Dial Numbering Fixture

This is my version of a project presented by Allen Blaney in the Apr/May 2006 issue of Machinist's Workshop. It is a simple design and easy to make. Allen built his version from brass, and suggested that aluminum may not be sturdy enough, but I had a suitable hunk of aluminum bar laying around so decided to try it. With the limited use I have for this fixture, it will probably do just fine. I did use steel for the V-blocks as they take the brunt of the blows. I also made the V-blocks a little longer to spread out the impact force over a larger area. A sturdier base can be fabricated later if the need arises. I used aluminum for the base, upright, and stamp guide block. The guide block was made by milling a .251" centered groove and then a brass T shaped block as a cap. I used a slitting saw to create 2 fingers on the stalk of the "T" with set-screws to adjust them. This allows adjustable friction to hold the stamp away from the dial as needed during alignment. The first use was on my Lathe Ball Turner project to number the adjustable dial.