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Interchangeable anvil micrometers

sable said:
What are peoples thoughts on these universal micrometers...
Click to expand...
[I moved this to its own thread - TRL]

Personal opinion...

With interchangeable anvils it's almost impossible to keep them in cal.

They might be handy in a stock room where you have to measure various types of stock material, to be sure you're dispensing the size that was requested.

I would never use one for any kind of precision measurement.

Just one man's opinion. YMMV

- Leigh
 
Everyone should have one of these.
Since you make your own tips they are useful for lots of parts.
For me the are the way to check screw holes central in inserts at the machine when grinding.
You can kiss digital or dial calipers goodbye here, something I have learned the hard way. ( read as over $20,000 in the scrap bucket)

Not as accurate as the 100X comparators or the vision machines but fast and get the job done letting you know very quickly that something is going wrong.
A bit sensitive to handle force with small ends as the tip flexes.
Like any micrometer, not something you want to use if the part print tolerance is a few tenths.
(Just a different opinion)
Bob
 
Holy Moly! ,I thought I had lost my marbles when I saw that I had started a new thread.

The calibration issue shouldn't be a problem when used as a height measuring instrument as I don't think that the interchangeable parts are used in this instance.
 
It can certainly be used for any appropriate measurement.

My point being that it requires more frequent calibration than fixed-anvil mics, depending on the application.
In particular, the cal needs to be checked every time the anvil is changed, and often while a single one is installed.

- Leigh
 
I am with with both CarbideBob and Leigh. They need frequent checking and you need to pay attention to your technique and consistency- but you can check things with them that it would be hard to check otherwise.

Before I had one I made a one time use version by using steel filled epoxy in the inner "C" of a regular micrometer and inserting a dowel pin at a slight angle. When the epoxy was good and stiff I turned the barrel to a convenient number. It was not ideal- but it worked for what I needed. I had used a release agent so I was able to pop it out when I was done.
 
I love my anvil mic when I am on the surface grinder and am able to directly measure something I normally couldn't because of the shape of the frame. Constant calibration, sure, but that's not a big deal. It allows you to measure things you normally couldnt, and for me saves time and increases accuracy overall because I dont have to remove my part from the chuck.
 
sable said:
What are peoples thoughts on these universal micrometers Micrometers Mitutoyo--Series 117 Universal models Micrometers

,I would think they could be more useful for many of the height /depth features I normally use a depth mic. for but as I have never had or used one I don't know.
Click to expand...

Sable that particular mic is more useful than other kinds of replaceable anvil mics. Get one you will never regret it when you need to measure from a groove or someplace a regular mic anvil cant reach. You will want a regular mic for daily use but this particular mic is indispensable when you need one. The Starrett version of this are also avail on eBay regularly but if you have the money then a new one would be just your ticket.

Charles
 
sable said:
What are peoples thoughts on these universal micrometers Micrometers Mitutoyo--Series 117 Universal models Micrometers

,I would think they could be more useful for many of the height /depth features I normally use a depth mic. for but as I have never had or used one I don't know.
Click to expand...

It must be at least 30 years since I bought one of these and if my memory serves me correctly they were never used as much as I thought they would be.

My advice would be to think long and carefully as to what you'd be wanting to use them for. My personal opinion is that they look better than they in fact are and considering how long they've been around they'd probably be more popular than they are if they were a success.
 
Mmmmm ,this one seems to divide opinion a bit ,I have a pretty large collection of measuring equipment but I have never bought one of these as they are quite pricey and I never had a specific need for one.

I can certainly appreciate the value for checking a hole to an edge ,I use calipers and they just aren't up to the job.

Thanks for the replies and it looks like one is on my to buy list.
 
I have two of these, a one inch and a two inch. While I would not consider using them to measure tenths they are great for measure holes to edge of part or wall thickness. I hate using calipers for this kind of thing, just don't get very good results with a caliper. When I served my apprenticeship all them years ago the journeymen called calipers "potato Gage's". It stuck with me for 40+ years!
 
One of those tools I saw in the catalog I always wanted but didn't know why.
New guy shows up with one and uses it as a step mike for parts on the grinder. He never uses the pin though.
Put a gage block on the magnet so the mike doesn't stick real hard and it works better than a depth mike.
Saves a lot of time not having to reset multiple parts after measuring.
I bought one for work and home now.
I don't use it for measuring to tenths though.

Dave
 
I have been trying to get them to buy me one of these for a while, because I cut a lot of backside features from the top with a keyslot cutter to hold relationship with the front features. A normal mic will often not fit into the slot to measure accurately, and I don't trust any calipers to under .002. I usually have to mill away the remaining backside to be able to take a measurement while doing setup, as the next op has usually not even been designed yet.
 
While this mic has seen nowhere the service of a standard it has been used many times simply because I had it. I've used it for hole-to-edge, tube wall, and particularly in height of rib/wall/ledge where a depth mic wouldn't fit on the grinder. Purchased it out of need over 25+ years ago for work I was doing. I always check the "zero" before using it, hasn't needed reset very often, It was a good buy for me.
 
If a conventional micrometer will do the job, I use the conventional mic. But I find these Uni-Mike (Mitutoyo) or Multi-T-Anvil (Starrett) micrometers to be incredibly handy for cases where the conventional mic won't fit.

Use a light touch. You can deflect the anvils quite easily.
 
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