Federal .0001 indicater

X3 on Mark Ratkowski. A group of us here on H-M have 15 indicators and other tools sent to Mark at this time.
 
Oil tends to congeal and attract more grime so I would never use oil of any kind on my Interapids or any of my indicators for that matter.
Seems counter intuitive to me. Besides, Rene Meyer of LIIS has over 25 years repairing indicators, he comes from a family (Swiss) of these specialized technicians,
so I tend to heed his advice.
 
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Keep in mind should you decide to lube indicators & such, best to use clock/instrument oil & very sparingly. These oils are formulated not gum up over time.

I've always wanted to get me some Starrett instrument oil but a while back on my last order of Kroil, I got a free 8oz can of Microil which is Kano's version of instrument oil. Been happy with the stuff & the can should last me a lifetime. I'm a big fan of Kroil so I have trust in their other products.
 
I would try a drop of light machine oil on the plunger. That usually works for me…Dave
I Never oil. it gums it up.
you can take off the back and put it in clean mineral spirits. That will usually clean it up.
As far as calibration, that's a different story. If you just want it cleaned, you can do it yourself but the calibration needs to go out. Expect to pay from 45 to 100.

BTW that's the same Federal I have the b21, .0001, mine has a greenish tint to it. Your's looks crystal clear.

BTW it says jeweled, I thought jeweled meant no oil needed, as the jewel provides the points for things to run on...
 
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BTW it says jeweled, I thought jeweled meant no oil needed, as the jewel provides the points for things to run on.

Yep, the jewels, like in timepieces are plain bearings usually made of synthetic ruby. They are used cause they don't require lubrication. Jeweled indicators really do have them too, if you take one apart you will see them.
 
Even with jewels most indicators also have sliding surfaces, which can be run dry or with oil, and the question still stands -- oil or no oil? To me, oil tends to gum, lack of oil leads to wear and grit. Oil helps to stop corrosion, dry does not. If I had some high quality watch and clock oil, I think I would choose it.
 
Jeez Louise, has this sparked some boisterous conversation. As far as jeweled timepieces go. Jeweled timepieces get oiled. The ONLY one that does not get oil is the Atoms clock, to my recollection. And maybe some unique application that could or could not be oiled. The gear train/teeth are not oiled. Just the pivots. And yes, the pivots with jewels get oil.

The selection of oil can be a forever topic. All I will say is the newer synthetics do not dry out or gum up as much.

Now, about oiling the plunger! Maybe another forever topic! I mentioned that somethings are not oiled. Oil attracts crap and that crap is bad for operation. But no oil speeds wear and maybe corrosion. I would rather have a thin film of good synthetic oil on a clean plunger, than no oil. This is a general statement, exceptions to specific indicators with hard chrome plungers etc. will of course be a different story. Good night and boy do I hate to type…Dave.
 
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I have not been using wd40 for years with no ill effects.:surrender:
NOT...?
I'm not a fan of wd40 for any fine instrument. Oil I prefer, WD40 has disappointed me over and over. But it's a good cutting fluid for AL.
 
Well I have dial indictors mounted on 2 lathes and 2 horizontal mills that get covered in mist coolant and wd has worked for years. But I am dot recommending it by any means.
 
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