Brown and Sharpe micrometer

[Wayne Smith]

Picked up a Brown and Sharpe 1" 13RS micrometer off e-bay cheap a while ago. It was listed as 'stuck' - a couple drops of Kroil and a little patient work and she's working fine.

In the wooden box are three octagonal pieces of steel about .370 thick one marked '1', one marked '2', and one marked '3' on the flats of the octagon.

I assume they are standards of some sort but can't seem to figure out how to use them. Any ideas?

[rl69]

Would love to see it

I would guess the rods are to set the meter up as a go no go gauge?

[15meter]

Photos?
Ground stock? Type of finish? Size laser/chemical, very uniform or does it look like a hand stamp with a hammer?

In the shops, guys were always making their own tools to speed things along.

If they are not very uniform in finish I would suspect a shop made framistat

[Wayne Smith]

Please explain 'framistat'? As I said, flat octagonal pieces - not round. Numbers look to have been put on by hand. Very light, almost like pencil, but not.

[bangerjim]

A picture is worth a thousand words!

Sounds home-made. All the NIST many standards I have are well marked by mechanical etching or engraving not with a hand scribe or vibro-pencil.

[15meter]

A framistat is a special custom tool made from unobtanium used in the manufacture of the most desirable of all rifles, the Asperly Aimless.

Ground, as in surface ground a manufacturing process using a "surface grinder" to produce a very smooth, flat surface. Usually last step before lapping.

Sorry about the mis-understanding in my prior post, spent too much of my work in manufacturing, I assume that everyone is familiar with the jargon.

Framistats were normally found on the shelf right next to the striped paint

[Hardcast416taylor]

A framistat is a special custom tool made from unobtanium used in the manufacture of the most desirable of all rifles, the Asperly Aimless.

Ground, as in surface ground a manufacturing process using a "surface grinder" to produce a very smooth, flat surface. Usually last step before lapping.

Sorry about the mis-understanding in my prior post, spent too much of my work in manufacturing, I assume that everyone is familiar with the jargon.

Framistats were normally found on the shelf right next to the striped paint

Almost sounds like you were one of those `Whiz Kids` from GMI that were on the 2nd floor where i worked as a plumber. Amazing how much they didn`t know about plumbing plant layout, yet tried to use our terms and jargon to sound knowledgeable. Definiton of pipe: A long round piece of metal usually straight with a hole on both ends and hopefully in the middle also. Robert

[tinhorn97062]

They’re standards to make sure your mic is reading correctly. Measure the standard and adjust the mic until it is zero’d, I.e. you get a 1.0000 measurement with the 1” standard.

PM me if you get stuck, and I can walk you though the process in more detail.

[RED BEAR]

always liked the feel of brown and sharpe . a lot of my coworkers went with starret but for me it was brown and sharpe mics calipers . one word of caution about kroil it is the best on stuck items but once unstuck clean item and lubricate with oil kloil makes great instrument oil. i learned the hard way if left on it will gel and harden. on a mic that would not be good.(exactly what i did).

[Char-Gar]

always liked the feel of brown and sharpe . a lot of my coworkers went with starret but for me it was brown and sharpe mics calipers . one word of caution about kroil it is the best on stuck items but once unstuck clean item and lubricate with oil kloil makes great instrument oil. i learned the hard way if left on it will gel and harden. on a mic that would not be good.(exactly what i did).

Starrett makes (sells) a Tool and Instrument oil that does not gum, harden or other such stuff. There is probably other products, but I have used the Starrett since 1968 and always have some on my bench.

[15meter]

A picture is worth a thousand words!

Sounds home-made. All the NIST many standards I have are well marked by mechanical etching or engraving not with a hand scribe or vibro-pencil.

What he said, I never once mentioned "round" anything, was talking about the surface finish of the item--"ground stock". All commercial setting standards are finished to a very smooth, flat surface. the surfaces to be used for setting the micrometer with is usually lapped to a mirror surface removing the last .0001 or less to final dimension. Shop made "framistats" are rarely finished to commercial appearances.

[jonp]

I use Ballistol on mine and it seems to just sit there and not harden.

[wwmartin]

5W20 Moble1 same as I use on my guns. WW

[JSnover]

If they are homemade, the previous owner might have also had a 1-2" and a 2-3" mic, just kept his standards all in the same box (assuming they each measure 1", 2" and 3").

[fast ronnie]

I've had Brown and Sharps for almost fifty years.Bought my first set when I was 17. Still have them, and still just as good as the day I bought them.
ATF works pretty good for a lube. Most any lite oil will also work. Mine are used on the machines almost every day, so get lubed with whatever happens to be used at the time. By the way, wd40 is NOT a lube. I use a fair amount of it, but not to lubricate.

[RED BEAR]

wd40 will do the same thing kroil does if left on something will gum up and eventually harden. i learned about kroil after retireing and putting tools in garage noticed small amount of rust put kroil on them went back sometime later and spent the next several days cleaning and oiling everything.

[smokeywolf]

Have always used LPS #1 (dry film) or #2 (light weight wet film) on my mikes and calipers.