Recomend me a good micrometer

I have been in the maching trade for over 35 years

Started on manual machines
worked on cnc machines (running & programming)
now work in the engineering department of a fairly large aerospace machining facility.

I have met & known 1000's of tool & die makers, machinists & journeymen thruout my career & none of them would have been so careless as to inspect a part while their machine was running..

At one time i was foreman of a good size machine shop.
Had i seen someone measuring a part while spinning in a chuck i would have given them a warning about the dangers of that practice.
If i saw them doing it again it would have been my obligation to fire them to protect them from their on irresponsibility.

KIM,

there has been some very good advice given to you in this thread.
There has also been some very, very bad advice given.
I am not sure how long you have been machining, but please take the advice given by RENEGADE56, myself & a few others about safely inspecting machined parts.

SLIM
 
Brickcues said:
Sorry you feel this way but it is very accurate. As I said I have been doing for 20 years with no problems and I am sure I am not the only one that does this with no problems. Don't knock it till you have tried it.

I'll bet you are one of those guys that uses a cutter to cut tips down instead of a razor blade. Been doing that for 20 years also with no problem. Still have all my fingers. I guess I have been lucky with that also.

I have been making cues for 20 years and you?
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Alex,

I do it myself and have been doing it for a number of years. You're pissing in the wind here my friend because you and I cannot compete with the knowledge of the AZ 'experts'. :thumbup:
 
Brickcues said:
Sorry you feel this way but it is very accurate. As I said I have been doing for 20 years with no problems and I am sure I am not the only one that does this with no problems. Don't knock it till you have tried it.

I'll bet you are one of those guys that uses a cutter to cut tips down instead of a razor blade. Been doing that for 20 years also with no problem. Still have all my fingers. I guess I have been lucky with that also.

I have been making cues for 20 years and you?
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I have been a Machinist for 50 years. Anybody measuring a moving part in a Lathe in any shop I have worked in would be Fired on the spot.

For the OP. I use Mitutoyo Digimatic Micrometers with Friction Thimbles. I have been using them for 20 years. Don't buy Starrett Electronic Calipers or Micrometers. They don't last.
 
Joe Barringer said:
Alex,

I do it myself and have been doing it for a number of years. You're pissing in the wind here my friend because you and I cannot compete with the knowledge of the AZ 'experts'. :thumbup:
Click to expand...

Measuring the ID of a hole while the part is spinning seems quite dangerous to me. Does anyone have a link to a site with credibility that recommends this practice ?

Dave
 
joe barringer said:
alex,

i do it myself and have been doing it for a number of years. You're pissing in the wind here my friend because you and i cannot compete with the knowledge of the az 'experts'. :thumbup:
Click to expand...

joe,

you can do whatever you are comfortable doing, but i think it warrants pointing out:
That to teach someone to use this practice when inspecting parts is irresponsible & can lead to an accident.

I equate it with stating that it is okay to leave the chuck key in the chuck.
I know lots of guys that made a habit of doing that for years without ever getting hurt.

However: Go to youtube & check out what can happen.

Slim
 
SLIM said:
joe,

you can do whatever you are comfortable doing, but i think it warrants pointing out:
That to teach someone to use this practice when inspecting parts is irresponsible & can lead to an accident.

I equate it with stating that it is okay to leave the chuck key in the chuck.
I know lots of guys that made a habit of doing that for years without ever getting hurt.

However: Go to youtube & check out what can happen.

Slim
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Good point,,,,, as soon as you start deciding which things to be safe doing, the natural progression is to start deciding WHEN to be safe as well. Eventually you will get hurt, if not by your own doing, it'll come from the guy working beside or behind you that does unsafe acts as well. Safety is not hard to do and is very cheap.
 
I never taught anyone to do this but it is done and I do it as do many other confident, experienced lathe operators and cue makers. We weren't discussing procedures, it just came up in conversation. Just because someone doesn't do it on here for whatever reason doesn't make it dangerous or wrong. I know a lot of guys who are 'safety experts' and all other type of 'experts' on lathes, etc and can't machine a part or build a cue to save their life but they are indeed 'experts'. Seems AZ is full of 'experts'.

Someone comes on here, reads a few threads and then they parrot a previous statement and all of a sudden we have another 'expert'.

To each their own. That best explains it.

Happy New Year everyone.
 
Joe Barringer said:
I never taught anyone to do this but it is done and I do it as do many other confident, experienced lathe operators and cue makers. We weren't discussing procedures, it just came up in conversation. Just because someone doesn't do it on here for whatever reason doesn't make it dangerous or wrong. I know a lot of guys who are 'safety experts' and all other type of 'experts' on lathes, etc and can't machine a part or build a cue to save their life but they are indeed 'experts'. Seems AZ is full of 'experts'.

Someone comes on here, reads a few threads and then they parrot a previous statement and all of a sudden we have another 'expert'.

To each their own. That best explains it.

Happy New Year everyone.
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No link then ? :lol:

Dave
 
I thought you may have brought a metric mic as a lot of ferrules are measured in mm.
Not sure if they still do, but Starrett used to sell spare parts for most of their measuring equipment. It used to be common to buy spare spindles and then modify it for a particular job. They were the only ones I knew that sold the spares at a reasonable price. Most would just by a very cheap mic and mod that instead.My set of Imperial mics is Starrett, not sure of the model number off hand.
My favourite ouside mic is a mitutoyo with non rotating barrel. It is old now, I have had it for about 26 or so years. It is a model 106-101 it has the vernier on the thimble barrel, not on the numbering barrel. Like all measuring gear, there are ways to get the best out of what you have. The trick to making mics last a long time, is never get the coolant into the spindle and not clean it, keep grinding dust/swarf away as much as possible. I take the spindles out quite often and give them a good wash out, then a small drop of cheap non fancy baby oil.
Here is a link with a picture of mine, looks like they are a discontinued item.
http://www.amazonsupply.com/mitutoyo-106-101-micrometer-graduation-0-002mm/dp/B003MUOAEC
 
shars has carbide tips and read tenths
nice baked enamel like mitutoyo
plus 10 times cheaper and work the same as a 300 dollar 0-1 starret crud mic
I got a used 0-6 shars set with box amd standards for 100 off craigslist
and have the ratchet
 
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Best Micrometer aka "Mike"

Hi,

My advise is to get the best "Mike" for the dollar, I have a set of Starrett "Mikes", 0 - 1", 1" - 2" and 2" - 3"...

All have the ratchet thimble on the end of the "Mike", this allows you to achieve a consistent feel / reading, Gage Rod "Master" for calibration and .0001" veneer on the barrel of the "Mike".

You will need a Caliper sooner than later, I still prefer the "Dial" type.

Now for the "Mike" quiz of the day, how many TPI on a 1" .001" graduated "Mike"?

Regards,

Joe
 
BBC said:
Hi,

My advise is to get the best "Mike" for the dollar, I have a set of Starrett "Mikes", 0 - 1", 1" - 2" and 2" - 3"...

All have the ratchet thimble on the end of the "Mike", this allows you to achieve a consistent feel / reading, Gage Rod "Master" for calibration and .0001" veneer on the barrel of the "Mike".

You will need a Caliper sooner than later, I still prefer the "Dial" type.

Now for the "Mike" quiz of the day, how many TPI on a 1" .001" graduated "Mike"?

Regards,


Joe
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I like your trick question, most are 40tpi, but there were some made with 20 tpi spindles, similar with metric, most are 0.5mm pitch, but some have 1mm pitch with 100 graduations instead of the usual 50.
I have seen inch spindles with 50 graduations, the smaller ones for the 5/10ths. Starrett used to make speed mics with a lever that allowed the spindle to be retacted or advanced rapidly without the need to wind in or out all the time. Then there are all the other mics that have been invented over the years, quite neat to see in itself.
What really impresses me is how accurate micrometers were from 1944 onwards.
 
Renegade_56 said:
Actually the verniers are more accurate than Dials. It is in fact, a fact.
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I agree with you but neither are what I consider accurate, they are both "very near" which is how they got the name vernier. They are more for referance then anything else.Starret, Brown & Sharpe or Mitutoyo are the better ones.
 
rjb1168 said:
I agree with you but neither are what I consider accurate, they are both "very near" which is how they got the name vernier. They are more for referance then anything else.Starret, Brown & Sharpe or Mitutoyo are the better ones.
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LOL, actually I don't think that's where the word vernier came from, but it is cute.
 
It's been a saying I heard some 37 years ago from a teacher during my apprenticeship. It was intended as a joke but really it's the truth. :)
 
Renegade_56 said:
If you want to do it right enroll in a machinist curriculum and learn the correct ways to use and handle precision tooling, as well as safe machining practices. As far as tools go, buy the best tools you can afford. I have been using the same set of 0-1 Mitutoya mics for over 40 years and there are none better, maybe just as good, but no better. Starret, Browne and Sharpe and Fowler are all very good as well. Keep them clean and do not bang or drop them and they will last forever.

Calculators are generally cheaper than mics and will do all the conversions and more.
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What he said! :thumbup:
 
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