Micrometer Repair

I'm still pretty new here and I'm gonna put most of my monitor muscles away, but, dude, you're a science teacher!

Hows about we use the scientific method of observation, etc and tear the damn thing apart?

Again, Im trying to be polite, but let's be honest, you said this was a relatively inexpensive measuring tool, if it is damaged, you're not any worse off than right now-it's not as though it can be used now, can it? Also, if it was over-stressed, is it reliable now as a measuring tool (yes, I accept that if it is found to be accurate, but not precise, it still has significant value)?

I have used my scientific education in many, many situations where having a hard science education would not have been expected to be helpful by most other people, but what else would?
 
This is not criticism in the least just a question, why use digital micrometers for teaching as opposed to analog tools? I understand that the future of general machine shop measurements will be digital in nature. When I teach new young inexperienced machinists I use analog mic's because it gives them an idea of just how small the divisions are. They are also far less prone to damage.

Try this and see how it works, have them measure rounds of known size and tell them to do it by feel and NOT look at the results on the tool whilst doing so, this removes the tendency to make the measurement fit the goal. Have them measure, pull the tool off the part and then read it, I suspect that you will be surprised by the results.

As a side note, it is very unlikely that many of your students first jobs will be in a shop that has a full compliment of digital measuring tools requiring SPC output. They will start in a 10 man shop with a bunch of old yet accurate tools and a group of crotchety old guys that can not understand why the new guy can't read a vernier scale.
Teach them please.
 
Hi All,

Thanks for all the excellent replies. In the end, judicious disassembly did the trick and the mic is (knock on wood) working as designed for the moment.

PT - I love taking stuff apart and encourage my students to do the same. But you always have to do your literature search first. :)

Wreck - I agree that digital tools don't teach proper measurement skills. The students fail to see that the last digit has a degree of uncertainty. It's a challenge sometimes to teach how to use a ruler properly. The focus of this lab was measuring fine wire and human hair using diffraction of a laser, so the mic was just for cross-checking / contrast.

kd4gij - nice to know that if it isn't broken that the mic works well. I don't have a calibration lab at school. :)

Riaan - I will remember that saying for later use. If i could say it in the original Afrikaans, I wouldn't even have to clean it up.
 
chips&more said:
That could be a great trick/technique on something else. But I’m not too sure about the LCD display liking the freezing temperature. You could have another problem to deal with if that trick was used on the mike.
Click to expand...

Good call. I have a cheapy digital thermometer that I'm going to use as a guinea pig. Plus I might end up knowing how cold my freezer gets :D
 
I too was gonna whine about the digital, there's no discipline with digital. I have a Starrett digit mic that's jammed up, they want 75 to fix it.
 
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