Etalon 23C 0-1" Micrometer

[ChandlerJPerry]

Glad I did some homework on the forum before looking for mics! I had never heard of Etalon but I picked one up for $35 on eBay since I didn't have a 0-1 mic. And I am thoroughly impressed. My Starrett 226 1-2" honestly feels crude by comparison. As I build out my mic collection I think Etalon will be my go to from now on. The used market prices are incredibly reasonable and the quality seems second to none.

 

[markba633csi]

They are excellent- I have one just like it- the plastic grips prevent hand heat from affecting the reading
Alina/Etalon make very good dial/test indicators too (Compac) and come in nice wooden boxes
You know these weren't cheap when new

 

[ChandlerJPerry]

They are excellent- I have one just like it- the plastic grips prevent hand heat from affecting the reading
Alina/Etalon make very good dial/test indicators too (Compac) and come in nice wooden boxes
You know these weren't cheap when new

I took a look and saw a few Compac indicators for sale at low prices, however they were missing their tips. Definitely would represent a good deal if there's a way to acquire a new tip for it, although I'm not sure where one would look for that.

 

[SouthernChap]

I have a nice Compac dial indicator with the plunger on the back in a lovely little wooden box.

Its smoothness (both the movement of the plunger, and the movement of the bezel to set zero) makes my Mitutoyo indicators feel second class (even though the Mit indicators are pretty smooth, especially compared with say, my cheapy but entirely usable Dasquas).
Long Island Indicator Services have spare parts for most indicator brands (even the ones they're not that impressed with) https://longislandindicator.com/test-indicator-spare-parts/

Their website is well worth an educational peruse in general, for the information they provide on various topics related to indicators.

 

[ChandlerJPerry]

Long Island Indicator Services have spare parts for most indicator brands (even the ones they're not that impressed with) https://longislandindicator.com/test-indicator-spare-parts/

That is great info, thank you!

I am not in the market for such a high resolution indicator right now, but for example:



If someone were motivated to get one, it looks like Long Island Indicator stocks the contact point for this model and sells it for $25. It's not necessarily "cheap" compared to other brands of gauge, but if one were to really want Swiss metrology tools it looks like it would be more affordable than say, Tesa or B&S. At the $70 price point many of those are damaged or otherwise in poor condition.

 

[SouthernChap]

Thankfully, over here in the UK, most of the sellers are house clearance types who don't know enough about the brands (why would they, most people in the UK would struggle to differentiate between a screwdriver and a hole in the ground, let alone metrology equipment) to recognise TESA or Compac as particularly desirable.

I've got a TESA 1-2" tenths mic' that just needs a bit of a calibration (it's reading 2 tenths off) and a 0.001 mm TESA DTI that's in pretty much pristine condition, apart from a short but noticable scratch on the crown in the middle where it doesn't really matter.

Both were bought for about £25 each.

 

[ChandlerJPerry]

Thankfully, over here in the UK, most of the sellers are house clearance types who don't know enough about the brands (why would they, most people in the UK would struggle to differentiate between a screwdriver and a hole in the ground, let alone metrology equipment) to recognise TESA or Compac as particularly desirable.

I think Swiss made tools generally have more mystique attached to them here in the states since they are seen as more exotic. The UK's proximity to mainland Europe strips a lot of that away I would imagine.

Conversely, here in the states certain US made brands such as Federal and even Starrett at times can be had for peanuts. Lots of lesser known Japanese brands as well like NSK and Peacock. Personally I would rather have the Swiss gear but it's a little harder to come by on the cheap here.

 

[markba633csi]

The good used ones come in bunches sometimes- you might not see any for a while and then all of a sudden several pop up for sale