I'm a retired jewler, watch, and clock maker with over 25 yrs in the business. I hung it up 6 yrs ago and have had no interest in sitting at the bench again until I came across an old lathe. One of my teachers had given it to me 20yrs ago and it was ancient then. I believe it was given to him, the wiring was long ago degraded to very crumbling rubber and copper. I felt the urge to restore it and have started doing so. The only thing I'm missing is a tale stock, on eBay they are crazy expensive so I'm making one out of aluminum. I was testing it out on some Rd brass stock and my dial gauge was sticking so out of curiosity I UA-cam it and saw ur video. Low and behold I'm getting that old itch back I thought I was done with it. Thanks for the video. Take care and you'll never get rich with clocks for sure but if your like me it's more for the knowledge (how does this work), art and history.
Thanks for youd comment. I'm glad you are finding the joy to fixing and making things again. I'm just like you. I love the challenge with this stuff. And it makes me very sad that I cant do it anymore. Actually I have a doctors apointment today and I hope the news is not too bad.
popee45 I just bought a Mercer dial indicator on EBay. It’s sticky. Searched UA-cam, found this video again and having watched it am I now prepared to have a go? 🤔............. I so want to! 👍😀
Mr Carpathian buy yourself an ultrasonic cleaner and put the whole indicator in clean cleaning fluid and switch on. You don't have to take apart that way!
Thankyou, thankyou, thankyou! My dial gauge and mag base went crashing to the concrete today resulting in a locked up gauge. After multiple partial disassembly's and rebuilds not fixing the problem and thinking the guage was beyond repair, I watched your video and felt brave enough to completely disassemble the gauge. That's when I discovered the entire clockwork and face had rotated resulting in the rod badly meshing with the gear. Once reassembled after a clean its back to working like new.
The best video I’ve seen on indicator repair so far. I would have liked a narration to go along with your video explaining the various steps and order of operations. I would also have liked to know what solutions you used to clean the parts as well as lubricants used. Thanks for posting your work.
@@LazywatchsmithOh brother! Perhaps I was not clear enough! It is that, so long after enjoying your video, your affection, your dedication to your work continues to impress me. Hence my thought - how much would such zeal be worth?
Very satisfying to watch this. I just returned a faulty dial indicator on the account that the plunger was sticking and not returning properly. I was not about to start playing around with the fine precision engineering involved. This was insightful to see why though. Nice workmanship. 👍
Loved this video! Nearing 40 near years of Fab. & the smaller the parts the more I hate them! Watchmaker is top of the food chain for patience, and machine skills. A true craftsman.
Sir, this video is great, I have a very unusable sticky indicator, I wish I could copy you, but I am 73 years old, and even if I could open the case my hands would be shaking so much the whole lot would go up in the air and I would be on my hands and knees for months looking for the parts. But I greatly admire your skill. thanks. Colin. UK.
Btw, saw a few of your videos and subscribed. You should invest a little more time on these videos as there’s money to be made nowadays. UA-cam today IS the go to place for anything. It replaced Google years ago for being visual and allowing the creators to express their personality on it. I can see you’re very funny and creative, you should try it. You have years here and s couple dollars extra wouldn’t hurt! Good luck and thank you for reading your comments! That’s also very important.
Hi, Excellent work, even down to setting the turns indicator and main indicator to zero. You are obviously a professional seeing the deft way you handle and disassemble the dial gauge. Congratulations on a well executed repair. Regards MoK
+Mo King Thank you so much. I am a watchmaker, but I have a broblem with my hands so they don't work so good anymore but this was big enough for me to handle. Thanks for your kind words and thanks for watching.
Well... dial indicators shouldn't sit on zero when relaxed actually. And that is to provide preload from the beginning of their range. Mitutoyo dial indicators even have a mark under the dial where the hand should sit. 0,1mm before zero on a 0,01 indicator
I can watch this over and over. Any chance you could do a full version were nothing is sped up and you list the products you use and the tools and tool brands you use and prefer? Thanks. I have a bunch of old high quality dial indicators from someone whose no longer with us and I’d like to be able to understand how such old world quality comes together to make a piece of mechanical art. I’ve been told to just go digital, but I already own these indicators and they have generations of life in them with a good cleaning and touch up. Thanks again.
Hi. I have a nerve problem in my right hand so can't repair these things any more. Sorry. There might be useful information in these comments for you. Thanks for watching Dean.
Nice video. I’d like to know more about your tools: 1) the pencil looking thing you rubbed on gears and in bearing holes before ultra sound, 2) your little oil dishes and why two types, 3) the device you used to install the indicator needles. I just repaired an indicator that I dropped and the finer points/tools of you vid would have helped.
Incredibly beautiful job! You are an amazing craftsman, and artist! I have read one should "preload" a new dial indicator before using. Could you expand on that and tell me how to properly do that?
Excellent. A very well made video, my friend. Now, at least I know enough not to give it a big blast of WD-40. It's too bad that most of the dial indicators on the market now are just cheap throw-away junk not worth the expense of cleaning or repairing.
I have a brown & sharp dial indicator. I need to remove the needle to get the number plate off to put back into the inner ring. I have seen some pry off the needle then press it back on, are they all that way?
I definitely think his methods are the best. But that being said you can use a little break clean on the bar and oil it after and it fixes it 90% of the time.
That is the right way to do it. I do it the much lazier way. I soak the whole thing in mineral spirits, then denatured alcohol. Put in a vac chamber to remove everything. Then I oil and go to town.
@@jusb1066 better to put a drop of lighter fluid on the shaft to clean off the oil that some other owner put on by mistake. Most gauges say not to lubricate somewhere on them.
Considering the state of my dial indicator, this is a bit too much of a time investment. It's a Starrett no.196, and it only has the _mildest_ stickiness to it; it's as though you have to first gently break it loose to get it to move and then it's fine, but by then you've already jumped from 0 to 10 or 20. To me, it seems as though it's just thirsty for some routine maintenance, but I'd appreciate a more adept opinion before I do anything. Do you advise using a certain type of oil as a quick fix? Thanks.
I've got a 1micron indicator that's always been stiff from brand new(Chinese).ive found in the past repairing others that have the same tight feel the main shaft rack and pinion clearance was too tight but this one has different issue I can't work out.any ideas?.thks
Thanks for the video. Was just wondering is there a way with these gauges to lighten the tension resistance on the plunger by means of adjustment ? Thanks
@@Lazywatchsmith Hey thanks for the response, well I just pulled my digital gauge down, it appears there is a small spring that sets the tension resistance as well as a small lead block that adds to the inertia factor, I found a similar spring with lighter tension and replaced the original, it does seem to have less resistance now so hopefully it may be the fix for the purpose at hand. Cheers, Trevor
What were the magic liquids? The lubricating oil in the red container, the liquid in the ultrasonic cleaner, the liquid in the 4 liter bottle? Was it the ultrasonic cleaner that made your hair fall out?
Very informative, both video and comments. I just did this 'kinda' on a Starrett, used a bit of watch oil I bought for my floor clock. Have another, a cheapie from a garage sale, seems OK as is, but missing 3 of 4 screws in the back. Likely to be Chinese and metric. Thoughts on finding replacement screws with a watch repair person?
Hi. I would think that european and asian watches are quite common regardless where you live. So I think you finding the right screws from a watchmaker is wery possible. Sorry about my english and happy hunting.
Some mad skills right there! How do you do such fine work with gloves on?? I have a few old sticky Mercer indicators and I learnt something today, and that is to leave it to the professionals LOL.
+bkupiec Not more than 1/4 of a turn. Just make sure the hairspring does not bind when the indicator is in it's upper limit. The oils are special clock oils. Red moebius 8030 and the yellow moebius 8300(vaseline). Just use some thin oil like sewing machine oil. Sorry about my english. Thanks for watching.
seeing that room with all the clock on the wall reminds me of my grandpa's work room. He used to build and repair clocks, he passed away a few days ago.
Incredible craftsman. Could have been longer to see more clearer the moves and maybe some explanation of what was happening and why. I doubt I would try and repeat this based on this video.
I had a sticky dial indicator so I washed the mechanism with Methylated spirits or it might be called denatured alcohol?? And the blasted thing fogged up on the inside and won't clear. Its a very thin film and not that I soaked the whole thing in the alcohol either... How do I get the glass off because I'm certain its not got a split ring as you've shown here?
I suspect the whole bezel is a press fit onto the body...... I also suspect the plastic may be removed with a suction device as I guess some watches? I'm not sure of this. I have tried some levering of the bezel but carefully and not wishing to do damage and yet cannot feel any type of freeing up... Seems to be locking up instead of being ready to slide off..... I've heard paint thinner may be a way of cleaning inside? Prefer to have it off and to clean by hand....... Just dropped a note to the manufacturer and hopefully they can also give me some tips but its Friday night here........
The best cleaner (and almost the only one I use) is simple Isoproponal. Even that can fog up a crystal if you use too much. As for getting the bezel off, if it doesn't seem to be a press fit, you'll have to open up the back. Look for a very small, flat, thin oblong of (probably) brass, held down by a screw in a slot. It will be next to the outer edge, probably opposite the main gear section and in the lower quadrant. Loosen the screw so the oblong can slide inward. This disengages it from an interior retaining groove in the bezel. Use caution: On the other side of the bezel is a retaining spring that also fits in that groove. When you lift the bezel from the body, that spring may sproing. Once the bezel is out, you can replace the crystal.
Okej, thanx for that tips, i fixes a italian made Borletti last week and i putted a small amount oil on the gears, need to strip it again then, have bought some other old indicators, 1 Tesa(Compac) 0.001mm made in swiss, Beautiful like new in wodden box, also 1 Interapid 312-1 also superb, and 4 total of Compac Geneve 2x40mm one IP54 353-E and 2x58mm they have almost not a scratch, strange indeed? im planning to take them apart, i have bought the Mobeus 9010 oil and the tooling that i need, will be fun,if they are not sticky and looks ok, im only gonna put some oil on the jewels, not a total strip, im from Sweden by the way..=)
One more question, how mutch do you preloade the hairspring?, do you know how mutch preload a compac should have, or did you put the gum to calculate the turn/preload of the gear?
Doger Karlström I think I just estimated the preload. You can count the preload when you take it apart. Most of these indicators are dropped antd dont work because tje movement moves slightly in side the case. You can fix them just by adjusting the movements position. Have fun. Do you allready subscribe to the Swedish channel JWAM? He is Awesome! Lazy Watchsmith Finland.
Im planning/thinking that i take a ink pen and make 2 mark, one on the housing and on the gear, then i can measure it exactly..=), No, have not seen the Swedis site JWAM, link?
Great video, aren't we supposed to leave the the needles past the zero point by a few thou so the mic can be brought to zero manually? I was just wondering.
I have a sticky old one in the shed, i was looking at a cheap chinese 0.01, but i changed my mind when it said "allow 1-3mm error due to manual measure".. Not a chance.
There are LOTS of sticky dial indicators out there, and lots of home shop people with some tools and some mechanical aptitude. I think a LOT of home engineers would very much enjoy (and gain benefit from) a "idiots guide" to cleaning a sticky indicator. (complete with caveats, preconditions and equipment requirments) I can find videos by people "having a go" (on the basis of no knowledge). But you are the only person who seems to genuinely know what you're doing, but there's no commentary, captions and it's speeded up!
Amazing, i have a box of about 10 DG's all sticky, if i tried this, half the screws would be missing or chewed, none of the gears would fit back where they came from and the needles would all be bent :)
Yeah, read them mostly :) I'm more adept at wielding a club hammer or running a mill - my banana like hands don't work too well on microscopic parts :) I'll leave that to the experts i think.
have you done a vid on spring preload by chance? thanks for sharing. the mechanical side, of this doesnt scare me, the tiny parts and my mot so coordinated hands would ve my problem lol.
No videos about spring preload. Sorry. Often you only need to adjust the movement in the case. When the caliber hits the floor, the movement sifts in the case. Thanks for watching!
Waaw, great job. Wish it was filmed at half the speed so I could get a better look at your techniques and tools ... What do you use to clean the jewels ? Is that just a wooden stick ?
You can slow down the playback by going to Settings (click the little cogged wheel on the bottom right of the screen) then click Speed and choose .50 on the list. .25 is also available for really detailed observation. You can do this at any time (while paused or during playback).
Who knew that there could be so many parts in an indicator? Not a job for an old man with shaky hands! Were the case and plunger also cleaned in the ultrasonic cleaner? Did the plunger not need to be removed from the case? Thanks for an interesting video.
Watched yours after mrpete222's - Very interesting , you have an amazing skill. Would have liked to see it a bit slower though, to take it all in...but fascinating all the same. Great!
...nor the smaller one. The big hand must be about at 10 or 11 at rest and the small hand must be at 0 when the big one reaches noon for the first time. It's all about preloading.
Hi, maybe you are my man. That hair spring is for backlash? So, dial indicator has backlash? Becouse I opened a prestigiuos Mitutoyo double rod hight gauge, with dial, and it has literally lost all the accuracy. repeteability etc. Seems to me a backlash problem, and I remember perfectly that spring sound when I opened it the very very first time. Do you think preloading spring is the righ way, and it could solve the problem?
I think the hairspring is to keep the wheels engaged to themselves. Is the spring ok that pulls the plunger? Or the movement might be in the wrong position. If the movement is too close or too far from the plunger thingy. It does not work. I hope this helps. And sorry about my english.
No, don't buy another height gage. They're very expensive, unless you get at super crappy one. Your problem is almost certainly the hairspring. It does indeed remove the backlash so you'll get repeatability. But fixing that in a dual-beam height gage is not at all easy. One hint: When you're winding that spring, make sure you do it so the spring gets tighter (contracts). And be patient. These make me scream a lot.
Thanks very much for this video Lazy watchsmith, I've watched it several times and it's helped me a lot. I've developed a strange affection for renewing vintage Mitutoyo Series 2 dial indicators and I learned a lot from watching you work on this one :) I have a couple questions; if you could advise me I'd be very grateful. What solution should I use in the ultrasonic cleaner for the movement parts? Also, what are the two lubricants you used called (I'm sure I can find supply if I know the right terms)? Btw, a dial indicator should be set to be about a quarter revolution counter-clockwise of zero in the rest position, such that you have "preload" room when you're using it. I'm not sure if that's to take up backlash or just to give you room to indicate on both sides of zero, but it's what I've heard from the experts at Long Island Indicator :) Any help you can give this budding indicator repairman will be very gratefully received :)
i use these in my job everyday. some people have a habit of dropping these and usually the whole thing becomes really sticky or the spindle or plunger wont actually move at all. is there any coming back from such a fate or should i junk them? thanks :)
+robom1995 Do not junk them. You might be able fix them. Look at 3:53 on the video. Often the movement has only sifted slightly and the plunger gets too close to the wheel in the movement. Good luck and thanks for watching. Let me now how you do with it.(sorry about my english)
It depends on the value of the indicator. A brand name (Starrett, Mitutoyo, Brown & Sharpe), definitely. Fowler or SPI, probably. Your basic Chinese indicator, probably not. Basic rule: If the repair is going to be more than half the value of the tool, get a new tool.
@@Lazywatchsmith Thanks! But I think you're talking about the ultrasonic cleaning solution itself. I meant the solvent (or whatever it was) you used to rinse the parts after the cleaning...
@@Lazywatchsmith Aha so the liquid in the glass jar is alcohol (in the video it's titled "clean water", but now it makes more sense to put alcohol in a small glass jar!) Thank you!
Looks like a lot of fun, but for sticky gauges a bit of mineral spirits on the external moving parts usually frees them up. Those are the parts that are subject to external soil.
You did something wrong. When ever tried to fix a dial indicator I always had a few parts left over. They probably weren't important. Were they? Question: a dark-haired guy started the work. Is he related to the bald guy that finished it?
I use cheap Chinese indicators and at the first sign of trouble give the plunger a squirt of WD40. If trouble persists I give them the flick and replace them. Always keep in mind whether you are using metric or imperial gauges
Heittokello is the common word for those. I quess Mittakello is as good but it is seldomly used. In case You didn't notice, the TINY amount of oil is reall all that is needed but it better not be WD40 .... I quess the most usual reason for indicator stickyness is the oil. Especially cutting oil.
The big arrow must NOT be at 0 on rest point! It's must be minus 20-25. Indicator use in preloaded, so arrow at 0 must be slightly preloaded. Overall good job.
Your talents are wasted on dial indicators. And unless that indicator is worth four or five hundred dollars, or has great sentimental value for someone, that amount of work is also wasted. Still, it was a pleasure to watch you work. (I hope you checked it for accuracy before going to all that trouble.) For anyone else with a sticky indicator, 95% of the time it's because dried coolant has stuck to the rack (the vertical rod), so that as it enters and exits the body, it drags on the interior bearing surface. A few drops of isoproponal (straight alcohol) on either end of the rack, work it in and out a few times, wipe it off with a lint-free tissue, repeat a few times,, and you should be good to go. If that doesn't work, call me or the guy who did this video.
Voisitko vinkata mulle mistä voisin ostaa "edullisesti" mutta toimivan, todella vimpan päälle toimivan "kellon" - saadakseni mm. höylän terät suoraksi ym. Laita vinkkejä vaikka kurre ja se merkki stenback-kurre.fi
+KurrenPuupaja Eipä ole tullut noita paljon osteltua. Mutta motonetissä on ihan asiallisen oloinen peli melko edullisesti. Olikohan heittokello+ magneettijalka noin 60€.
Toit esille että "käsi /kädet" ei oikein toimi. Noin 45+ vuotta sitten soitin kitaraa, klassista / opiskelin sitä. AIKA LAILLA HYVIN JA HARRASTIN URHEILUA. Anteeksi tuo korostus. Yksi lajeista oli painon nosto. Ja sitten se tapahtui, väärät painot ja tempaus - meni yli - yritin estää ja vasen käsi petti.... Meni lähemmäs 3 vuotta ennen kuin mikä tahansa vasemmassa kädessä pysyi sinä kuten juoma lasi... minulla ei ollut mitään hallintaa siihen... On sanomattakin selvää ... en enää soittanut kitaraa... vaikka aina yritän ja nytkin se on tuossa takanani, kokeilin sitten trumpettia, oikealla kädellä.... mutta sellaista ei soiteta missä tahansa.... Nyt ei ole keuhkoja sellaiseen....
Kaikenlaista sitä pitää sattua. Tätä meikäläisen vaivaa on tutkittu jo vaikka kuina paljon. Eikä mitään oikeata syytä ole löydetty. Tunto vaan häviää oikeasta kädestä ja vasemmasta jalasta. Itse epäilen työpaikan sisäilmaongelmaa, mutta mene ja tiedä.
Hi new here, subscribed check, like the videos check. We are watchmakers and micro-machinists. We repair our own dial indicators as well. Only sharing because mechanical and digital it is great to have this additional skill as watchmakers we did not know we would find this easy to do compared to the watch movement complication but they are actually larger and fun to work on after-all. One more thing we do not have to go outside to have done. Nice dial indicator service you performed, thank you for the share. Lance & Patrick.
James Parus Kiitos James. Itse asiassa minulla on suuria ongelmia dominoivan käden kanssa. Alkaa selittämättömästä syystä olemaan tunto sormista pois. Siksipä en enää pysty tämän pienempiä vehkeitä korjaamaan.
I'm a retired jewler, watch, and clock maker with over 25 yrs in the business. I hung it up 6 yrs ago and have had no interest in sitting at the bench again until I came across an old lathe. One of my teachers had given it to me 20yrs ago and it was ancient then. I believe it was given to him, the wiring was long ago degraded to very crumbling rubber and copper. I felt the urge to restore it and have started doing so. The only thing I'm missing is a tale stock, on eBay they are crazy expensive so I'm making one out of aluminum. I was testing it out on some Rd brass stock and my dial gauge was sticking so out of curiosity I UA-cam it and saw ur video. Low and behold I'm getting that old itch back I thought I was done with it. Thanks for the video. Take care and you'll never get rich with clocks for sure but if your like me it's more for the knowledge (how does this work), art and history.
Thanks for youd comment. I'm glad you are finding the joy to fixing and making things again. I'm just like you. I love the challenge with this stuff. And it makes me very sad that I cant do it anymore. Actually I have a doctors apointment today and I hope the news is not too bad.
@@Lazywatchsmith I wish you well, good luck!
The moral of the story after watching this fascinating film is to leave such work to a skilled person. I dare not attempt any such work myself.
Agree lol
Why not? ... have a go ... surprise yourself !
popee45 I just bought a Mercer dial indicator on EBay. It’s sticky. Searched UA-cam, found this video again and having watched it am I now prepared to have a go? 🤔............. I so want to! 👍😀
Mr Carpathian buy yourself an ultrasonic cleaner and put the whole indicator in clean cleaning fluid and switch on. You don't have to take apart that way!
SAMRODIAN It is on my shopping list. The ultrasonic cleaner seems to be used by many people for all sorts of things.
Thankyou, thankyou, thankyou! My dial gauge and mag base went crashing to the concrete today resulting in a locked up gauge. After multiple partial disassembly's and rebuilds not fixing the problem and thinking the guage was beyond repair, I watched your video and felt brave enough to completely disassemble the gauge. That's when I discovered the entire clockwork and face had rotated resulting in the rod badly meshing with the gear. Once reassembled after a clean its back to working like new.
Awesome! Good job.
WOW! You are good. I wish I had seen this before I made my video.
+mrpete222
Thanks for watching.
Yes. Something went wrong inthe editing and the text is in the wrong place. Too Lazy to fix it.
Name checks out
etienne nel would hate to see the state of the inside of it in a couple of years time! Lol
I have repaired huge amounts of dial indicators and puppies test while working at Tata motors Jsr.
The best video I’ve seen on indicator repair so far. I would have liked a narration to go along with your video explaining the various steps and order of operations. I would also have liked to know what solutions you used to clean the parts as well as lubricants used. Thanks for posting your work.
Surgical intervention. Very well done work. One of the best videos I watched in Brazilian lands in 2017. And better: without words - with work.
I'm glad you like it. Thanks for watching.
@@Lazywatchsmith Sorry if I'm being indiscreet. How much do you charge for your recovery work?
@@jimdasselvas2457 sorry but I cant do that any more. My hand is busted.
@@LazywatchsmithOh brother! Perhaps I was not clear enough! It is that, so long after enjoying your video, your affection, your dedication to your work continues to impress me. Hence my thought - how much would such zeal be worth?
Very satisfying to watch this. I just returned a faulty dial indicator on the account that the plunger was sticking and not returning properly. I was not about to start playing around with the fine precision engineering involved. This was insightful to see why though. Nice workmanship. 👍
I love to watch a craftsman at work , the background music made it even more enjoyable .
Loved this video! Nearing 40 near years of Fab. & the smaller the parts the more I hate them! Watchmaker is top of the food chain for patience, and machine skills. A true craftsman.
Sir, this video is great, I have a very unusable sticky indicator, I wish I could copy you, but I am 73 years old, and even if I could open the case my hands would be shaking so much the whole lot would go up in the air and I would be on my hands and knees for months looking for the parts. But I greatly admire your skill.
thanks. Colin. UK.
Thanks Colin. You should read the comments of this video. There is nice tips in here.
A man of few words!!!!
Super efficient craftsman!
Btw, saw a few of your videos and subscribed. You should invest a little more time on these videos as there’s money to be made nowadays. UA-cam today IS the go to place for anything. It replaced Google years ago for being visual and allowing the creators to express their personality on it. I can see you’re very funny and creative, you should try it. You have years here and s couple dollars extra wouldn’t hurt! Good luck and thank you for reading your comments! That’s also very important.
Hi, Excellent work, even down to setting the turns indicator and main indicator to zero. You are obviously a professional seeing the deft way you handle and disassemble the dial gauge. Congratulations on a well executed repair.
Regards MoK
+Mo King
Thank you so much. I am a watchmaker, but I have a broblem with my hands so they don't work so good anymore but this was big enough for me to handle.
Thanks for your kind words and thanks for watching.
Well... dial indicators shouldn't sit on zero when relaxed actually. And that is to provide preload from the beginning of their range. Mitutoyo dial indicators even have a mark under the dial where the hand should sit. 0,1mm before zero on a 0,01 indicator
I can watch this over and over. Any chance you could do a full version were nothing is sped up and you list the products you use and the tools and tool brands you use and prefer? Thanks. I have a bunch of old high quality dial indicators from someone whose no longer with us and I’d like to be able to understand how such old world quality comes together to make a piece of mechanical art. I’ve been told to just go digital, but I already own these indicators and they have generations of life in them with a good cleaning and touch up. Thanks again.
Hi. I have a nerve problem in my right hand so can't repair these things any more. Sorry. There might be useful information in these comments for you. Thanks for watching Dean.
Nice video. I’d like to know more about your tools: 1) the pencil looking thing you rubbed on gears and in bearing holes before ultra sound, 2) your little oil dishes and why two types, 3) the device you used to install the indicator needles.
I just repaired an indicator that I dropped and the finer points/tools of you vid would have helped.
Very interesting to see the insides. Fiddly work! Thanks for sharing!
+Willem Kossen
Thanks for watching!
Incredibly beautiful job! You are an amazing craftsman, and artist! I have read one should "preload" a new dial indicator before using. Could you expand on that and tell me how to properly do that?
You shouldn't need to preload a new indicator. If you do, it's defective. And preloading itself is a bit complicated. Leave it to a pro.
Excellent. A very well made video, my friend. Now, at least I know enough not to give it a big blast of WD-40. It's too bad that most of the dial indicators on the market now are just cheap throw-away junk not worth the expense of cleaning or repairing.
I have a brown & sharp dial indicator. I need to remove the needle to get the number plate off to put back into the inner ring. I have seen some pry off the needle then press it back on, are they all that way?
@@kentaylor814 I think so. Pry from both sides at the same time.
I definitely think his methods are the best. But that being said you can use a little break clean on the bar and oil it after and it fixes it 90% of the time.
That is the right way to do it. I do it the much lazier way. I soak the whole thing in mineral spirits, then denatured alcohol. Put in a vac chamber to remove everything. Then I oil and go to town.
i just put a couple of drops of sewing machine oil on the shaft and it loosend up a couple of sticky ones!
@@jusb1066 better to put a drop of lighter fluid on the shaft to clean off the oil that some other owner put on by mistake. Most gauges say not to lubricate somewhere on them.
Thanks for giving me the motivation/guidance to have a go at this myself :) Thankfully all mine needed was cleaning and some oil :)
Considering the state of my dial indicator, this is a bit too much of a time investment. It's a Starrett no.196, and it only has the _mildest_ stickiness to it; it's as though you have to first gently break it loose to get it to move and then it's fine, but by then you've already jumped from 0 to 10 or 20.
To me, it seems as though it's just thirsty for some routine maintenance, but I'd appreciate a more adept opinion before I do anything. Do you advise using a certain type of oil as a quick fix? Thanks.
Only one problem. When you put the main hand on, it should point at -.015 or so so it can be preloaded and zero can be at the top.
I've got a 1micron indicator that's always been stiff from brand new(Chinese).ive found in the past repairing others that have the same tight feel the main shaft rack and pinion clearance was too tight but this one has different issue I can't work out.any ideas?.thks
Could it be the hand or something else on the dial side🤔
Thanks for the video. Was just wondering is there a way with these gauges to lighten the tension resistance on the plunger by means of adjustment ? Thanks
Thanks for watching. I think there is no easy way to adjust that.
@@Lazywatchsmith Hey thanks for the response, well I just pulled my digital gauge down, it appears there is a small spring that sets the tension resistance as well as a small lead block that adds to the inertia factor, I found a similar spring with lighter tension and replaced the original, it does seem to have less resistance now so hopefully it may be the fix for the purpose at hand. Cheers, Trevor
@@cincinattiblues Nice job man.
What were the magic liquids? The lubricating oil in the red container, the liquid in the ultrasonic cleaner, the liquid in the 4 liter bottle? Was it the ultrasonic cleaner that made your hair fall out?
This was lovely to watch and listen to.
+w0mbles
Thank you.
What oil do you used for lubrification, the yellow and red ??
Sorry. Cant renember. It was some kind of watch repairing oil.
Very informative, both video and comments. I just did this 'kinda' on a Starrett, used a bit of watch oil I bought for my floor clock. Have another, a cheapie from a garage sale, seems OK as is, but missing 3 of 4 screws in the back. Likely to be Chinese and metric. Thoughts on finding replacement screws with a watch repair person?
Hi. I would think that european and asian watches are quite common regardless where you live. So I think you finding the right screws from a watchmaker is wery possible. Sorry about my english and happy hunting.
Nice demo of a good dial gauge. Im a little surprised I didnt see any jewels but its as near to a watch as I can think without being a watch :)
Some mad skills right there! How do you do such fine work with gloves on?? I have a few old sticky Mercer indicators and I learnt something today, and that is to leave it to the professionals LOL.
How much tension should be on the spring, and what were the two oils you used (one red cap, one yellow cap)?
+bkupiec
Not more than 1/4 of a turn. Just make sure the hairspring does not bind when the indicator is in it's upper limit. The oils are special clock oils. Red moebius 8030 and the yellow moebius 8300(vaseline). Just use some thin oil like sewing machine oil.
Sorry about my english.
Thanks for watching.
cool! very interesting video! I've been always curious about what was inside of a dial indicator! nice tricks shown! thanks!
+Cactus! workshop
Thanks!
master! thaks for share with us, regard from Chaco-Argentina
Thanks LW, machinist by trade but sometimes I have to tweek or repair on of indicators. Nice job!
seeing that room with all the clock on the wall reminds me of my grandpa's work room. He used to build and repair clocks, he passed away a few days ago.
I'm sorry to hear that. I hope your are doing wel. Thanks for watching.
Now that's some dial indicator repair music right there.
Lovely work, old chap!
Incredible craftsman. Could have been longer to see more clearer the moves and maybe some explanation of what was happening and why. I doubt I would try and repeat this based on this video.
I had a sticky dial indicator so I washed the mechanism with Methylated spirits or it might be called denatured alcohol?? And the blasted thing fogged up on the inside and won't clear. Its a very thin film and not that I soaked the whole thing in the alcohol either... How do I get the glass off because I'm certain its not got a split ring as you've shown here?
Is the front pressed on the case?
I suspect the whole bezel is a press fit onto the body...... I also suspect the plastic may be removed with a suction device as I guess some watches? I'm not sure of this. I have tried some levering of the bezel but carefully and not wishing to do damage and yet cannot feel any type of freeing up... Seems to be locking up instead of being ready to slide off..... I've heard paint thinner may be a way of cleaning inside? Prefer to have it off and to clean by hand....... Just dropped a note to the manufacturer and hopefully they can also give me some tips but its Friday night here........
Tom Tee
Maybe if you open the back an gently heat the glass? thanks for watchin and good luck.
The best cleaner (and almost the only one I use) is simple Isoproponal. Even that can fog up a crystal if you use too much. As for getting the bezel off, if it doesn't seem to be a press fit, you'll have to open up the back. Look for a very small, flat, thin oblong of (probably) brass, held down by a screw in a slot. It will be next to the outer edge, probably opposite the main gear section and in the lower quadrant. Loosen the screw so the oblong can slide inward. This disengages it from an interior retaining groove in the bezel. Use caution: On the other side of the bezel is a retaining spring that also fits in that groove. When you lift the bezel from the body, that spring may sproing. Once the bezel is out, you can replace the crystal.
Excellent Craftsman 😊
Why didn‘t you clean the spindle?
Very nice job done. Thanks
Thanks for watching!
nicee. what kind of liquid that used in the ultrasonic tank? thx
It is special clock cleaning solution. It is good for removing oil and greas. Thanks for watching.
thanks, recently i buy cheap ultrasonic cleaner, i do use water and gasoline.
i will do search about clock cleaning solution.
A real craftsman!
Thanks for watching Raymond.
You dont put any oil on the brass gears?
No never! When the oil gets old it only makes things stiky.
Okej, thanx for that tips, i fixes a italian made Borletti last week and i putted a small amount oil on the gears, need to strip it again then, have bought some other old indicators, 1 Tesa(Compac) 0.001mm made in swiss, Beautiful like new in wodden box, also 1 Interapid 312-1 also superb, and 4 total of Compac Geneve 2x40mm one IP54 353-E and 2x58mm
they have almost not a scratch, strange indeed?
im planning to take them apart, i have bought the Mobeus 9010 oil and the tooling that i need, will be fun,if they are not sticky and looks ok, im only gonna put some oil on the jewels, not a total strip, im from Sweden by the way..=)
One more question, how mutch do you preloade the hairspring?, do you know how mutch preload a compac should have, or did you put the gum to calculate the turn/preload of the gear?
Doger Karlström I think I just estimated the preload. You can count the preload when you take it apart. Most of these indicators are dropped antd dont work because tje movement moves slightly in side the case. You can fix them just by adjusting the movements position. Have fun. Do you allready subscribe to the Swedish channel JWAM? He is Awesome!
Lazy Watchsmith
Finland.
Im planning/thinking that i take a ink pen and make 2 mark, one on the housing and on the gear, then i can measure it exactly..=), No, have not seen the Swedis site JWAM, link?
Nice! Especially watching all the detail at a reduced playback speed @ .25x Thanks for the video.
Thanks for watching!
Great video, aren't we supposed to leave the the needles past the zero point by a few thou so the mic can be brought to zero manually? I was just wondering.
Yes you are right. Thanks for watching.
I have a sticky old one in the shed, i was looking at a cheap chinese 0.01, but i changed my mind when it said "allow 1-3mm error due to manual measure".. Not a chance.
There are LOTS of sticky dial indicators out there, and lots of home shop people with some tools and some mechanical aptitude.
I think a LOT of home engineers would very much enjoy (and gain benefit from) a "idiots guide" to cleaning a sticky indicator.
(complete with caveats, preconditions and equipment requirments)
I can find videos by people "having a go" (on the basis of no knowledge).
But you are the only person who seems to genuinely know what you're doing, but there's no commentary, captions and it's speeded up!
Amazing, i have a box of about 10 DG's all sticky, if i tried this, half the screws would be missing or chewed, none of the gears would fit back where they came from and the needles would all be bent :)
😂 there is good tips in these comments. You should read them. Thanks for watching.
Yeah, read them mostly :) I'm more adept at wielding a club hammer or running a mill - my banana like hands don't work too well on microscopic parts :) I'll leave that to the experts i think.
Great video. What liquid is in the ultrasonic cleaner? Can I use something like acetone? Or Alcohol?
Thanks
DON'T USE ACETONE! EVER!
have you done a vid on spring preload by chance? thanks for sharing. the mechanical side, of this doesnt scare me, the tiny parts and my mot so coordinated hands would ve my problem lol.
No videos about spring preload. Sorry. Often you only need to adjust the movement in the case. When the caliber hits the floor, the movement sifts in the case. Thanks for watching!
Nice video. More detailed explanations would have helped even more than the brief notes on the screen. Thank you.
Waaw, great job. Wish it was filmed at half the speed so I could get a better look at your techniques and tools ...
What do you use to clean the jewels ? Is that just a wooden stick ?
Thanks for watching! Yes just wooden stick before the ultrasonic
You can slow down the playback by going to Settings (click the little cogged wheel on the bottom right of the screen) then click Speed and choose .50 on the list. .25 is also available for really detailed observation. You can do this at any time (while paused or during playback).
Excellent. A pleasure to watch..!
thanks
You changed glove sizes midway through
awesome, I was about to junk my old one . Now I'll try to repair it.
Nice. Read all the comments here. They might help.
Who knew that there could be so many parts in an indicator? Not a job for an old man with shaky hands! Were the case and plunger also cleaned in the ultrasonic cleaner? Did the plunger not need to be removed from the case? Thanks for an interesting video.
Dont remember anymore. Sorry Bob. Thanks for watching.
Watched yours after mrpete222's - Very interesting , you have an amazing skill. Would have liked to see it a bit slower though, to take it all in...but fascinating all the same. Great!
+abywater
I'm glad you like it.
Thanks for watching.
what kind of chemical that you used
It's a watch cleaning solution called gelbar.
Thank you for sharing.👍👀
Loved it. Dont worry about the grumpy comments.
The big hand is never set to the 12 O'clock position when resting. ;-) Nice job filming this.
...nor the smaller one. The big hand must be about at 10 or 11 at rest and the small hand must be at 0 when the big one reaches noon for the first time.
It's all about preloading.
Excellent! What kind of lighting/ camera are you using? Thanks
Dont remember sorry. I think i filmed this thing with my phone. And maybe I had one of these big halogen work lights pointed to the roof.
Hi, maybe you are my man.
That hair spring is for backlash? So, dial indicator has backlash?
Becouse I opened a prestigiuos Mitutoyo double rod hight gauge, with dial, and it has literally lost all the accuracy. repeteability etc. Seems to me a backlash problem, and I remember perfectly that spring sound when I opened it the very very first time.
Do you think preloading spring is the righ way, and it could solve the problem?
I think the hairspring is to keep the wheels engaged to themselves. Is the spring ok that pulls the plunger? Or the movement might be in the wrong position. If the movement is too close or too far from the plunger thingy. It does not work. I hope this helps. And sorry about my english.
Your english is ok. That's me I don't understand a shit of gear and teeth! Fuck I'll buy another one.
Thank you.
No, don't buy another height gage. They're very expensive, unless you get at super crappy one. Your problem is almost certainly the hairspring. It does indeed remove the backlash so you'll get repeatability. But fixing that in a dual-beam height gage is not at all easy. One hint: When you're winding that spring, make sure you do it so the spring gets tighter (contracts). And be patient. These make me scream a lot.
Fabulous work.
Thank you Luke.
Thanks very much for this video Lazy watchsmith, I've watched it several times and it's helped me a lot. I've developed a strange affection for renewing vintage Mitutoyo Series 2 dial indicators and I learned a lot from watching you work on this one :) I have a couple questions; if you could advise me I'd be very grateful. What solution should I use in the ultrasonic cleaner for the movement parts? Also, what are the two lubricants you used called (I'm sure I can find supply if I know the right terms)? Btw, a dial indicator should be set to be about a quarter revolution counter-clockwise of zero in the rest position, such that you have "preload" room when you're using it. I'm not sure if that's to take up backlash or just to give you room to indicate on both sides of zero, but it's what I've heard from the experts at Long Island Indicator :) Any help you can give this budding indicator repairman will be very gratefully received :)
Oops, I should have read the comments first, I found what I need :) Thanks again for the video :)
Super video. And relaxing. What type of oil do you use?
Brad
Thanks for watching. I use special oil for clocks. I think it was moebius 9030.
Usually the problem is similar to a watch movement gumming up. Some knucklehead sprayed WD-40 into the mechanism.
david
WD 40
Noooooooooo!
i use these in my job everyday. some people have a habit of dropping these and usually the whole thing becomes really sticky or the spindle or plunger wont actually move at all. is there any coming back from such a fate or should i junk them? thanks :)
+robom1995
Do not junk them. You might be able fix them. Look at 3:53 on the video. Often the movement has only sifted slightly and the plunger gets too close to the wheel in the movement. Good luck and thanks for watching. Let me now how you do with it.(sorry about my english)
It depends on the value of the indicator. A brand name (Starrett, Mitutoyo, Brown & Sharpe), definitely. Fowler or SPI, probably. Your basic Chinese indicator, probably not. Basic rule: If the repair is going to be more than half the value of the tool, get a new tool.
Nicely done!
+ShysterLawyer
Thanks.
Well done, nice work.
Thanks Paul!
Great video! It really inspired me!
What's the solvent your'e using after the ultrasonic cleaning?
It's gelbar. For watch and cklok cleaning solutiom
@@Lazywatchsmith
Thanks! But I think you're talking about the ultrasonic cleaning solution itself. I meant the solvent (or whatever it was) you used to rinse the parts after the cleaning...
Yes you ate right. First i use water and after that isopropyl alcoholto get the water out.
@@Lazywatchsmith
Aha so the liquid in the glass jar is alcohol (in the video it's titled "clean water", but now it makes more sense to put alcohol in a small glass jar!)
Thank you!
Looks like a lot of fun, but for sticky gauges a bit of mineral spirits on the external moving parts usually frees them up. Those are the parts that are subject to external soil.
Only if u want to make it worse in the near future. There is only 1 way to do it correctly. Take it apart.
That eats up the lubrication. Open it up first. Spirits, then dry, then use watch oil.
very well made video i have one just like the one you were repairing.can you buy new hands for them the big hand on mine is a bit twisted.
It isis easier to repair the old hands than find good fitting new. Thanks forman watching.
Just took the back off a cheap Chinese one, HUGE difference here.
wonderful video, thanks for uploading
Thank you for watching!
I tip my hat to that! Good job.
Thanks!
Nothing lazy here! 👍
excellent
On se vaan silleen että kun hommansa hallitsee niin se toimii ja tapahtuu :)
You did something wrong. When ever tried to fix a dial indicator I always had a few parts left over. They probably weren't important. Were they?
Question: a dark-haired guy started the work. Is he related to the bald guy that finished it?
+Forrest Addy
LMAO. Thanks for watching.
I use cheap Chinese indicators and at the first sign of trouble give the plunger a squirt of WD40. If trouble persists I give them the flick and replace them. Always keep in mind whether you are using metric or imperial gauges
do you work on other people stuff
Sorry. No.
Heittokello is the common word for those. I quess Mittakello is as good but it is seldomly used.
In case You didn't notice, the TINY amount of oil is reall all that is needed but it better not be WD40 .... I quess the most usual reason for indicator stickyness is the oil. Especially cutting oil.
Saattavat myös jumittaa jos pikkasen kolahtaa ja koneisto liikahtaa hieman suhteessa siihen "tolppaan". Kiitos kommentista.
I cant beleive EVERYTHING inside it was causing friction. maybe diagnose first, repair based on result? huge patience tho...
mendebil Not everythin was causing friction .I just wanted to clean everything. Thanks for watching.
I am sending mine to YOU LW! Nice job friend :)
Thanks man!
Most Excellent
The big arrow must NOT be at 0 on rest point! It's must be minus 20-25. Indicator use in preloaded, so arrow at 0 must be slightly preloaded. Overall good job.
Thanks. I did preload it when I assembled it. But your way is better.
Your talents are wasted on dial indicators. And unless that indicator is worth four or five hundred dollars, or has great sentimental value for someone, that amount of work is also wasted. Still, it was a pleasure to watch you work. (I hope you checked it for accuracy before going to all that trouble.)
For anyone else with a sticky indicator, 95% of the time it's because dried coolant has stuck to the rack (the vertical rod), so that as it enters and exits the body, it drags on the interior bearing surface. A few drops of isoproponal (straight alcohol) on either end of the rack, work it in and out a few times, wipe it off with a lint-free tissue, repeat a few times,, and you should be good to go.
If that doesn't work, call me or the guy who did this video.
Voisitko vinkata mulle mistä voisin ostaa "edullisesti" mutta toimivan, todella vimpan päälle toimivan "kellon" - saadakseni mm. höylän terät suoraksi ym. Laita vinkkejä vaikka kurre ja se merkki stenback-kurre.fi
+KurrenPuupaja
Eipä ole tullut noita paljon osteltua. Mutta motonetissä on ihan asiallisen oloinen peli melko edullisesti. Olikohan heittokello+ magneettijalka noin 60€.
+Lazy watchsmith Kiitosh...
Want to do another?
I do, but I can't anymore.
Toit esille että "käsi /kädet" ei oikein toimi.
Noin 45+ vuotta sitten soitin kitaraa, klassista / opiskelin sitä. AIKA LAILLA HYVIN JA HARRASTIN URHEILUA.
Anteeksi tuo korostus.
Yksi lajeista oli painon nosto. Ja sitten se tapahtui, väärät painot ja tempaus - meni yli - yritin estää ja vasen käsi petti....
Meni lähemmäs 3 vuotta ennen kuin mikä tahansa vasemmassa kädessä pysyi sinä kuten juoma lasi... minulla ei ollut mitään hallintaa siihen...
On sanomattakin selvää ... en enää soittanut kitaraa... vaikka aina yritän ja nytkin se on tuossa takanani, kokeilin sitten trumpettia, oikealla kädellä.... mutta sellaista ei soiteta missä tahansa....
Nyt ei ole keuhkoja sellaiseen....
Kaikenlaista sitä pitää sattua.
Tätä meikäläisen vaivaa on tutkittu jo vaikka kuina paljon. Eikä mitään oikeata syytä ole löydetty. Tunto vaan häviää oikeasta kädestä ja vasemmasta jalasta. Itse epäilen työpaikan sisäilmaongelmaa, mutta mene ja tiedä.
legend
Hi new here, subscribed check, like the videos check. We are watchmakers and micro-machinists. We repair our own dial indicators as well. Only sharing because mechanical and digital it is great to have this additional skill as watchmakers we did not know we would find this easy to do compared to the watch movement complication but they are actually larger and fun to work on after-all. One more thing we do not have to go outside to have done. Nice dial indicator service you performed, thank you for the share. Lance & Patrick.
Thanks guys! I use to be a watchmaker but now my right hand does not work anymore 😞
impressive
Ohhhh, so that's why my indicator repair didn't work... I forgot the cotton gloves!
oletko kelloseppä ammatiltasi? Olen pitkään miettinyt mistä kanavan nimi. 😁
+Eemeli Saarelainen (Molter)
Kyllä sekin tutkinto löytyy. En vaan ole yhdeksään vuoteen harjoittanut sitä ammattia. Kiitos kun katsoit.
+Lazy watchsmith joo. katselin samaa. Yleensä noin siistejä käden liikkeitä ei näy kuin ammattilaisten kohdalla.
James Parus
Kiitos James.
Itse asiassa minulla on suuria ongelmia dominoivan käden kanssa. Alkaa selittämättömästä syystä olemaan tunto sormista pois. Siksipä en enää pysty tämän pienempiä vehkeitä korjaamaan.
+Lazy watchsmith Pahus :(, mutta onhan onneksi noita suurempiakin laitteita :)
Very good impressive
Thanks Jose!