This years deal

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atunguyd
Posts: 199
Joined: Tue Oct 20, 2009 9:39 pm
Location: Durban South Africa

This years deal

Post by atunguyd »

So after spending years watching you guys in the US score all the best tools I had to post this. I honestly think I managed to get the best deal for 2021 by far.

Attended an auction today where amongst, the usual rubbish, there were some micrometers and vernier calipers being auctioned off.

I ended up being the only one of two people bidding on there (everyone else was bidding on realy rubbish).

The one lat was a set of 4 x 150mm calipers- amongs them x mititoyo dial caliperand a swiss made vernier (the name excapes me but it just oozed quality, a Helios Vernier and 1x 200mm Mititoyo dial caliper. I ended up loosing to another chap at a total price of about $87. However I met with the chap after the auction and he sold me the one 150mm Mutitoyo DIal caliper for about $20.
20210320_214448.jpg
The next lot was two 300mm Mititoyo Dial calipers (0.05mm precision and 0.02mm precision). No one else bid on them and I got them both for the total price of about $44 - both in original wooden boxes - the one still in it's original plastic sleeve.
20210320_214107.jpg
And the following lot was two 600mm vernier calipers - one mitituoyo and one Helios (German made) - I got those both for a total of about $37. The helios in its wooden box and the mititoyo loose. The mititoyo was actually siezed but after disassembly and a good clean it is working as good as new now.
20210320_214031.jpg
All pictures taken after I spent the day cleaning them all up.

All in all a good days outing - I will probably consider selling one of the 600mm verniers and that should covere the cost of everything (plus more).

Although I am having remorse on not persuing the 5 smaller verniers - that swiss one was metrology ---------------!
pete
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Joined: Tue Feb 10, 2009 6:04 am

Re: This years deal

Post by pete »

A very nice score Atunguyd. I have the same Mit calipers only mine are 6" & 12" imperial. Your 150 mm calipers shows the pinion gear that drives the needle has skipped at least once since the dials zero point should be pointing straight up at the 12 o'clock position. You should find a flattened piece of wire in the calipers box that's used as the dial face adjustment tool. If it's missing, a piece of steel or even aluminum wire flattened with a hammer and lightly filed to fit can be made to work. You should see a small slot at the top rear on the black plastic back of the dial that's slightly off set to one side. That's the dial adjustment slot. Close the calipers jaws completely together to where you'd normally zero the dial. Then you gently slide the flattened wire into that slot hold it inwards and that depresses the spring loaded pinion gear from the rack. Hold that wire inwards while rotating the dial to the straight up zero position. It's not a hard job to do, but sometimes takes a bit of trial and error before you get the dial face into the correct position. And it takes very little pressure to depress that pinion gear away from the rack.
atunguyd
Posts: 199
Joined: Tue Oct 20, 2009 9:39 pm
Location: Durban South Africa

Re: This years deal

Post by atunguyd »

Thanks for that Pete.

The 150mm Mitutoyo movement was very rough when I got it and had some surface rust so I completly stripped it down to clean. Had to get my watch making tools out to get the needle off the spindle. There was a lot of dirt on the gear that mates with the rack as well as a large (by comparison) flake of rust which was probably the primary cause of the rough feeling.

Putting it back together I did not get the needle vertical but I will try to what it you have suggested.

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atunguyd
Posts: 199
Joined: Tue Oct 20, 2009 9:39 pm
Location: Durban South Africa

Re: This years deal

Post by atunguyd »

So I took another go at the 150mm caliper this morning. Removed the bezel adn glass and gave them a good wash using a degreaser and a tooth brush. Got that much cleaner (removed the grease in grooves in the beezel - still some scratched on the glass cover but not sure what to do about those.
Screenshot 2021-03-21 080321.jpg
I also realised that part 13 in this diagram was no longer there, I think this is a rubber ring that gets crushed between the bolt and nut and adds resistance to the bezel when turning it. I took a piece of RC model silicon fuel line and cut off a sliver ot make an o-ring which fitted just perfectly.
I also realised that there is a fair amoutn of play when the dial asembly is mounted on the calipers. This seems to be intentional so that the preload on the gear can be adjusted. Managed to improve that too.
Finally the beezel lock, part 26,the arm that clamped onto the bezel was broken off. So I 3D printed a new one. Got it perfect now - just wish I could get the fine scratches out of the glass.

Holding them up to the light I see that the jaws dont close perfectly (ever sl slight slivers of light coming through), but I will not attempt to resolve that, I probably dont need them to be that accuracte anyway, thats what the micrometer is for isn't it.

The two 200mm mitutoyos however close perfectly. I assume they are much older than the 150mm one givenm that they came in solid wooden boxes - it just makes it feel like a better quality tool to take it out of a wooden box with velvet where the calipers make contact as opposed to a a plastic box.

I think I managed to determine what the swiss calipers were - googling aroudn I foudn the name Tesa which is what I seem to recall them being. DOes anyone have any information on this brand?

I found a pair for sale locally here https://www.bidorbuy.co.za/item/5064716 ... hZEALw_wcB
That equates to about $34 for two dial calipers. Was thinking I may grab them, if one is fine then thats still a steal (assuming that these are good quality calipers).
pete
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Joined: Tue Feb 10, 2009 6:04 am

Re: This years deal

Post by pete »

I can speak for the Swiss made Tesa's current production or if there even still producing metrology instruments. But they were very very good. As good as anyone else and a lot better than some. And for awhile Brown & Sharp has some kind of agreement with Tesa where they were producing metrology equipment with the B & S brand on it. Compac were I believe also producing some very high quality dial test indicators also branded with the B & S logo. This is a very good metrology web site that doesn't sugar coat anything good or bad. http://www.longislandindicator.com/ and it's well worth checking when trying to research any of the decent brands and more common types of equipment.

A good plastic polish may remove the scratches in that dial bezel for you. Any local jewelry or watch repair shop would have and know exactly what to use. That red plastic box may not be the original one for your 150 mm calipers unless it actually says Mitutoyo. But your location and them being metric could account for the different plastic color. My 6" calipers came in a light gray colored box and were my first set of Mitutoyo dial calipers. Later when I bought my 12" dial calipers they came in the same wooden box with green felt inside you have. Depending on the exact problem your caliper jaws have, it may not be repairable in a home shop if it's wear. There are two small slotted screws at each end and on top of the bar on the moving assembly behind the dial. There on the same flat surface the lock for the movable jaw is on. Those screws set the clearance and take up any wear between the moving assembly and the main beam it slides on that occurs.They can also adjust the alignment between the fixed and moving jaw. Adjusting those may help some unless the jaws are already properly adjusted.
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gwrdriver
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Location: Nashville Tennessee

Re: This years deal

Post by gwrdriver »

I've had a pair of Tesa calipers for some years which I use every day and I've been very happy with their quality and reliability. The same calipers I have were also made for and sold by B&S. I don't know if Tesa still makes those.
GWRdriver
Nashville TN
Inspector
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Joined: Mon Feb 23, 2009 4:25 am
Location: Saskatoon, SK, Canada

Re: This years deal

Post by Inspector »

Re the little flat bar Pete mentioned for reseting the dial. For some callipers the large box staples cardboard boxes are held closed with are pretty close to the right size.

We had some Tesa bore micrometers and compared to Starret, Fowler and Mitutoyo were much better but a bit more delicate. Not for the ham fisted operators that were occasionally hired.

Nice score.

Pete
John Hasler
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Re: This years deal

Post by John Hasler »

I've sometimes been able to find replacement bezels by searching for watch crystals.

I've usually been able to polish scratches out, though. For deep ones start with fine sandpaper and work your way down to plastic polish.
atunguyd
Posts: 199
Joined: Tue Oct 20, 2009 9:39 pm
Location: Durban South Africa

Re: This years deal

Post by atunguyd »

Thanks for the feedback - the calipers in question have all been throughly serviced this weekend and are both operating perfectly smooth and all give a very precise accurate measurement when measuring across the 25mm test gauge that came with my starett micrometer.

Now to decide what to do with these. I really dont think I need two of the 300mm ones but I cant convince myself to part with one. Likewise if I ask myself honestly if I would ever use not one, but both of the 600mm ones, I cant say that I ever will, so I am inclined to sell one but cant bring myself to decide which. They are pretty difficult to use though because of their size. I do see however that in this size, even the "cheap" chinese ones are pretty damn pricey.
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liveaboard
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Re: This years deal

Post by liveaboard »

I would say sell the extra ones at a premium price so that if it sells you're happy; and if it doesn't, you're happy.
Unless you sell it to me, then sell it really cheap so I'll be happy.

Only kidding, EU import rules make it nearly impossible...
atunguyd
Posts: 199
Joined: Tue Oct 20, 2009 9:39 pm
Location: Durban South Africa

Re: This years deal

Post by atunguyd »

Ha ha, I thought you guys were all avoiding being locked down during winter and were coming to places like south Africa for a summer lockdown?

Pop over here, have a holiday and pick up some nice callipers in the process [emoji23]

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liveaboard
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Re: This years deal

Post by liveaboard »

I live in southern Portugal; holiday all year.
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