Lugs or Spigots – Your vote!

[frank brownParticipant @frankbrown22225]

I have a collection of dial gauges bought over the years from car boot sales etc. The problem is that some have lug mountings and some use a 8mm spigot, others have none!

I have decided to bite the bullet and convert them all to one sort and like wise my holders/bases.

I will also be making some right angled connectors so as to rotate the dials so they are pointing in the correct direction for reading. I have not made up my mind which type to use and I would like your opinion on the relative advantages/disadvantages of each type.

Frank

[frank brownParticipant @frankbrown22225]

[jason udallParticipant @jasonudall57142]

Weeeell…if there was a clear winner there would be less variety.

I have seen clocks with three systems ( as mentioned plus dove tails)…on the same clock

I would take the majority vote..go with what most ( in your population) use.

[jonathan heppelParticipant @jonathanheppel43280]

I have a small collection too, most of which is entirely redundant. I use the .0005 lever DTI by far the most, which I usually hold on the spigot protruding from its rear. This provides the greatest clearance from whatever I'm testing. As for the plunger type, they're used seldom enough that it's a matter of what's convenient at the time, though I keep a 2" one mounted near the headstock for saddle travel. In short, I feel that while standardising has a certain attraction, the time you'll save is minimal compared with the time spent on modification.

[BazyleParticipant @bazyle]

It is easier to add a spigot to a lug than a lug to a spigot so conversion one way would be easier but only if the direction of the spigot is then satisfactory. It also depends on what you then want to mount it to.

If you have several perhaps it is easier just to have permanent mountings as in one on mag stand, one on square bar for lathe tool block, one on bar for chuck mount etc. Then the actual mount doesn't matter.

[Sub MandrelParticipant @submandrel]

I know the feeling. I have a German DTI with no fitting at all, so I made a holder with a hole/thumbscrew from an old alloy doorhandle. My lever DTI has dovetails on which I can fix two different sizes of spigot, so i can hold it in the same device, but it points in different directions! My magnetic stand can go through terrible contortions trying to get the business end of a gauge in place while I avoid having so much overhang the results are useless.

Neil

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