Precision Measuring Tools - The Little Guys

[RTM]

Hey gang

I just scored a Central Tool Co. Inside Micrometer, and realized we don't have a dedicated thread for them, which seems kinda silly, but having one for every now-extinct vintage precision tool who wasn't Starrett, Brown & Sharpe, or Lufkin seemed even sillier. So how about we start a thread to keep all these "other" manufacturers together, give people who have an unknown tool a possible place to look them up.

My list of possible names (from my inventory) for this thread include
Alina (Swiss - do we stick with US only?)
Athol (Should they go with Starrett since they bought them out?)
Central Tool Co, Cranston RI
GP (own thread already?)
T Hessenbruch
Meigs Powell
Millers Falls (own thread already?)
Moody
Moore & Wright (non US, no own thread, could hijack an existing one to make it)
Phelps Mfg (Oakland - go Bay Area)
Reiner & Campbell
Sampson Tool & Mfg
Sandow
Union Tool Company (Orange Mass, not the Tool box, Shovel, twist drill,

What do you think? Vote by Posting, or not. We'll see if it gets traction.

 

[RTM]

As I noted in my intro post, I just scored an inside micrometer (#80) from

The Central Tool Co.
Cranston, R.I.
marked
Certified Accuracy
on the lid

Found it in a 1959 catalog, suspect this is closer to the year of production due to the case layout matching closer than the 1978 version. Mine has a skinnier auxiliary extension handle



Here are some pix, in 1.5" and 8" measuring mode. Mine seems to be missing the extra little rings shown on the left hand edge of the 2" and 4" extensions in the catalog cut above, I'm guessing to help lock them to the measuring head. The foam in the box is dying, suspect I will get some better stuff that I can cut to fit. The contents are in decent shape, only the extension handle needed a little force to unscrew it, it was a touch rusty where it was extended into the loop. The extension tightens down on the second knurling from the left in the first picture, used to reach down into a hole to get a better measurement where your fingers won't fit.

 

[MShaw]

You missed a well known one, J T Slocomb, Providence. RI and later Glastonbury, Ct.
Also from Germany, Reinecker.

 

[RoninB4]

-I suppose you're wanting hand held, adjustable reading type measuring instruments? No gauge makers, DRO's, or makers of standards? Stay with USA made or anybody? There's certainly plenty even without the aforementioned that I'll have to dredge up from my failing memory and dust covered inventory. A few that do come to mind right off the top of my head are

Helios
Mahr
Scherr-Tumico
Mauser
Johansson Mikrokator
Etalon
Millers Falls
Draper (clumsy)
VIS
Hartig
Zeus
News/Yuasa
Carl Zeiss

 

[slowtwitch73]

Mauser (oops Robin got them already)

 

[Cruzan80]

Yeah, S-T was fairly big at one point, they may need their own thread.

I find most of the "deals" to be had with several of these older brands. I don't do certified work, so if I can have something well made at a fraction of the cost, then it allows me to flip the "name-brand" stuff to pay for it. For example, I have a couple of Starrett 98's, but my precision level is European, and resolves about .2mm/m rise (IIRC). Cost me about $60-70, and it was over twice as precise as a Starrett 199.

Did Helios ever make their own stuff, or were they more like a Fowler/Shars, importing and putting their name on things?

 

[Firebrick43]

Tesa

Cadillac gage

Chesterman, only thing British I have found worth keeping.

And how the grand daddy of them all Pratt & Whitney

 

[RoninB4]

Did Helios ever make their own stuff, or were they more like a Fowler/Shars, importing and putting their name on things?

-I first encountered Helios back in the late 70's as Vernier calipers some of the German toolmakers owned and had a high regard for. The Vernier scale was rather small and more difficult to read than I cared for, the highly reflective surface (non satin-chrome) added to the difficulty. A lot of major brands didn't have the matte finish of satin chrome back then. I never purchased anything from Helios but my reading suggests that they were a German made brand, some instruments I saw might have been made in E. Germany during the Cold War era. That's probably changed by now like everybody else has.

 

[MushCreek]

I have some of those brands. I was gifted a Sherr-Tumico dial indicator back in the 70's, so I guess it's considered vintage by now. I have a Pratt-Whitney precision level. I'm unsure of the age. I have an Etalon mike that I bought new, so it can't be vintage, right?

 

[goldtang]

Mitutoyo

 

[d42jeep]

Here is a Central tool living in my Gerstner box.
-Don

 

[RoninB4]

I have an Etalon mike that I bought new, so it can't be vintage, right?

-Dunno, you're sorta vintage aren't you?

 

[LXCam]

I’m pretty sure I’ve had this one for close to 45yrs.




And maybe another brand to add to the list. Techlock

 

[Beerhippie]

-Tubular Micrometer Co.-
-St. James, Minn, USA-

 

[Cruzan80]

-Tubular Micrometer Co.-
-St. James, Minn, USA-

This is a precursor to Scherr-Tumico (Tubular Micrometer CO)

 

[Beerhippie]

This is a precursor to Scherr-Tumico (Tubular Micrometer CO)

Then this:



would, I'm betting, be the other--Geo. Scherr New York USA.

 

[Beerhippie]

Scherr-Tumico was founded in 1942, making both of these older than that date.

I think. I'm pretty well striking out on finding out much about the history of Scherr-Tumico, Tubular Micrometer or Geo. Scherr.

 

[RoninB4]

And maybe another brand to add to the list. Techlock

-Very glad you posted this, I couldn't remember this brand. While it may be in a Teclock box (low end disposable brand) it most certainly is NOT low end. It's a Compac and has long been regarded very highly by many over the decades. Compac (also Alina and two other brands) were made by the same company in Geneva (Swiss) but fell victim to cheap imports like a lot of others. I always bought Interapid but that was before the days of internet sales and Compac/Alina weren't readily available in most industrial supply houses. Also never liked the proprietary dovetail mounting either, Interapid used the more useable stem mounting. Many/most of the past "inch" models are either no longer available or difficult to find parts for but Tesa has reportedly resumed production at a former facility. I suggest you either take good care of this or send it to me for proper disposal. Reported to be durable and reliably accurate (cosine error), many older models are still sent in for periodic maintenance/calibration as they were considered a better buy but less expensive than Interapid.