Froe Posted July 10, 2016 Report Share Posted July 10, 2016 Just finished assembling my Hammer A3-31 jointer / planer. I want to verify set-up is within limits. I am pretty particular about good quality tools but I cannot justify the expense of a Starrett dial indicator and straight edge. Any recommendations? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodbutcher74 Posted July 10, 2016 Report Share Posted July 10, 2016 Woodpecker makes some pretty nice stuff. Woodcraft has sale on the dial indicator for aligning a tablesaw. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gee-dub Posted July 10, 2016 Report Share Posted July 10, 2016 I have been very satisfied with the Veritas 36" steel straight edge and an inexpensive dial indicator. Lee Valley's long feelers really help out on machine setup as well. For machine setup the dial indicator just as to be reasonable IMHO. I am not measuring the actual value of something; I am measuring the difference between different points. One that read in .001" and has a range of an inch (or even less) has worked for me for many years. Attaching the gauge to other items makes it even more useful. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom King Posted July 10, 2016 Report Share Posted July 10, 2016 I have cheap dial indicators, and some good ones that I was given (a lifetime machinist and teacher of machining and welding left me all his tools). For woodworking machine setup, I can't see the benefit in spending a large amount of money on a dial indicator. A thousandth of an inch is really more than it sounds like, and the cheap ones work fine. I bought a fancy setup for aligning table saws, including the accurate plate to mount in place of the blade. I used that setup once on each table saw, and it's been in the "setup" toolbox ever since. I'm sure I could align a table saw just fine by feel, but the plate makes it easier than a pretensioned saw blade. The dial indicators for setting jointer and planer knives (came from Powermatic in the '70s) hasn't been used for decades, although such blades have been changed many times since the last time I used them. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
byegge Posted July 10, 2016 Report Share Posted July 10, 2016 Harbor freight sells one for 16 bucks. Will do anything you might need. They also sell a magnetic base. I used it to tune up my table saw and am very happy with it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Froe Posted July 10, 2016 Author Report Share Posted July 10, 2016 Thanks for all the input!! My high school physics teachers told me I was well grounded. Years later I realized he meant that I have zero potential. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pwk5017 Posted July 10, 2016 Report Share Posted July 10, 2016 Assuming you just spent $3500-4000 on a machine, I wouldn't skimp on tuning instruments. You didn't buy a grizzly machine, so why buy the equivalent of a grizzly in your setup gear? If you need to set feed rollers and cutterhead knives I like the one way a lot. I have the Lee valley aluminum straight edge and a 24" starrett steel rule. The Lee valley straight edge is good stuff. All talk of dial indicators and straight edges aside, for the 6 month wait time and price tag on that machine, why don't they send Harry to your house to calibrate the thing? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-MattK- Posted July 10, 2016 Report Share Posted July 10, 2016 Don't start messing with that machine, it's nearly impossible for a mortal to tune up. Take it from someone who spent hours with the poorly translated factory manual and effed up the calibration of his machine beyond effing. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Froe Posted July 11, 2016 Author Report Share Posted July 11, 2016 Thanks for the advice! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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