New to me dial indicator, info?

[slotard]

I picked this up in exchange for some work at an estate sale, figuring that any German made dial indicator is probably pretty high quality. Oddly enough there were no other machine tools in the garage, or any powertools beyond a cordless drill. There was a reasonable toolbox, but nothing special, so I've got no clue why what seems to be a very nice caliper was there. There's a little bit of surface rust on one side, as seen. I took a brass brush to it with minimal force and got some off, and then oiled it, not sure if I should do anything else.


click for bigger picture

Brand appears to be Käfer, just over 2" stroke, .001" graduations.

Any ideas as to age of it? The company is still around, but their current ones look significantly different - they use a different axis for the needle that shows larger changes.

I needed a dial indicator, didn't really need one this nice but it should last a lifetime.

 

[slotard]

and a few more pics. I found that they didn't put model numbers on them up until a few years ago, it's clearly older than that. it has what appears to be a serial number on the back, but that's it.

 

[Provincial]

Because it says "Made in Germany" rather than West Germany, it would have been either made before WWII or after reunification. The general appearance makes it look very old, so it could be prewar.

If you remove the back you should see a set of rack and pinion gears to change the linear motion of the shaft to the rotary motion of the dial. That is a feature of high quality indicators.

 

[slotard]

Could be, but I wasn't thinking it was quite that old.

Nothing will come apart if I pull the back off? Don't wanna risk damaging it.

 

[Provincial]

Removing the back is a normal procedure. Many indicators of that design have interchangable backs for mounting in different ways. All the workings are attached to the main housing and the behind the dial.

 

[Big-Foot]

Nice instrument - but why take it apart and take a chance at Effing it up?

 

[Steevo]

You never know where you'll find tools. Lucky for you, you saw this among the ordinary stuff. That is a really nice dial indicator.
I once found a bowl (yes bowl) of lathe cutting bits and a knurling tool, in a kitchen at an estate sale, alongside cups of knives, forks, etc.. They wanted $3 for the bowl and contents. I didn't want the bowl, but didn't argue.

 

[Provincial]

Nice instrument - but why take it apart and take a chance at Effing it up?

Because with 70-year-old lube in it, it won't work well for long. And taking the back off isn't chancing damage.

 

[John Timmins]

I've used dial indicators just like this many times from 10 inches to 2 feet or more longer. They were used to measure crankshaft deflection readings. The ends fit in small machined holes in the crankshaft opposite the throw. The crankshaft is rotated by putting a pinch bar in the flywheel or on larger engines, an electric motor driven pinion in the flywheel. The indicator is put into place behind the rod, zeroed, and measured in 4 places as the crank is slowly rotated.

This is done for each crank throw. By comparing the measurements to the newbuild or last measurement, the wear of the main bearings can be seen. We're taking about not having to remove bearing caps that weigh 100s of pounds.

When ships are dry docked and the ship goes on the floor or lifted, the crankcase is oened up immediately while the engine is still hot and the deflection readings are done. It is a pain in the *** with all that oil still dripping and you're standing in there.

 

[slotard]

Any other thoughts on Germany rather than West Germany? I wasn't thinking that it was quite 70 years old.

 

[Trucky]

Kafer is decent stuff. I was kind of hoping it was a test indicator (People seem to get the two confused a lot of the time) but it's not any less useful in the least.

If you want a good servicing done to it, I fully recommend Long Island Indicator. Very experienced, very knowledgable. There's some info online if you want to open it up, but honestly I leave all precision instruments to the professionals.

As for age, it definitely isn't prewar. The "typeface" on that logo is still around. Honestly I would send them an email to see if you can get any information on it.

 

[slotard]

I opened it up, didn't touch anything, and put it back together.

 

[slotard]

Also, I was told there was another one that I'm being given. It appears to be a test indicator, I don't yet know what brand. I'll be picking it up later today.

 

[slotard]