[modeleng] Digital Angle Guage

Hello everyone
When I designed my little lathe, I did not engrave a 'protractor' for the 
topslide - this would have been difficult in the available space, and these 
protractors are not very accurate.   I thought that I would either use a sine 
bar or a vernier protractor - neither of them very attractive options to an old 
chap, with poor mathematics, and less than perfect eyesight.

I was browsing through  the Allendale Electronics web site: 
www.machine-dro.co.uk and found an inexpensive digital angle gauge of the 
stock-and-rotating-blade type, giving readings of 360 degrees to .05 degree 
alleged accuracy.   My suspect maths say that .05 degrees is 3 minutes?    It 
will work in any plane, and has a reasonably accurate level on the stock

I received it this morning - it is larger than I would have wished (10" blades) 
and looks rather crude, with a rolled aluminium stock, but checking it against 
accurate squares confirms its accuracy.
It can be zeroed at any point and has a 'hold' facility.   Above all, for an 
old chap, it has clear 12mm figures.    I have tried it on the little lathe, 
with the stock on the edge of the cross-slide and the blade along the back of 
the top-slide, and it works perfectly.

With a bit of bodging, it will work on the taper-turning attachment on my 
Hardinge lathe and I will include it in the design of the proposed taper-tuning 
attachment for the little lathe.      It will be useful for accurate setting of 
angles for the vertical head on my VMC milling machine.

They also sell a more accurate digital protractor with all the bells and 
whistles at three times the price.

When I use it in anger next year, I will report further.

I wish you all a very happy Christmas, with good health and good modelling 
throughout the New Year.

Cheers!   Hubert
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