short dial indicator

[anwalt2]

My parks planer needs adjustment.  My dial indicator is too long to fit under the knives (4in).  Looking for a dial indicator 3 1/2in max.  Several do not state the length in their promo.  Have not found one less than 5in.  

Thanks for suggestions.  

tom

[cpolubin]

If you can't find a dial indicator short enough you could make a short slip stick to get the distance and measure that.

Cliff

[jteneyck]

My parks planer needs adjustment.  My dial indicator is too long to fit under the knives (4in).  Looking for a dial indicator 3 1/2in max.  Several do not state the length in their promo.  Have not found one less than 5in.  

Thanks for suggestions.  

tom

What is it that needs adjustment?

John

[pprobus]

My parks planer needs adjustment.  My dial indicator is too long to fit under the knives (4in).  Looking for a dial indicator 3 1/2in max.  Several do not state the length in their promo.  Have not found one less than 5in.  

Thanks for suggestions.  

tom

I bought one of these for setting up pieces to be turned on my metal lathe. I bought as small as possible with a reasonable range because I want to build an Aloris style toolholder to mount it to, but here it is, it comes in around 3-1/4":

https://www.shars.com/250-dial-indicator-3

That's 1/4" stroke, I believe Shars makes an 1/8" stroke which may be smaller, still.

Hint, if you decide to buy from Shars, you can sometimes get it slightly cheaper in price and shipping by buying on their Ebay site: Discount_machine. No affiliation outside of being a satisfied customer.

Edit to add: I thought of this option a couple of hours after my response. I don't know if it will work for your use case, but another dial indicator that would fit into a space with your parameters is a back plunger dial indicator like a Starrett 196:  https://www.starrett.com/details?cat-no=196A6Z
 
While the price on Starrett's site is high, you can pick them up used at very good prices over at the 'bay because these seem to get little love in the machining community. I used my dad's for many years (and still do), but I have to send them back to Starrett to have them fix the stickiness in the two I inherited from my dad.

[anwalt2]

What is it that needs adjustment?

John

The one of the bevel gears on the table raise/lower shaft loosened.  The cutter head was not parallel with the table.  Table was, therefore wedged in the ways.  

Managed to bring it back close to parallel and tighten the bevel gears on their shaft.  

Thanks for the suggestions. 

tom

[DieselDennis]

How much range are you looking for out of the indicator? 
Are you strictly opposed to a digital readout?

There's a several different configurations of indicators

[Roly]

The one of the bevel gears on the table raise/lower shaft loosened.  The cutter head was not parallel with the table.  Table was, therefore wedged in the ways.  

Managed to bring it back close to parallel and tighten the bevel gears on their shaft.  

Thanks for the suggestions. 

tom

Put something of uniform thickness under the head, lower head to where a feeler gauge fits loosely and check both ends of head to table.    Adjust so they are equal.    Roly