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KBC measuring tool set

combustable herbage

combustable herbage

Ultra Member
Premium Member
Hi I am asking for thoughts on this set from KBC, I already have a caliper but it won't hurt to have another but the rest would be new to me I think it would get the tools in my hand and using them and if there was a piece I didn't like or I become that good that I need something more accurate then I can upgrade later.
It would work out to around $40 per piece.

KBC,KBC 6PC WHITE FACE MEASURING TOOL SET,8-135-0012,KBC Tools & Machinery

Thanks
Bill
 
Way, way, way (way) too expensive. Are they high? Nothing there is worth more then $30 alone. Certainly as a set it should be cheaper then bought one by one. I say fair price would be 99.99.
 
I hate those old style magnetic bases. I wouldn't settle for anything less than a Noga. Saw a Youtube video somewhere where a guy took apart a cheap Chinesium Noga facsimile, smoothed out and deburred the internal machined surfaces, and after reassembly it was almost as good as the real thng.
 
If you add up the prices of all the KBC house brand parts:
8-410-005F Mag Base $31.00
8-100-050 2" dial indicator $68.60
1-819-BT17 22 piece indicator point set $15.00
S-100-053 DTI .030 range .0005" graduations $63.50
1-812-501 0-1" mic .0001" resolution $33.00
8-100-006 6" dial caliper $35.00

Total is over $246. I think it's an OK deal if you are buying all those items at once. I have the KBC brand 6" caliper and it is very good. The only item there that may be overpriced in my opinion is the dial indicator, you can decent ones for $35
 
Canadium said:
I hate those old style magnetic bases. I wouldn't settle for anything less than a Noga. Saw a Youtube video somewhere where a guy took apart a cheap Chinesium Noga facsimile, smoothed out and deburred the internal machined surfaces, and after reassembly it was almost as good as the real thng.
Click to expand...

I agree, I never use the old style mag base anymore since I got a Noga but it cost almost as much as that entire kit.
 
Dial indicator is standard Chinese. Should not be more then 20. The only thing of value is the DTI - that is close to 30.

I would not buy dial calipers unless they are very, very good. Like Starret or similar - based on experience. Regular cheap Chinese digital calipers are very good, much better then most dial calipers. Plus you can convert units on the fly.

Mag base can be had for around 20.

0-1 mic to a tenth is less then 30

You can pay a bit more by buying off amazon but still WAY less then 200 CAD even with "brand names" such as accusize.
 
Canadium said:
I hate those old style magnetic bases. I wouldn't settle for anything less than a Noga. Saw a Youtube video somewhere where a guy took apart a cheap Chinesium Noga facsimile, smoothed out and deburred the internal machined surfaces, and after reassembly it was almost as good as the real thng.
Click to expand...
This guy maybe?
 
I appreciate the responses maybe I will spend the money and get a noga which will make it easier to position and I have found some other options on amazon for indicators as Tom mentioned and I had seen another member mention the accusize being cheaper on amazon than their own site.
 
combustable herbage said:
I appreciate the responses maybe I will spend the money and get a noga which will make it easier to position and I have found some other options on amazon for indicators as Tom mentioned and I had seen another member mention the accusize being cheaper on amazon than their own site.
Click to expand...

If you can wait and watch...Noga products go on sale about every three months either at Travers or KBC, and it's due for one to pop up soon
 
I'm a Noga fan boy. On the mag stands just pay attention to the head that is installed. They make a few different ones that look quite similar from a picture, but different dimensions for the combo heads meaning the round hole clamp (for dial stems) and dovetail clamp (for indicators). There is some clamping latitude but I think they might even make metric so know your instruments and/or check their catalog model number. They heads are a bugger to get off, maybe by design. I'm actually not even sure if they are intended to be swapped?
https://www.noga.com/Products/base/Bases
 
combustable herbage said:
I appreciate the responses maybe I will spend the money and get a noga which will make it easier to position and I have found some other options on amazon for indicators as Tom mentioned and I had seen another member mention the accusize being cheaper on amazon than their own site.
Click to expand...

My first indicator and magnetic stand were on sale items from Princess Auto. Something like $10-15 each. It was an inexpensive way to get started and to learn why I needed something better. Generally in my opinion cheap indicators are not a lot worse than much more expensive ones and expensive well known brands like Starrett are not necessarily the best. But the old style magnetic stands are a big PITA. I usually defer to more experienced opinions on the net when researching such things. I found the indicator repair company evaluations below very noteworthy although maybe more than you ever wanted to know. Also Halligan142 does a nice video on getting started with hobby machinist tools.
http://www.longislandindicator.com/p14.html
http://www.longislandindicator.com/p111.html
 
I have personally talked with René Meyer from Long Island Indicator when I was working on my Alina 10th indicators. Very helpful and extremely knowledgeable. @Perry fixed it properly after the fact - I had just got them to move and made a new “crystal”; they were both stuck when I got them. Thanks Perry!
 
Chinese dial indicators are very inaccurate in measuring absolute size - they are good for say centering a chuck. See:

Note that to be that off with a dial indicator making a triangle one would see it crooked & the base plate had to be drilled way off and / or the attachment point had to be way off or base itself had to be quite crooked.

Also maybe I just got a lemon.
 
I think 'Chinese dial indicators' is a bit of a broad brush. How about stating YOUR indicator or BB model#xxxx indicator or....
Did you know many Starrett measuring tools are made in China? I think it boils down to quality control & that's just hard to quantify unless they offer published specs & stand behind it. I've had instruments even including official looking certification sheet (usually printed crooked but stamp/signed by Mr. X). Is this legit or yet another cat & mouse copy game knowing few customers may have the resources to verify anyways. Which works to their advantage but still doesn't make it right. As always, is it the right tool for the task at hand & what you feel is affordable.
 
It is not a quality control issue - the rack and pinion are difficult to make precisely. I say "cheap" Chinese dial indicator - in China they compete on one of two things, price or quality. There is no "middle".

Generally *cheap* Chinese mechanical instruments are not that great. On the other hand my cheapest Chinese DRO works perfectly - video made at the same time - I state there is little need for anyone to invest in US / Japanese made DRO when Chinese DRO is *equally* good. Usually Chinese electronics are top notch at least when compared to mechanical stuff.

The Busy Bee indicator is re-branded version of many other indicators. Thus same performance as this can be expected regardless of where you got your cheap indicator from - it is the same indicator after all.

Starrett made in China is not competing on "cheap" but "quality". You will not get a cheap "Starrett" made in China. I expect Chinese made Starrett to perform same as US made one.

The issue with cheap Chinese indicator is for most of its uses not a big deal - this is why they cut a corner. These are most of the time used for things like aligning 4 jaw chuck or other "relative" measurement.
 
If you are just starting out and have nothing, then I have a 0-1" Mic that I can give you. It is accurate, looks crappy and doesn't owe me anything. PM me and I'll see what else I have that you might need.
 
My experience with PLUNGE indicators, is that the 9$ ones work well, but are more delicate and need replacing long before a real one. I have 6 cheap plunge indicators, one of which I'll sell you for less than 10 bucks. [new in the box] Yes, one day I'll buy a Mitutoyo plunge indicator, but I'm persuing a lead on one real cheap for myself - kind of a favour for a favour thing.

Now a TEST indicator - that's a horse with different shoes - buy a recognized brand name one, in half thousandths. I used my Mitutoyo one for 30 years before I bought a tenths test indicator, and did a lot of good work with it. Worth waiting for a spring sale on those- I purchased my first for 110$, and my tenths for $179. I think Janger got his for under 200$. Doesn't matter what you buy, if you drop it on the concrete floor from table height, you'll need a new one,

buy what you need when the need comes up and buy something that will last and toy can depend on. Nothing like accurate measuring stuff to help you produce great work.
 
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