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Cleaning and oiling micrometers

H

Hruul

Lee - metalworking novice
Hello All,

I recently bought some used Mitutoyo digital micrometers (the non-electronic kind). All of them need a thorough cleaning and some of them are gritty and stiff in spots while turning. Anyone that has taken apart micrometers before, what did you use to clean them and what kind of oil or lubrication did you add to them while apart? Thanks in advance.
 
Hruul said:
Hello All,

I recently bought some used Mitutoyo digital micrometers (the non-electronic kind). All of them need a thorough cleaning and some of them are gritty and stiff in spots while turning. Anyone that has taken apart micrometers before, what did you use to clean them and what kind of oil or lubrication did you add to them while apart? Thanks in advance.
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Digital micrometers without a battery to drive them? What Mitutoyo part numbers are they? Perhaps there's info on the internet, somewhere. Provide additional details on what you're looking at. Photos would really help!

Oiling: I use Wahl hair clipper oil to keep my delicate measuring tools functioning, have never had an issue with it. 4 Fl. oz. around $8.00 usually available from Walmart, Canadian Tire, Barber Shops, Beauty Salons, Drug Stores. Wahl oil is cheap enough you could probably use it as a wash or bath to clear the gritty stiffness. When you think on it Wahl oil is designed to clear hair clipping from electric clippers while lubricating at the same time.

Then you have Starrett 1620 Tool & instrument oil 4 Fl. oz. from KBC at $15.00 plus shipping.
 
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Suspect he means what were called 'rolling digital'
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@Dusty : the really neat ones have an imperial scale on the mic and the digital scale is metric. I have a 0-1” one like that - kinda nice to read both ways :p:cool:
 
Brent H said:
@Dusty : the really neat ones have an imperial scale on the mic and the digital scale is metric. I have a 0-1” one like that - kinda nice to read both ways :p:cool:
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Being digital do they remain highly accurate with normal use and do they still sell them?
 
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I have one of that style in a depth mic, use it for checking headspace when chambering barrels. Think they still make them but the electronic ones are so much better. A quick look on KBC would show if they are still available.
 
Dusty said:
Digital micrometers without a battery to drive them? What Mitutoyo part numbers are they? Perhaps there's info on the internet, somewhere. Provide additional details on what you're looking at. Photos would really help!

Oiling: I use Wahl hair clipper oil to keep my delicate measuring tools functioning, have never had an issue with it. 4 Fl. oz. around $8.00 usually available from Walmart, Canadian Tire, Barber Shops, Beauty Salons, Drug Stores. Wahl oil is cheap enough you could probably use it as a wash or bath to clear the gritty stiffness. When you think on it Wahl oil is designed to clear hair clipping from electric clippers while lubricating at the same time.

Then you have Starrett 1620 Tool & instrument oil 4 Fl. oz. from KBC at $15.00 plus shipping.
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Thanks Dusty. What PeterT shows is what I have. They are the imp on the scale and metric on the dials version.
 
They are still made I believe, KBC lists them. Price is typical $$ 'Mitutoyo'. The 0-1 is my go to mic. I bought a long time time for about half that price. Anyways it has proven to be very reliable & accurate. The digits make them a bit more goof proof reading a number, but without need for battery. OTOH I guess more parts inside. It reads 3 digits (thou) so when they say 0.0001 (tenths) they really mean: read the barrel vernier because the last barrel digit will be showing some partial position. Hope this makes sense.

I also had a Fowler like this which had 4 digits (tenths) but that was a POS right out of the box. The tumblers were always sticky & then eventually jammy. Could have been a Monday model, I dunno. That's why I've turned into a Mitutoyo fan boy, just haven't had any issues.

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And forgot to say, yes there are apparently variations to the rolling digit style in Mitutoyo lineup. I wasn't aware of the dual imperial/metric variants.
Wonder how long they will make them because price isn't far off an electronic digital. The regular barrel / vernier style mic is about half the price & I suspect same quality.


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I bought a 1-2” and a 2-3” model of them brand new from Lee Valley a few years back on one of their clearance sales. Got them for way less then regular new price. That is when I found out about them.
 
Hruul said:
Thanks Dusty. What PeterT shows is what I have. They are the imp on the scale and metric on the dials version.
Click to expand...

More on oiling and cleaning. I have an older Teclock dial gauge indicator that was sticking, well over a year ago I removed the back, gently blew out the cavity then wiped the spindle lightly with Wahl oil that fixed my problem. Also wiped the gauge head ball end with oil as a precaution. Just double checked said indicator to see how it works now and we have a winner! What else can I say about Wahl oil.
 
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Hruul said:
How are the electronic for draining batteries?
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Great question, I also have a Mitutoyo Digimatic Caliper, model 500-196-30 (CD-6" ASX) that I bought two years back, running on the original battery. Also have two el-cheapo PA calipers that eat batteries like crazy. Clearly it pays to spend one's money on name brand products.
 
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Our avionics techs use ROYCO 363 instrument oil. I have lubed all my precision instruments using it. Seems to work well - other than the two Swiss Made Alina 0.0001 indicators: they like to be just cleaned and “run dry” without any lubrication on the ruby jewels.
 
They were going to recycle a 5 gal pail of ROYCO 363 (with about 3.5 gal left in it) because of regulatory reasons. So I got it for free.
 
And here I was thinking my single bottle of Starrett oil could be willed to my future great-great grandkids at the rate I was using LoL.

Side note - you can get these micro containers in all kinds of volume sizes, tip sizes (metal & plastic) etc. I find the quality of bottle varies though, so I usually look for words like oil, solvent etc.
https://www.amazon.ca/Squeeze-Plast...solder+flux+applicator&qid=1618767193&sr=8-13
https://www.amazon.ca/Quilling-Prec...F7RT/ref=dp_prsubs_2?pd_rd_i=B07C3SF7RT&psc=1

For cutting fluids I really like these ones (Ebay)
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