The Survey of Antique Fractional Gage Blocks

Nice score.

I have that exact HF caliper and it has served me well for many years.

John
 
Encouraging result! I got a 12” HF caliper a while back figuring it would be less than perfect but likely good enough for my purposes...offers me a ray of hope ;)


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C-Bag said:
Good score Mike and thanks for sharing. You just never know what's going to show up. Any guess why somebody would want a fractional set of gage blocks? Precision woodwork? A decimaphobic? Inquiring minds wanna know :)
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thanks C-Bag!
i got the blocks solely on the merits of being unusual
i had no idea that they were as well crafted as they are.

the only conclusion that makes any sense to me is that the old boy worked in fractions of an inch,
and he didn't want to stamp the decimal equivalents on his blocks.
but that is grabbing at straws
 
Stefants said:
Encouraging result! I got a 12” HF caliper a while back figuring it would be less than perfect but likely good enough for my purposes...offers me a ray of hope ;)
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i wouldn't go use the HF calipers without verifying their measurement, especially where life or limb could be concerned.
i'll use them to around .002" and then verify with more accurate methods beyond that
 
matthewsx said:
Nice score.

I have that exact HF caliper and it has served me well for many years.

John
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I have 2 of them and after 7 or 8 years the first one is still working fine and is still accurate, on the original battery! I use that caliper just about every day for lots of measurements. They were ~$10 on sale, added the 25% off coupons, and then got a freebie as well. It does shut itself off if you let it sit idle for a few minutes, and it does not remember it's previous position when you turn it back on...

Edit: I recently started using the second one on a rolling tool cart I picked up. So far have only used the second one a few times due to habit of going for the other one... They are fine tools for almost all of what I do.
 
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Ulma Doctor said:
my hat is off to this craftsman.
i ponder the skill and tenacity it must have taken to produce these nearly perfect gage blocks.
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Oh my goodness, yes! Picture the scene- a significant amount of time and talent to produce a product of great precision, in a discipline separate from the one the dimensions are useful for. I would love to have been there, when he said "Ya, good idea! I think I will!"
 
I had 6" HF dial caliper for over 10yrs in the field doing fab and repair. Dropped it several times, took it jammed in a field toolbox on numerous air trips, no problem. Then dropped it at home and it hung up. Decided to get what I thought was a better digital caliper from LMS and it eats batteries rediculously fast, always dead. So got a me a new dial Mititoyou. Accurate, smooth made in Brazil. Had it a week and it fell off the bench and died. So much for shockproof. So I was in a scrape and tried the old HF, and it quit the hiccup and is a little stiff but still going and accurate according to my 1" and 2" gages I got with my old Starrett micrometers. Go figgur.
 
"Wring"??? Could someone please explain to those of us whom are novice students what this is and why it is done? I tried to look it up but i cant frame a context to base a search on!

Nevemind, I found a video explaining it. That is pretty cool and very interesting.
 
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Wringing. A stack of four of rive Jo blocks is awkward to handle.

If you wipe two jo block surfaces on the clean inside of your wrist (it's generally clean and dry) and put them together, then, holding one in each hand, swirl them together for a second or two. they'll bind. I can't explain it, something about molecular attraction. Do this to the whole stack, it becomes solid, won't fall apart when you pick it up.

They can be separated by sliding them apart.
 
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