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Is there a friction thimble on this VIS (Poland) outside mic?

Randalthor

Cast Iron
Joined
Mar 7, 2018
Location
Kansas City
Sorry for the simple question. I'm pretty sure this mic has a fixed thimble, but keep reading on past PM posts that VIS mics had a friction thimble. This one won't move, so I'm assuming it's fixed, but just wanted to make sure it wasn't stuck or something.

KIMG1345[1].jpg

KIMG1347[1].jpg
 
I'll start with a true story. As of January 1st. 1995 Poland removed 0000 (4 zeros) from their currency. 10,000 Zloty became 1 Zloty. I was in Poland 2 weeks before that and 2 weeks after so I experienced both situations. Anyway, the reason I was in Poland was to visit VIS and buy their digital caliper. Ended up buying 1,000. Sylvac electronics.

At that time (1995) the factory was very run down (broken windows etc.) but what they made was excellent. VIS went belly up a few years after my visits. No, not my fault! The micrometer you show looks old and it doesn't seem to have a built in ratchet. Almost certainly though still an excellent micrometer.
 
I was about to add something to my post but you beat me to it :)

Pa& - Wikipedia

Looks as if the name VIS didn't appear until after 1989 so your micrometer might not be as old as I thought.

Must admit I never knew they were known for weapons.

I still have a couple of the (special) calipers I bought. No internal jaws and no depth rod. 3V battery. They also had a PRESET function that I wanted.

DC1.jpg DC2.jpg
 
Thanks Gordon.

I'm still thinking about your story. Amazed the company could produce any kind of quality when they couldn't even afford to replace broken windows. Makes one wonder how they could afford any type of consumable tooling, much less decent durable tools.

Do you remember what you had to pay for the digital calipers in 1995? I'd venture a guess of $5 a piece?
 
Thanks Gordon.

I'm still thinking about your story. Amazed the company could produce any kind of quality when they couldn't even afford to replace broken windows. Makes one wonder how they could afford any type of consumable tooling, much less decent durable tools.

Do you remember what you had to pay for the digital calipers in 1995? I'd venture a guess of $5 a piece?

Do you think a quality digital caliper (remember they had Sylvan electronics that VIS bought for them) could be bought and made in any country in Europe for $5? China hadn't started churning them out back then :)

$60 would probably be closer although I believe $1 wasn't worth much for some years back then.

Correction: Silvan should o course have been Sylvac.
 
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Hmmm,

My mistake. I had read past PM posts that folks were buying VIS mics new for 50 bucks retail. I suppose I thought a plain caliper with not depth gauge and no internal jaws might be pretty cheap. Especially if one buys 1000 at a time.

Not that I could understand how anyone could make them that cheap. But I don't understand how Chinese can make tooling so cheap either, even if it is junky. I bought a Chinese dial caliper 15 or 20 years ago for about 20 bucks I think. It's good for welding stuff. I checked it against some gauge blocks once and it was off about .002" in the middle of its range of travel. I figured an importer might have paid something like 5 bucks for it.
 
Hmmm,

My mistake. I had read past PM posts that folks were buying VIS mics new for 50 bucks retail. I suppose I thought a plain caliper with not depth gauge and no internal jaws might be pretty cheap. Especially if one buys 1000 at a time.

Not that I could understand how anyone could make them that cheap. But I don't understand how Chinese can make tooling so cheap either, even if it is junky. I bought a Chinese dial caliper 15 or 20 years ago for about 20 bucks I think. It's good for welding stuff. I checked it against some gauge blocks once and it was off about .002" in the middle of its range of travel. I figured an importer might have paid something like 5 bucks for it.

My turn for a Hmmmm :)

It wasn't a "plain" caliper I bought. Apart from excellent quality (as VIS was) it was digital and had IMO had better electronics than Mitutoyo. Also it was specially made and anything "not standard" usually costs a bit more in spite of it looking simpler. I still prefer Sylvac electronics to Mitutoyo's but to each his own.

Rather frustrating but yet again a dirt cheap imported Chinese caliper is being used to illustrate that Chinese products are crap. Blame your importers for having "cheap" as their main goal. I don't just buy from China but when I do I never haggle or discuss price with them and I've never been disappointed yet.

For the purpose (thread pitch diameter measurement) I buy and use calipers (sorry for moving away from micrometers) they must be digital.

Maybe things are different in the USA but if I bought a new 150mm/6" digital caliper here (regardless of name or country of origin) the very first thing I'd do is try it and it was more inaccurate than 0.02mm/0.001" I'd return it and it would be exchanged with no fuss.

Of course an exception to that is if a greater inaccuracy is stated on the box.

In the video both the hands and the calipers are mine. One of the calipers has a display og 0.005mm/0.0002" and I've found them to be slightly more accurate than the standard 0.01mm/0.0005" display ones.

YouTube

N.B. One of the calipers in the video has a display of 0.001mm/0.00005" but is not for sale as the electronics can be unreliable. Maybe one day they'll be more reliable?
 
I believe I have the same mic , the whole knurled end of the thimble spins. I have a set of these mics, I believe the 1-2 ratchet is seized , I never investigated why


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I believe I have the same mic , the whole knurled end of the thimble spins. I have a set of these mics, I believe the 1-2 ratchet is seized , I never investigated why

Thanks Ripper,

This one looks like the knurled grip is perhaps a separate machined piece from the rest of the thimble, but I can't tell for sure. I've read people recommend to soak them in paint thinner to free things, but I'm not sure if they are talking about the certain parts or removing the whole thimble (spindle and all) and soaking that. If there is a clutch made of something plastic, I'd rather not take a chance destroying it if I soak the wrong thing.


Interesting video Gordon. I'd not seen those pressure devices for calipers.
 
I was about to add something to my post but you beat me to it :)

Pa& - Wikipedia

Looks as if the name VIS didn't appear until after 1989 so your micrometer might not be as old as I thought.

Must admit I never knew they were known for weapons.

I still have a couple of the (special) calipers I bought. No internal jaws and no depth rod. 3V battery. They also had a PRESET function that I wanted.

View attachment 248455 View attachment 248456

Interesting, I have an old, long unused Hertel branded caliper lying somewhere in the back of a cupboard that is identical to the one you've shown, although in a standard configuration.

I wonder whether it originated from VIS or Sylvac...
 
Interesting, I have an old, long unused Hertel branded caliper lying somewhere in the back of a cupboard that is identical to the one you've shown, although in a standard configuration.

I wonder whether it originated from VIS or Sylvac...

While I was at VIS I saw many measuring tools having known “producers” names and logos put on them. I was asked that too but said no thanks. IOW it is almost certainly made by VIS if it is identical.
 
ripperj is correct, the knurled portion should spin in one direction.
The spin will be clockwise looking from the endcap you removed.

I would not soak the entire micrometer unless I was planning to take it apart and relube it all.
Try adding a few drops of lighter fluid(for zippo type lighters), let it soak for a day, then grasp the non knurled portion of the rotating portion with one hand, the knurled part with the other hand, and see if it breaks loose. If not, repeat the drops and soak. If that does not work, try the same thing with Kroil. You could try the Kroil first.
 
While I was at VIS I saw many measuring tools having known “producers” names and logos put on them. I was asked that too but said no thanks. IOW it is almost certainly made by VIS if it is identical.

Interesting to know, thanks.

Mechanically, it is one of the nicest calipers I've come across, but the electronics are very old fashioned hence why it was put to pasture.
 
the best thing to free it up is cleaning gasoline (or whatever its called properly). trichlorethylene or perchlorethylene work also, but that might not be on everybodys shelf.
 
Interesting to know, thanks.

Mechanically, it is one of the nicest calipers I've come across, but the electronics are very old fashioned hence why it was put to pasture.

Sylvac electronics old fashioned? Care to elaborate? The few digital calipers I have with Sylvac Electronics work perfectly.
 
Sylvac electronics old fashioned? Care to elaborate? The few digital calipers I have with Sylvac Electronics work perfectly.

No absolute mode, slow display update rate.

Just in case I didn't make it clear, the caliper must be 25+ years old. I would make the same complaints about Mitutoyo or any other of the same vintage.
 
No absolute mode, slow display update rate.

Just in case I didn't make it clear, the caliper must be 25+ years old. I would make the same complaints about Mitutoyo or any other of the same vintage.

OK now I get it. VIS stopped over 20 years ago. The thing I really liked about them was that they had a PRESET function. Very useful for my product with internal measurement.
 
First off I've never owned this brand so experience is from a others.
End picture is not close enough but it does look to be a friction, which is not to be confused with ratchet styles.
I'd start with mineral spirits or wd-40 soak as these are not very aggressive.
If a friction you should be able to pull off the thimble side to clean up inside after soaking.
Downside of a sit one end in any aggressive cleaner is that you remove the lube on the threads also and the only way to relube is to pop the entire end off.
Because of that the drops or spray on the end with the mic clamped in something sitting thimble end up may be preferred allowing it to penetrate.
It is not uncommon for the friction side to get "gummed up" and need to be cleaned on a micrometer if run hard and put up wet.
Bob
 
Not the same of course...But Brown Sharpe micrometers have a friction device that can be used with friction or rigid....
To change over one pulls the sleeve off (Knurled section) and turns it around....One way its rigid, the opposite it has a one way friction action...
Might want to be sure yours does not work that way as well, and is currently set rigid.......
Cheers Ross
 








 
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