What caliper do use?

[boomtube]

"With a pair of Mitutoyo dial type calipers you can reset them in about one minute flat."

Interesting info. I don't know if that's possible with my cheep-os or not because for some 15 years or so I've always cleaned the racks with compressed air when one begins to feel 'gritty'.

I have a friend who ignored the grit in his Midway caliper; he just kept pushing passed the problem spots until he finally damaged the pinon gear. Then he blamed the tool for not being able to withstand his neglict and abuse!

 

[Trickymissfit]

"With a pair of Mitutoyo dial type calipers you can reset them in about one minute flat."

Interesting info. I don't know if that's possible with my cheep-os or not because for some 15 years or so I've always cleaned the racks with compressed air when one begins to feel 'gritty'.

I have a friend who ignored the grit in his Midway caliper; he just kept pushing passed the problem spots until he finally damaged the pinon gear. Then he blamed the tool for not being able to withstand his neglict and abuse!

They come with this little piece of brass shim stock that's about .003" thick. You simply slide it between the gear and rack and move the head till it zeros. I like that idea. What I don't like about them is the way the ground the blades. I reground mine to where they are thinner and the relief is much longer than OEM. They were one of the very first tools I bought when I started my apprenticeship, and they caught a lot of hell for the first 18 months! I did have them cleaned about ten years ago and a new lense cover installed at the sametime by the instrument repair guys where I worked at. I think the operator is the cause in 75% of tool failures.
gary

 

[boomtube]

"They come with this little piece of brass shim stock that's about .003" thick. You simply slide it between the gear and rack and move the head till it zeros."

Ahhh... do you mean you slide the shim under the dial mechanism so it seperates the rack and pinon, then rotate the dial body back up until it's about normal, then pull the shim stock out to allow the gears to re-mesh? lightbulb If so, I should be able to do that too - IF I ever need to!

I have some 3 thou steel shim stock, about how wide and long is your little tool?

 

[Hunter2678]

A Brown & Sharpe dial caliper...it was my grandfathers, he was a tool & die engineer.

 

[Zep]

You know really in my experience if kept clean and you are lucky enough to get a good one the Frankford from Midway seems to do the trick, at least for what I am doing right now. It is noted to be a battery hog and mine is certainly no exception.

Been thinking about the Mitutoyo 500-196-20 from Amazon but considering I almost had to abandon the house last summer because of a hurricane I don't buy anything I don't really need. In fact i have been selling stuff. Nothing like imminent wide scale looting to change your perspective on owning things.

 

[Trickymissfit]

"They come with this little piece of brass shim stock that's about .003" thick. You simply slide it between the gear and rack and move the head till it zeros."

Ahhh... do you mean you slide the shim under the dial mechanism so it seperates the rack and pinon, then rotate the dial body back up until it's about normal, then pull the shim stock out to allow the gears to re-mesh? lightbulb If so, I should be able to do that too - IF I ever need to!

I have some 3 thou steel shim stock, about how wide and long is your little tool?

that's correct! Cut the shim stock to the same width of the rack, and then allow the gear to climb ontop the shim till it reaches the correct number. I like to do it with a 1" gauge block as it gives a little more room to work with. ( old out of spec gauge blocks are perfect for checking most anything we do by the way)
gary

 

[boomtube]

Very good trick, I wouldn't have thought of it; thanks!

I MIGHT try to fix my mechanical doofus buddy's screwed up caliper so he would thank you too.