I bought a cheap tool setter probe from an online auction and it cost me a whole shift

The probe was off by almost .002 inches, so I had to scrap a batch of 30 aluminum parts and re-run them. That mistake set me back about $400 in material and machine time. Has anyone found a good way to check those cheap probes before trusting them on a job?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_mary13d ago

My old shop had a granite surface plate and a tenths indicator we used for this. I'd put the probe in a collet block and check it against a known good ring gauge at a few different heights. Found one that was off by .0015 right out of the box... it's a pain but now I check every single one.

the_linda13d ago

.0015 right out of the box is a lot for a new probe. @the_mary, did you ever try to send that one back or get a credit from the supplier? I mean, what's the point of buying new if it's already junk? Makes you wonder how many shops just slap it in the machine and never know their parts are off. So you check at a few heights, but how do you know your ring gauge itself is still good?

hugomurray11d ago

Wait, you check EVERY new probe?