Digital Protractor

[Blogwitch]

Even though I am not doing anything in my shop at this time, it doesn't mean I neglect to buy myself little treats from time to time, when I see a bargain.

A nice digital protractor with a 4" blade. Very easy to use, just set up on say your mill table, and zero up, then set your required angle.

BTW, this is not like a Wixie angle display, which moves as you turn it, this is just for setting up an angle you can use for layout, or setting something at an angle to the table of vice base between jaws. Two totally different ways of working.

If you want to use it the other way up, it is just a matter of holding a button and the display turns itself upside down.

And where is the cheapest place to get it from in the UK, here of course, second one down, my favourite tooling supplier.

Usual disclaimers apply.

http://www.arceurotrade.co.uk/Catalogue/Measurement/Squares-Angle-Gauges-Protractors


John

 

[gbritnell]

Hi John,
I have often thought about getting one of those devices but wasn't sure of the accuracy. Have you checked yours?
Thanks,
gbritnell

 

[Blogwitch]

I checked it with my Wixie, and it gave exactly the same reading.

I zeroed both up on my mill table, set the angle and stuck the Wixie along the blade. So I am sure it is very close. It MUST be as accurate or even better than my flat plate metal one with the eyesight I have at this time.

I should really have got out my manual clinometer to check it out exactly, but in reality, for the sorts of things I will be doing with it, 0.05 deg accuracy will be plenty good enough for me.

There are times when too much precision gets in the way. I class all these cheapo digitals as near enough right to be useful for most of what we do, and only break out the big guns when absolutely necessary.


John

 

[mklotz]

There are times when too much precision gets in the way. I class all these cheapo digitals as near enough right to be useful for most of what we do, and only break out the big guns when absolutely necessary.

Amen to that. I have a precision mechanical vernier protractor I mistakenly bought when I was starting out (hey, it looked so technical - I couldn't resist). I've never yet used the thing in anger. My electronic one is good enough, just as John says.

Actually, I find that I do most of my angle setups with trigonometry and the protractor is used only to check for gross errors.