Category Archives: OG202

Information about the metal-bodied OG202 Tooke Gauge

October update

LED bulbs
At long last, I have found a direct source for the #222 LED bulbs, so Micro-Metrics is able to lower the price of the LED bulb to $1.80.

Upgraded H-501 Pencil Hardness Gauge
The H-501 Pencil Hardness Gauge has been upgraded. In place of the previous gray plastic body, the H-501 (and the dressing disk base) are now made using a higher-quality white plastic. The lead holders now come with all-metal barrels, instead of the older version that was part metal and part plastic.

Technical Data Sheets

There is a new webpage on the Micro-Metrics website with links to the Technical data sheets that come with Micro-Metrics products as PDFs in printable form. (I have reformatted them so they can be printed on 8-1/2″ by 11″ paper.) There is also a white paper entitled: “Measuring:   the Geometry of the Tooke Gauge.” (A customer requested a TDS on how to replace the lightbulb, which is also there now.)

Anodizing the OG202s

OG202 anodized

As part of the upgrading of the OG202 metal-bodied Tooke gauges, going forward, the OG202s will be anodized. Aluminium alloys are anodized to increase corrosion resistance and increase surface wear resistance . The anodic layer is non-conductive. Anodizing will protect the aluminum parts by making the surface much harder than natural aluminum. Aluminum oxide is grown out of the surface during anodizing and then becomes aluminum hydrate, which is extremely hard. The porous nature of the anodized layer allows the product to be dyed. Type II anodizing gives an anodized layer of 0.0002″to 0.001″.

OG202 anodized

The following text is modified from the Aluminum Anodizers Council http://www.anodizing.org/Anodizing/benefits.html:

Anodizing’s Benefits
Durability. Most anodized products have an extremely long life span. Anodizing is a reacted finish that is integrated with the underlying aluminum for total bonding and unmatched adhesion.

Color Stability. Exterior anodic coatings provide good stability to ultraviolet rays and do not chip or peel.

Ease of Maintenance. Scars and wear from fabrication, handling, installation, frequent surface dirt cleaning and usage are virtually non-existent. Rinsing or mild soap and water cleaning usually will restore an anodized surface to its original appearance. Mild abrasive cleaners can be used for more difficult deposits.

Aesthetics. Anodizing offers color alternatives and unlike other finishes, anodizing allows the aluminum to maintain its metallic appearance.

Health and Safety. Anodizing is a safe process that is not harmful to human health. An anodized finish is chemically stable, will not decompose; is non-toxic; and is heat-resistant to the melting point of aluminum (1,221 degrees F.)

Since the anodizing process is a reinforcement of a naturally occurring oxide process, it is non-hazardous and produces no harmful or dangerous by-products.

OG202 anodized

April update

I have lots of OG204 plastic gauges on the shelf, ready to ship. Also MG402s (Microgroovers), and H-501s (pencil hardness gauges) and CTH01s (single-tip cutting tip holders) and S-700s (thick and thin film standards).

I have two OG202 metal-bodied gauges left ready to ship. I’ve ordered 50 more metal bodies from Harry-the-new-machinist so, by the end of May I should be back in full production. (Manufacturing trivia: It takes 32 programmed steps in his CNC machine to make them!)

I’ve sent examples of the old-style scopes to the sourcing company (here in Augusta GA) that’s trying to see if they can get those older, better scopes custom-manufactured for me. Currently, they have contacted factories in Japan (and perhaps China?). Alas,there is no source in the U.S. And I’m trying to source the LED bulbs at a cheaper price, so I can sell them for less.
LED bulbs

I’m also looking into having the cutting tips ground on a CNC machine. Anna, my second-new-machinist, is currently preparing the drawings (like blueprints) for me to find a company that will do that. There are several companies here in GA that may be able to grind them, so this work at least can be kept in the States.

cutting tips

More on the microscope problem

I’ve been trying (since shortly after Michael’s death) to get my supplier to provide a good photo (or ANY photo!) through the new scope — unsuccessfully. I have managed to take a ‘decent-enough’ photo through the reticle. If you’d like a higher-resolution version of this photo, please let me know.

Through the universal scope

A week or so ago, I met for a couple of hours with a microscopy expert and he is helping me find a company that will manufacture microscopes to my specifications. I’m hoping to go back to a scope as close as possible to the ones we used a few years ago, which were of higher quality and had finer/better reticles. (Remember these?)

Old-style scope

That means (if I can find a good-and-affordable mfg, which this expert thinks I can) that Micro-Metrics will be going back to using the metric-only-marked reticles (i.e., 20-microns between hashmarks) for customers who want them and English-marked reticles (at 0.1-mil per hashmark) for the others. It is my plan, depending on how much the new scopes turn out to cost, to offer a reduced price to the folks who’ve bought the current “universal” scopes, for them to send their gauges in and have the universal scopes swapped out for the new scopes. (And yes, that’s a staggeringly huge job (which I will have to schedule so as not to be swamped by several hundred gauges at once!) — but I very much want to get the so-called “50-micron / universal” scopes out of circulation!)

The old-style scope in an OG202

I am also hoping to be able to have made scopes with a 75X magnification and hashmarks at 0.0005″ (for customers who may desire that fineness) — however I will not be able, at this point, to consider making those scopes in a metric version. (Design and set-up charges, ordering quantities, and pricing, you know?) I do not know if the finer-measuring English version would be desired in Europe (and other metric locales), but an English-version at this level is a possible next step after (or perhaps while) replacing the “universal” scopes.)

I welcome comments and suggestions and information about your microscope needs. I know getting to the ‘old-scope versions’ back in place will go a pretty good way to making Tooke Gauges more useful. But I want to make Micro-Metrics responsive to customer needs.

New OG200 carry cases are available!

Micro-Metrics is replacing the vinylette-with-snaps cases that the OG202 and OG204 Tooke Paint Inspections Gauges have come in for years, and will now provide a plastic (polypropylene) carry case with foam inserts to carry your Tooke Gauge and spare parts. The outside dimensions are 7.75″ (19.7cm) by 6.57″ (16.7cm) by 1.85″ (4.7cm) and the case comes with a handle and two latches.

New OG200 case

Inside, the foam insert holds the Tooke Gauge, the marker, wrench, spare bulb and spare batteries. (Reminder: Tooke Gauges now come with rugged, longer-lasting LED bulbs.)

New OG200 case

If you carry a Cutting Tip Holder (Micro-Metrics CTH01), you can place the Cutting Tip Holder in the pre-cut battery “compartment” in the foam and, as shown below, cut a bit of foam off the insert to put the batteries along the edge.

New OG200 case

The new cases have arrived and if you wish to replace your old vinylette case with the new plastic one, they are now available for purchase. Cases cost $32 USD (plus UPS shipping), and if you’ll let me know which gauge you have, I’ll put the correct label on the box.

New OG200 case
New OG200 case

I am also looking into cases to replace the current vinylette cases used for the MG402 Microgroover and the H-501 Pencil Hardness Gauge.

The Microscope Problem

When the original source for the long-time scopes (Edmunds Scientific) stopped making them (completely), Michael had to find a substitute, which he did, with the current “universal” scope. As I’m sure many have noticed, this scope is just not sufficient for many of our customers’ needs.

I’ve been researching and looking and contacting folks trying to find a scope with a better, finer reticle. The old scope:
old scope
was divided so the smallest hashmark equaled 0.1 mil.

The new “universal” scope:
new scope
is divided so the smallest hashmark equals 0.2 mil.

I have not found a source for a better scope, so I am looking into having them made specially for Micro-Metrics. If I can manage to get a factory to ‘build’ me scopes with 1 division (hashmark) equaling 0.1 mil (or better? Would that suit? Please leave me a comment!), at a price that won’t make the gauges astronomically expensive, I will do that.

Coming soon – the *new* OG202

Since Michael’s death, Micro-Metrics has been unable to produce the metal bodied OG202 Tooke Paint Inspection Gauge. The main reason was a very frustrating inability to get the machined bodies from the machinist who had made them for a couple of decades. After much stress and trying to get them from him, I found a local machinist who has an astonishing work ethic – and a CNC machine! I had an old drawing (like a blueprint) of the metal body, and a single prepared body that Michael had left behind.

My new machinist and I have been working for several months to decipher, refine, and update the drawing (in his computer) to allow the CNC machine to cut, drill, and mill the bodies. (It takes some 30 steps to make an OG202 body out of a slug of metal — and that’s just preparing the raw body!)

Here’s what the new OG202 looks like: New OG202 Tooke Gauge

Notice the nice chamfered edge to the body.
OG202 Tooke Gauge

The major change is the lack of a cut-through of the body into the battery compartment.

Old-style gauge:
Old-style tip slot old-style OG202

New-style gauge (If you look closely, you can see the tip slot numbering):
New-style tip slot

Closer view of the tip slot numbering:
Tip slot numbering

I hope, by the end of March, to be shipping the new gauges. I already have 13 OG202s on order, and am having my new machinist make 36 bodies to start. (I was able to send out five prototypes of the new version, which have met with a very positive response.)