Old measuring equipment

[His Dudeness]

I'd like to get some measuring equipment for using on bike engines. There's a lot of old used Mitutoyo micrometers and the likes for sale on ebay. My question for anyone who's experienced using measuring equipment is, would it be a waste of money buying old measuring equipment since you don't know how well it's been looked after or does good quality measuring equipment generally stay in spec? I was thinking about buying an old set of micrometers and then getting them checked with slip gauges. Is that a waste of money? Do you need new ones for checking engines?

[coffee]

What are you going to measure? you lost me after Mitutoyo micrometers, is this for rebuilding engines or checking tolerances ? slip gauges?drrrr my brain's froze,

[agricola]

I'd like to get some measuring equipment for using on bike engines. There's a lot of old used Mitutoyo micrometers and the likes for sale on ebay. My question for anyone who's experienced using measuring equipment is, would it be a waste of money buying old measuring equipment since you don't know how well it's been looked after or does good quality measuring equipment generally stay in spec? I was thinking about buying an old set of micrometers and then getting them checked with slip gauges. Is that a waste of money? Do you need new ones for checking engines?

Micrometers are adjustable, they used to come with a small c type tool for adjusting. They only really go out of adjustment when they are used a G clamps (overtightened on the object being measured). To put it in context, I've a set of mics from 0-25mm all the wat up to 150mm, and an internal with all of the various anvils. Never used any of them since I retired from work 3 years ago, and likely never will. What I di use, is the digital caliper, fairly regularly. You can get them for around a tenner form the likes if Lidl and Aldi. Easier to read, cheap the replace, and I would have thought more than adequate for 99.9% of bike maintenance. As for slip gauges, last time I saw a set for sale, they were very expensive.


Digital caliper is the way to go

[coffee]

Yep,digital caliper,never without one.

[robbo]

Got all of them, so spoilt for choice. My non digital verniers get used most often though.

[Rob R]

I've got drawers full of of measuring equipment including a set of Starrett imperial mics from 0- 10 inch, set of Mitutoyo metric mics from 0-250mm, and a almost unused Mitutoyo digital caliper, but like agricola I tend to use a Lidl digital caliper that cost less than a tenner!

[Frosties]

I'd like to get some measuring equipment for using on bike engines. There's a lot of old used Mitutoyo micrometers and the likes for sale on ebay. My question for anyone who's experienced using measuring equipment is, would it be a waste of money buying old measuring equipment since you don't know how well it's been looked after or does good quality measuring equipment generally stay in spec? I was thinking about buying an old set of micrometers and then getting them checked with slip gauges. Is that a waste of money? Do you need new ones for checking engines?

Like others, I still have my old Micrometers, Verniers etc from 30  yrs ago but I look after them. As said by Agricola, the micrometer will be ok if it hasn't been used as a G clamp...like wise the verniers will be ok as long as them haven't been used as a crowbar. The problem is you won't know how 2nd hand units have been used. Find an old boy who's having a clear out and you should be fine. Apart from that I wouldn't buy 2nd's to use as a true measurement. Just my 2p...

[tommyardin]

Still got my imperial More & Wrights of Sheffield Mic, and my Vernier Gauges, agrees with earlier comment the vernier gauge is the most usfull one unless you working down to I thou of an inch, a piece of normal printer paper is 4.5 thou thick, just used mic on it.

[tommyardin]

Just noticed it needs an oily rag rubbing over it, probably the second time its been out of the box for about 20 years

[coffee]

You lot are really clever foccers.

[agricola]

I suppose I should consider making a bit of cash and selling mine, but to be honest, I dont think they are worth much these days. Guess Ill follow Tommy and give em a good clean, then put them back again

[His Dudeness]

Just noticed it needs an oily rag rubbing over it, probably the second time its been out of the box for about 20 years

It would be interesting to measure some slip gauges and see if it is still accurate after all those years

[His Dudeness]

I suppose I should consider making a bit of cash and selling mine, but to be honest, I dont think they are worth much these days. Guess Ill follow Tommy and give em a good clean, then put them back again

I'd hang onto it. It's nice to have a tool that's real quality. Most tools are made to be thrown away now

[His Dudeness]

I'd like to get some measuring equipment for using on bike engines. There's a lot of old used Mitutoyo micrometers and the likes for sale on ebay. My question for anyone who's experienced using measuring equipment is, would it be a waste of money buying old measuring equipment since you don't know how well it's been looked after or does good quality measuring equipment generally stay in spec? I was thinking about buying an old set of micrometers and then getting them checked with slip gauges. Is that a waste of money? Do you need new ones for checking engines?

Like others, I still have my old Micrometers, Verniers etc from 30  yrs ago but I look after them. As said by Agricola, the micrometer will be ok if it hasn't been used as a G clamp...like wise the verniers will be ok as long as them haven't been used as a crowbar. The problem is you won't know how 2nd hand units have been used. Find an old boy who's having a clear out and you should be fine. Apart from that I wouldn't buy 2nd's to use as a true measurement. Just my 2p...

I'll keep a look out for a well cared for set. Engineers generally look after their equipment so with a bit of patience I should be able to find a good set. 

[His Dudeness]

What are you going to measure? you lost me after Mitutoyo micrometers, is this for rebuilding engines or checking tolerances ? slip gauges?drrrr my brain's froze,

Mitutoyo is a company that makes top quality measuring equipment https://www.mitutoyo.co.uk/en_gb/

Slip gauges are precision blocks that you check you measuring equipment against. A tool maker or engineer that does fine measurements would have a set of slip gauges to check the accuracy of his measuring tool against https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gauge_block

If you look through the engine section of the manual it shows what you'd be measuring. You could measure most things in an engine with a set of micrometers, a set of bore gauges, a dial indicator and plastigauge

[Frosties]

Liking this one for starters.....in it's original case (always a plus) with tag and from up North where most engineering was done.


https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Old-Moore-and-Wright-Micrometer-No961-Cased/192853930273?hash=item2ce6fd7121:g:4aEAAOSwYu1chi0b

[His Dudeness]

That's a nice one but the bike manual is all in metric so I'd be going for a metric one.

[YamFazFan]

Found these at the local boot sale this morning to go with my old M&W metric micrometer. Bargain at 50p each ....

[steve 10562cc]

Being a Brickie and just out my time I was setting out an extension to very posh house I asked the gaffer how accurate I had to be, the answer  "Just go to the right address"

[ogri48]

  aint it the truth. You ever jumped on someone elses work after thry've been sacked and found theres a pig in the brickwork mate? I had it once on a garage base. No windows so no chance of losing it. told the customer,  (An Asian fellow) and he said , just take it up regardless. I said 'no thanks...'

[BBROWN1664]

I still have one of these Zeus books from when I started my apprenticeship 35 years ago
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Zeus-Precision-Engineers-Metric-Data-Book-Chart-Charts-Reference-Tables/163857818389?_trkparms=aid%3D1110001%26algo%3DSPLICE.SIM%26ao%3D2%26asc%3D20160323102634%26meid%3D2df02ab71cc847b492ecbed87578a10c%26pid%3D100623%26rk%3D2%26rkt%3D6%26sd%3D310893777034%26itm%3D163857818389%26pmt%3D0%26noa%3D1%26pg%3D2047675&_trksid=p2047675.c100623.m-1

[YamFazFan]

Another recent car boot sale bargain. 'The Modern Motor Engineer'. First published 1927. This reprint 1959. Complete set comprising 5 volumes, beautifully illustrated. £5 the lot.