Simple 55mm Dial Gauge holder for 42/45mm spindle CNC's (eg 1610)

Lots of dial gauges seem to have a 55mm body and the back plate 8mm offset from the pin. My cheap (unbranded..) one certainly fits that category.

This is a design to let me mount it in my CNC so I can level PCB's before cutting tracks (etc), I tried to make it as simple as possible. The design flexes and has clearance enough to slip the dial gauge pin through the lower hole, close up, and put in the spindle clamp. It is then expanded with the triangular key piece from above to lock in place firmly enough for levelling.

It works surprisingly well, and is far simpler than any other design I've seen.

The scadfile is somewhat over-commented and parameterised; you can use it as a basis for other sizes of gauge, spindle and lock screw/button placement.

1610 owners PLEASE NOTE, I use (my own) underbody bed mounts to get 20mm more clearance than standard on my machine, but I believe the clamp should still fit into a unmodified 1610 with Z at the top of it's travel. https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2852336

I printed in PLA, the flex points on this will go far enough for the gauge toslide in; dont over flex them..

Category: Machine Tools