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Rifles, Reloading, Optics, Equipment
Equipment Discussions
Mitutoyo Calipers worth it?
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<blockquote data-quote="Trickymissfit" data-source="post: 765603" data-attributes="member: 25383"><p>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). </p><p> </p><p>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</p><p> </p><p>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.</p><p>gary</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Trickymissfit, post: 765603, member: 25383"] 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 [/QUOTE]
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