Mitutoyo Calipers worth it?

[barnesuser28]

Riley...

Not back, end. Front is the read side back is the backside.

Thats IP54 rated btw. Just means you can splash coolant on them with no adverse effects. You'll need to get the depth base. Not sure if the LSS base fits the Mititoyo but it might. Maybe Gary knows.

I would have told you to get a set of 60 division verniers but thats too complicated for today. Thats for Gary and I to fiddle with......

Mititoyo has come a long way from the 'junk' they sold in the mid 60's.

Don't use them for a clamp and don't store them with the jaws completely closed.

Now you need a good 0-1 micrometer and some inside and outside Yankee style calipers....

Fowler makes a nice 0-1 IP54 rated carbide anvil mike that reads inch and metric with 0.0001 resolution. I have one for a shop mike. It was around 50 bucks. Comes with a ball anvil too.

When you are done using your tools, take a lint free rag with a tiny bit of light oil and wipe them carefully and put them away. Fingerprints, even on stainless, will tarnish the finish.

Thanks for the tip, i didnt know that. really appreciated.

 

[SidecarFlip]

Same thing applies to a C frame micrometer. Never completely close the anvils.

 

[barnesuser28]

Same thing applies to a C frame micrometer. Never completely close the anvils.

Nice to know, mind me asking why not to close calipers all the way?

 

[Trickymissfit]

Riley....

In order of revelance and quality, price notwithstanding....

L.S. Starrett, Athol Mass.
Mitutoyo, Osaka, Japan
Brown and Sharp
Fred Fowler

If I were you, I'd get a 6" pair (don't know why they call them pairs but they do, maybe because they have a fixed and moveable jaw) of LSS dial calipers in brushed stainless. I believe you can get them for around 110 bucks. Those are my go to calipers in the shop. The rack is covered, the dial is settable for absolute repetitive measurements (like you want to '0' at a case length and compare subsequent cases.... Plus the rack extends out the back of the caliper body so if you add a depth indicating base, the caliper becomes a dial depth micrometer. I usr that all the time too. Want to check your set primer depth? Use the depth gage acessory.

I like analog calipers and mikes. I have digital, direct read but I like the analog dial ones better but thats my preference.

Second choice would be Mititoyo. I remember when Mititoyo was first imported to this country back in the mid 60's. We all laughed at the Japanese junk and it was a bit crude, but with the advent of ISO standards and stringent QC. Mititoyo is just as good as LSS or B&S today.

Third would be Brown and Sharp. Lots of B&S precision tools today are made in Switzerland by Fred Fowler so I rate B&S and Fowler together.

All the above are comparable. The best resale and the ones that hold their value are of course, LSStarrett. Most LSS precision tools can be resold for very little loss.... and they last forever with proper care.

I still have and use in the shop, the LSS Last Word Indicator set and the 0-1 mike my dad gave me when I started my apprentiship at Standard Products in 1968. They are just as accurate now as they were then.

Good tools will outlast you....always.

when I was finally released from virtual enslavment under the strong arm of First Sargent Hunneycutt, I started an apprenticeship in the field of machinist repair. They asked me if I knew what a lathe was, and I told them that I'd run some South Bends in high school. So they promptly walked me over to an American lathe that must have been four times bigger than the South Bends, and was in pristene condition (they rescraped it every 24 months like clock work). After working with an old man for about a day and a half I was on my own. (well sorta). I was turning some pieces out of Maxel 3.5, and didn't have anything to measure the parts with. A guy hands me a pair of Mitutoyo dial calipers. Three days later I ordered in a pair. I must have dropped them a couple dozen times, and had to reset the zero even more times. I still use them to this very day, and that would be a month shy of forty three years. If I had to pitch them in the trash; I got my money out of them ($71).

My Dad gave me a couple pairs of Starrett mics and one pair of Lufkins. I had them all reset in the gauge certification area as I didn't have the spanner wrenches to adjust them. The Lufkin came back with a note telling me the anvils need to be lapped as they were slightly out of square. A tool maker showed me how and about an hour later they were done and back to be adjusted again. I still use those three mics to this very day. Later I came into a full set of mics that went upto six inches. They were also Lufkin brand, and they were in very good condition (think I paid about $60 for the set!) Later on I enrolled in a precision measuring class that was heavy on surface plate work. That was a serious learning experience, and still use what I learned today.By now I have three or four tool boxes full of tools, and can work within the two tenth range without too much trouble

Was kinda lucky in that I served that apprenticeship under a bunch of old Germans and Dutchmen that were old school in everything. When I got into metals that were new to us all,and hard to machine, I'd call my Dad and he'd show me how and what to do. But the next twenty five years were a learning curve. I picked up even more tools here and there, and probably have enough stuff for three people. My favorite story on this was in scraping machine ways. The next place I worked at did all it's work by hand with carbide tipped scapers. Nothing electric and it took forever. The first place had a Bix, but the guys refused to even look at it! I learned to use it a little bit on my own. These guys would never even consider a carbide tipped scraper because they could work closer with carbon still. They almost always made new ones out of old Nickelson files that were hand forged to shape with a lot of grinding and lapping. I show up at the second place and the guys kinda lauged at me for owning them. Then one day one asked me to try one of them, and fell in love with the feel he got. I watched try and try to make one, and finally taught him how. Then I had a couple table tops todo that were in the 3'x5' range. Had to be within a tenth. I drag out the Bix, and shavings are smoking! Nobody had ever seen one run before but they did have a couple. The old guys said you couldn't work close enough with one, so I got the job of rebuilding a Heald internal with another guy who's known to be picky about his work. I ended up with .00015" of compound error in almost four feet of travel. The old guys said the downfall with the Bix was that you couldn't "pick" with it. Piece of cake! Later I inherit another rotary table that's a mess. The table top was scraped about six to eight thousandths out of parallel (24" diameter). I set it on a surface plat and layed out the error, and then started to scrap it in layers. Between each layer I stoned the hell out of it. By the end of the day it was within .001", and I needed to let the metal rest for at least a day. Monday afternoon it was done, and I had about 20 hours work in it altogether. Boss asked me wjhere I learned to do that, and why I'd never told him. I said I came in as a journeyman and should know how. I begged him for the next couple years to get me a planer, and he never came thru. Working close involves the proper frame of mind and the proper equipment. Rest is easy.
gary

 

[Trickymissfit]

OH, I almost forgot! I have an antique pair of metric micrometers that are pre Civil War! I checked them once, and they are still within .003" or less
gary

 

[SidecarFlip]

Two old men reminiscing......

BTW Riley, I can't answer your question except to say I was told a long time ago by a master tool and die maker, never to put a precision tool away without first wiping it with a lint free cloth and a bit of light machine oil and never to close the the measuring surfaces together, so I don't.

Gary...

I have 2 Gestner's full. One is my gold and it stays in the house. My Webber blocks and all the high end LSS stuff stays in that box, a LSStarrett Signature box in Honduras Mahogany, only one of 3 known to exist (according to Gerstner). My dad bought it for me for my 18th birthday. Still have the original receipt from Dessil (Production Tool) for 85 dollars. My other box, another Gerstner is oak and it's on my bench in the shop, I keep the tools I use in the shop in that one, a set of B blocks, a 6-12" sine bars, dividers, mikes, jig bore indicators steel rules....all the stuff I use everyday.

I took my Tool and Die Apprenticeship with a break for the Navy, right out of HS at Standard Products in Cleveland, Ohio. It was primarily a production stamping shop with an in house die repair shop so most of my apprenticeship was die related. When I got my card, I left SP and went to work for a gage shop that made the gaging to check the curvature of the compressor section turbine blades on a Pratt-Whitney engine. It was all very close tolerance machining, mostly surface grinder and optical comparator work (before all the fancy DRO's and coordinate measuring) and such. They had a couple Bridgeports for rough work but I spent days on end cranking the table on manual surface grinders with finished tolerances in the 50 millionths range. That stuff gets old real fast and being young and dumb, I hung up my tools and pursued another profession, one, that made me lots of money and provided for a stress free life for the most part but as the years went by, I yearned to get back into the trades, but on my own terms so I started buying machine tools and building a shop and thats where I am today.

I have a 40x40 man cave thats air conditioned and heated with an overhead crane for big stuff that I can go to, lock the door and be alone. best thing I ever did.

How many motorcycle owners do you know that change the oil on their bikes by lifting the bikes to eye level. I bet not too many.

I picked up some more knowledge on the road like TIG welding and heavy fabrication. There is nothing I can't make if I have the desire.....and the time.

Like I said before, when I take a dirt nap, the wife will have one helluva sale. Between the firearms, the bikes, the machine tools and the fabrication equipment there will be some tremendous deals and I take care not to abuse anything. I hate scratched paint or buggered fittings.

 

[Trickymissfit]

Two old men reminiscing......

BTW Riley, I can't answer your question except to say I was told a long time ago by a master tool and die maker, never to put a precision tool away without first wiping it with a lint free cloth and a bit of light machine oil and never to close the the measuring surfaces together, so I don't.

Gary...

I have 2 Gestner's full. One is my gold and it stays in the house. My Webber blocks and all the high end LSS stuff stays in that box, a LSStarrett Signature box in Honduras Mahogany, only one of 3 known to exist (according to Gerstner). My dad bought it for me for my 18th birthday. Still have the original receipt from Dessil (Production Tool) for 85 dollars. My other box, another Gerstner is oak and it's on my bench in the shop, I keep the tools I use in the shop in that one, a set of B blocks, a 6-12" sine bars, dividers, mikes, jig bore indicators steel rules....all the stuff I use everyday.

sine bars and sine plates; Oh My! I'll have to tell you about when I got the grand idea that I needed a few of them, and was literally building one every week or so! The final blow came when I built one out of stainless steel, and planned on using it on a surface grinder (you already are laughing!). My boss laughed so hard he fell out of his chair

I took my Tool and Die Apprenticeship with a break for the Navy, right out of HS at Standard Products in Cleveland, Ohio. It was primarily a production stamping shop with an in house die repair shop so most of my apprenticeship was die related. When I got my card, I left SP and went to work for a gage shop that made the gaging to check the curvature of the compressor section turbine blades on a Pratt-Whitney engine. It was all very close tolerance machining, mostly surface grinder and optical comparator work (before all the fancy DRO's and coordinate measuring) and such. They had a couple Bridgeports for rough work but I spent days on end cranking the table on manual surface grinders with finished tolerances in the 50 millionths range. That stuff gets old real fast and being young and dumb, I hung up my tools and pursued another profession, one, that made me lots of money and provided for a stress free life for the most part but as the years went by, I yearned to get back into the trades, but on my own terms so I started buying machine tools and building a shop and thats where I am today.

my Dad and another guy made the first sets of gas turbine blades ever made in this country. He did all the finish grind work, and that was a nightmare. The mill work wasn't very much fun as well, and the guy that did all the mill work was known as one of the best mill men out there. I remember him saying they had more scrap ones than they had good ones! Kids now days have no idea what kind feat it was back in the 1940's to do this from scratch.

Was over in the old Plant 2 once looking for some machine parts to get a down machine running. My boss at the time spent a lot of years working over there and knew the place like the back of his hand. I end up out back in some old sheds looking around (they were actually test cells for the V1710's and jet engines) I find a crate full of V1710 engine studs that had to be close to 30 years old minimum. But then looking on down in the cell I see these large crates that were made of clear oak. I knew they were European as that's they way the crate stuff. Had to have a look to see what was in them. After wipeing off about a half inch of dust and crud I see the swastika painted on them! In them were brand new Junkers Jumo 004 jet engines! Called my boss as soon as I got back inside and he had to have a look see! (think there were three of them) Nobody even knew they were over there

I have a 40x40 man cave thats air conditioned and heated with an overhead crane for big stuff that I can go to, lock the door and be alone. best thing I ever did.

How many motorcycle owners do you know that change the oil on their bikes by lifting the bikes to eye level. I bet not too many.

actually one for sure. My brother inlaw has two ramps that hydraulicly elevate. One is commercial, and the other was made by that same company, but built to his specs. Guess the folks that made it form him liked it so well that they asked him to allow them to incorporate his design into their catalog

I picked up some more knowledge on the road like TIG welding and heavy fabrication. There is nothing I can't make if I have the desire.....and the time.

Like I said before, when I take a dirt nap, the wife will have one helluva sale. Between the firearms, the bikes, the machine tools and the fabrication equipment there will be some tremendous deals and I take care not to abuse anything. I hate scratched paint or buggered fittings.

I'm labled as the family pack rat! Somethings I have, I'll never use, but just hung onto them (like a tool box full of hand ground lathe tools that are all Rex 95 and Vasco Supreme) I have one box with five 6" angle plates that are near perfect and scraped into each other (takes three blocks to scrape one). The plates are well under .000050" error, and took me over a year to build them. Been offered some serious cash for them more than once. The castings are well over forty five years old alone, and sat outside on a roof for fifteen years (only you'd know why). No one was ever allowed to touch them.

gary

 

[SidecarFlip]

No ramps here. I use the overhead crane and a set of web machinery slings to lift the bikes. Put the drain plugs at eye level. Works like a charm. IR air hoist on an air operated trolley btw.

 

[Speedygoss]

I am a machinist and find really good deals on quality calipers on Ebay. Stick with Mitatoyo, brown and sharp, or Starret.

Speedy.

 

[SidecarFlip]

The OP already bought the Mitutoyo's. Hopefully he hasn't used them for a 'clamp' yet.....

But then I know he won't....

 

[barnesuser28]

The OP already bought the Mitutoyo's. Hopefully he hasn't used them for a 'clamp' yet.....

But then I know he won't....

Nope........ Thats what the $35 pair is for now...

 

[Trickymissfit]

The OP already bought the Mitutoyo's. Hopefully he hasn't used them for a 'clamp' yet.....

But then I know he won't....

kinda reminds of a certain woman that was an inspector on a production line. She used regular micrometers and never saw a bad part! But the parts didn't fit when they tried to assemble them. After doing some checking it came down to the lady and they found out that he she kept tightening them she'd get whatever reading she was after. They retrained here in the use of precision measuring tools and she did OK after that (about 35 years ago)
gary

 

[barnesuser28]

Well my Mitutoyo took a crap on me today. I tried new batteries but no dice. It works fine until i get to about 3.8" then it starts reading error, and quickly flashes and changes back and forth between 3.2/4.2 (should actually be 4.2) and then it has a spasm and is reading all over the ballpark without me moving the jaws. I have never dropped it, always put it back in the case when i was done, never had the jaws completely close when storing it... So what do you guys suggest i do to get a replacement? I bought it through amazon but i dont know how helpful they will be. Do you suggest i try contacting Mitutoyo?

 

[etisll40]

Contact them directly, they will help.