First outside micrometer – ratchet thimble ??

[John Doe 2Participant @johndoe2]

Hi folks, I have just bought a Starrett 463.1MXRL-25 0-25mm outside micrometer, my first such device.

There is supposed to be a ratchet friction thimble protruding from the end of the measuring shaft, but as supplied, my one does not have this – just a straight slot in a black coloured end cap.

Do I unscrew this slot, and will the ratchet thimble spring out, or what do I do ? (It does not move with light turning pressure from a screwdriver).  If it does unscrew, is it right or left handed thread ?

The measuring shaft itself is also VERY stiff to turn. Is there a way to reduce the friction on the measuring shaft ?

There is nothing about any of this in the little leaflet, and I don’t want to force anything and risk damaging the unit.

 

Thanks in advance.

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

make sure you don’t have the .1MXFL without the R which signifies it comes with a Ratchet and just goes by Feel

[mgnbukParticipant @mgnbuk]

Don’t have a Starrett micrometer, so can’t comment on the ratchet thimble query other than to say I don’t make much use of them, I guage the “feel” of the micrometer on the part being measured – something that comes with a bit of practice & gives me consistent reuslts.

The fit of the measuring screw in the body is adjusted with a taper threaded nut that lives under the thimble. Fully unscrewing the thimble beyond the maximum capacity of the instrument will reveal a circular nut on a fine pitch thread. There should be a peg spanner with the micrometer to fit this nut. If the thimble is too tight, slacken the nut slightly until you get a free movement without backlash. If you get backlash, slightly tighten the nut to remove it without making the rotation too stiff.

To set the zero, clean the anvils and bring them lightly together. If the zero on the thimble doen’t match up with the index line, retract the anvils & turn the thimble assembly within the frame using the other end of the peg spanner, which fits into a hole in the part of the shaft with the index mark. This will rotate, but will be stiff. Move the shaft in the required direction, then bring the anvils together again to check zero – repeat until the zero on the thinble lines up with the index line when the anvils have lightly closed.

HTH

Nigel B.

 

[bernard towersParticipant @bernardtowers37738]

All my starret mics are smooth friction thimbles

[SillyOldDufferModerator @sillyoldduffer]

Jason is right I think, John has one of these:

 

 

Many prefer ratchet-less micrometers, but the operator has to develop a consistent feel, which is harder to do than get consistency from a ratchet spring.   Unfortunately, a ratchet may be less accurate than an operator with a good feel, achieved by lots of practice.

The stiffness may simply be due to the locking ring being applied.   It’s a brake, used to hold the micrometer at a particular setting for inspection type work.    Normally, the ring is rotated slightly to release the spindle, allowing it to be turned to take measurements.

Dave

[Neil LickfoldParticipant @neillickfold44316]

When I started my apprenticeship, was given a bearing to measure. Both outside and then practise with telescopic gauges on the bore.

The one pictured is the friction Thimble type. The number given by John, should have a clicker ratchet on the end.

Either the part number is not correct or he has been given the friction thimble type. The only solid type for Starrett micrometers that I am aware of, is the ones that have a dial gauge on the end of the anvil end. Also called indicator micrometers.

My Starrett mics have the ratchet clicker on the end of them.

[John Doe 2Participant @johndoe2]

Thanks all for the replies.

Once I had identified and released the locking ring – thanks SoD – I could easily turn the measuring barrel, and it turns out that my micrometer does have a torque limiter. But it is not an external clicker sticking out the end; it is the longer knurled cylinder around the barrel in SoD’s photo – which is of my exact model – and there is no clicking, so it must be a friction type. I actually prefer it.

So I am up and running. Sorry, I realise this is very basic stuff !

What alarms me though is Starrett themselves: I bought from them because I thought they were supposed to be a good, prestigious make, but when I phoned their UK technical “department”, I got some random bloke driving in a car with a really bad line, whom I could not hear or understand.

Then I emailed their sales office, and received a reply from an obviously non-technical person asking if I had “tried unscrewing the slotted item at the end”, (having already told them that I had tried unscrewing it with very gentle force) – and they gave no reason for the barrel to be VERY stiff.

Thanks again, guys. Moore and Wright for me next time.

[John Doe 2]

 

On John Doe 2 Said:

 

 

Then I emailed their sales office, and received a reply from an obviously non-technical person asking if I had “tried unscrewing the slotted item at the end”, (having already told them that I had tried unscrewing it with very gentle force) – and they gave no reason for the barrel to be VERY stiff.

 

Sounds like you got a chat bot. They often regurgitate repetitive irrelevant questions in hope of finding a key word in your reply they can then provide an irrelevant answer to. Seems it’s fast becoming standard practice.

I don’t think we need to fear AI taking over the world just yet.

[John Doe 2]

On John Doe 2 Said:

 

What alarms me though is Starrett themselves: I bought from them because I thought they were supposed to be a good, prestigious make, but when I phoned their UK technical “department”, I got some random bloke driving in a car with a really bad line, whom I could not hear or understand.

Doesn’t the un-professionalism of companies these days rot your socks? I had a call left on my answering machine a few days ago from an accountant at a very legitimate company querying an account – which he made on his personal cellphone. Given the current scam atmosphere there’s no way I was  going to respond.

Besides which, he only had to wait a few hours – the payment was a direct billing to the bank which was (slightly) delayed due to a holiday weekend.

[DiogenesParticipant @diogenes]

John, just out of interest, what paperwork & other stuff comes in the box with the Starrett.?

[Chris CrewParticipant @chriscrew66644]

I would think Starrett are just a brand these days just like M&W. Probably made in the far east, hence the response from a non-technical sales bod. Please tell me I am wrong!

[John Doe 2]

On John Doe 2 Said:

…
So I am up and running. Sorry, I realise this is very basic stuff !

What alarms me though is Starrett themselves…

Don’t rush to beat yourself up:  micrometers have hidden depths!   Most newcomers would benefit from 5 minutes instruction in their basic operation, and getting the best out of them requires understanding some theory, plus a great deal of practice.  Apprentices typically spent several days learning micrometers, with a tutor pointing out their mistakes!  Luckily, most home-workshops don’t require the best, so even bodged micrometer readings taken with uncalibrated instruments are ‘good enough’.

How accurate does the John Doe workshop need to be?   Quite a lot of my work is done with a digital caliper, DRO, or dial-scale no better than ±0.03mm.  My micrometer only comes out on very special occasions because I rarely need to measure ±0.01mm, let alone the ±0.002mm your Starrett might manage.  (Only if it’s in tip-top condition, and driven by a skilled operator!)

I’d give Starrett UK the benefit of the doubt too.   Very common these days for technical support staff to be mobile, and not everywhere in the UK has first-rate phone coverage.  In addition, even if you do get through, very few firms provide basic customer support.   Partly because anyone buying a micrometer is expected to know how they work, and partly because the average retail worker has no idea what they are selling!

Fortunately we have the forum, which has got me out of many a pickle!

Dave

 

 

[larry phelan 1Participant @larryphelan1]

” Replies” like that seem to be the norm these days.  I have had a few choice ones from companies, I was often tempted to ask them what they were smoking or drinking !

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

The do make in America but only certain items. The metric versions of these micrometers are not made in America

As for instructions a quick look at Starrett web site would have answered the lack of a ratchet question and also about the lock in this video

[John Doe 2Participant @johndoe2]

To answer SoD first, no I don’t need metalwork precision, and I use dial calipers, (callipers?), reading to two decimal places to measure dimensions for my 3D printing endeavours.

I measure and mark woodwork projects to 0.5mm, for what it’s worth.

So not very small nor hyper accurate measurements are required.

My reason for buying an outside micrometer was actually to measure the thickness of my car brake discs ! I did not need accuracy or sensitivity down to 0.01mm, but the discs are lipped – hence my reason for wanting to measure them. The lip is wider than the cut-outs in the calliper jaws can straddle, and it was simply too fiddly to hold two spacers each side of the disc and a dial calliper to measure beyond the lip. The outside micrometer has a small ‘anvil ?’ as you know, so I can use this feature to get around the lip to measure the disc thickness.

I also liked the idea of owning an accurate micrometer if I should ever need a very accurate measurement of something, and I can use it to keep an eye on my calliper’s accuracy too.

 

Knowing what I now know from you guys; the leaflet does show both the locking ring and the friction barrel. However, from its location, I assumed that the locking ring was for adjusting the micrometer zero point and I didn’t want to disturb that. I was not aware that micrometers had locking mechanisms for the measurement barrel. The diagram clearly shows a ratchet thimble at the end of the barrel, which mine does not have. So I was thrown into confusion with an apparently jammed barrel that had no ratchet thimble.

I did of course go onto the Starrett website to find the on-line manual and more information, but I could not find it anywhere on their web page.

All sorted now.

A pity though that trying to buy British or American quality results in products made in China and sales offices that do not know the basics of their own products !  – I might just as well buy from AliExpress at half the price.

Even my “Dunlop” car tyres were made in Spain, it turns out !

[John Doe 2Participant @johndoe2]

[Neil LickfoldParticipant @neillickfold44316]

John, I have Starrett micrometers from 1984 and have not worn it out yet. I don’t think you will ever wear it out. Good tools will last generations, especially in home workshops. Part of making the tools last a very long time, is making sure the surfaces being measured are clean. That simple tip, will make the tools last a very long time. Another tip, is , if you are measuring something, and want to make sure that the surface being measured is not marked in any way, using a piece of cigarette paper between the anvils. The papers I have are 0.02mm thick and are very consistent thickness.

[Peter Greene]

On Peter Greene Said:

On John Doe 2 Said:

 

What alarms me though is Starrett themselves: I bought from them because I thought they were supposed to be a good, prestigious make, but when I phoned their UK technical “department”, I got some random bloke driving in a car with a really bad line, whom I could not hear or understand.

Doesn’t the un-professionalism of companies these days rot your socks?…

Customer service is a 20th century idea that has gone by the wayside because it is no longer considered profitable. CEOs and managers live or die by quarterly reports so long term customers are of no interest to them. Hence first overseas call centres and now chat bots and the closure of high-street bricks and mortar banks and stores everywhere.

Seriously, many of the weird email and text message replies you get from companies are chat bots. My bank is now using them and makes no secret of it. Got very frustrating last time my credit card inexplicably stopped working while I was overseas. Using the bank’s app on my phone I contacted them via “chat”, only to get a bot asking repetitive, irrelevant and circular questions and offering useless “solutions” . Eventually by repeatedly demanding to speak to a human, I was put through to someone who eventually muddled through fixing the problem. Then the next time I used the card, it all happened again.

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