# Does anyone have one of these?



## Tony Wells (Jul 6, 2012)

Not really a poll. I have a good reason for asking. Do you have one of these:

This is a Mitutoyo series 515 Height Master, also sometimes called (incorrectly) a Cadillac gage.


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## jgedde (Jul 6, 2012)

Tony Wells said:


> Not really a poll. I have a good reason for asking. Do you have one of these:
> 
> This is a Mitutoyo series 515 Height Master, also sometimes called (incorrectly) a Cadillac gage.



I've never even seen one and we've got everything and anything in our CMM/inspection room at work...  What's it do and how does it work?

John


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## Tony Wells (Jul 6, 2012)

Crudely described, it's a stack of 1" jo blocks wrung properly together to stack up with very little error. The entire stack is on a precision lead screw that drives a full 5 digit DRO (if I remember right, but pretty sure it's 5 full digits). It can be used for several things, mostly old school now days. You can set bore gages with it, if you have the accessory kit, you can use it to calibrate height gages, as well as transfer or compare measurements. It's kind of like stacking up a handful of blocks and using a height gage with a DTI to do comparison readings against parts under inspection, except it's adjustable. You can use it to cal/cert dial indicators and a few other instruments. There are other uses, but perhaps more obscure or I have forgotten them. In the old days, every inspection department had one.


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## Rbeckett (Jul 6, 2012)

I was going to say it was a valve installed height and deck measuring device.  Woulda been wrong, but I was guessing anyway.  Looks like a cool tool to have if you need a precision height measure.  Being a tool junky has it's benefits too.  Back in the day they had a lot of tools that most folks today would not even have a clue what they do, let alone how to operate them properly.  Too bad our schools have removed shop and industrial arts from the curriculum.  Lots of guys in my generation went that way rather than going to college.  I went that way and don't think I did bad in the overall scheme of things 40 years later.  Thanks for the cool tool and interest picquer.  Have a great weekend.
WCB


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## 4GSR (Jul 12, 2012)

I bought a surplus one that is "metric".  Haven't really used it, but looks good setting on the surface plate.)


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## CharlieW (Jul 13, 2012)

I sold the one I had about 10 years ago.  I also had the 6" riser base and wood case, for it.  It was cool but I didn't need it and I bought other, more useful tooling, with the cash from it.

Charlie W.


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## Tony Wells (Jul 13, 2012)

The reason I asked about this is that I ended up with a 6" riser, with case, that I'll never use. I have no intention of purchasing a Height Master, so I thought if anyone had one, I could find a home for the riser I have. It's been out of the case, but never been used.


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## Bill Gruby (Jul 17, 2012)

This one is indeed a "Cadillac Gage" manufactured by the Cadillac Gage Company in Michigan. In my days in the trade I used one many times to check and recheck height gages. That is all we used them for Tony.


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## Bill Gruby (Jul 17, 2012)

Better shot of the tag.

 "Billy G"  )


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## Tony Wells (Jul 17, 2012)

Yup, that's the real McCoy. It's kind of like Coke....no matter what it is. What kind of Coke you want?.....Oh, I'll have a Dr. Pepper. Or Kleenex. Or a few other things. I think it's flattering that one name brand product becomes the term used for all products of the same function. 

I have used one to settle many, many arguments between height gages, even the B&S MicroHite and Trimos units. It's more accurate than either of them.


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## Bill Gruby (Jul 24, 2012)

You have a very good memory Frank. That is what it was designed for.

 "Billy G" )


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## McRuff (Aug 7, 2012)

They weren't always used in inspection rooms. The last company I worked at had 6 of the Mitutoyo versions sitting on surface plates around the shop. We used them for measuring all the stuff we ground, checking over roll pins to locate angles, checking of gage balls  and such. The mold industry, depending on what types of injection molds you make still uses a lot tools that would be considered old school now. Ram EDM machines, Manual surface grinders, Cadillac gages, Newbould indexers, Harig Grind-alls, Precise heads, Volstro heads and many other oddball pieces of equipment. We used to build molds for the electronics industry that were toleranced at +.0000/ -.0002, needed to be put together in temp controlled rooms.
Things like this depend on what type of machine work you do as to if there useful, common or not.


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## Tony Wells (Aug 22, 2012)

That's very true. Either you need one or not. Nowadays most manufacturing is done without the old style instruments.

I have been thinking I should sell the riser. I don't have the Height-Master, and no need or plans to get one. It's just sitting, in a nice case, wasting space and collecting dust. If anyone knows of someone who needs one, let me know.


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## Metalmann (Aug 22, 2012)

McRuff said:


> They weren't always used in inspection rooms. The last company I worked at had 6 of the Mitutoyo versions sitting on surface plates around the shop. We used them for measuring all the stuff we ground, checking over roll pins to locate angles, checking of gage balls  and such. The mold industry, depending on what types of injection molds you make still uses a lot tools that would be considered old school now. Ram EDM machines, Manual surface grinders, Cadillac gages, Newbould indexers, Harig Grind-alls, Precise heads, Volstro heads and many other oddball pieces of equipment. We used to build molds for the electronics industry that were toleranced at +.0000/ -.0002, needed to be put together in temp controlled rooms.
> Things like this depend on what type of machine work you do as to if there useful, common or not.





You're right. Some companies used them in and around different machines. I hear you about the die work tolerances, I've seen men get carried away with their polishing, and scrap expensive dies. I got lucky over the years and never destroyed any.:whistle:


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## bfd (May 3, 2017)

I don't have one but right now on the santa maria cl site under tools in Lompoc there is a mitutoyo height master 515/310 foe sale looks like you need a match for your 6" base bill


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