03-20-2018, 10:06 PM
Dang man, that's some impressive history (cool car too) 
I noticed that you live in N.Y. did you happen to work for General Tools ?
I don't know how old my little scale is, it was part of a package that came with the first lathe (6 inch Atlas) that I bought just after my Army discharge in '68. Unhappily I've lost almost all of my hand tools from that period, I've managed to keep only these two:
I have no idea how much the scale cost but the micrometer was $4.79 (or thereabout) plus sales tax, and it was also obtained in 1968. That was cheap even in that year.
Maybe the reason for the low cost was the aluminum frame. If the micrometer frame is held in the hand for three or four minutes and the shop temperature is (typically) 60 degrees F, there can be an error as much as .001 (maybe more).
But for a hobbyist, it was plenty accurate and given my pitiful financial situation, I was proud to own it - even engraved my name on the frame as can be seen ! And it is still quite accurate when it is allowed to come to shop temperature for a while and not held in the hand improperly or for too long -
I noticed that you live in N.Y. did you happen to work for General Tools ?I don't know how old my little scale is, it was part of a package that came with the first lathe (6 inch Atlas) that I bought just after my Army discharge in '68. Unhappily I've lost almost all of my hand tools from that period, I've managed to keep only these two:
I have no idea how much the scale cost but the micrometer was $4.79 (or thereabout) plus sales tax, and it was also obtained in 1968. That was cheap even in that year.
Maybe the reason for the low cost was the aluminum frame. If the micrometer frame is held in the hand for three or four minutes and the shop temperature is (typically) 60 degrees F, there can be an error as much as .001 (maybe more).
But for a hobbyist, it was plenty accurate and given my pitiful financial situation, I was proud to own it - even engraved my name on the frame as can be seen ! And it is still quite accurate when it is allowed to come to shop temperature for a while and not held in the hand improperly or for too long -