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Post by Deleted on Nov 11, 2019 9:41:17 GMT
Looking at buying a digital angle gauge, are there any better than the others or are they all pretty much the same apart from price?
Paul
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Post by goldstar31 on Nov 11, 2019 11:06:02 GMT
Do you mean these little square things with a magnetic base?
If so I have a pair from Axminster but equally good from two different names.
About £20
Uses - well alsorts of things but vices and tool and cutter grinders come to mind.
At a push, I would expect them to be a sort of substitute for gauge blocks and whatever/.
At 20 quid what is there to get up tight about if unsuitable, eh?
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jackrae
Elder Statesman
Posts: 1,335
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Post by jackrae on Nov 11, 2019 14:58:37 GMT
Apart from having one and really liking it, the only thing I can suggest, if you intend leaving it idle for several weeks, is to remove its battery to prevent it being discharged.
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rrmrd66
Part of the e-furniture
Posts: 339 
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Post by rrmrd66 on Nov 11, 2019 16:48:41 GMT
I agree with jackrae.
Mine is a BevelBox brand. I Imagine it comes from the same Chinese factory with multiple brand names.
Very useful but the battery drains itself constantly and it is not because I forget to switch it off.
Currently it has stopped working all together.
Cheers
Malcolm
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jasonb
Elder Statesman
Posts: 1,246
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Post by jasonb on Nov 12, 2019 14:34:44 GMT
I have one of the original Wixey brand ones not a copy that must be 10-15 years old and still working OK. Turning off only turns the display off so it is working in teh background to remember the last set zero so as said take battery out if not being used frequently.
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Post by glynmar on Nov 15, 2019 16:34:31 GMT
I have a Digi-Pas DWL80E which was handy for levelling my lathe and fitting a DRO. My SC4 lathe has the milling attachment and the digital level comes into it own to get the column adjusted completely vertical. The traditional bubble level on it is rubbish but the digital display seems very accurate although I had to recalibrate it via the instructions when I first got it
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Post by glynmar on Nov 15, 2019 16:58:01 GMT
Forgot to mention if you have an iPhone the level app seems very good. Not magnetic though.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 2, 2019 10:29:00 GMT
I think I got mine from machine-DRO at an ME exhibition some years back, it's a great tool which I have used often. A word of caution, I always calibrate it (ie 'zero' it)to which ever part is supposed to be level before use.
Regards
Pete
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Post by coniston on Dec 3, 2019 21:33:54 GMT
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jackrae
Elder Statesman
Posts: 1,335
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Post by jackrae on Dec 4, 2019 13:41:50 GMT
I'm not defending the digital scale but I note the plane that you set it's zero to is not the same plane that the vernier protractor is at. If the face-plate has a slight forward tilt, this could contribute to the error experienced.
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Post by coniston on Dec 4, 2019 21:43:37 GMT
Hi Jackrae, I think that's an optical illusion from the photos. It is in fact a circular surface plate and not a face plate so should be level all over, but I take your point.
Chris D
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Post by Deleted on Dec 4, 2019 21:47:38 GMT
I'm not defending the digital scale but I note the plane that you set it's zero to is not the same plane that the vernier protractor is at. If the face-plate has a slight forward tilt, this could contribute to the error experienced. Just to reiterate what Jack said, I have found in the past that what may look like a flat surface isn't always the case across different planes. When I zero my gauge I always do it on the same plane as that that I wish to measure. Regards Pete |
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Post by jon38r80 on Dec 5, 2019 13:18:55 GMT
I think the trouble you may be having is flat isn't the same as level. Most of the clever little electronics use things like mercury switches to measure the angle from level not an included angle. as Greenglade and Jackrae hint at but maybe description about planes is confusing. Set the plate as level as possible with the digilevel or some other level you are happy with. an engineers level if you have one, and then repeat the experiment.
Hopefully you will get a better result
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jackrae
Elder Statesman
Posts: 1,335
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Post by jackrae on Dec 5, 2019 18:29:45 GMT
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uuu
Elder Statesman
your message here...
Posts: 2,860
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Post by uuu on Dec 5, 2019 18:57:48 GMT
Brilliantly simple!
Wilf
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Post by coniston on Dec 5, 2019 22:23:44 GMT
Thanks for all the ideas, I'll set it up again and check what the result is.
Chris D
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jackrae
Elder Statesman
Posts: 1,335
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Post by jackrae on Dec 6, 2019 8:47:40 GMT
I note yours is different from the Wixey version (costing >£30) on several fronts. a) the ludicrously low price of £8.99 inclusive of postage, b) it's back-lit and c) it shows two decimal places suggesting a resolution of 0.01degrees.
Maybe for £8.99 a half degree error, if that's what it is, should be considered reasonable.
The Wixey unit resolution is 1 digit or 0.1degrees, which for 99+% of machining my applications is more than adequate.
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Post by jon38r80 on Dec 6, 2019 9:43:30 GMT
Interesting video, I learnt something, A rotary encoder is much preferable to the ones I saw a long time ago that had mercury switching.
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