Is my reloading bench haunted ?

[robertrwalsh]

OK, this morning my ancient RCBS single stage press decided to stop working. I disassembled it to de-gunge and lube it. I put the clip and wavy washer in a plastic tray. Things went well. Went to put it back together. Wavy washer is AWOL. Could not find it anywhere. Put everything back together and decided I should measure the cross-pin to be sure of the diameter when I cruise to the hardware store to get another couple of wavy washers. (Unless they are godawful expensive I always buy two replacement parts.) I pick up my electronic caliper to measure the cross pin. It saw 0.25. That just does NOT look right. Measure again. 0.25. Check the linear scale on the caliper "arm". It says .5 inch. I turn the thing on and off a few times. No joy. It seems to be measuring EXACTLY 50% of the actual size of whatever I am measuring. I can't figure out if there should be some sort of a switch to get it to do this. I am very puzzled. Any ideas??

 

[Nevada Ed]

I hate it when that happens.
I hope you get thigs ironed out and working again,

I found out the problem for me, was that,
I had my Bi-focal glasses on, backwards !!

 

[dwh]

When these things happen, instead of getting frustrated. I make an old fashioned then make 3 counter clockwise circles while saying hibbittygibbitty and go watch a movie with the dogs. If it not fixed the next day try replacing the battery.

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

The haunting of any work bench (loading or otherwise) is a dark and sinister spirit! No removed spring ever bounced into the light. No fine screw ever returned in the same diameter, length or pitch. Correct spare parts, no matter how well packaged and labeled, cannot be located until a minimum of 48 hours after either the need passes or the next set replacements arrive!

No index of drills ever has the correct small bits you need. Somehow, Metric Bolts get mixed with the SAE Bolts. Glues and Caulking are always dried out!

I don't think your bench is any more haunted than mine!

Ivan

 

[robertrwalsh]

I finally decided that the old WHEN IN DOUBT REBOOT IT might work. Took out battery. Let it sit for a minute or two. Put battery back in. Worked fine. While I was waiting I even found the wavy washer. It had somehow migrated to the magnetic base of my loading bench flashlight. Maybe I should go out and buy a lottery ticket.

 

[mikerjf]

Here's my phone compass and magnetic backup pointing opposite directions in Italy. I guess one must be metric.

(BTW, the phone was right.)

 

[Llance]

When something goes missing around my house, and is something which I have handled recently, such as your wavy washer, I spend no more than 5 minutes looking for it. I then sit down with a splash of adult beverage in a glass, accuse my cat of hiding it from me. But I know in reality it was my mother now passed 20+ years ago.

She liked to do that when on this side and has seen no reason to stop just because she has passed on. I then scold her saying something like, "Okay mother, it was funny last week but today I really need this part, please put it where I can find it. I then walk out of the room and return after I have consumed the adult beverage in my glass. Sometimes that is the next day, sometimes that is the next hour, but usually I find the part exactly where I set it down, even though I have looked there multiple times before leaving.

One time, stupid me, it was found in the gun exactly where it belonged, and I swear I didn't put it there. That happened to that little gizzy thing that goes on the left side of a model 97 shoddy gun, that thing that looks like a spring but isn't attached by a screw or bolt or anything you can see without a schematic of the workings. JMB, was one clever engineer.

There are gremlins, hoodies, scooties, and ghosts which inhabit our workplaces which have nothing better to do than to hide parts from us, just to make our lives more interesting.

BTW, I have to mozzy everywhere I go cuz I'm too old to run anywhere. btw, mozzy is a speed somewhere between a run and a crawl, but not so fast as to cause a sweat even if going two miles. And is usually done with your hands in the pockets of your Nebraska tuxedo.

Llance

 

[mm93]

I only have a couple Starrett dial calipers, but on digitals I had at work there was a button to reset zero. Need to have the caliper completely closed before resetting it or it will read from wherever it is if not closed.
If your doesn't have a reset then simply close the calipers and remove the battery. Reinsert the battery with the jaws closed and it should be zeroed.

 

[ralph7]

I never have that problem with my old Mitutoyo dial calipers.

Llance, the word is mosey.

 

[mm93]

I rarely use my dial calipers for most measuring done while reloading. They work fine for OAL case checks, or things I don't need exacting measurements on. I much prefer using my micrometer to check things like bullet diameter, or after slugging a bore to check groove diameter. Those things need to be more precise than a dial caliper will give me.
I use my dial calipers far more for my old hotrod builds where precise measurements aren't as necessary.

 

[mikld]

One of the reasons I put my digital calipers in a drawer somewhere (?) and use my Mitutoyo dial calipers...

 

[chief38]

I would try removing the battery (test and replace it if weak) and reinstall it 5 minutes later. The Caliper might recalibrate itself. If it doesn't, try calling the company that made it.

I am an old school fart and don't like digital stuff. I use a Starrett dial caliper, Starrett, Federal and Mitutoyo dial indicators, standard old school micrometers, and Simpson analog electronic volt - ohm meters. I also still use my trusty 10-10 RCBS balance scale when reloading. I cold never bring myself to use a digital model as I would not immediately recognize false readings. If a balance scale is not adjusted properly or gets knocked out of calibration it is easy to see, know and correct.

 

[jb28]

When something goes missing around my house, and is something which I have handled recently, such as your wavy washer, I spend no more than 5 minutes looking for it. I then sit down with a splash of adult beverage in a glass, accuse my cat of hiding it from me. But I know in reality it was my mother now passed 20+ years ago.

She liked to do that when on this side and has seen no reason to stop just because she has passed on. I then scold her saying something like, "Okay mother, it was funny last week but today I really need this part, please put it where I can find it. I then walk out of the room and return after I have consumed the adult beverage in my glass. Sometimes that is the next day, sometimes that is the next hour, but usually I find the part exactly where I set it down, even though I have looked there multiple times before leaving.

One time, stupid me, it was found in the gun exactly where it belonged, and I swear I didn't put it there. That happened to that little gizzy thing that goes on the left side of a model 97 shoddy gun, that thing that looks like a spring but isn't attached by a screw or bolt or anything you can see without a schematic of the workings. JMB, was one clever engineer.

There are gremlins, hoodies, scooties, and ghosts which inhabit our workplaces which have nothing better to do than to hide parts from us, just to make our lives more interesting.

BTW, I have to mozzy everywhere I go cuz I'm too old to run anywhere. btw, mozzy is a speed somewhere between a run and a crawl, but not so fast as to cause a sweat even if going two miles. And is usually done with your hands in the pockets of your Nebraska tuxedo.

Llance

Heck, if all it takes is me not finding something I set down two min ago to make that place haunted. Then Dang near every place I spend any time at is haunted.

 

[venomballistics]

I finally decided that the old WHEN IN DOUBT REBOOT IT might work. Took out battery. Let it sit for a minute or two. Put battery back in. Worked fine. While I was waiting I even found the wavy washer. It had somehow migrated to the magnetic base of my loading bench flashlight. Maybe I should go out and buy a lottery ticket.

You've discovered the lost ritual of the wavy washer.
However, as the elder sages tell, something else is lost in the exchange with the underwear gnomes.

 

[AJ]

go check the price on those dial calipers, think a 6" is 280 at midway now.

I have a Mitutoyo Dial Calipers. Have had them for 35 or so years. Still work fine. Just priced them on Amazon at $119.00 a piece. Got mine from a friend on a Navy repair ship back then. Once they had been in use for a year or so, they got new ones.

Yes, my reloading bench is haunted!!

 

[Kp321]

I use Swiss made Brown and Sharpe dial calipers exclusively for reloading and machine work. With the proper touch, I can measure as accurately with them as I can with a traditional micrometer and much faster. I have at least five calipers on my various workbenches, all purchased on eBay for $50 or less.

 

[llowry61]

I think it is the same ghost that steals the mate to your favorite socks.

I mean it goes in the washer then the dryer and poof it disappears.

Some things just are........

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

My oldest is a helicopter mechanic (in the civilian world only one FAA certification, in the military power plant and airframe are separate). He has to test sheet metal structures for stress damage ogf a few 1/10,000's inch, he uses good old school micrometers I know he has 1-, 2-, 3-, & 4-inch models. He gives me his surplus! On a regular 1/1000 micrometer it is very easy to get a .0005 reading and be close for .00033 & .00025 readings, but temperature change can throw you off way more that that!

Ivan

 

[raljr1]

When these things happen, instead of getting frustrated. I make an old fashioned then make 3 counter clockwise circles while saying hibbittygibbitty and go watch a movie with the dogs. If it not fixed the next day try replacing the battery.

Than may work better than what I used to do when I was younger.....kick it and call it a wh...

I am going to try this even if everything is working swell.

AS for the caliper. close the calipers and look for a button or small hole for a paper clip to reset or calibrate it when on zero

 

[Mike SC Hunter]

Get a magnetic parts pan from Harbor Freight for $5.....Problem solved.