Mitutoyo Dial Depth Gauge - Resetting Zero

[Anorak Bob]

I have a fondness for old Mitutoyo gear. Back in the days of aesthetic restraint. The Japanese stuff had a "matter of factness" about it. Anyway... this rolled up in Friday's mail. After cleaning it I set about working out how to reposition the dial hand or pointer to it's original vertical position. It was in about an 8.40 position.

Mitutoyo dial verniers were sold with a little copper key that could be inserted between the rack and pinion gear to disengage the gear. Moving the sliding jaw without gear engagement enabled repositioning of the hand. Turns out the depth gauge is different. Removing the slide exposes the pinion gear. I used a long pointed scribe to turn the gear. A lot of tries before I had it in the correct position.

Might be handy for anyone that has one of these gauges and has an out of whack hand.

BT

[QC Inspector]

I have worked with the Vernier scaled and electronic kinds but never a dial version so I am guessing and making assumtions. If I am wrong please chuck the suggestion in the bin.

From your pictures it looks as though the entire dial assembly would come off by removing the 4 philips type screws at the corners of the thin mounting plate. That would let you position and lock the slide at zero and then offer the dial assembly, zeroed with your fingers rather than the pick, back to the frame. Is that possible? Might be easier. :wink:

Pete

[Anorak Bob]

I thought the same thing Pete. I removed the 4 screws and the plate remained rigidly fixed to the body. There must be additional fixings under the dial. That made me look for an alternative way of adjusting the hand.

Bob

[QC Inspector]

I sit corrected. :doh:

Pete