If you want to get real precise, here's another solution....get a Spin Index from Wholesale Tools (1709-0010) and a 5C collet to fit the shaft. Chuck the butt end and rotate the spin index, and you'll see the runout on the tip. Mount a dial indicator at the tip to actually measure it. The catalog says $49, but I paid about $30, plus $10 for the collet. You'll need different collets for steel and graphite shafts.... 0.6 inches isn't nearly as exact for shaft manufacturers as it is for machinists.
Royce, Thanks for the suggestion. A couple of questions:
(1) How solid is it? I had the impression from a previous correspondence that you were using an aerospace-surplus indexer that was VERY accurate and solid. Are you actually using this commercial one? In particular:
- Is it solid and accurate enough that no wobble is seen with a really straight shaft? (This will depend mostly on the "tightness" of the bearings and the concentricity of all the cylinders and holes.)
- Is it rigid enough that it can be used to vibrate a shaft to find FLO?
(2) The picture on the web site does not show mounting holes in the base -- or my eyes aren't good enough to see them. How does it mount?
(3) Which collets did you need? I assume they were selected from among:
1702-0170: 37/64 = .578
1702-0175: 19/32 = .594
1702-0172: 39/64 = .609Thanks! DaveT
