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January 14, 2019, 11:55 AM | #1 |
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Dial Indicator uses while reloading
What uses have you found for a dial indicator in reloading? I have found I can use it to find bullet and neck runout while reloading.
I also just found I can measure neck thickness using it in my K&M neck turning tool. I’m looking for a setup to measure looseness in case gage (base to datum) and primer seating depth. |
January 14, 2019, 01:11 PM | #2 |
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A machinist square and a feeler gauge will help you with the primer seating depth.
A dial caliper will let you measure the OD of the case and the ID of the gauge. Don't get the digital ones, they are too easy to make errors with. |
January 14, 2019, 01:22 PM | #3 | |
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January 14, 2019, 02:18 PM | #4 |
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There shouldn't be any use or need for a dial indicator. A dial indicator won't measure the thickness of anything. They're used to check flatness and roundness of machined parts mostly.
There's no need to measure looseness in case gauges or primer depth either. Knowing either really won't tell you anything. Primers are seated until the ram won't go in anymore. There is no adjusting primer depth. Case gauges are usually 'Go' or 'No-Go' for checking a tolerance. They don't tell you much that's useful either. "...Don't get the digital ones..." A digital Vernier is far easier to read. They are not easier to make errors using either. A square only tells you if something is square.
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January 14, 2019, 03:08 PM | #5 |
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If one wanted to make a concintricity gauge instead of buy one, a dial indicator would come in handy. That is the only use I can think of in the realm of reloading where they could come in handy. They also come in handy when rebuilding differentials, should you ever have the need to do so.
I will second that a digital caliper is no less accurate than a dial caliper of similar quality. The accuracy of a caliper is made in how the slide interacts with the wheel that actually measures the results of slide movement, and the internals of how that wheel measures. The dial versus digital is just how this information is displayed.
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January 14, 2019, 07:09 PM | #6 |
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1000 y/d B/R shooting, huh?
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January 14, 2019, 08:24 PM | #7 |
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January 14, 2019, 08:41 PM | #8 |
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The digital gauges are too sensitive and you can easily be off by .001 or more with just a little pressure. A dial caliper positively stops. Ask any machinist worth his salt and he'll tell you the same thing. I have a Starret digital and dial and trust the dial a lot more.
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January 15, 2019, 12:16 AM | #9 | |
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January 15, 2019, 03:36 AM | #10 |
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the Rcbs dial indicator has a post that goes in neck ,turn against the dial and you read if case neck is of different thickness
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January 15, 2019, 09:44 AM | #11 | |
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You can use any caliper against standards and learn how to use them properly but they are no substitute for better measuring tools. |
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January 15, 2019, 11:17 AM | #12 | |
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Not me: In the big inning Wilson suggested using a straight edge and then? they described the straight edge as a pocket rule. I suggested the straight edge' could be a flat surface. I also suggested using a feeler gage with the straight edge to determine case head protrusion on the case gage and! I made tools that incorporated the use of a dial indicator when determining case head protrusion with a flat surface. Years ago I made a tool that measured the length of a case from the shoulder of the case to the head of the case as fast as picking up the tool and setting it down. I could say "as fast as a reloader can etc.." but there is a problem with getting reloaders to back away from the keyboard. F. Guffey |
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January 15, 2019, 11:35 AM | #13 |
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and then I made a tool for sorting cases by length from the end of the neck to the case head. With training a reloader could sort cases by length as fast as they could pick up a case and set it down.
And then there are dial indicators that measure .0001", I purchased a Pratt and Whitney gage that did some serious measuring, .000005" was as low as it would go and the highest it would go did nothing for me so I removed the electronics and then added a dial indicator. I have 80+ dial indicators, some go below .0001" I do not need an indicator that is that accurate but I have them JIC (just in case). F. Guffey |
January 15, 2019, 12:09 PM | #14 | ||
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Concentricity of bullets
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Be Safe !!!
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January 15, 2019, 02:04 PM | #15 | |
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No reloaders understood ever time someone mentioned head space gage he got top billing from google. And then there was that thing about the three legged milk stool; the few that understood got a giggle about that one; I believe the few was a total of two. If a reloader falls for that one about the case having head space they will fall for anything. F. Guffey |
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January 15, 2019, 02:28 PM | #16 |
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You can buy indicators that are more than accurate enough for any reloading. Components just are not consistent enough to need .00002” resolution. For lots of reloading tasks .001 is good enough sometimes we may want to get to the tenth but that’s still pretty far away.
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January 15, 2019, 05:33 PM | #17 |
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jmorris, thanks! That's just the thing I've been looking for to verify that my range fodder pistol rounds with mixed brass and plated bullets are consistently concentric to .00002" TIR! No more flyers for me!
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January 15, 2019, 05:56 PM | #18 |
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https://picclick.ca/Out-of-Stock-90-...482982091.html
I doubt anyone is going to order 4 of those. If I replaced my comparator indicators the cost for each one would be $700.00 and then I have 3 cheaper ones that are made in Germany that would be close to $350.00 each. Back to what could be done with a dial indicator. I understand reloaders are afraid to loosen the lock nut, some claim they use shims. Reloaders do not believe the die can be measured with a height gage and or a dial caliper. A reloader could measure the height of the die above the press with a dial indicator when adapted to an adapter. For me it has always been very simple, simple as in the die is solid meaning if the die is raised the top of the die goes up 'at the top' above the press and it goes up above the ram the same amount. And, it is a mind boggling thing; both measurements are measured in thousandths. The boggling thing? Reloaders have from the big inning insist on measuring the turn of the die in degrees and converting degrees into thousandths. So if I choose to lower the die I can lower the die in thousandths with a depth micrometer, height gage or a dial caliper. F. Guffey |
January 15, 2019, 06:48 PM | #19 | |
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January 15, 2019, 07:06 PM | #20 | |
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F. Guffey |
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January 15, 2019, 07:26 PM | #21 |
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These magnetic bases will not work on a wood, plastic or non ferrous surfaces.
F. Guffey |
January 15, 2019, 07:30 PM | #22 |
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and then there are micro adjusters on powder measures. All of my powder measures are micro adjust because I can measure adjuster protrusion with a depth micrometer, dial caliper etc. and with a dial indicator with an adapter kit.
F. Guffey |
January 15, 2019, 07:34 PM | #23 |
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tip of my index finger makes a great primer depth micrometer for double checking, I use a bench mounted primer and tend to seat hard but I always check
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January 15, 2019, 07:57 PM | #24 | |
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January 24, 2019, 01:37 PM | #25 | |
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Most of my stands weigh 100 pounds plus, most of my stands are the base. And then there is the layout/ set up table, it is steel and is marked out with a grid. F. Guffey |
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