I was unable to adjust my touch probe stylus tip to run true as the angle of the angle exceeded my high range mitutoyo test indicator. I put the touch probe in a collet block and spent a lot of time eyeballing it with a small machinst square and messing around with the spring tension screws in the face (the square marked up the surface…anodizing is thin?)… I finally convinced myself the stylus is probably bent. Removing the old one was uncomfortable… I tried several probes in the small hole but they were too compliant. I had to use knipex parallel jaw pliers and a rag to get it off then ordered a replacement renishaw style along with their install tool. I managed to get the new style mounted but only but pushing the style to its travel limits in order to get enough clearance for the install tool to snug down the threads tight. I’m wondering if I should install a small extension next time the stylus is replaced. Is there an install/uninstall tool that will work with this model of touch probe?
You could try a small allen wrench.
I was unable to get a Allen key into the langmuir supplied stylus. I think the smallest I had on hand was .050". The bore in the renishaw might be larger… I will mic the renishaw tool. My guess is it is ~1mm.
The tool in your picture looks exactly the same as the renishaw tool. I’d get some vice grips on that thing and work on it that way. If you can’t remove it without risking damage to the probe itself, maybe langmuir can help you out.
As a CMM guy for 15 years, one of my pet peeves is people over tightening styli!!
I used the renishaw tool for the install. The problem is that the hole in the style is lower than the face of the probe. I bent the tip of the tool over when tightening down the stylus.
My tool is now bent but it looks like the tip is around 1.1mm.
What renishaw tip did you order? I don’t really want to have to deal with Langmuir’s phone line to order a replacement in the future.
I just broke the tip off mine.
I have both of these tips:
https://www.mscdirect.com/product/details/00552489
https://www.mscdirect.com/product/details/00552471
I highly recommend the tip changing tool:
https://www.mscdirect.com/product/details/00553628
The insertion/removal hole on the tip sits below the face of the probe body, so the tip has to be gently pushed over in order to get a faction of a turn with the tool inserted. It takes a lot of iterations to get a tip on/off.
Is there any reason you didn’t just disassemble the touch probe to replace the stylus? It’s not a complex piece of machinery in there, just a 3 ball kinematic coupler. Once it’s apart, you can easily use any 1mm pin to unscrew the stylus.
Thats opening the equipment up to a lot of potential for damage when one can accomplish the same thing without disassembly. I got mine dialed in and super sensitive and repeatable. I’d hate to break a stylus only to have to pull it all apart and start over.
They do make short extensions that could be added to the stylus, which would make access to the hole in the side easier if you find the need to do that regularly.
“if you find the need to do that regularly.”
I actually LOL’d when I read that.
Cheaper at Renishaw on-line directly.