Micrometer- What to look for when buying?

[Jon]

I need a micrometer for slugging barrels, and measuring items on the lathe, etc. I have a digital caliper, but they are really only good to .001 or so.

I'd like to stick with name brands like Starrett or Mutitoyo. There are a plethora of them on ebay, but I don't quite know what to look for.

Carbide faces?
ratcheting knob?
0-1" and 1-2" What are good sizes other than 0-1"?
Are the mechanical number ones ok, or should I stick with traditional dial?
I probably wouldn't use it enough to want a purely electronic one, and have to worry about the battery.

Thanks,

[jmort]

You want a 0 - 1. Most every bullet or measurement will b e from around .223 to .50 inches. I got a Mitutoyo for $15.00 in nice condition. You want an "Outside" micrometer. Mechanical ones work fine, but if I had the extra $$$ a digital model would be nice.

[bob208]

I like the manual ones I have them from 0-1/2 to 5-6. the carbide tips are best if they are not chipped. I have all starrett . it is best to look at them in person.
first close the anvils on a slip of paper then slide the paper out. this will clean out any dirt on the faces. then close the faces. together it should read 0. hold up to a light and see if they are squire and in full contact. this will tell if they have ever been dropped or over tightened. then you should have something that is half inch thick. I use a gage block. mic. it this will tell if there is wear in the threads.

[country gent]

My set of mics at work are browne and sharp slant lines with the vernieer and carbide faces 0-6" with the friction thimble ( mine have the thimbles reversed so I depend on my feel. For a home mike not seeing alot of gringing workcarbide is nice but not neccesary. There is an adjustable collet on the threads to adjust play. Mine are now 35 years old and I havent had to adjust yet. I perfer the slant ines as they are easier to read for me. I also have mitoyo digitals that read 0-1 range and to .00005. Look for a name brand, starret Browne and Sharp mitoyo even lufkins ( older but dang good). Check them out when purchasing as a set used in production work may be worn. Measure to zero then .025 .050 .075 and .100 this will show if anvil is out of square or worn. chips in the faces tell you of rough handling. Ive been a tool and die maker for 35 years. Measuring tools need to be acccurate. Another nice thing are the insulated pads to hold them by. Very few mikes see enough use to have issues. For a home shop depending on the lathe size I would get a set to 3" with standards. My B&S are steel frames I dont care for the aluminum frames as heat affect them more. Check them before purchasing them and youll be fine. Get he Mike wrench and standard if applicable.

[uscra112]

A real good "sleeper" brand is Fowler. Many of the older Fowler mikes were actually made in Switzerland, and are now going for less than Starrett and Brown & Sharpe on evilBay because most people don't know this. Here's one of mine. Bought for about $35 if memory serves. The mechanical digits only go to .001", but it's easy to interpolate, and there is a vernier on the barrel for .0001" precision if your eyes are good enough.

85752

I've also got 1960's Starretts, and some even older high grade Brown & Sharpes, but none are any better than the Fowlers. IMHO both of those old-line companies fell under the spell of "product cheapening" in the '80s, trying to compete on price with Mitutoyo, and their quality fell off by quite a lot. A sad commentary on "progress", but true.

[Char-Gar]

I have several Starrett micrometers. One has a ratchet and a Vernier scale. One has a friction thimble and a Vernier scale. One just has a Vernier scale. One has a ratchet and reads out in numbers. They all work just fine. I tend to use the one that reads out in numbers more often these days, because it is quicker with 71 year old eyes. None have carbide faces that I know of.

[EDG]

Scherr-Tumico (Tubular Micrometer Company), Starrett, Brown and Sharpe, Mitutoya, Lufkin, several Swiss brands, the German brand Mahr, and others are good mikes. I like carbide faces. O to 1" is about all you will ever need much. Never buy a mike based just on brand. There are some of the premium brands like Starrett that are worn out pieces of junk. Always examine your mikes in person or get a money back guarantee.

[w5pv]

For everyday use for around the house Starrett makes a 0-6 model,the anvils will come out and once you get them set it is just the matter of changing the anvils.Much cheaper than buying individual mic's ln 1" increments.The set I had came with standards and tools to set them up.They were a bit springer if you tried to use them as clamps when mic ing

[geargnasher]

+1 on Fowler. Very decent mics. I even have some digital 6" calipers made in Swizerland that run within a tenth or two of the mics, but only display down to half-thousandths.

A top-quality 0-1" mic with a heat insulator (or wrap electrical tape around the middle of the C where you hold it), a TUBING MIC (also sold with names on them familiar to reloaders as "neck micrometers), and any half-decent set of very-near, digital, or dial calipers is all a reloader will ever need.

Gear

[captaint]

Mic's can be expensive or not. I have Mitutoyo's that are good. I have a China set that aren't made as well, but are still accurate. I have a set of Mit tubing mic's for measuring case neck thickness - a must if you ever turn case necks down. I have a set of Starrett electronic calipers that I rarely use, and a set of middle of the road dial calipers that are quite good.
So, it's pretty much buy what you need to feel good about yourself. Fleabay is a good place to get used ones - cheap.... Mike

[Jon]

Thanks guys. I ended up getting one of these on ebay for about $35.

http://www.starrett.com/metrology/product-detail/Precision-Measuring-Tools/Precision-Hand-Tools/Micrometers/Outside-Micrometers/T230XRL

[jmort]

Now that is a good deal.

[MtGun44]

Fowler .0001" reading mics on Enco Tools will normally run about $28-35 new.

Bill

[cwheel]

Good choice Jon. I've had one for over 30 years, used very often as a machinist, and it still works and looks like new. For a reloader, it will last many generations. Sounds like you might be building up a set for home use. I'd also go with a Starrett #2 for the 1-2" mic. Those are the 2 used most. After that, depends on how big you want to go and what you are going to be doing at home on your machinery. I retired with outside mics to 6", inside to 12", depth to 6", almost a standard for a machinist tool box. See no need to get rid of them, still using them on my lathe and mill at home. Stick with ebay looking for what you want. Many times machinists pass with the family having to dispose of these tools in this manner. Sad for the family that lack of manufacturing in this country keeps prices well below what they are worth, with a sharp eye though, a good place to buy if you know what you are looking at.
Chris

[Jon]

Do you find that you use a 1-2" mic very often? I have a 9" South Bend lathe that I will be using for projects. I'm not sure I'll need that kind of accuracy for anything over an inch in size. Then again, more tools can't hurt. :D

[cwheel]

Yes I do use a 1-2 quite often, and larger at times. Don't know what tooling you have with your lathe, or chuck sizes. Also, what your interests or projects are outside of reloading. With that size lathe you could commonly run parts to 3" range with small 3 and 4 jaw chucks. Because of that, I'd start with mics up to 3" and stop there until a special need or project comes along that needs bigger. Several different dial indicators to true your work in the chucks with a good magnetic base will prove handy as well. Don't try to buy this stuff all at once, just acquire as needed. Often you are going to find deals on ebay or at yard sales where a machinist has passed. Hardest part is knowing what is quality and what is junk and that is worth. My lathe and mill are a little bigger than yours to start with. But if I didn't retire with a full machinist tool box with all of this stuff, the stuff I would buy for home would end up being much more basic than what I have. Once the lathe itself is up and running in good condition, look at the chucks, and tool post next. A good quick change tool postlike a Aloris AXA size, or a good KDK, will make the biggest difference in running it.
Chris

[W.R.Buchanan]

That is a decent mike. and will last you forever as long as you take care of it. Never store it all the way closed. and keep it clean.

As far as all you old farts who can't see, I would suggest investing in an "Opti-Visor."

I use one everyday over my normal glasses and it makes it so you can actually can see what you are doing.

You can't work on something you can't see! It's just a plain fact!

I recommend a #3 lens which gives you about a 10" focal length and about a 2X magnification. I also have one with a #4 lens it is a little higher magnification but the focal length is only 8" which is too close for me to work comfortably. The one with the #4 lens also has a Loupe which works OK for picking splinters out of your fingers .

Were talking about $50 for one, available from a bunch of different sources like Hobby Shops and tool suppliers. Just get the brand name "Opti-Visor," not one of the knockoffs.

I personally don't see how any one can do any thing close to precision work without one. I had to have the visor on to read the print it is setting on. The numbers were simply too small to read clearly.

Believe me guys being able to see clearly is night and day difference in your work.

Randy

[owejia]

I second that opti-visor thing. A friend gave me one and it is really handy when I have to examine something up close. I can actually see all those small imperfections now. Used to just be kinda blurred.

[nanuk]

I have cataracts and find I grab a magnifying glass quite often, even with my 4.25 correction with progressives....

I think I will try to local some of those opti-visors to have at home... could come in VERY handi at times.

[adrians]

Im terribly clumbsy with my eye glasses ,always sitting ,standing on them ect and invariably they need the arms fixing but with the visor stuck on my head those little miniscule screws look like ship rivets and make life a lot easier when fixing glasses,,,,[smilie=p:

[mdi]

One hint; until you get the "feel" of a mic. use the ratchet/friction thimble (little thingy on the end of the thimble) to get consistent measurements (as my mentor said "it anin't no c-clamp, take it easy!"). I used the same micrometer 0-1" Starrett for many years as a machinist, and with just a bit of practice, .0001" measurements are easy...

[cwheel]

Hi Jon,
As a after thought, after you get a 1-2" mic, if you decide you need bigger, might want to look at ebay again for a good used Starrett #224 in the 2-6" range for use with your lathe. If you watch the auctions, you will see them often sell used between $30-50 for the full set in a box with all 4 standards and wrenches. This micrometer is good for home use by someone who doesn't use this stuff every day but gives you a full range up to 6" if you have the 0-1 and 1-2 separate already. Ebay will also be selling these new in the box in the $450 range, new in the box just isn't needed for home use.
Chris

[Chuck_ls]

And make sure the micrometer is adjusted to read correctly. A 0'-1" is easy as you can clean the anvil faces, close it down and make sure it read 0.000- There is a little spanner that comes with most micrometers that is used to adjust the reading if it is off. On larger mics you need a calibrated standard to set the zero. They are available at most tool dealers like MSC.

Chuck