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Thread: Mic not holding zero

  1. #1
    Boolit Buddy Joe504's Avatar
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    Mic not holding zero

    I have a Companion mic that the anvil wont stay at 0

    When I tighten it to set it to 0, the anvil turns.
    This does not happen on my Starrets. Is this typical, and I should just be delicate when zeroing it?

    Thanks.

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  2. #2
    Boolit Master
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    that's why starretts and mityoto's are worth what they cost. id hate to giver you bad advice so I won't even make a suggestion

  3. #3
    Boolit Buddy Joe504's Avatar
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    Bubba is gonna come out and ima loctite it, lol.

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  4. #4
    Boolit Master
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    if you decide to go that way locktite just a tiny dab of the purple if anything like that. if you disassemble the whole thing and find sloppy threads a very thin ribbon of teflon tape could be effective and easily removed.

  5. #5
    Boolit Master
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    ive got an old mic like that that a friend gave me when I started vo tech. teacher told me its a very nice paperweight. but i guess I got OCD when it come to trying to fix stuff

  6. #6
    Boolit Buddy Joe504's Avatar
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    If I can get it fixed, I'm going to PIF it. I'm cleaning up the shop, and what i dont feel like selling, will be PIF'ed, as I love doing that.

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  7. #7
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    metricmonkeywrench's Avatar
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    The anvil should be fixed, though I think the rust should be addressed first. May be salvageable but defiantly not for precision work

  8. #8
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    jimkim's Avatar
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    Were you storing it closed on "0"? That could cause issues.

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  9. #9
    Boolit Master

    monadnock#5's Avatar
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    I see rust on the spindle. How do the faces look? That would cause drag on the anvil when zeroing.
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  10. #10
    Boolit Master Ozark mike's Avatar
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    So your saying it turns past zero when you are closing it. If so clean the faces well. If rusted they need faced on a lathe. Then tighten it with the rachet mechanism. The scale will have to be adjusted to read zero mine uses a little bitty flathead as a setscrew loosen it up enough to rotate the scale to zero then tighten the set screw. Ya may have to back the anvil off to get to the screw im not sure how yours works exactly
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  11. #11
    Boolit Grand Master

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    If the lower anvil is loose it can be locktited in place if the spindle is the issue locktiting it will keep it from spinning moving. Inside the big thimble should be a take up ring that is used to take up play from use in the thread and the ratchet should have a thread to lock the spindle to the thimble on a tapered end.
    First gently clean the rust and debris from the spindle and mikes. fine wool and a light oil the most aggressive would be 3-m scotch brite, Work slow and easy be gentle.
    Lightly snug the anvils on a dollar bill or cigarette paper and slide thru to clean the anvil faces of build ups and crud
    Zero mikes and check them several times for zero. If they still change then it gets harder to fix
    Unscrew thimble out of frame and again clean good here solvent and light pressure remove any build ups old oil becarefull not to disturb the take up nut, Lightly oil and reassemble check here when reassembling pay attention to thread tension (tight and loose spots) A lot of mikes see a lot of measuring in a certain area resulting in localized wear. After rechecking zero if still "floating then disassemble spindle from thimble and clean taper and check fit This is where big adjustments are made to allow the 0 to always remain at 90* to the frame.
    If localized wear is there then the collet and take up nut wont help as when set for worn area it will be tight every where else. The cure for that is very fine lapping compound and lapping the threads back to true. Then cleaning and resetting the take up. This is a very skilled process and takes a lot of time and patience.

  12. #12
    Boolit Buddy Joe504's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by country gent View Post
    If the lower anvil is loose it can be locktited in place if the spindle is the issue locktiting it will keep it from spinning moving. Inside the big thimble should be a take up ring that is used to take up play from use in the thread and the ratchet should have a thread to lock the spindle to the thimble on a tapered end.
    First gently clean the rust and debris from the spindle and mikes. fine wool and a light oil the most aggressive would be 3-m scotch brite, Work slow and easy be gentle.
    Lightly snug the anvils on a dollar bill or cigarette paper and slide thru to clean the anvil faces of build ups and crud
    Zero mikes and check them several times for zero. If they still change then it gets harder to fix
    Unscrew thimble out of frame and again clean good here solvent and light pressure remove any build ups old oil becarefull not to disturb the take up nut, Lightly oil and reassemble check here when reassembling pay attention to thread tension (tight and loose spots) A lot of mikes see a lot of measuring in a certain area resulting in localized wear. After rechecking zero if still "floating then disassemble spindle from thimble and clean taper and check fit This is where big adjustments are made to allow the 0 to always remain at 90* to the frame.
    If localized wear is there then the collet and take up nut wont help as when set for worn area it will be tight every where else. The cure for that is very fine lapping compound and lapping the threads back to true. Then cleaning and resetting the take up. This is a very skilled process and takes a lot of time and patience.
    Thanks for this, and all the others for advice.
    I will try the first part of this, and if it works, great, if not, it's not worth the time.

    Either way its headed to the PIF section, I was just hoping to get it right first.

    Thanks again everyone!!

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  13. #13
    Boolit Buddy alfadan's Avatar
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    IMO, too many decent mic's out there to futz with that one. "They make more everyday"

  14. #14
    Boolit Grand Master

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    Being a lifelong machinist/mechanic, my first thought is some moron abused that mic. I hope you said "tighten" just as a term any you don't tighten the spindle down on the anvil (and never store the mics with the spindle closed on the anvil, like in the pic). Clean the obvious rust off the spindle so you don't drag rust through the sleeve/barrel or ID threads. Remove as much rust as you can without removing any metal. Inspect the anvil (carbide?). It should be tight in the frame. I would think of a repair once I found ut the anvil/frame fit, and probably would send the mic back to Starret. Starret makes quality measuring tools that will last a lifetime if not abused. I had one like the pic, used daily for 14 years before it was stolen. I kept it clean, didn't use it for a c-clamp and it was .0001" accurate till the day it was stolen.
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  15. #15
    Boolit Buddy Joe504's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by mdi View Post
    Being a lifelong machinist/mechanic, my first thought is some moron abused that mic. I hope you said "tighten" just as a term any you don't tighten the spindle down on the anvil (and never store the mics with the spindle closed on the anvil, like in the pic). Clean the obvious rust off the spindle so you don't drag rust through the sleeve/barrel or ID threads. Remove as much rust as you can without removing any metal. Inspect the anvil (carbide?). It should be tight in the frame. I would think of a repair once I found ut the anvil/frame fit, and probably would send the mic back to Starret. Starret makes quality measuring tools that will last a lifetime if not abused. I had one like the pic, used daily for 14 years before it was stolen. I kept it clean, didn't use it for a c-clamp and it was .0001" accurate till the day it was stolen.
    Thanks for that info. I think the time involved might not be worth the result. I will put a few minutes of work into it today, and then offer it as. PiF later today.

    Thanks everyone for your responses, as I have learned a bunch just from yall discussing proper storage/usage and cleaning of mics.

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  16. #16
    Boolit Master
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    "C" clamp

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