# Mitutoyo Dial Caliper



## savarin (Oct 17, 2016)

I have just been given the above dial caliper.
It has both a metric and imperial scale but the dial is only imperial.
Unfortunately the dial jumps at about the 15mm mark when opening.
Its reasonably consistent in the jump but it doesnt always jump when closing the jaws.
I guess what I want to know is if its worth attempting to strip and clean it myself or send it to the pros to do at some cost.
I very rarely work in imperial measurements so its not something I must have just that it seems an awful waste to junk it.


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## Billh50 (Oct 17, 2016)

Look carefully at the rack the gear rides on where the needle jumps. A chip may have gotten caught in a tooth. Chips in the teeth of the rack are usually why the needle will jump.


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## savarin (Oct 17, 2016)

I've had a look there Bill but couldnt see anything.
I will have to get the 10x lens out for a better look.


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## RJSakowski (Oct 17, 2016)

I use a fine sewing needle to clear the chips out of the rack.  They can be almost impossible to see but I note the location of the dial when the needle jumps and clean the teeth around that location.  I drag the needle from the inside to the outside of the rack which usually clears the problem.


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## RJSakowski (Oct 17, 2016)

Dial calipers are definitely not IP67 rated.  Cleaning the rack is one of the chores that I don't miss having gone to electronic calipers.


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## TOOLMASTER (Oct 17, 2016)

blower nozzle works good


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## kd4gij (Oct 17, 2016)

Look here
http://longislandindicator.com/p140.html
And here

http://longislandindicator.com/p44.html


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## savarin (Oct 17, 2016)

Thanks guys, looks like I can give it a go.
I will let you know the outcome.


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## Wreck™Wreck (Oct 24, 2016)

Bloody hell, a new Mitutoyo 6" dial caliper can be bought for less then $200.00, why even bother with used tools in that price range? If one needs to measure parts in the 10"+ range  then a used 10-24" tool sourced in the used market is possibly a deal.

https://www.amazon.com/Mitutoyo-Vernier-Caliper-Stainless-Measurements/dp/B009UX5KWQ


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## John Hasler (Oct 24, 2016)

Billh50 said:


> Look carefully at the rack the gear rides on where the needle jumps. A chip may have gotten caught in a tooth. Chips in the teeth of the rack are usually why the needle will jump.


Also look for the needle dragging .


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## John Hasler (Oct 24, 2016)

Wreck™Wreck said:


> Bloody hell, a new Mitutoyo 6" dial caliper can be bought for less then $200.00, why even bother with used tools in that price range?


Because $200 is a lot of money to some of us.


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## Tony Wells (Oct 24, 2016)

Wreck, because in this case the price difference is substantial.  You DID actually read that it was GIVEN to him?


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## Wreck™Wreck (Oct 24, 2016)

Tony Wells said:


> Wreck, because in this case the price difference is substantial.  You DID actually read that it was GIVEN to him?


Yes I did, my reading skills are quite suitable for normal conversation, however a generally disposable inexpensive hand tool is not worth the trouble, do not get me wrong as I own some 20+ year old tools that still work very well, have a 20 year old Mits 6" caliper that I use nearly every day and it is still in excellent shape. I suppose that my point is that low dollar value tools are more expensive to fix then they are worth, I buy new ones as my employer gets well and truly ****** off when the parts return with a "Notice of Noncompliance" tag on them, these are almost always red in color (-:


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## Tony Wells (Oct 24, 2016)

I have been on both the receiving and giving end of NCR's and Corrective Action Reports.....so I truly know what you mean.  And sometimes they are yellow, if they are reworkable, or UAI tags. That mean you don't have an outgoing or final QC stage?

So then, if you get a chip in your dial caliper rack.....give them to someone and buy yourself a new set....right? 
Just seems you missed the price in the OP.


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## savarin (Oct 24, 2016)

Wreck™Wreck said:


> Bloody hell, a new Mitutoyo 6" dial caliper can be bought for less then $200.00, why even bother with used tools in that price range?


Hi wreck, I can see where you are coming from but being only a hobbiest (with no training in this field) I'm afraid that $200 is not considered a disposable item for me.
Also I have an electronic one (cheap) and a micrometer (cheap but accurate) and use those most of the time.
As it was given to me I just wanted to get it working correctly.
As I usually work in metric I probably will very rarely if ever  use it.


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## Wreck™Wreck (Oct 24, 2016)

Tony Wells said:


> So then, if you get a chip in your dial caliper rack.....give them to someone and buy yourself a new set....right?
> Just seems you missed the price in the OP.



That would be dishonest at best, I also enjoy receiving tools for free, have received many in the past that I do not use for a living but are well crafted or otherwise beautiful.

I simply consider sub $200.00 direct measuring tools that are damaged or inaccurate as not worth repairing, micrometers, tubular or rod bore gauges, dial bore gauges, height gauges and so on above 6" are worth repairing however.
Where I currently work we have 2 Starrett and one Mitutoyo internal rod micrometer sets from 4" to 18" which are not to be trusted at all, we do have 6-18" micrometers and gauge blocks so I can get very close.  I suspect that an inside rod micrometer from 4" to 12" will be my next purchase, about $300.00 from Mitutoyo or Starrett.

I am not that keen on metrology however we do have a 96" X 48" X24" granite surface plate, the manufacturers tag says 6400 + Lbs, it is absurd.


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## John Hasler (Oct 24, 2016)

Wreck™Wreck said:


> I simply consider sub $200.00 direct measuring tools that are damaged or inaccurate as not worth repairing,


I'm sure there are many of us here that would be willing to dispose of them for you.


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## Wreck™Wreck (Oct 24, 2016)

Where should I send them?

I would rather give them away, with no assurance that they useful for high accuracy work then toss them in the scrap.


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## John Hasler (Oct 24, 2016)

Wreck™Wreck said:


> Where should I send them?
> 
> I would rather give them away, with no assurance that they useful for high accuracy work then toss them in the scrap.


Well, you could send them to me.  I'll pay shipping.  I've already successfully restored several hopeless instruments to usefulness.


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## Tony Wells (Oct 25, 2016)

Wreck, I don't know too many people who actually work on the machines who trust ID mics. I have a couple of sets myself, and despite the fact that they are correct as close as I can adjust them, I still have a habit of measuring over them as though they were telescoping gages. So that's hardly uncommon. 

And on your big mics, even stacking gage blocks can be suspect. The general preference is to have a one piece standard that is factory made, and having it calibrated to an _actual_ size by an NIST lab in QC, controlled environment and used for checking the big mandrel mics. Very rarely are they as close as most people think they are. I have sets up to 24", and calibrated standards for each inch. They're not current, because I haven't needed them in a long time and to spend money on an annual cal would be ridiculous. If I need them, and I am required to back them up, I'll have the standards re-certed, but not until I can justify it. And yes, I can run my entire shop at 68°f and 50% RH, just as though it were a inspection/calibration room. I have a certified thermometer with hygrometer on the wall to prove it if I need it. NOT at the moment, thank goodness.....this broken leg is really beginning to bug me!

I think the point being made is that there are times when it is a matter of maintenance rather than actual damage. Most all dial calipers have a spring loaded pinion gear to "jump" over any trash that may (read:will eventually) get in the rack. That's why they send the little copper tool to reset it. No biggie, and no damage to the calipers at all.

I'm not picking on you, honest!


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## Billh50 (Oct 25, 2016)

Not all of us are working or have the money to buy new tools. Therefore we try to fix those that others give to us or we buy cheap enough. For the past 7 years being on disability and now regular social security does not leave much for my hobby each month. In fact some months (especially in winter) I am lucky if I have even $50 left at the end of the month. With rising costs and no cost of living increase this year it is even worse. This month I have $13 left til the 3rd. 
So $200 for a tool, or anything for that matter,  is way out of my reach and why I am contemplating giving up this hobby.


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## savarin (Nov 12, 2016)

This is them, 



Using a 10x power magnifier I found a microscopic particle in the rack.
A quick pick and all was well.
I then blasted the complete rack with WD40 in case there was anything else.
They work very well now and are spot on repeatable.


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## Tony Wells (Nov 12, 2016)

Now if you have the little reset tool (or make one) you can get the zero point back up at 12:00 if you want to. It will stay there until next time some debris gets in the rack. Or you can leave it where it is.


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## savarin (Nov 12, 2016)

Tony Wells said:


> Now if you have the little reset tool (or make one) you can get the zero point back up at 12:00 if you want to. It will stay there until next time some debris gets in the rack. Or you can leave it where it is.


Thanks Tony I will look into that.


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## kd4gij (Nov 12, 2016)

I have used a small Allen key to set zero at 12 o'clock works just fine.


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## kd4gij (Nov 12, 2016)

Wreck™Wreck said:


> Where should I send them?
> 
> I would rather give them away, with no assurance that they useful for high accuracy work then toss them in the scrap.




 I am on a fixed income and don't work for nasa. But wouldn't mind getting a mitutoyo calipers that I might be able to fix.


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