Four Quick and Easy Steps to Reading an Inch Micrometer 

Thanks for the positive feedback and I am glad to hear it was a help. You are welcome!

Thanks! That is what my shop teacher, Mr. Leinbach, always said too. KISS - Keep it Simple (Stupid). And if I recall, he is the one who taught me to read a micrometer with this same method.

Thanks so much for the feedback! I was very fortunate to have great teachers along the way and just passing along some of what I was taught.

I am glad it helped!

You're welcome 👍

You are absolutely correct, to read to the .0001" you would add that fifth step. I didn't include that intentionally in this video because many of my students struggle reading just to the thousandths place. I am considering making another video to go over how to read to the ten-thousandths for those high-precision tasks like engine work.

Going by what you said it sounds like that would be reading 2.908" but that is a bit surprising to me. I find it a bit surprising that there would be no lines after the 9 on the sleeve. I have seen micrometers (for rotors) that measure from .3 to 1.3 but I have never heard of anything like what you are describing. Are you sure the micrometer is not just stuck and not opening up more?

They are for reading one more decimal place; to the "ten thousandths" place. Most mechanic work does not require precision beyond the "thousandths or third decimal place" but some more precision work such as engine rebuild might require that. To read those lines, simply select which number on the sleeve aligns with one of the horizontal lines on the spinning thimble. Which ever number is aligned, that is what gets written in the 4th decimal place. (Hint: The number will always be a 0-9) I hope that helps!

@@JimMackHeavyEquipment thanks for your input, yes it makes sense

thank you becuase my class is required to use those lines.@@JimMackHeavyEquipment

In the first photo @ 0:41 , it shows that the micrometer is a 1 to 2" range. That means everything we measure will start with 1.000 and go up from there.

The 1.000 lost me

I assume you are referring to the "6" in the third decimal place, or thousandths. This came from adding the .075 plus .001, which creates .076. (1 +5 =6). I hope that answers your question.

Thank you

Very well done. I would just add something about the vernier scale.

@@kellysmith6704 Yes, I totally understand. I might make a second video that shows some more precise measuring and include the vernier scale. When we teach it to our students we teach this method the first year and then add the vernier the second year when they get into measuring engine parts. I found breaking it up that way seems to really reduce the amount of confusion.