MTFCA Forum

While working on my first T engine and reading and asking all my dumb questions on here I got to thinking. I haven’t ran across any information on what measuring devices they used back in the day. I have a few old micrometers, I guess they must have had them. What about dial indicators? Did they use a lot of gauges they made up? We strive to get this stuff as straight and tight as we can. Are the tolerances documented? Again just thinking and wondering

Quick answer, yes, all the mechanical measuring tools today were used by auto mechanics then.

Book from 1924, showing all the measuring tools as used today.

When you consider how far back clocks go, the know how for tooling doe's too. verniors and micrometers in the 17th century but the micrometer as we know it today was patent in 1899.

I HAD A TOOL YEARS AGO, IT WAS MADE BY THE LOCAL BLACK SMITH FOR ME, I USED TO HANG OUT AT HIS SHOP, AND LEARNED SO MUCH WATCHING HIM WORK, IT WAS USED TO SET VALVE TIMING ON THE MODEL T ENGINE, IT WAS STAMPED-- EX--IN--- A TWO PIECE TOOL, WISH I STILL HAD IT, GOT MISPLACED OVER THE YEARS , MADE FROM THIN STEEL ABOUT 3/32 THICK X 3/4 WIDE BY 5 INCH LONG, IT HAD A MOVEABLE BAR 3/32 THICK X 3/4 INCH WIDE BY [JUST GUESSING HERE,] 3 INCH LONG, AND THIS PART WAS OFFSET WITH A PIN HOLDING IT IN PLACE, THE LONG PART WOULD LAY ACROSS THE CYLINDER , THE SHORT PART WOULD DROP TO TOUCH THE PISTON, WHEN IT WAS IN THE RIGHT LOCATION, THE INTAKE VALVE IN THAT CYLINDER WOULD BE JUST CLOSING,[OR OPENING] DON'T REMEMBER , WHEN THE CRANK SHAFT WAS ROTATED AND THE LONG BAR IN PLACE AND TOUCHING THE PISTON IT WAS THE EXHAUST VALVE IT WAS TIMEING. IN THAT CYLINDER. JUST ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT'S BUGGED ME AS TO WHERE ITS HIDEING. I DID USE IT AND IT WORKED VERY WELL. . I STILL HAVE THE TOOL HE MADE TO LAP THE VALVES,

Like This?

https://www.modeltford.com/item/3052KRW.aspx

Danny

how far back, and who's day do you want?

how about mechanics from around 1770-1790?

this dial gauge measures to 1/100 of a mm (0.000393 inches per division, or 393 millionths of an inch per division, which is pretty remarkable)

the jaws at the top (toward the right, in the photo) open a total of 1mm, while the dial is divided into 100 segments. The whole thing is compounded on the back and the needle is driven by a minute chain that unwraps from it and turns it.

there is very little new under the sun

This old indicator is pretty cool. You can read it from any angle. I've used it on my T several times. I've checked it against my modern indicators and it's very accurate.

This 100+ year old gal and my grandfathers 80 year old micrometer got me within half a thou on a boring job last night. Daddy always said, “take care of your tools and they will take care you”............or was it Ben Franklin?

Cool stuff guys
I have a couple old micrometers but have never seen any dial indicators like those. Very cool