Grizzly G9849 Magnetic Base/Dial Indicator Combo

Update:

From Grizz’s site: http://grizzly.com/images/manuals/g1479_m.pdf

“There’s a knob on the side of the dial that I can’t figure out what it does. Any idea?”

Dial Face Ring Lock Nut.

Apparently there is a zero adjustment on the dial!

-- Chunk

I’m glad you figured out what that knob was for.

I think the base is the same one I have.

I also found the dial attachment screw coming loose. It must be a common problem.

Thanks for the review. You did a good job.

Bothus

-- Professional kitchen designer, amature woodworker.

Comes with a plastic storage case. (TIP: Remember how it’s packed BEFORE you remove it for the first time. It’s a bear getting the lid to close if you miss this)

thats a good tip, its amazing how sometimes there is only one way for a tool to go back into a case.

-- I love the smell of sawdust in the morning!

FYI – I’ve had one of these for a couple of years and had no problem with it.
Just remember to use the lock nut on the “main shaft” too keep it tight to the base/magnet.

-- Only the Shadow knows....................

Don’t get me wrong it’s an OK dial indicator but it’s just that, OK. Once I found the manual for the dial indicator at Grizzly, I found the manual for the Combo. After reading that, it’s cleared up a lot of the frustration that I’ve been experiencing with the combo unit. For example, I finally figured out how to get the dial to stick out straight from the end of the arm. I think the combo unit and I need a little quality time together to get reacquainted.

Chunk

-- Chunk

Thanks for the review. I went with another brand from Taiwan and wish that I didn’t. You wonder why Starrett or Mitutoyo get so much for their tools , and my friend there is a reason. I just don’t have much patience when I end up working for a tool rather than the other way around—

I recently purchased this same kit to tune my new table saw. What I found was very similar to ChunkyC’s analysis. It was very clumsy to use in squaring the table to the blade. I attached the vertical bar to a miter with the same thread size and found I had to twist and turn the arm and dial in several different configuration just to see the dial. I also had problems with the dial slipping on the arm, no matter how tight I finger tighted the nut. Once I was able to set it up, after fighting with it for 30 minutes (or more?), I got my table alligned. I just hope it is accurate. This indicator would probably work ok to tune a jointer, but sure is a hassle on a saw.

-- Jim, SE Tennessee

ChunkyC,

Could you post the link to the manuals on Grizzly’s site? I got this last year and experienced some of the same issues you had. I put it away and promptly forgot about it. It would be nice to get some use out of it.

-- Life is too short to suffer bad food and lousy speakers

http://www.grizzly.com/manuals.aspx

-- Chunk

I haven’t used the supplied base sense. Well I use the mag base as a cross cut stop block, thanks to Stu’s Shed for this tip!

I’ve made a couple different fixtures now for holding the dial indicator. Brian, (something like garage workshop, sorry Brian, I can’t remember your handle) posted an absolutely fabulous fixture for getting everything perpendicular, i.e. square. I use this for everything now.

I’ve also recently made a fixture that slides in the miter slot for aligning the fence parallel to the miter slot and it works for the blade → miter slot too. I didn’t post pics of mine, there are hundreds of examples here at LJ if you need a idea.

As far as I’m concerned, if you can get one without the base then you’ll be doing just fine. Also, I think this is the same dial indicator that Harbor Fright sells, they certainly look identical to me.

Accuracy – I think I’ll take mine to the machine shop at work and have the machinists check it out. I’ll report back if I do. Although I have no reason to believe that it isn’t accurate, at lease for what we’re doing. Now if we were launching rockets, then we may want to spend a little more on our dial indicators.

-- Chunk