Found this old mic

So, first time post from a brand new member. Found this forum due to searching for info on Victor Sewing Machine Company mics. Found a thread from 2007 but not much else.

So I'm helping a friend move some stuff out of an old barn, when, looking over a tool bench strewn with rusted drills, miscellaneous metal parts and broken tools and other debris, I see a micrometer in the rubble. I think, "I'll clean that up and see if it still works". So I put it in my pocket and take it to work the next day. I rub it down with WD-40, and find out that it still works. I see the Name on it, and google it, and find out the thing is 140 years old. I didn't continue with my efforts to clean it up. I want to know more about it before I do anything else to it. Does anyone here know anything about it?

Everything I know came from here :Victor Sewing Machine Co micrometer maker, and also the afore mentioned thread from 2007.

I’m sure by now you have read up on these, one of the earliest American made mics. The unusual thing about yours is it appears to be metric. They did make them that way and I have seen a few. Sad thing is yours appears to have some pitting and staining on it.

Hey, great barn find and thanks for posting it. Btw, welcome to the PM.

All I could find was that one page of info, which wasn't much, but maybe it was all there is to know about it? What I really want to know, I suppose, is is it worth anything, should I try to clean some of the rust off, how rare is it really. I'm anxiously awaiting the end of the vacation of the woman who does tool calibration at the shop where I work, so I can see if it will still calibrate. The screw moves freely, and if I'm not mistaken the patent that applies to this mic was for a movable anvil, so it should be easy to zero it out.

You have this correctly thought out IMHO.

As a collectable with ENGLISH markings it would be worth much. Probably in the order of $300. But as it is metric, this will seriously cut into the value. And similar to automobiles - condition is EVERYTHING.

It should zero out fine and will likely be up there in calibration.

The best rust removal technique is probably electrolysis - you can govern quite nicely how aggressive you want to be in the cleaning. Some mechanical abrasion will be required in this - like on the order of steel wool. I would resist a wire wheel on "finished" parts although you might use it on the exposed threaded portion lightly.

There are some chemical dips you could use which will have an effect similar to electrolysis - some folks use simple molasses which surprisingly works quite well and is not at all aggressive.

I would like to give you my take on ball park value - but perhaps this better left to offers if indeed you wish to sell? You can list it here on this board as a "best offer."

Joe in NH

My plan was to soak it in Coca Cola just to see if I can show up the numbers on the barrel. I had been considering scotchbrite on the frame, but might just stick with a dip. I have never heard of molasses being used, but maybe I'll look into that. I'd welcome any guesses on what it might be worth. If it's value as an artifact is low, I'll likely keep it anyway.

I’m not sure how being metric would effect the value? Karl (antiquemac) had a mint in the box metric one and it sold for a lot, I got outbid. Yes some of that value was the MIB condition and some was the rarity of metric. Don’t think we will ever know the percentages of that split. Btw, this was a long time ago.

My guess is these could be considered not common and maybe one out of dozens is metric. To the collector that could be interesting. In this case to condition is the major issue effecting value.