What brand of micrometer do you use

[engineermike]

If I am going to have to buy me another toy I thought I would see if any of you used a micrometer and if so what brand do you own and would you buy it again?

[ISC]

Starret is the standard, Mitutoyo is just as good for all practical purposes. Anything else is going to be considered lower quality.

Iwas a millwright for 8 years and bought most of my precision tools at pawn shops. You can get some very good stuff cheap that way.

[RWNielsen]

This is one of the ones I use. Accurate and inexpensive

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/te...-box.jsp.form1

[ISC]

That's a caliper. A micrometer is a different tool. It looks like this:

[Jim243]

Frankfort Arsenal it's on sale now.


http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct...tNumber=604242


We are not building the space shuttle. This is more than accurate. Have two works fine, I like the digital ones.

Jim

[engineermike]

No, not the shuttle, just measuring bullets. Jay, at Berry's wants them measured with a micrometer not callipers. The micrometer seems to be more accurate.

[4V50 Gary]

My first micrometer was a Starrett. Then my eyes got old so I bought a digital. That's also a Starrett. Made in America.

BTW, my original vernier calipers were German made. It works great, until my eyes aged. So, I bought a digital Starrett.

[Brian Pfleuger]

I'm sure these would do the job just fine.

[woods]

You can get some information here at Long Island Indicators.

Basically there are 3 types of micrometer: ball micrometers, anvil micrometers and blade micrometers.

A ball micrometer is the most common



It allows you to measure neck thickness



but is not so good for measuring bullets or cases since it hits against the round ball



an anvil micrometer is better for measureing the outside widths of bullets or cases.



Blade micrometers are expensive but can be found on the Long Island Indicators site



Whichever one you get, I recommend the Hollands Stand



very useful

[Jimmy10mm]

I've got Starrett micrometer and dial indicator. I prefer to buy 'em made in USA if possible even if it costs a bit more. If I help them keep their job they may eventually help me keep mine. What goes around comes around and all of that. Starrett tools are as to machinists like Snap On is to auto mechanics. They are like fine jewelry.

[sc928porsche]

My micrometers are Steritt, Central, and NSK.

[HiBC]

I'm still using the same Lufkin I bought when I started in trade.The metrologists were always impressed when it went to calibration.They are no longer available,
There are many good brands.I prefer Browne and Sharpe.Starrett,Mititoyo are good.I would not be afraid of a Fowler or SPI.

Myself,I would look for satin chrome finish,carbide faces,.0001 vernier,friction thimble,and a spindle lock.

The stands have a place to minimize heat transfer,and perhaps facilitate checking many samples,However,I think you will find palcing the ring finger through the bow of the frame and the thimble between the thumb and forfinger makes a mic a one handed tool.

[flyguy958]

Starrett are the gold standard, Brown and Sharp is one step above. IMO

There are several different models in each brand. Get one that has carbide faces and is graduated to the 4th digit. Never wipe the faces with your bare finger, they will rust and destroy accuracy. Use the friction thimble for repeatable accuracy.

Check them against standards to make sure they are calibrated.

[wncchester]

I have a precision B&S mike reading in tenths and an inexpensive 50 year old "made in the USA" Sear's "Craftsman" and both read the same. Both also read the same as a friend's Chinese mike he got at Harbor Freight Tools for about $20-25 a couple years ago and it does very well for his needs too.

Actually, our uses don't require or even benefit from mikes/calipers that have absolute accuracy in tenths, all that most of us need is repeatability and that's not hard to obtain at modest cost.

Peetzakilla's (#8) post has a good (anvil) mike for reloading purposes and the price is rational, a good choice for reloaders. It's clear that our needs aren't very critical when so many of us don't know the difference between a micrometer and caliper!

[jmorris]

Almost all of my micrometers are made by Browne and Sharpe, Starrett or Mitutoyo they all pass cert. everytime.

[engineermike]

I like your style wncchester. I have been learning a lot about micrometers, as I didn't know there were three styles. I also did not realize there were so many different brands.

Mike

[noyes]

Just curious , how many of you check your gages regularly with gage blocks to make sure that you are getting the true reading ? And re-adjust them if needed .

[Uncle Buck]

Please remember when using the micrometer, DO NOT close it together to try to get a reading of .0000, if you do, you run a very good chance of ruining the anvils, and threads.

Like mentioned above, use a gauge block, or something of a known thickness. I have seen a lot of micrometers ruined by people that closed them all the way and unintentionally stretched the threads on the barrel.

[Brian Pfleuger]

Originally Posted by Uncle Buck

Please remember when using the micrometer, DO NOT close it together to try to get a reading of .0000, if you do, you run a very good chance of ruining the anvils, and threads.

Like mentioned above, use a gauge block, or something of a known thickness. I have seen a lot of micrometers ruined by people that closed them all the way and unintentionally stretched the threads on the barrel.

This is a good reason to get one with a ratchet stop.

[Unclenick]

Yes. Some folks seem to have micrometers confused with C-clamps.

Here's the least expensive one Enco has currently. I've seen both it and the one Peetzakilla linked to on sale there for under $15 from time to time.

[Mal H]

Originally Posted by ISC

... bought most of my precision tools at pawn shops. You can get some very good stuff cheap that way.

That's the truth! I found a complete set of Starrett micrometers (3"-4", 2"-3", 1"-2", 0 - 1", and a 1" post, along with a set of calibration bars) all in the original wooden box at a flea market for ... wait for it ... $50! Hard to beat that.

In addition, I've got a Brown & Sharpe 1", a Mitutoyo 1", and a Goodell-Pratt 1". Ever heard of that last one? They are now considered antiques. Mine is still as accurate as the day it was made.


Let the mike wars continue!

[HiBC]

I do not know about Goodell-Pratt.My 1 to 2 in mic is a Pratt-Whitney,and it is a Lufkin with a different name.Same mic.
The Sears Craftsman mic may actually be a Lufkin.My understanding,there was a contract between Lufkin and Sears ,prices went up to produce mics but Sears would not bend on the contract.Rather than make mics at a loss,Lufkin quit making mics.How accurate that explanation is,I cannot say.
Agreed,some form of standard to check against and calibrate with is a necessity.They sell individual gage blocks(Jo-blocks) in the lower grades for a reasonable price.These are very precise,meant to be used as a dimensional standard.They may only vary a few millionths of an inch.

For a general home gunsmithing-reloading set of gages,you may look at a space block set,Look them up in an SPI,or Manhattan Supply,or Enco catalogue.They are not as precise,but are quite handy .
I use a piece of paper between the anvils to clean them.Store your mics and calipers with the jaws open a bit,not contacting

[wncchester]

I have a couple of Jo blocks, .33" and 1". I've checked my two mikes (B&S, Sear's), 6" verninier calipers (Swiss), a 12" and two 6" dial calipers and one digital 6" caliper (all Chinese, Harbor Freight and Midway). The worst of the Chink calipers is off about .3 thou at one point, the rest are quite precise and any of them are as accurate as any reloader actually needs.

Machinests NEED highly accurate gages. The parts they make MUST match the parts made by others. But, all we reloaders need is a fairly accurate way to chek what we are doing. We usually measure everything we do with the same gage so we can be precisely the same each time even if the gage is slightly off. What in the world would we do if we had one that was out as much as a full thou? Not much! There is no way we can "calibrate" them, all we can do is set zero and hope the rest is good enough, and it pretty well is.

People make their own choices for how much to spend on anything but the various reloading brands (Lyman, RCBS, Midway, etc.) all label the same Chink tools and sell them for much more than Harbor Freight at maybe $12-15, when on sale, which they frequently are.

The light wear reloaders put on them makes for a long life but if we drop any of them on a hard floor they are toast for precision. I can destroy a dozen or more HF calipers/mikes for the price of a single B&S, Starrett, Mitutoyo, etc., and the accuracy will be just as good for all of my loading room needs. So, what's the real value of high cost gages to a reloader??

[Shane Tuttle]

Matco and Brown & Sharpe are in my reloading area. In my line of work, Starrett rules the roost in our tool room inventory of calipers and mics. They're very well made and they're made here as others have stated. With that, when our tool room attendant has issues or needs reference to measurements, he asks for my Brown & Sharpe set. In the years of my line of work, they've yet to go out of cal and have been more accurate than the Starretts. But we're talking miniscue amounts that wouldn't matter in the reloading arena.

For absolute precision brands that are easily found by the average consumer, I'd rank as follows: B&S, Starrett, and Mitutoyo...all VERY close in quality. For one that's plenty accurate for reloading and less expensive, look into whatever Midway sells (Frankfort Aresnal labeled that's made in China) or the like. As long as they're consistent in measurement, you'll be fine.

[mrawesome22]

Lufkin. Caliper and micrometer.