Micrometer Questions?

[EDG]

When using an 0-1 mike one handed like you would do for measuring a bullet diameter you cannot even use a ratchet. Since many 0-1 mikes have ratchets you might as well learn to use your touch.

Unless you are ready to spend hours measuring guage pins or some other type of standard to learn the "feel" of your micrometer I highly suggest you get a micrometer with either a ratchet or friction thimble.

A micrometer with a ratchet or friction thimble needs no "feel" to be accurate. This is why you will only find "calibration certificates" on mics that have them. You can line up as many people as you can find and have them measure a diameter with a ratchet or friction thimble mic and will get the same measurment every time.

Line up 5 people to measure something with a mic that does not have one and you are likely to get 5 different measurements.

Motor

[mjwcaster]

Just took a quick look on ebay for blade mics, seem to run around $100 or so, a few name brand ones cheaper, many that cost more.

I may just keep an eye out and if I find a deal on one somewhere I will pick it up.

Matt

[EDG]

mjw
You will not use blade mikes very much. My blade mike is made by Mitutoyo. It is an excellent Japanese brand which I consider superior to Starrett and on the quality level of Brown and Sharpe or Scherr-Tumico. I think I paid $15 for it at a pawn shop about 20 years ago. The Mitutoyos sometimes are reasonable but most of the time they are not. They have been marketed in the US for more than 40 years. For a long time they were about 1/3 to 1/2 the American brands an were easily just as good. I have 4 Mitutoyos to go with a number of other brands.
I have been watching mikes pretty close since this thread started.
Some of the older Fowlers have been selling for less than $30 and some times less than $20. That is pretty good if you can get an older Fowler blade mike make by NSK. They are decent tools about on par with Starrett. The later Fowlers appear to be Chinese. Another import brand is SPI -Swiss Precision Instruments. Their older tools were pretty good. I don't know much about them. The older tools look much like NSK or VIS. NSK is another Japanese brand that is not quite up to Mits but is probably good enough for a blade mike. You might also check out the VIS blade mikes made in Poland. I think they are a good bit better than the Fowlers and have a very good reputation. They will probably sell for a little more than the Fowlers but way less than the American standards. Starrett, Brown and Sharpe blade mikes are just not worth what you pay for our limited use. Another good brand is the Scherr-Tumico but again the prices may get bid up a ways. A terrific German brand is Mahr but they are often super expensive. Etalon is another more common but superior brand. While a superior tool the prices reflect the Swiss made quality. Mahr is a rare tool. Etalon is much more common. Both are sort of Rolexs of micrometers.

Just took a quick look on ebay for blade mics, seem to run around $100 or so, a few name brand ones cheaper, many that cost more.

I may just keep an eye out and if I find a deal on one somewhere I will pick it up.

Matt

[Motor]

Just took a quick look on ebay for blade mics, seem to run around $100 or so, a few name brand ones cheaper, many that cost more.

I may just keep an eye out and if I find a deal on one somewhere I will pick it up.

Matt

I got a better Idea. Buy another $10 mic one that does not have carbide faces and "make them" blade mics. You can do the solid end and use a blade adapter for the other. I have them somewhere and have used them. Actually this is not a good idea. LOL

But really for what you want you can do accuratly with your calipers.


EDG, I know what your saying but I have no trouble using my B&S with friction thimble one handed and I have small hands.

Motor

[EDG]

Motor
I have an old stainless 8S B&S with a ratchet. I have large hands and I cannot use the ratchet one handed.
I have several B&S and a Mitutoyo with the friction thimble and like you it is easy to use one handed. I do like the ratchet for use as a speeder when turning the thimble a long ways. However after 45 years of miking parts I trust my touch more on round stuff.

I have seen the blade mike tips a few times on ebay.

I got a better Idea. Buy another $10 mic one that does not have carbide faces and "make them" blade mics. You can do the solid end and use a blade adapter for the other. I have them somewhere and have used them. Actually this is not a good idea. LOL

But really for what you want you can do accuratly with your calipers.


EDG, I know what your saying but I have no trouble using my B&S with friction thimble one handed and I have small hands.

Motor

[KAYDADOG]

Buy a set of digital Mitutoyo brand tools and you won't regret the quality. A 0"-1" micrometer and 0"-"6 calipers to start with. You will have all the accuracy and today you can't go wrong with digital readouts, no guessing with the dimension. Never would buy anything else. As always quality products cost more.
Very disappointed with Brown and Sharp brand. Had one of their top of the line micrometers. Went to use it one day and it was DOA. It was new in the box but had it just sitting for a few years. To expensive to get fixed. Use the B&S calipers I also have for woodworking projects. Mitutoyo is used for all my machining and reloading, well worth the investment. These measuring tools never sit idle very long.

[Motor]

I've been a machinist for over 30 years. I wouldn't own anything with a battery in it for home use. If it belongs to the company and they are providing the batteries, sure.

Motor

[BrianL]

I've been a machinist for over 30 years. I wouldn't own anything with a battery in it for home use. If it belongs to the company and they are providing the batteries, sure.

Motor

The original battery for my Mititoyo calipers lasted 3 years and the replacements ar 3 for $5. You do have to remember to turn them off.........

I have been in the trades for 40 years now and still have my original Vernier calipers, as in no dial even, and they still work. I started out witha couple of Starrett mikes and ended up buying a full set of Mititoyo's up to 6". I just could not justify the price point of the Starretts. Now that I can afford either, I still buy Mititoyo in mikes and calipers, Brown and Sharpe in indicators.

[Motor]

BrianL yeah the hard part is remembering to turn them off. Lol

You'll get no argument from me on your other points.

I do prefer mechanical, either dial or digital over electronic though especially when it comes to calipers for reloading.

BTW: I know how to read very near calipers too.

Motor

[BrianL]

BrianL yeah the hard part is remembering to turn them off. Lol


BTW: I know how to read very near calipers too.

Motor

It is a dying art. All of my height gages are still Vernier though I do have to cheat and use a magnifying glass to see the lines. I only have one set of mikes that has dual readings, regular vernier and digital. It is nice to be able to verify instantly that we are correct.
I was gifted a set of carbide faced Mitutoyo calipers that are pretty handy but still gravitate back to the dials.

One very important thing with any of them is to check the zero before use.

[jcwit]

Good Grief guys. Whats the problems with batteries. Sure can't be cost, or if it is you need to do a quick 5 minute search on E-Bay for them.

The ones that fit my calibers are here

http://www.ebay.com/itm/10-LR44-AG13...item5d4a9d23b0

All of $ .19 cents each with free shipping. Plus they fit the kitty toy.

[Motor]

Good Grief guys. Whats the problems with batteries. Sure can't be cost, or if it is you need to do a quick 5 minute search on E-Bay for them.

The ones that fit my calibers are here

http://www.ebay.com/itm/10-LR44-AG13...item5d4a9d23b0

All of $ .19 cents each with free shipping. Plus they fit the kitty toy.

You kind of missed the point. The ONLY decent electronic caliper I have ever seen is the more expencive ones. The Mitutoyo are fine.

Most cheap ones I have seen EAT batteries and often simply go bad. The cheap dial calipers are far better than any cheap electronic. Its hard to get out of calibration when you got positive gear engagement between dial and slide. There is no such engagement with electronic just a cheap pick up. I simply don't trust them.

Motor

[BrianL]

Another point is technique. Someone who is versed in the proper 'feel' can use most calipers and mikes, even the plastic calipers. Novices tend to use too much pressure so the heavier and generally more expensive models may help. A good example is giving three machine operators a part and a set of calipers or a mike to measure a part. You may get three differing answers, usually on the small side. Hand the same part and calipers to three toolmakers, and the results will be closer. Then for grins, hand the same part to three engineers...............fun to watch.

Seriously though, it is very easy to flex calipers a few thousandths, dials make this easier to notice. I won't even get into the funny looking C-clamp with numbers.lol

[jcwit]

You kind of missed the point. The ONLY decent electronic caliper I have ever seen is the more expencive ones. The Mitutoyo are fine.

Most cheap ones I have seen EAT batteries and often simply go bad. The cheap dial calipers are far better than any cheap electronic. Its hard to get out of calibration when you got positive gear engagement between dial and slide. There is no such engagement with electronic just a cheap pick up. I simply don't trust them.

Motor

Your prerogative.

[EDG]

Most battery powered micrometers are clumsy to handle. Unless you buy high quality digital calipers you are wasting your time. I don't see much benefit for either.
I have a number of high quality mikes. They are all mechanical. It would be pointless to replace one of them and have an odd ball in the bunch. I am sure not going to replace ALL of them just for clumsy to handle battery powered versions that are used infrequently like blade mikes, multi-anvil mikes, tubing mikes and mikes from 2" up to 6".

Good Grief guys. Whats the problems with batteries. Sure can't be cost, or if it is you need to do a quick 5 minute search on E-Bay for them.

The ones that fit my calibers are here

http://www.ebay.com/itm/10-LR44-AG13...item5d4a9d23b0

All of $ .19 cents each with free shipping. Plus they fit the kitty toy.

[max range]

I know that you said you wanted a made in USA, older mic but I just wanted to throw out what I have and am quite pleased with them: (the VME brand)
Click here: Digital Microneters from Mitutoyo and Fowler - electronic and manual models.
My brother-in-law visited last month and I showed them to him. He gave them a thumbs up. He is a retired tool & die man who worked for Lockheed 35 yrs.

The mic is digital but uses no batteries. Plus I can see it with old eyes. Those tiny barrel lines are out of the question nowadays.

[theperfessor]

I have been very pleased with all the SPI instruments I've purchased new in the last few years.

[alamogunr]

I'm partial to digital mikes only because everyone at work(before I retired) wanted to replace their mechanical vernier mikes with digital. I got an excellent 0-1" B&S that had just been certified to take home. Same way with the calipers only they are dial types. Got two of them. I don't have to remember to turn them off otherwise I would be replacing batteries all the time.

Just so happened that theperfessor's post is just above mine. I need to make up an order.

[jcwit]

Most battery powered micrometers are clumsy to handle. Unless you buy high quality digital calipers you are wasting your time. I don't see much benefit for either.
I have a number of high quality mikes. They are all mechanical. It would be pointless to replace one of them and have an odd ball in the bunch. I am sure not going to replace ALL of them just for clumsy to handle battery powered versions that are used infrequently like blade mikes, multi-anvil mikes, tubing mikes and mikes from 2" up to 6".

In the eyes of the beholder, in other words, your opinion.

I have both dial and digital. I have U.S. calibers Starrett brand, and Mitutoyo, and Harbor Freight. All are accurate, at least in my hands, spent more than a few years as a tool maker.

[jmorris]

I was wondering how this thread was still running 3 pages later, you switched topics.

I simply don't trust them.

I don't trust them either, "good", "cheap", micrometer or caliper but that is why I own standards and gauge blocks.

From what I have found, I own more "good" stuff than "cheap" stuff, the 5 or so $9 calipers I have are just as accurate as the ones I spent more money on.

I still prefer quality dials though but that is just me.