Dial or Electronic Height Gauge ?

[twocik]

Purchased the TTS and not the biggest fan of the dial gauge, looking at a electronic height gauge.


Anyone thoughts ?



This is the one I'm looking at.

http://www.use-enco.com/CGI/INSRIT?P...AKA=TA328-6215

[RTP_Burnsville]

The height gauge looks like the HF model I have. I also have the Tormach gauge but have never used it as was not impressed by the looks either. Ha, forgot about even having it until I read your posting.

The HF gauge works pretty well and I like the carbide indicating bit that came with mine for scribing parts. The battery does not last all that long as with most of the Chinese indicators but that is my only gripe. If I remember right paid about $70.00 for mine a few years back.

Robert

[R.DesJardin]

I bought the Tormach but seldom use it, for drill bits mostly when accuracy isn't top priority. Seems simpler just to touch off the tool on the part and save it. Oh yeah, I don't swap tools between holders I just buy more holders for new tools and keep an on going tool library. This let's me program my parts and I always know what tool is what.

[Don Clement]

I don't use either a dial or electronic height gage but a vernier height gage. All height gages have the same accuracy of +-0.001" over six inches. Like a caliper, height gages violate the Abbe law. But since all measurements on my 12" vernier height gage are relative to my tool #1 dial indicator accuracy is better than that. I use the vernier height gage to measure all of my tools relative to tool #1 and enter in a tool table. Why touch off every time when one can set the datum once at the beginning and use the tool table?

Don Clement
Running Springs, California

[twocik]

Hi Don,
I kind of understand what you're saying, but I'm not sure I get this part.

"But since all measurements on my 12" vernier height gage are relative to my tool #1 dial indicator accuracy is better than that. I use the vernier height gage to measure all of my tools relative to tool #1 and enter in a tool table."

[dertsap]

digital is probably your best bet , the floating zero is something that you will probably utilize on a regular basis , get yourself a 10th set dial indicator as well to go along with it , while your at it get some precision v blocks, 123 blocks and a sine bar , you'll be happy to have them when the time comes

[Don Clement]

Hi Don,
I kind of understand what you're saying, but I'm not sure I get this part.

"But since all measurements on my 12" vernier height gage are relative to my tool #1 dial indicator accuracy is better than that. I use the vernier height gage to measure all of my tools relative to tool #1 and enter in a tool table."

Since the measurements are relative (less than a couple of inches difference and all tools set on the same Tormach calibration fixture) accuracy is pretty good <0.0005"

Also here is an old post about tool #1:
I use a Starrett dial indicator mounted in a TTS holder as tool #1 to set my tool height(s). see: http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i1...ettToolNo1.jpg The height of the Starrett dial indicator is measured on the granite flat using the TTS Measurement Fixture P/N30140 while the indicator reads 0.05”. This height is entered into the tool table as tool height #1. All other tools are measured on the flat using the same TTS Measurement Fixture and each tool height is entered in the tool table. To use the tool #1 indicator to set the tool height: put the tool #1 indicator in the Tormach spindle and bring the indicator foot down to the reference surface with the indicator measuring 0.05”. Set the tool to #1 in Mach3 and zero the Z-axis. All tools heights in the tool table are now referenced to the datum surface measured with indicator tool #1.

The advantage of using the #1 indicator tool system as opposed to the indicator on the table height system (as shown in ihcnc site) is that the #1 indicator tool system can measure height of non-flat datum surfaces such as a roll pin or tooling ball on an angled fixture. I frequently need to measure the datum of an angle fixture using the highest point of a ½” roll pin. The tool #1 indicator works extremely well for this application as it does in measuring the datum of any other flat surface. AGD indicators have a 4-48 threaded spindle so that a wide flat “elephant foot” can be used for setting off of the tangent surface of a roll pin or tooling ball or just a flat surface. There is no need for a "soft" foot epoxied on as the "hardened" foot screwed into the 4-48 threads of the AGD gage does not contact the fragile surfaces of any cutting tools. And the setting the indicator tool #1 for a datum height sets the datum for all tools in the tool table. Only needs to be done once for each datum height.

Don

[Don Clement]

digital is probably your best bet , the floating zero is something that you will probably utilize on a regular basis , get yourself a 10th set dial indicator as well to go along with it , while your at it get some precision v blocks, 123 blocks and a sine bar , you'll be happy to have them when the time comes

I find my vernier height gage works very well for measuring TTS tools height. Since all tools are measured on the same calibration fixture and the measured value of each is entered in the tool table, there is no need to zero the height gage. For me, an electronic height gage for the purposes of entering TTS heights in the tool table is not really necessary, only a convenience. YMMV

[justgary]

I played with my TTS height gauge for a few hours before I convinced myself that it was indeed repeatable. It does have its issues, but once you learn about them you can use it just about as easily as any other.

By the way, if you are good with a caliper you can get the same results as the height gauge will give. And you can use any block with parallel faces and a 3/4" hole bored in it for your height fixture to hold the tooling for measurement, provided the block is thick enough.

Since everything becomes a relative length, the only real requirement is to make repeatable measurements to the accuracy you desire for your work. Of course, that should be a requirement for *all* measurements...

Regards,

- Just Gary

[dertsap]

I find my vernier height gage works very well for measuring TTS tools height. Since all tools are measured on the same calibration fixture and the measured value of each is entered in the tool table, there is no need to zero the height gage. For me, an electronic height gage for the purposes of entering TTS heights in the tool table is not really necessary, only a convenience. YMMV

oops , after reading the op didn't realize that it was meant to qualify tools .,
so does the tormach come with these tool presetter blocks or do you guys make them ?

[Don Clement]

oops , after reading the op didn't realize that it was meant to qualify tools .,
so does the tormach come with these tool presetter blocks or do you guys make them ?

You might start with TTS measurement tools on the Tormach web site: http://www.tormach.com/Product_TTS_measurement.html

Don

[keen]

Hi - I repost the pic in case you missed my thread. Just a big dig vernier. Saves my brain!