Micrometer for a visually impaired machinist?

I cannot say where this came from, My dad had it, I inherited it and use it occasionally still. I became accustomed to the screws in the thimble and have almost gotten used to the feel in my hands, but I still second guess and have to look twice at the measurement when I cannot see all the numbers like a normal Mic. I was wondering though, is this something that was done as a once off mod or has anyone ever seen anything like this before? I can't imagine a blind machinist using a micrometer and working in a machine shop, but I'm stumped, any ideas? This thread is as much about showing an unusual tool as finding an actual purpose.

Do a site search; you'll find pictures of braille micrometers that Starrett made.

I've been told that bling machinists can be very good machinists.

camscan said:

A few weeks back when I was a lad there was a totally blind inspector whose main job was first offs. He used a braille mic made by Moore & Wright,and he was good. No he wasn't,he was bloody brilliant. If the components passed the mic test they then went through the fingernail test. I think he had eyes in his fingertips, nothing got past him,and more than enough people tried. He was also a very nice person, you just had to like him,RIP Cliff.

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I knew a blind mechanic who was amazing, now that I think about it why would I be surprised at a blind machinist?

Interesting way to highlight every .005" but not a Braille mic. I recently sold one made by Starrett and there was no numbers engraved, only bumps and grooves int the thimble and barrel.
Dan

The Lighthouse for the Blind, Inc. — Machine Shop - YouTube
Machine shop for the blind
They also have audible measuring tools

I once had several Starrett Braille mics. Although I can't find the catalog page now, I know I saw them once. Seems they were not listed for sale as regular catalog items but available only through the Society for the Blind as a charitable donation to those in training programs for the disabled?

With the mics when I got them was a common Stanley sliding wood/brass caliper rule with a riveted brass strip with Braille bumps running the length. I showed it to John Walters, who wrote the book on collectible Stanley tools, and he rejected it as a home made modification of no value. So I listed it on eBay and it sold for big bucks to Phil Stanley, who wrote the book on collectible rules. I suspect it's origin had something to do with the same "Society for the Blind" and was possibly modified by Stanley for them. That was 10 years ago so maybe further research has come up with an answer?

get a digital . if thats not enough, spc output to a larger display.

braille micrometers? not saying there's anything good or bad,
just unusual.. and i never thought about it. i suppose when i get a face full
of blue chips i might need one too.

Porschefix said:

I knew a blind mechanic who was amazing, now that I think about it why would I be surprised at a blind machinist?

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Blind welder would be more exeptional

Man this is wild looking!

that's...... ummm ...unusual .

and i thought i was hopelessly dedicated to this trade....

Patent #2,560,850 was issued in 1946 for a "Tactual Micrometer". US256A - Tactual micrometer
- Google Patents

Hey Ron,
Those look like locking set screws to me. Like if you had an application where you needed to measure something in place and couldn't read the mic, lock the thimble, remove and read.
By the way, the cactus juice worked perfectly and my bone handle knife looks great!

Thanks and have fun
i_r_

i_r_machinist said:

Hey Ron,
Those look like locking set screws to me. Like if you had an application where you needed to measure something in place and couldn't read the mic, lock the thimble, remove and read.
By the way, the cactus juice worked perfectly and my bone handle knife looks great!

Thanks and have fun
i_r_
View attachment 228128

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With regards to some of the above posts I think about the casual attitude I have for my sight. I really should put on safety glasses when I walk into my shop door, and remove them when I walk out. The fact that I wear glasses for a nearsighted condition, which makes it convenient to not wear glasses in the shop unless I am looking at the far side for something, I have decent vision for closeup work. Having glasses on restricts my vision, and comfort. They have optical flaws that sometimes are annoying, they sit on my nose and ears and cause pressure point pain occasionally. But the fact is, losing my eyesight due to some careless act or accident would be a tragic loss for me. I am not confident that I could ever recover the skills I now have due to my age. My father was a right handed machinist before he lost the use of his right arm, and recovered to become the finest ultra precision machinist I know of, but the eyes are a whole different ballgame IMHO. I think I'll start wearing my safety glasses as a matter of course, and not just when I start making chips.

Kerry those screws are shouldered, tight and the spindle turns freely, nuff said. BTW I love the knife, handle is really sweet!!

They do make talking calculators. It should not be that hard to take a digital micrometer and convert the output signal into spoken numbers? Or a dro for that matter.
Bill