Dlock deck dial indiactor stand dimensions?

[SilverXJ]

We have some scrap 1/2" aluminum at work that I will be using to build a deck checking dial indicator stand. From what I can find they are usually 4.5" inner from one leg to the other. However, I don't know how tall they are. Any one have the dimension from the bottom of the feet to the top of the bridge?

-Chris

[5-90]

If you're making it from the ground up, then just design it to use two opposite head screws (on a diagonal across the bore,) and design it to work with whatever you're using for a dial indicator. You can either (gently!) clamp the sleeve where the probe runs out the bottom using a setscrew, or you can go to the trouble to put a drilled and tapped tab elevated so that you can use the tab that is usually on the back of the thing.

[SilverXJ]

Well, I made it.. its isn't pretty and had a few issues. I started off using the table saw to cut the aluminum. It worked ok, but didn't like the finish it gave me. So I tried the router. As far as I can figure the aluminum I used was an expremly low grade, which did not cut well at all. I had used the same settings on a 6061 T6 piece and it cut it very nice.. this one not so much. The router gave me an extremely ulgy cut. Changing speed and bits did no good. I guess I just picked a crappy scrap piece to use. I went with my original plan. The legs are parallel and even length, which is what matters. However, I must not have been paying all of the attention necessary when drilling the holes as the legs.... well the legs are kind of tilted outward from the upper plate. But not in the way that it will effect the squareness of the tool. I was going to recess some rare earth magnets in the legs, but I misplaced those magnets. Oh well.. it should weight enough to hold it down on its own.

Its ulgy, but it will work.