Help I.D. This Unusual Dial Indicator Attachment Base

[DadsTools]

Just recently acquired this dial indicator having this odd base attachment. I've scoured the internet and have seen all kinds of attachments and bases for indicators, but nothing like this. It's made of steel, and a magnet attracts to it but it's not magnetic itself. Anyone know what this is called and how it's used???

 

[454ragtop]

Guessing it's for something like setting up a jointer or planer, to make sure the blades are evenly set in relation to the table/bed.

 

[PNWguy]

Guessing it's for something like setting up a jointer or planer, to make sure the blades are evenly set in relation to the table/bed.

I'd agree with that.

 

[LeeG]

Guessing it's for something like setting up a jointer or planer, to make sure the blades are evenly set in relation to the table/bed.

This. I have one pretty much like it sold by Delta back in the day. Use it for getting the blades on a jointer the same height and parallel to the outfeed table.

 

[DadsTools]

Don't you just use a square for that?

 

[PNWguy]

Don't you just use a square for that?

Sure. But this is more accurate.

 

[davethorik]

Is that indicator on the base a Federal?

I would assume you would want cutters to be a certain distance "proud" of the table. A good dial indicator would always be a better way to adjust for that than "eyeballing" it.

 

[DadsTools]

Appreciate it, guys. Started poking around the internet for dial indicators and bases used to adjust jointer knifes. Not saying it isn't so, but I found nothing that looks anything like this base I'm inquiring about. This one is also non-magnetized, where everything else looks to be magnetic. So I'm still a bit on the fence with this, not wanting to jump to conclusions just because it sounds plausible. I know everyone's saying that the dial indicator is the way to go for adjusting these blades, and I get that, and once it got mentioned, it just seemed to roll from there. But from what I can find, it doesn't appear as if THIS particular base is for that--at least, there's no other example of a base like this anywhere online associated with adjusting such blades. I'd sure like to find an example of this kind of base somewhere.

 

[davethorik]

The problem with gage holding fixtures such as this one...often can be darn near impossible to figure out what exactly they were for unless you saw one in action.

Are there any words/letters/numbers cast into the base? It was obviously made for rapid positioning over something, and measuring a small height range with the dial. Possibly a specialized depth gage.

 

[DadsTools]

The problem with gage holding fixtures such as this one...often can be darn near impossible to figure out what exactly they were for unless you saw one in action.

Are there any words/letters/numbers cast into the base? It was obviously made for rapid positioning over something, and measuring a small height range with the dial. Possibly a specialized depth gage.

I agree. That's why I want to find even a similar looking and functioning example to a particular application, and I'm just not finding that among indicators for cutting blades in jointers or planers. So far, there's nothing out there like this.

Boy, don't I wish there was some sort of marking on it! Nothing. Nada. Blank. The indicator is a Federal, but that seemed to provide no help either. There's no telling that even were we to find an old Federal catalog, we have no idea if the base is actually a Federal brand item.

 

[davethorik]

I agree. That's why I want to find even a similar looking and functioning example to a particular application, and I'm just not finding that among indicators for cutting blades in jointers or planers. So far, there's nothing out there like this.

Boy, don't I wish there was some sort of marking on it! Nothing. Nada. Blank. The indicator is a Federal, but that seemed to provide no help either. There's no telling that even were we to find an old Federal catalog, we have no idea if the base is actually a Federal brand item.

Even if you did have a Federal cat...I doubt the fixture is a Federal item bc of the blue paint. Their gage stands normally were painted green or black. There is a small possibility wherever the fixture came from had in-house casting capabilities and they made it for their own specialized use, which could make it even harder to ID.

Even the indicator itself isn't really a clue, as it could have been replaced in the past. I've bought a couple Federal perpendicular indicators like yours used, one of them has an almost unusable .01" range and .0005" resolution. The other one is slightly more user friendly at .04" range and .0005" resolution. They were likely special made for a specific task, Federal made a mind boggling array of indicators.

 

[4x4gearhead]

I have seen dial indicators with bases like this used to measure liner heights in sleeved engines. Not exactly that one, but the same style. Just my guess