owned a few. .001 and ,0001. Had to buy a few because guys borrowed and broke them. So, the glare is tough, but you describe well enough to cover. I'm still watching..
Hey Tom, The black faced indicator seems to do the trick. The glare you are getting from the crystal's surface is polarized light and can be removed with a rotating polarizing filter on the camera. You will get the greatest effect from the filter when its surface is 90° to the reflecting surface. Yes, I am also a photo nut. Back in the day, I did my own b/w film and print processing. That went away with the advent of digital cameras. Also, Kodak stopped making a lot of the chemicals, films and print papers I used. Have a good one! Dave
Tom, The black indicator is your better face to use in the videos. It does a much better job than I thought possible and it was a nice gift! Thanks....13
You can see over at the lathe that there's too much light for the sceneby how over-exposed your hands are. I know you need that light to be able to see what you're doing (I'm the same way), so it's a very tough problem to solve. I think the black-faced indicator works great for combating the over-exposure, and I have a BesTest indicator myself and love it. Thanks from this viewer to the other viewer who generously sent it!
Tom, the black face indicator is a huge improvement, even with the occasional reflections. I agree that the exposure setting on the lathe shots is too high...maybe your camera is getting fooled by dark areas in the chuck? Telling it to stop down one or two stops should fix it...if it has the capability for that. That's a nice indicator with some good mounting options. I'm starting to see that there is some lack of standardization in holders and indicators though. For instance, the Noga holders have holes in the ends that will fit the shaft of a dial indicator, but no way to hold a lug back by the lug to free up the shaft for one of those pivot internal attachments. Starrett makes an adapter that fits the lug back, but the 1/4" shaft on it won't fit a Noga. There might be a video idea in showing what works, what doesn't, and what you can make to fix the doesn't situations. For us newbies it's a little confusing when trying to put together an initial set of tools. Thanks for the review...the wish list continues to grow... -- Mike
Hey Mike, Some of us made adapters to mount to lug backs. Please don't ask which video its in as it was a while ago. You might try searching dial indicator on the channel search to see what that brings back. Cheers, Tom
Interesting as usual Tom. The reflection issue used to be solved by using polarising filters on camera, and polarising film over light sources when doing copy work with a copy camera. the camera was mounted like a darkroom enlarger on a column, and could be raised or lowered to set the magnification. The light sources were mounted on both sides of the camera, and were angled at about 45 degrees to the object being photographed, so that most reflections missed the camera lens. This worked best for flat objects like artwork or documents, as curved surfaces could still direct some reflections to the lens, although usually it was better than lighting that was on or near camera axis. The polarising filters on the light sources were arranged with the plane of polarisation at 90 degrees to the polarising filter on the camera lens, which made for the biggest reduction of harmful reflections. If you Google Polarising film, you will get plenty of hits for possible sources of affordable film. I hope this helps, and many thanks for all your efforts.
Hi Rope, In the turning short machine tapers we tested a circular polarizer as one of the first attempts at a solution. It did not work. There is too much light from too many directions. Thanks for the suggestion. Cheers, Tom
I have several 1" travel indicators at work but my GO TO favorite is a black face, just easier to see in almost every scenario for me! In the future that is all I will buy!! PS for everyday stuff I buy the cheapies, you don't cry as much if they get killed LOL MY high dollar test indicators stay put up unless absolutely needed and I have found that I can dial in a part in a 4 jaw with a $10 harborfright indicator and double check with an expensive test indicator and be well within .0005 TIR
Yes, the blackface indicator is much easier to see. Any reflections were coming from the surface of the crown and not the dial face. Also, it didn't blow out the camera's exposure control. Should be easy to shade the ambient light from it with a small "flag" on a stand. I agree with the OP who likes the birds better than the plastic. The flapping plastic made it sound like the shop was on fire.
Tom That little round black disc thingy is the wrench to twist on & off the indicator's needle. One of the two cut-outs should fit into the flat spot near the stem of the needle, when you have the needs to change it into one of a different style. Wing Toronto
Wow that's a nice black face indicator and you can even see the needle movement. I vote for black face indicators for camera work. Maybe you can use a black umbrella on a tripod to block the lights.When you used your hand to block the light it made a big difference. We use to use white umbrella's for the strobe flash and the black to control shadows. Nice video man.
Hi Tom ! I believe the problem with the glare - in this black-face indicator too - is that the surface is smooth ! The surface has to be matt - and you CAN get this matt surface WITHOUT distorting the transparency ! I ones had some material for facing digital readouts with this property - but where is it now and where did I get it ... I forgot ;-(( !
Hey Tom! You may have already found this out but that small round part that came with the indicator is a wrench. Used for removing and installing new points. Best wishes!
I’ve got (as many of us do) several indicators. The 0.0005 Best Test is my favorite, yes, even more than my Interapid 312B-3. But I took it out recently and started to set it up, and I noticed that it was very contrasty, with no reflections! Wow, I thought, this is great. Then I looked more closely, and noticed that the cover glass/plastic was missing. Well, it’s much better this way, but I’ll have to get another one, I guess, or I’ll destroy the needle. Even with the cover, it is much easier to read.
Much better result, but i think you would still be better to put any filters on the camera, not the dial, because as you can see, you are getting reflections from the surface of the filter, a circular polariser on the camera should work great I managed to remove all the glare from the water when photographing a sunset. Also as i think i said before, softboxes for lighting, drape some white sheets under your fluro's to test, then the reflections of the tubes won't show in the indicators
great review, i have a Mitutoyo Absolute LCD. This indicator is great because i get no reflection at all. I really love it. Alot of ppl dont like digital mic's and indicators but they can be accurate and helpful at times. great video tom. really liked it.
This sure makes me feel old! I bought my FIRST Best-Test in 1982! .000050" and a light GREEN face. Not the white faced one or the NEW black face with orange pointer. There are NONE better! I have had them ALL! I use ALL mine with Murkens bases which are made locally to me in Pa. I began in 1983 with 3 tool-makers of 30+ years experience! NOT one even had a TENTH dial test indicator! OH how they laughed at me and my 50 millionth indicator and FANCY base i made in school!!! I HAD the last laugh when we began to get FUSSY work in though! MY base was ALWAYS in use along with my FANCY 50 mil indicator! We made a FULL DOZEN of the bases and ordered a DOZEN gages for them! Even OLD DOGS can learn i guess! My last position was CMM operator and Gov't certified Tech Inspector! While i loved programming the Zeis's i was SHOCKED how little connection to the FLOOR use there was! I developed a fixture to check 50 discs for SIKORSKY on the Zeiss. Took 20 minutes to load 50 disc's, then i could do floor inspections, wet-mag or more programming. GOD i miss that $25 an hour UNION air-conditioned job! Not to mention CALIBRATION of gages! Anyhow if you do any GRINDING get a good murkens base! Many are on EBAY REASONABLY too! Ebay seller tngtool has many bases and hard to find tools! Do you sell SQUARE MASTERS? I use a Taft-Peirce 9146 squareness gage but it is time consuming to keep setting it to the MASTER. I saw a video where a guy had a Square master from you? Indicator just runs up and down the gage it self? Quicker maybe than my way? Let me know what you think or if you sell square master? Thanks
Gday Tom, That black dialed indicator is definitely easier to see. A very good thought. That little disc that came with the indicator I think, is for changing the ball on the end of the finger. Cheers, Pete...
In your video, you can see that the white dial is more of an issue than glare. I think the reflections in the dial are reasonable. The exposure when you shoot at the lathe, though is too hot overall. There is no detail in your hands and arms. One or two stops down should solve that. Nice indicator! I'm jealous. I bought a couple Noga knockoffs from cdcotools and realized my Last Word indicator doesn't really mount to the end of it, so I will be looking for a test indicator like that with the dovetail.
Hi Tom, Getting there... Black is much better, I agree with some other viewers about the scene around the lathe is overexposed, and, a little diffusion from the windows would do the trick, doesn't have to be perfect as far as I'm concerned. You're lucky enough to have a super bright place to work. Poor birds, they're happy to see you, and commenting on your videos...lol Cheers, Pierre
Have you tried a circular polarizer on your camera? It would be nice if the manufacturers applied AR coatings to the glass. Its expensive for a set of glasses, but cheap when done in bulk.
Tom, I like the black-face indicator the best so far. Even with the glare spots, the face is not totally washed out and we can still see most of the dial and needle. Maybe try a couple of your lightest tint films again on the new indicator, but otherwise, I think you have a winner chicken dinner. Cheers, Gary
Very nice gift! One thing I like about my Interapid... when I'm holding a mirror to read the back side is those nice dashed line. I mix up "right/left plus/minus" all the time. So the dashed lines help (oh, moved the wrong way.... doh). Yes, too many Mr Wizard moments without them.
oxtoolco Look at the Interapid dial indicator face. One side has a half circle of dashed line. At 3:31 -- dashed lines on on the right side numbers (arc lines between numbers)
Hello Tom, That's a definite improvement. I might just have to do a test on my Yellow faced Starrett. That came with a couple of alternative styluses, plus the 'mystery' tool to change them. Now that you've dealt with the 'white balance' issue, the anti reflective films are probably worth another try.
In almost all the cases the side of the indicator towards you was clearly visible most of the reflection was on the far side if the zero was pointing towards you it would be easily readable by the oxen. Much better than the white dial that blasts the exposure and has reflection too.
Isn't if funny that the little things like some random glare can just annoy the crap out of a guy. Some very good attempts to eliminate or ameliorate that pesky stuff that has had Oxes squinting around the world, LOL. The angle of reflection equals the angle incidence, well you got incidences galore. It would give Issac Newton a migraine trying to do the math on that glare. Let the fun continue, Pesky like a gnat on crack but makes great video.
Nice new indicator is better. Have you tried any high light diffusion above the lathe from inside the shop, or on the outside of the windows? Like an awning. Or some warmer lighting over the lathe? Thanks for sharing. Randy
Hey Ransy, I have daylight bulbs in the light over the lathe. I'm going to try stopping it down a little to see if that helps. I need the light for these eyes to see what's going on. Cheers, Tom
Great indicators both of them first class. BUT Compac is first class +. All three are made by the same company but each has a different heritage. Compac has bulldozer strength. I have all three and more but the Compac jig bore style with long needle is my go to indicator.
If only you could flip the crystal over so it's convex instead. Then there wouldn't be any glare similar to how they claim curved TV's work. Unfortunately if your Best Test is anything like mine, there won't be any clearance for the arm/hand if you try.
Tom: Recently I mentioned the possibility of using Right Guard spray to help with glare/reflection. I failed to mention that your eyes will see the reflection but the camera will not. Sorry for m less that complete sharing of info. alanallen
oxtoolco The problem is that the white reflects too much light, and things like the ways are very dark. The neutral density worked, as did the black. If you have a red faced one, sure, try it. I just think the red faces look cool, IMHO, etc.
If you could replace the convex crystal with a flat one, it would be nearly perfect. The darn convex crystal acts like a wide angle side mirror disk, pulling in any and all light sources over a very wide angle. A flat crystal would be pretty simple to adjust to the reflective angle from the camera to a single point away from a light source.
Well no kidding. Haha! I was just thinking of all the minutes wasted in videos by guys trying to a get the dial at just the right angle for us groundlings. Just thinking out loud, my man. No worries. I mean why lose sleep over perfection even though it's so close to achieve. And who really needs to be the guy with the coolest, most badass indicator on TH-cam anyway? You'd have to be pretty anal retentive for that nonsense...... Just messin with ya. The black face dial is pretty sweet on its own. Keep up the great videos. They're always informative and fun to watch.
That circle with the 2 notches is a tool for changing the test pin on the indicator. I often have need of a 1 inch pin on an indicator, so I've used it a few times. perhaps the only surefire way to avoid the glare, is no lens. -OR- Make a new plastic lens www.tapplastics.com/product/plastics/cut_to_size_plastic/acrylic_sheets_p99_non_glare_clear/514 Non-Glare Acrylic
Has anyone ever tested the digital dial indicators that claim to be accurate down to 50mills? Would love to see a comparison between the cheap imports with a nice Mity
hi you may have seen me on doubleboost video channel I'm bob the chap that fixes D.T.I's I have dun in the past I have highlighted the face of the diel with hi lilting pen regards bob
Liking the tool reviews. I'm sure you have a nuclear option for that bird ready to be armed. What would happen if you made a panel out of that window tint and hoisted it up to the window when filming? Or would that be too dark?
Hi Andre, I still think there is too much light at the lathe with the close overhead fixture. I'm going to try stopping down the exposure for the lathe shots. Cheers, Tom
Tom, if you really want to eliminate the glare problem once and for all, have a glass (or quality poly-carb) crystal made, take it to your local pearl vision (or any good eye glasses shop) and have them coat it for anti-reflection. Might even want to consider a 1% gray or amber tint while you're at it.
Hi Tg, A camera guy suggested dusting the surface with spray deodorant to cut the glare. I'm going to try that just because it sound so DIY. Cheers, Tom
Now that you have cured the white-out, it is the time to try your expensive anti surface reflection plastic film. Some folks pay good money to buy singing birds and you whinge when you have them for gratis. Oh, the youth of today.:>)
Hey Chris, I don't mind the birds. Its listening to the comments about them that drives me birdy. I'm going to try the spray deodorant trick on the shiny dial and see how that works. Cheers, Tom
I think what you need is a light diffuser between your light source and your work surface. Amazon has many examples; www.amazon.com/s?ie=UTF8&page=1&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Alight%20diffuser Photographers and videographers use these all the time to maintain sufficient lighting yet remove glare.
The problem with a diffuser is that it will shade the work surface, so not only will the camera receive less light but so will Tom - effectively making it harder to see what he's working on. The right solution here is a polarizing filter which will remove the reflections from the dial indicator (and slightly reduce the exposure levels) while keeping Tom's view of the lathe well lit.
![วันเกิดเธอ (TO YOU) - PHUWIN [ OFFICIAL MV ]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/_ROx1Bj3T0Y/mqdefault.jpg)
Very nice indicator Tom. I have the exact same model and have used it in a few of my videos. It seems to work the best on video for allowing the viewers to see the dial better. My set has an arm that attaches to the dovetail that is a swivel mount. Work perfect for sweeping small holes in line with the spindle. I'll show it in use on my next video actually.
Thanks for sharing Tom.
Adam
Hey Adam,
Thanks for stopping by. I saw that attachment. I have one for another indicator similar to that one.
Talk to you soon.
---Tom
The little round thing is a wrench you would use to interchange different size and length contact points, which has flats on them so that the wrench can fit
Hey Tom, I still prefer the Interapid indicator. Try this, find the high and low of a bore with your BestTest and take the difference and add your tip diameter to find the bore diameter. You'll find that the BestTest has .002" of backlash, or looks like .004" on a diameter. The Interapid doesn't have this error. Yes I am, going different directions on the tip, but works for me on my Interapid, to half a thou, in the machine, when I can't go the same direction against a Cadillac gauge on the surface plate (I'm using the DRO or CNC control to take the difference). I'm still researching why this is, and I stumbled upon your video. My hypothesis is that it is the mechanism that allows the BestTest dial to always move clockwise (some sort of automatic reversal intermediate gear switch??), while the Interapid goes either direction depending on tip direction, like most dials(which have an extra gear preloaded by a hair spring to remove the back lash) which is not a problem if you notice that an Interapid face has a black stripe down one side so you know the direction. Let me know if you know why BestTest has back lash. Thanks, see you at work! :P
I just picked up the same 7031-5 at an estate sale today along with a bunch of other stuff. I not only got an amazing deal, the woman who passed the tools along to me was really happy knowing that her fathers tools wood have a good home and continued use.
I also have a BestTest on a Noga. A killer combo. I see that folks already said what the wrench is for, which I guess would make the rest of my comment pointless. Enjoyed the video. Thanks!
B&S made great test indicators, I've owned a few. .001 and ,0001. Had to buy a few because guys borrowed and broke them. So, the glare is tough, but you describe well enough to cover. I'm still watching..
Hey Tom,
The black faced indicator seems to do the trick. The glare you are getting from the crystal's surface is polarized light and can be removed with a rotating polarizing filter on the camera. You will get the greatest effect from the filter when its surface is 90° to the reflecting surface. Yes, I am also a photo nut. Back in the day, I did my own b/w film and print processing. That went away with the advent of digital cameras. Also, Kodak stopped making a lot of the chemicals, films and print papers I used.
Have a good one!
Dave
I think the bird is trying to say ''stop blinding me with that indicator''
Thank's for the review
Tom, The black indicator is your better face to use in the videos. It does a much better job than I thought possible and it was a nice gift!
Thanks....13
You can see over at the lathe that there's too much light for the sceneby how over-exposed your hands are. I know you need that light to be able to see what you're doing (I'm the same way), so it's a very tough problem to solve. I think the black-faced indicator works great for combating the over-exposure, and I have a BesTest indicator myself and love it. Thanks from this viewer to the other viewer who generously sent it!
Hi Artemia,
Thanks for the comment. I'm going to try stopping the exposure down a couple clicks for the lathe shots.
Cheers,
Tom
Tom, the black face indicator is a huge improvement, even with the occasional reflections. I agree that the exposure setting on the lathe shots is too high...maybe your camera is getting fooled by dark areas in the chuck? Telling it to stop down one or two stops should fix it...if it has the capability for that.
That's a nice indicator with some good mounting options. I'm starting to see that there is some lack of standardization in holders and indicators though. For instance, the Noga holders have holes in the ends that will fit the shaft of a dial indicator, but no way to hold a lug back by the lug to free up the shaft for one of those pivot internal attachments. Starrett makes an adapter that fits the lug back, but the 1/4" shaft on it won't fit a Noga. There might be a video idea in showing what works, what doesn't, and what you can make to fix the doesn't situations. For us newbies it's a little confusing when trying to put together an initial set of tools.
Thanks for the review...the wish list continues to grow...
-- Mike
Hey Mike,
Some of us made adapters to mount to lug backs. Please don't ask which video its in as it was a while ago. You might try searching dial indicator on the channel search to see what that brings back.
Cheers,
Tom
Interesting as usual Tom. The reflection issue used to be solved by using polarising filters on camera, and polarising film over light sources when doing copy work with a copy camera. the camera was mounted like a darkroom enlarger on a column, and could be raised or lowered to set the magnification. The light sources were mounted on both sides of the camera, and were angled at about 45 degrees to the object being photographed, so that most reflections missed the camera lens. This worked best for flat objects like artwork or documents, as curved surfaces could still direct some reflections to the lens, although usually it was better than lighting that was on or near camera axis. The polarising filters on the light sources were arranged with the plane of polarisation at 90 degrees to the polarising filter on the camera lens, which made for the biggest reduction of harmful reflections.
If you Google Polarising film, you will get plenty of hits for possible sources of affordable film. I hope this helps, and many thanks for all your efforts.
Hi Rope,
In the turning short machine tapers we tested a circular polarizer as one of the first attempts at a solution. It did not work. There is too much light from too many directions. Thanks for the suggestion.
Cheers,
Tom
I have several 1" travel indicators at work but my GO TO favorite is a black face,
just easier to see in almost every scenario for me!
In the future that is all I will buy!!
PS for everyday stuff I buy the cheapies, you don't cry as much if they get killed LOL
MY high dollar test indicators stay put up unless absolutely needed and I have found
that I can dial in a part in a 4 jaw with a $10 harborfright indicator and double check with an expensive test indicator and be well within .0005 TIR
Hey Gent,
That's a rough shop you work in back there. Indicators up against the wall firing squad like.
All the best,
Tom
Yes, the blackface indicator is much easier to see. Any reflections were coming from the surface of the crown and not the dial face. Also, it didn't blow out the camera's exposure control. Should be easy to shade the ambient light from it with a small "flag" on a stand. I agree with the OP who likes the birds better than the plastic. The flapping plastic made it sound like the shop was on fire.
Those B&S indicators are my favorite, I've got 4 of them, one is down to 50 millionths.
Hey Perry,
That one will drive you to tears for sure.
Cheers,
Tom
Tom
That little round black disc thingy is the wrench to twist on & off the indicator's needle. One of the two cut-outs should fit into the flat spot near the stem of the needle, when you have the needs to change it into one of a different style.
Wing
Toronto
Hi Wing,
Thanks for the comment. Never had an extra stylus to swap with.
Cheers,
Tom
Wow that's a nice black face indicator and you can even see the needle movement. I vote for black face indicators for camera work. Maybe you can use a black umbrella on a tripod to block the lights.When you used your hand to block the light it made a big difference. We use to use white umbrella's for the strobe flash and the black to control shadows. Nice video man.
Hi Ruben,
I'm going to need a photographic assistant pretty soon with all these suggestions.
All the best,
Tom
Hi Tom !
I believe the problem with the glare - in this black-face indicator too - is that the surface is smooth !
The surface has to be matt - and you CAN get this matt surface WITHOUT distorting the transparency !
I ones had some material for facing digital readouts with this property - but where is it now and where did I get it ... I forgot ;-(( !
I'm told that spray deodorant works for giving a matte finish to a curved lens.
Cheers,
Tom
oxtoolco Oh, ... and cheap too ... IF it solves the problem with the glare !
Hey Tom!
You may have already found this out but that small round part that came with the indicator is a wrench. Used for removing and installing new points.
Best wishes!
dustinc1820 Dustin Collins Hi Dustin,
Yep us old guys just take a little longer to figure these things out. Thanks for the comment.
Cheers,
Tom
You can see the black face MUCH better on camera. I wish more would use them.
I’ve got (as many of us do) several indicators. The 0.0005 Best Test is my favorite, yes, even more than my Interapid 312B-3. But I took it out recently and started to set it up, and I noticed that it was very contrasty, with no reflections! Wow, I thought, this is great. Then I looked more closely, and noticed that the cover glass/plastic was missing. Well, it’s much better this way, but I’ll have to get another one, I guess, or I’ll destroy the needle. Even with the cover, it is much easier to read.
Much better result, but i think you would still be better to put any filters on the camera, not the dial, because as you can see, you are getting reflections from the surface of the filter, a circular polariser on the camera should work great
I managed to remove all the glare from the water when photographing a sunset.
Also as i think i said before, softboxes for lighting, drape some white sheets under your fluro's to test, then the reflections of the tubes won't show in the indicators
The little wrench is for the tip to change tips, should be a spot on the tip for the wrench
great review, i have a Mitutoyo Absolute LCD. This indicator is great because i get no reflection at all. I really love it. Alot of ppl dont like digital mic's and indicators but they can be accurate and helpful at times. great video tom. really liked it.
Jason Myers Hi Jason,
Thanks for the comment.
Cheers,
Tom
This sure makes me feel old! I bought my FIRST Best-Test in 1982! .000050" and a light GREEN face. Not the white faced one or the NEW black face with orange pointer. There are NONE better! I have had them ALL! I use ALL mine with Murkens bases which are made locally to me in Pa. I began in 1983 with 3 tool-makers of 30+ years experience! NOT one even had a TENTH dial test indicator! OH how they laughed at me and my 50 millionth indicator and FANCY base i made in school!!! I HAD the last laugh when we began to get FUSSY work in though! MY base was ALWAYS in use along with my FANCY 50 mil indicator! We made a FULL DOZEN of the bases and ordered a DOZEN gages for them! Even OLD DOGS can learn i guess!
My last position was CMM operator and Gov't certified Tech Inspector! While i loved programming the Zeis's i was SHOCKED how little connection to the FLOOR use there was! I developed a fixture to check 50 discs for SIKORSKY on the Zeiss. Took 20 minutes to load 50 disc's, then i could do floor inspections, wet-mag or more programming. GOD i miss that $25 an hour UNION air-conditioned job! Not to mention CALIBRATION of gages! Anyhow if you do any GRINDING get a good murkens base! Many are on EBAY REASONABLY too! Ebay seller tngtool has many bases and hard to find tools!
Do you sell SQUARE MASTERS? I use a Taft-Peirce 9146 squareness gage but it is time consuming to keep setting it to the MASTER. I saw a video where a guy had a Square master from you? Indicator just runs up and down the gage it self? Quicker maybe than my way? Let me know what you think or if you sell square master? Thanks
Hey Gerald,
Thanks for the comment. Were you measuring some of those stone wheels back in the olden days? Just kidding around.
All the best,
Tom
Gday Tom,
That black dialed indicator is definitely easier to see. A very good thought.
That little disc that came with the indicator I think, is for changing the ball on the end of the finger.
Cheers, Pete...
In your video, you can see that the white dial is more of an issue than glare. I think the reflections in the dial are reasonable. The exposure when you shoot at the lathe, though is too hot overall. There is no detail in your hands and arms. One or two stops down should solve that. Nice indicator! I'm jealous. I bought a couple Noga knockoffs from cdcotools and realized my Last Word indicator doesn't really mount to the end of it, so I will be looking for a test indicator like that with the dovetail.
Hey Ben,
Thanks for the comment and feedback. I'll try a couple stops down as I'm locking the exposure more now.
Cheers,
Tom
oxtoolco I put things I learn from your videos to use all the time. Thank you!
Hi Tom,
Getting there... Black is much better, I agree with some other viewers about the scene around the lathe is overexposed, and, a little diffusion from the windows would do the trick, doesn't have to be perfect as far as I'm concerned.
You're lucky enough to have a super bright place to work.
Poor birds, they're happy to see you, and commenting on your videos...lol
Cheers,
Pierre
Have you tried a circular polarizer on your camera?
It would be nice if the manufacturers applied AR coatings to the glass. Its expensive for a set of glasses, but cheap when done in bulk.
You might give a polarization filter a try to eliminate the reflections.
Tom, I like the black-face indicator the best so far. Even with the glare spots, the face is not totally washed out and we can still see most of the dial and needle. Maybe try a couple of your lightest tint films again on the new indicator, but otherwise, I think you have a winner chicken dinner.
Cheers,
Gary
Hi Gary,
Thanks for the feedback. I have another trick for the glare on the black face to try.
Cheers,
Tom
Very nice gift! One thing I like about my Interapid... when I'm holding a mirror to read the back side is those nice dashed line. I mix up "right/left plus/minus" all the time. So the dashed lines help (oh, moved the wrong way.... doh). Yes, too many Mr Wizard moments without them.
What dashed lines......
---Tom
oxtoolco
Look at the Interapid dial indicator face. One side has a half circle of dashed line. At 3:31 -- dashed lines on on the right side numbers (arc lines between numbers)
Hello Tom,
That's a definite improvement. I might just have to do a test on my Yellow faced Starrett. That came with a couple of alternative styluses, plus the 'mystery' tool to change them.
Now that you've dealt with the 'white balance' issue, the anti reflective films are probably worth another try.
Hey Paul,
The wrench seems so obvious now. Dohhhh. Hey I was close.
Cheers,
Tom
In almost all the cases the side of the indicator towards you was clearly visible most of the reflection was on the far side if the zero was pointing towards you it would be easily readable by the oxen. Much better than the white dial that blasts the exposure and has reflection too.
Hey John,
Thanks for the feedback. On your screen the indicator is three feet in diameter.
Cheers,
Tom
Isn't if funny that the little things like some random glare can just annoy the crap out of a guy. Some very good attempts to eliminate or ameliorate that pesky stuff that has had Oxes squinting around the world, LOL.
The angle of reflection equals the angle incidence, well you got incidences galore. It would give Issac Newton a migraine trying to do the math on that glare. Let the fun continue, Pesky like a gnat on crack but makes great video.
I love it! It looks racy too, with the red needle on the black background. Vroom, Vroom!
Aloha, Chuck
I think it's time for an electric window seal lol :)
Welp looks like you will be buys all new black faced indicators now :) nice new gadget!
Dennis
Nice new indicator is better. Have you tried any high light diffusion above the lathe from inside the shop, or on the outside of the windows? Like an awning. Or some warmer lighting over the lathe? Thanks for sharing.
Randy
Hey Ransy,
I have daylight bulbs in the light over the lathe. I'm going to try stopping it down a little to see if that helps. I need the light for these eyes to see what's going on.
Cheers,
Tom
oxtoolco I know what you mean, I use a old hospital exam light on the Mill.
Good call Depak, polarizing filter is a nice solution...., fairly cheap as well.
Great indicators both of them first class. BUT Compac is first class +. All three are made by the same company but each has a different heritage. Compac has bulldozer strength. I have all three and more but the Compac jig bore style with long needle is my go to indicator.
That round disk that came with your B^S test indicator is a wrench for tightening the tip.
Hey Scott,
I never had any spare tips to change over to. I learned something on that one. Thanks for the comment.
Cheers,
Tom
Tom, have you ever made a mechanism to give a thou indicator a better advantage so that it can read in the 10ths?
Hey! Black faced indicator. What a novel idea. I figured someone made them.
And I think I like the birds better than the sound of that flapping plastic.
Bradley Weingartner Hey Bradley,
Roger that.
--Tom
cool tool review tom keep up the great videos
Great video. That indicator is a big improvement.
I like the comment you made on Aboms video, size! You will cut yourself your so sharp. You lot are ace. Rob
The small round piece with the slots it's the wrench for changing the contact probe.
jim.
Hey Jommy,
Thanks for the comment.
Cheers,
Tom
The black face makes a HUGE difference. So much easier to see.
Nice gift! You can toss me the white face unit, because as they say...."once you go black you don't go back!"
Hey Chuck,
I'll trade you for a rule holder.
Cheers,
Tom
Big visual improvement but is the needle a bit jerky? -it seems to me so, compared to your white one which seems so smooth.
Hey Dan,
The interapid is the pinnacle of indicators. The B&S is a reasonable compromise so you guys can read along.
Cheers,
Tom
If only you could flip the crystal over so it's convex instead. Then there wouldn't be any glare similar to how they claim curved TV's work. Unfortunately if your Best Test is anything like mine, there won't be any clearance for the arm/hand if you try.
If I did _anything_ to even _remotely_ justify it, I'd own one of those indicators immediately. Looks like a dandy, for sure!
Hi Jon,
It really is a dandy. I'm starting to take a liking to it.
Cheers,
Tom
in my day interapids where known for durability and shockproof
looks good on camera.
to rid yourself of reflections on your indicators use a satin screen protector for a tablet or cell phone ... works
Tom:
Recently I mentioned the possibility of using Right Guard spray to help with glare/reflection. I failed to mention that your eyes will see the reflection but the camera will not. Sorry for m less that complete sharing of info.
alanallen
Hi Alan,
No worries. I have not been by the drug store yet. Still planning on trying it.
Cheers,
Tom
That tool is for unscrewing the needle probe.
It would interesting to try the Starrett indicators with the red faces
Hey Pat,
Not another variable. I guess I'm going to have to trot out my indicator collection one of these days.
Cheers,
Tom
oxtoolco The problem is that the white reflects too much light, and things like the ways are very dark. The neutral density worked, as did the black. If you have a red faced one, sure, try it. I just think the red faces look cool, IMHO, etc.
disc is a wrench for lever arms
If you could replace the convex crystal with a flat one, it would be nearly perfect. The darn convex crystal acts like a wide angle side mirror disk, pulling in any and all light sources over a very wide angle. A flat crystal would be pretty simple to adjust to the reflective angle from the camera to a single point away from a light source.
Hi Blmeflmm66,
Not worth the work to make a crystal. I can see it fine. Thanks for the comment.
Cheers,
Tom
Well no kidding. Haha! I was just thinking of all the minutes wasted in videos by guys trying to a get the dial at just the right angle for us groundlings. Just thinking out loud, my man. No worries. I mean why lose sleep over perfection even though it's so close to achieve. And who really needs to be the guy with the coolest, most badass indicator on TH-cam anyway? You'd have to be pretty anal retentive for that nonsense...... Just messin with ya. The black face dial is pretty sweet on its own. Keep up the great videos. They're always informative and fun to watch.
Birds can disappear via SLP. (Sudden Lead Poisioning)
Try a polarized filter over your camera lens to cut down reflected glare...
bingo!?....
Nice setup
Wondering if a polarizing filter would help?
Great gift! Blackface very good with attention paid to, location of zero being out of center of glare... :o)
O.
That circle with the 2 notches is a tool for changing the test pin on the indicator. I often have need of a 1 inch pin on an indicator, so I've used it a few times.
perhaps the only surefire way to avoid the glare, is no lens.
-OR-
Make a new plastic lens
www.tapplastics.com/product/plastics/cut_to_size_plastic/acrylic_sheets_p99_non_glare_clear/514
Non-Glare Acrylic
Has anyone ever tested the digital dial indicators that claim to be accurate down to 50mills? Would love to see a comparison between the cheap imports with a nice Mity
That disk is a wrench to take off the stylus.
hi you may have seen me on doubleboost video channel I'm bob the chap that fixes D.T.I's I have dun in the past I have highlighted the face of the diel with hi lilting pen regards bob
at 6 minutes you were a wee bit over exposed :) Maybe put some film over your windows themselves!
Liking the tool reviews. I'm sure you have a nuclear option for that bird ready to be armed.
What would happen if you made a panel out of that window tint and hoisted it up to the window when filming? Or would that be too dark?
Hi Andre,
I still think there is too much light at the lathe with the close overhead fixture. I'm going to try stopping down the exposure for the lathe shots.
Cheers,
Tom
Tom, if you really want to eliminate the glare problem once and for all, have a glass (or quality poly-carb) crystal made, take it to your local pearl vision (or any good eye glasses shop) and have them coat it for anti-reflection. Might even want to consider a 1% gray or amber tint while you're at it.
Hi Tg,
A camera guy suggested dusting the surface with spray deodorant to cut the glare. I'm going to try that just because it sound so DIY.
Cheers,
Tom
Now that you have cured the white-out, it is the time to try your expensive anti surface reflection plastic film.
Some folks pay good money to buy singing birds and you whinge when you have them for gratis. Oh, the youth of today.:>)
Hey Chris,
I don't mind the birds. Its listening to the comments about them that drives me birdy. I'm going to try the spray deodorant trick on the shiny dial and see how that works.
Cheers,
Tom
nice gift i wouldnt trade my black face best test for a truck load of last cuss word before it bounced off the wall indicator
FREE is always nice.
Hey Mack,
Yeah, twist my arm right. Thanks for the comment.
Cheers,
Tom
You should just have a dedicated indicator for filming that doesn't have a crystal.
Hey Greg,
Pry the lid of yours and send it over. Just kidding. Thanks for the comment.
Cheers,
Tom
I think what you need is a light diffuser between your light source and your work surface. Amazon has many examples;
www.amazon.com/s?ie=UTF8&page=1&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Alight%20diffuser
Photographers and videographers use these all the time to maintain sufficient lighting yet remove glare.
The problem with a diffuser is that it will shade the work surface, so not only will the camera receive less light but so will Tom - effectively making it harder to see what he's working on. The right solution here is a polarizing filter which will remove the reflections from the dial indicator (and slightly reduce the exposure levels) while keeping Tom's view of the lathe well lit.
Black dial is easier to see.
Stylus wrench
No comparison, once you go black....... :-)
Hi Colin , I did,then went back,then back again ,and again, Life is good ! Terrence
Uh-oh, I dont think we're in Kansas anymore Toto...... LOL
I'm not touching this one. I'll just get in trouble.
---Tom
Hey Tom , I get it , the art department !!!! lmao ,Terrence
The gadget is a wench for the stylus.
uhhh uhhh uhhh uhhh. very distracting. otherwise awesome video