Below is a micrometer caliper. In particular , this is a one inch outside micrometer caliper. It measures outside dimensions from zero to one inch by thousandths of an inch. A two inch outside micrometer would measure from one to two inches, and a three inch from two to three inches, etc. This particular “mic” was made by  the J.T. Slocomb Company, of Providence, Rhode Island, probably sometime in the 1940’s.

J.T. Slocomb calipers were well-regarded by machinists. They were noted for their robustness and unique means for wear adjustment, which made the calipers last longer (the opposite of the way things are made nowadays). Page 89 of the 1920 catalog is a cutaway view of a model 25 micrometer (below).

Here’s a model 35 and its page in the catalog.

Like most tool companies of the time, the inside of their catalog had a picture of the factory. Not the most impressive building then or now , (see image below) but their product line was only micrometer calipers and countersink drill bits, so a gigantic complex wasn’t necessary. Sometime in the 1950’s, they moved from Providence, Rhode Island to Glastonbury, Connecticut. The old factory (actually their second one in Providence) has been converted to commercial storage.

Edit 5/3/10..

Below is a scan of the instruction sheet that came with Slocomb micrometers.

Here’s a Vise Grip Wrench I picked up at a yard sale. Its condition is typical.      

At some point in its life the spring was broken or removed.  I checked my supply of springs  

and none were close enough for a match

, so I went to my favorite hardware store to buy a replacement. I’d done so before when another Vise Grip Wrench I’d salvaged needed a spring.     

At the hardware store I was saddened to see the small, green, steel chest of drawers filled with springs was gone. In its place was a larger ugly plastic box with removable drawers. The drawers were not well made like the old chest and didn’t slide open smoothly. They scraped on the chest and each drawer had a plastic lid that was held on by molded tabs. The lids couldn’t close all the way as they were curved and there were no mating surfaces to interlock. You simply stuff the drawer back in the chest.

Both chests were accompanied by a display board of springs. Each spring was numbered to match a compartment in the chest. For some reason the old board was still there, so I took its picture.

After a bit of customization (bending and cutting) the new spring fits and the wrench has been cleaned up.

Last time I checked replacement springs are available for all models of Vise Grip Wrenches from the mfg but I didnt feel like calling and ordering one.

My favorite antique store is in an old textile mill. It’s a co-op with probably around a hundred dealers, each of whom rents a booth or a display case and fills it with junk (antique or not).  I try to stop in once a month. On my last trip I remember two men in front of some tools I wanted to see. They were talking to each other and from what little I gathered it was the dealer telling a friend about his business . With both of them in the booth it was too crowded so I continued browsing and stopped in that section on my way out.  I had to choose between a great condition, 40’s hand drill by Craftsman or a pair of 70’s groove joint pliers. In this case need outweighed collectibility and I took the pliers. When I handed them to the cashier he read the tag and laughed. It said “monkey wrench.”