I bought a nice Mitutoyo 6" dial caliper off eBay for a bargain price. Its a used Made-in-Japan model 505-637-50. From looks of the plastic case, I'm guessing its maybe 1980s vintage. Everything seems to work fine, definitely a step up in precision from my trusty yellow plastic Lyman job. The only drawback with the Mitutoyo is, at zero the needle points to the 3 o'clock position.
There is a little slot under the dial near the 12 o'clock position. I understand the calipers originally came with a simple little tool the user inserted into that slot thereby allowing the jaws to close a little while skipping backwards a few notches.
Some questions for my fellow reloaders:
- Do I need the special tool, or will a paper clip do the job? Where would I find such a tool? What is the technique?
- What is the normal cleaning method for stainless steel dial calipers? Is it wise to try and disassemble the slide from the frame?
- Should I apply any lube? What kind?
Thanks - CW