Adam Savage's Most Precise Measurement Tool!

Metrology--the science of measurement--has been on Adam's mind a lot for the past year, especially as he hones his machining skills and makes more use of his gauge blocks. Today, Adam revisits the topic of metrology as he tests a new measurement device--a vintage Johansson Mikrokator gauge that measures with a resolution of .00005" or 1-2 microns. That's orders of magnitude more precise than any caliper he uses, and Adam can't wait to put it to the test!
Adam on the science of measurement: • Adam Savage's Epiphany...
Dial calipers: amzn.to/442pNNb
Shot by Adam Savage and edited by Norman Chan
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Thanks for watching!

[@tested]

Adam on the science of measurement: kzbin.info/www/bejne/p3aalYyepa6SmKs Dial calipers: amzn.to/442pNNb

[@mattsoto4867]

What where you at comicon in Indianapolis

[@larryscott3982]

You’d love to work with LOVAR. Basic Steel has about 6.5 ppm per °F CTE. I have a 100 foot tape of LOVAR which is 0.22 ppm °F. Invar is not an uncommon alloy used in lab standard and it’s CTE of about 2 ppm °F.

[@alexfunke214]

….and the variation in size with temperature is why we usually handle Jo’ blocks only with a piece of chamois leather…..

[@studmonkey69able]

16:30 no, im just baked, love learning, and miss watching mythbusters after school

[@elvendragonhammer5433]

I was kinda surprised you didn't pul out a micrometer. I think we used to use Starrett Mechanical's micrometer When I was in school. I loved working on the lathe & milling machine. I also designed stuff in CAD. I remember making 2 50mm blocks that I got to a mirror shine using emery paper & then emery cloth, eventually using the cloth part without any grain to lap them until they could be pressed together (without twisting) between my teacher's thumb & forefinger to see itf they stuck. he tested everyones by attaching one side into the magnetic part of the milling machine & hanging weights in grams from the other side. (he showed us a pair of blocks that were so true they could hold over 42 Kilograms before they pulled apart. They were non-magnetic because they were aluminum.) Most of the class got a few grams, my neighbor's was almost 8.3 Kilograms, & mine was 17.6 Kilograms. Towards the end of the year our class was part of a contest for Panduit, (the machining company that machined extremely precision parts for NASA, F1, & Boeing Aerospace, etc) but I was a "people pleaser" back then & let ppl get in front of of my project. I still got 2nd place & my next door neighbor got 1st- a 4yr scholarship to Panduit. He went for a couple of months & quit. That was all I had wanted to do back then- but couldn't afford it without the scholorship. I ended up joining the military instead. Sadly I've never had the opportunity to do anything like it since. Anyways, you mentioning Carl Edward Johanson reminded me of Gary Kildall- the programmer that invented CPM (Controller Program for MicroControllers,

[@Clickspring]

That bit from 32:10 was just awesome, what a great capture of the effect.

[@ctdieselnut]

Figures id find you on a vid that's all about precision lol. Love your vids, your craftsmanship blows me away, especially the engraving.

[@SirValiantIII]

My jaw literally dropped

[@LiftedStarfish]

That explains why the more precise ones were ceramic. It might not be as subject to heat expansion as metals.

[@suivzmoi]

steel has a thermal expansion coefficient of 12.5E-6 per K (using higher end of range). so an inch of steel would expand about 3.175 microns raised by 10 Kelvin (rough guess hand temp versus room temp). problem is a single division on the 502E - 4 is 12.7 microns and it fell by three quarters so lets say 9 microns. thermal expansion appears to only account for a third of this falling needle (my guess is probably much less as i dont think you can raise that steel by 10K within only 10 seconds of holding it) with about 6 microns unaccounted for. this is half a division on the dial and very visible. i would say get out those Mitutoyo cerablocks and redo the experiment to see if the needle still falls, as that might point to an issue in the dial itself (maybe rusty spring). the cerablocks have 300x lower thermal expansion coefficient should eliminate that factor.

[@GeorgeFarren]

6:09 0.01mm is 1/100th of a mm, or 10 microns. 0.001 inches is 1 thou, which is 25.4 microns. In this case, the metric caliper is capable of finer measurement.

[@asicdathens]

This is why metric is superior. No crazy divisions / multiplications by arbitrary values.

[@mrfancypanzer549]

Yeah i thought that was odd, just a standard vernier caliper will easily measure a tenth, let alone a dial caliper.

[@PBMS123]

0.01mm is roughly 4 tenths. You could maybe argue they have similar fineness, as it appears you can measure halves on the thou dial caliper, which is 5 tenths. But yes so much better.

[@CristiNeagu]

And then you have that gage, which at 0.00005" measures down to 1.27um. It's pretty easy to get a micrometer that measures down to 1um accuracy. Although, to be fair, when that gauge was made, building something capable of measuring down to 1.27um was nowhere near as trivial as it is today.

[@lloydwilson9104]

when i was at college one of the students used a Mitutoyo grade A reference set of slips as parallels in the milling machine - the tutor almost lost his mind

[@Fuzzycat16]

ouch...

[@corndog6700]

That's why you don't leave that stuff sitting around the shop. I saw a B&S square, welded to a table as a welding fixture. And it looked new. I'm glad I didn't pay for it.

[@lloydwilson9104]

@@corndog6700 the slips were in the quality control room (A/C of course) which was at the one end of the machine shop the room was normally locked and we were not allowed in as spot faced 19 year olds, but for some reason the lad went in there and found them and must have thought "hey look a nice box of parallels" this was back in 1991 when they were rather expensive, god knows how much damage was done

[@Scaze74]

Metric is the way.

[@ilcodephs1480]

​@@lloydwilson9104and are still rather expensive

[@HDitzzDH]

As a swedish CNC machinist (lathe) we use gauge blocks, micrometers and digital calipers all the time. The smallest increment we deal with is usually +\- 0.01 mm for diameters on the parts. We were very clearly taught that these were a swedish invention during trade school.

[@vernonstuff2566]

Hi Adam, I love your videos and your fascination with the world of metrology. Being a retired metrologist myself I get excited when you put out videos like this and the others, of I also love the other stuff you do… If I may give you some advice, the reason you had trouble wringing your gages may be due to dirt. First off, you should never touch the business end of any gauge blocks especially your ceramic blocks! Wiping them on your clothing may be even worse considering the crud, which you’ll never see, that can easily stick like glue to the oils on your skin which will contaminate these surfaces. You can buy products to clean them yourself or send them to a reputable calibration house to have the cleaned. The data on the certificates doesn’t tell you the accuracy of the gages, but the DEViation of your blocks to the blocks used to perform the comparison. Gage blocks won’t have a stated accuracy, but their traceability values of the blocks used to perform the comparison procedure to your blocks. Their blocks have DEV data just like yours so during the comparison process they take the nominal value, labeled on their standard, add the deviation and then use that number to determine the DEV of your blocks.

[@K0Kaz]

I kinda figured this was getting to the level where cellular-scale material transfer from skin/cloth/etc would have an effect on the precision.

[@chrimony]

Yeah, I'm not a measurement guy, but even I was sad at the way he was treating his precision instruments. He just gets through telling us how they are finely polished, then he's there with his grubby fingers in his grubby shop, wiping them like a brute.

[@cheeto4493]

@@chrimony Well like he said, the B grade ones are the shop ones. But one can still clean them properly.

[@Kingofbritton]

As someone who actively works in calibration and metrology it definitely is frustrating to see people mishandle tools especially ones that are used as standards. That being said. I love Adams fascination and understanding of the metrology.

[@chiphill4856]

Adam's attitude in these videos appears to be this: these are tools, i use them in accordance with the cleanliness level I am accustomed to, therefore the blocks will be consistent within my normal use. He said himself that a few 1/1000" was about his tightest useful tolerance. I hope I'm not putting words in his mouth.

[@rogerkirby6586]

Yes the expansion of the steel block is due to your body heat that is why the better set is ceramic, lower expansion due to heat. I think the reason your gauge blocks did not remain together was due to your sweat from your hands. The sweat has oil. water and acid in it so after handling the block they should be cleaned other wise they will change size and get pitted over time. Better to wear gloves when handling them. Hope this helps.

[@svgalene465]

When I was a teenager I had a summer job in a machine shop, just doing scutwork - lugging materials, sweeping floors etc. I remember being fascinated by a machinist who wrung together some gauge blocks but I never did understand exactly what they were used for. Now, over fifty years later, I finally do. Thanks, Adam!

[@adamhartline2855]

I work for Carl Zeiss Industrial Metrology, We can measure using CT, X-Ray, Structured light, tactile measurement, lasers, you name it. 20 nano meters is easy :) I love your videos when you talk metrology, we need to get in touch!

[@markday3145]

I'm a software engineer from back in the day when we trained with other types of engineers. I know the difference between accuracy and precision (and, therefore, keenly aware of false precision). Math and basic physics have always been joys for me. I was geeking out with you throughout this entire video. The "punchline" as you call it was definitely the bit at the end where you show off the gauge, and especially the very end where the measurement gradually changes over time. Thank you so much for bringing me that joy!

[@NvTwist]

Same, the sec I saw the needle dropping… instant 😮🕵️🔎🔍🎉

[@section8usmc53]

These videos are without a doubt, my favorite videos from you. There's lots of great ones, like one day builds especially, favorite tools, the Fraggle series and other discovery quest videos, etc. These measurement videos though, are just epic to me. Gauge blocks, pin gauges, and other long form "I'm just gonna geek out about measurements and tools for a while, why don't you hang out with me while I do" type videos. A big part why I like these most, is it's just you, but it reminds me of the attitude you had on Mythbusters as well. That joy of discovery, and the "that was the greatest thing ever!" laughing and giddy attitude. That was always my favorite part of the show because I had the very same feelings towards epiphanies and discoveries, especially with things you really like or really want to learn. So with you doing unscripted long form "conversation" or narration, mixed with that attitude and lightheartedness, and the quest and love for knowledge and learning, it doesn't get much better than that.

[@kevinthomson6324]

We have one of those in our shop. I work in cylindrical grinding and we often use these types of gauges when match fitting round parts to fit inside a sleeve or bore with a certain clearance. A .00005” to .0001”clearance is a common amount. We often prefer the Dorsey .00002 gauges we have around the shop. They tend to be a bit more repeatable and hold the set value over time better.

[@sithus1966]

Same here, I grind parts for industries I cannot name that have a tolerance range as low as .0002. I do run a few parts that have tolerances as large as .002, but for the most, they are in the .0005 range. It's not always easy to explain to new people how ridiculously small that is.

[@lslslslslslslsl1]

@@sithus1966 I always get my micrometre, measure a piece of paper and show them it's about 0.004", then say as thou is a 1/4 of that, show them the gap in-between the anvils on the mic at 1 thou, shine a light in the gap so it's visible and then do the same with 1/10th of a thou. Still hard to comprehend but makes it a bit more understandable

[@wobblysauce]

And some people don’t get it no matter how you explain it

[@kevinthomson6324]

@@sithus1966 ya when we have a tolerance of +or - .005” we say it’s a football field.

[@andrewzaborowski3832]

@@lslslslslslslsl1 If you are using small enough measurement units, I find the most effective way to comprehend scale is how little "background noise" can ruin your measurement. Even on a laser interferometer sitting on a granite block sunk in a foundation isolated from the building, the 7th or 8th decimal place never settles.

[@bjorngorissen5227]

I work for the biggest calibration company in the world (albeit in temperature calibration but we have a geometric lab at the facility too) and found this highly entertaining and insightful. Getting the essentials across in an informative and easily understable way. Which is a skill that isn't easy and thats why you're one of the best educators in science today Adam!

[@Skenay]

That was one of the best deep dives into measurements I have heard before. Thank you for sharing this. Don't stop what you are doing my good sir. You make strange things understandable and not strange to us commoners.

[@madspacepig]

For anyone wondering, 'Micron' is a name commonly used in America for a Micrometre, they have a different name for it because they spell metre meter which means they wouldn't otherwise be able differentiate between a 'Micrometer' (Unit of Length) and a Micrometer (Tool for accurately measuring small distances) when written. Even when Americans begrudgingly use the metric system they still find a way to be unique!

[@miguelromero3256]

thank you for this tidbit of knowledge i found it v interesting

[@spdcrzy]

Not exactly. The name "micron" came first, and WAS an approved SI unit name til the 60s. Micrometer and micron have always been distinct in the US. The SI term "micrometre" actually came WAY later, in 1967 - and it really hasn't taken off in usage except in academic circles. Microns are still the standard name when referring to distance.

[@scottrobinson4611]

In fairness I'm in the UK and always use the word 'micron' to refer to micrometres. It just flows better when you say it. I'm an Astrophysicist, and in my subfield 'micron' is ubiquitous when referring to wavelengths of light.

[@lewisandjessrock]

I'm an engineer working for a metrology company in the UK, I use the word micron every day. It's just shorter when you have to say it so often

[@985476246845]

Micron, my/mu/μ (Greek letter) Are all sed in europe

[@samrdean]

Adam your enthusiasm is so infectious that I was practically on the edge of my seat even though there was very little information that I was unaware of, having been a precision machinist and tool and die maker for 45 years.

[@griffinajg]

Please, please keep making these videos on precision, these are by far my favorites. I literally gasped when you added bodyheat to the gauge block and re-measured it. I LOVE this video

[@raymitchell9736]

Hi Adam, I'm glad you did a practical demonstration of the gauge at the end of the video, I wasn't too sure about where it was going and then when you noticed the needle moving down due to body heat, suddenly this all came together nicely. Thank you for the video and the demonstration, I'm blown away with something that I will remember for my lifetime even if all the other details were murky in my mind.

[@Vickie-Bligh]

100% with you.

[@raymitchell9736]

@@Vickie-Bligh Yeah... it's mind blowing how that short amount of contact and normal body heat changed that material. I like it when something surprises me in a way I don't expect it would and I learn something in a new and different way. I mean, we've all heard about metal changing or expanding with heat, but we don't realize how our own body heat can change it.... Thank you for your comment and sharing that moment with me 🙂

[@alpha_ray_burst]

When it hit me I yelled "WHAT?!" a little too loud and scared myself.

[@karel_de_lille]

Could it posibely be oils from his hand as I do find it very hard to believe metal expanding because of about max 20degrees celsius ..

[@raymitchell9736]

@@karel_de_lille I don't know if I agree... but I'm always open to ideas, like it's said "Never assume"... So let's say oils on the had did this... Then how would it be explained that the gauge returns returns back to zero? Where could the oil go, would it be on the base it is sitting on? So I guess an experiment of first doing a thorough cleaning of the block and equipment with sterile gloves on so you don't contaminate, then switch to a new pair of sterile gloves to handle the block... That would convince me if oils on the hand did the trick or not. Of course only Adam could perform that experiment as none of us has all the things to do it. But I like that you raise a good question, aside from the body heat explanation, what else could explain this? I think the heat explanation is the most plausible... but that's where discoveries come from... asking questions and not accepting plausible answers.

[@MxODraconis]

Watched the whole thing, so great of a story teller that you captivate the audience with your passion and knowledge.

[@aaronreineking2173]

Watching you nerd out about this kind of thing is amazing. Get to see the true passion you have for this and your desire to share it with others! Thanks and keep being you!

[@patrickdiehl6813]

Three months later.... Just stumbled on this video. I lived my life for 23 years in the world of.002" or less. First as a service technician and later on as a quality manager. I fell in love with your.00005" indicator the second I saw it, it's not only an awesome precision measurement tool but a remarkable piece of art and history. You did an awesome job of explaining as it all progresses through the video! I am also loving your foldable ruler, another piece of art and history 👊👍👍👍👍👍

[@NierlahnBaz]

Flat out just my favourite video on this channel. I've been watching for so many years now and this one was just so awesome. I'd love to see a deep dive to the even smaller levels of measurement Adam alluded to at the end, prefferably by Adam of course.

[@crubbster]

Eskilstuna represent!!! Someting to mention about Johanssons ingenuity. The rifle factory he worked at while inventing these blocks did not have anything close to that precise to actually grind these down.. so he pulled apart his wifes sewing machine to make the grinder that could achieve this! I'll light some candles from you Adam to Johansson at Tullgatan in Eskilstuna here in Sweden. /Z

[@novalicious8589]

Been a long time fan for many years. I am a Metrologist by profession for 15 years now. And it makes me all warm and cozy to see your content about what I do for a living!!! Party on Adam Savage!!

[@freelance-games]

Adam, I met you once a few years ago when you toured Australia with Michael. I just have to say, your constant and consistent passion and enjoyment for the very minutiae of practically everything is always a joy to see. Please keep this kind of video coming.

[@michaelpendergrass8607]

I work at and aerospace manufacture that routinely machines to millionths, so of course we have an entire department, calibration, that manages and tracks the calibration of all the gauges in the building. Including sending standards off to a labs to be certified to NIST standards.

[@FormerlyKnownAsAndrew]

That gauge blocks video was one of my favorite videos. I like all of your videos but that one was on a different level.

[@DreadNaughtDude]

I just want to thank you, Adam, for sharing your passion for making. You have been inspiring me from a very young age and I have learned so much from you, I simply wanted to let you know how much of a mentor role you've played in my life. I have a childlike love for science and making that had been well fertilized by your knowledge. Thank you so much for passing along your life lessons!

[@TacoBell84]

I cant belive how much i enjoyed this. i love hear Adam talk about anything he dose it with so much passion.

[@sidpierce1]

It is amazingly entertaining to watch Adam geek out over science / history. He embodies all of the aspects of the best teachers, where he not only shares his knowledge of the subject but he also shares his passion as well.

[@SteevyTable]

There is another possibility, you could be measuring the air leaking out from between the plate the block is sitting on and the block itself. If you don't wring them down on to a planar surface, gauge blocks will kind of float across them.

[@lloydwilson9104]

for the 2 surfaces to wring together they both require the surface finish that will allow this to happen, my bet is the plate is as rough as a ploughed field in comparison

[@justinmiller5660]

the base of the holder has slots in it. not sure if the few points of contact would be an issue, but at that scale its possible.

[@hallowdmachine]

Either way, we're witnessing molecules moving. Molecules! Whether it's the metal slowing down or the air slipping away, it's still amazing to witness in real time.

[@mattmanyam]

The gauge stand could be growing from the radiant heat from his body and the lights.

[@akaHarvesteR]

Is it possible that oils from our skin could leave a detectable change in measurement? I've always felt that for the precision of these instruments, just touching them with our bare hands could easily be introducing errors.

[@CrashingThunder]

Adam Savage is who comes to mind when I hear the question, "If you could meet anybody in person, who would it be?" I could listen to him talk about anything. I'm not even into machining and physical making (I'm a programmer and an artist) but I just love listening to him talk about things.

[@avoirdupois1]

I just love watching Adam's excitement about some of these achievements of science and technology that seem prosaic at first, but are actually amazing.

[@lowelldueck3096]

Great metrology lesson. Regarding the calibration certificates of the gage block sets, I believe you were using the wrong units to express the variation from the nominal size. Since both gage block sets are in inches the deviations would be given in micro inches, or millionths of an inch (.000001”). One micro inch is 25.4 nanometers, so a variation shown on the certificate as +2.0 would convert to +50.8 nanometers, a larger deviation than what you suggested, but still impressive. I just received a new 81 piece set of Mitutoyo inch gage blocks grade 0 and they were about $2,200 Canadian. Your dial gage has graduations of 50 micro inches and since steel has a coefficient of thermal expansion of 6 to 7 micro inches per inch per degree Fahrenheit your gage should show a 50 micro inch change in length for an increase in temperature of 7 to 8 degrees F.

[@playvectrex]

Adam, just have to say it's a joy to watch you nerd out on stuff and to share those endorphin rushes with you along the way! Much respect for the work you do

[@peteharper3299]

Where has Adam Savage been all my life? I am now excited about this because he is excited about this and hardly understand it. Great teacher, thanks you.

[@Jab-02]

As an ME who uses calipers 100's of times a day I love seeing somone else get as excited about this stuff as I do. I would love to see a video about The Machinery's Handbook, keep up the good work!

[@JAMESWUERTELE]

I bought a new QuantumMike and just purchased (waiting on them) a 9 set Mitutoyo ceramic ASME 0 set of blocks. All so I can check my shims under bucket on my Honda when I get to 16k miles 😂.

[@BENZ4315JD]

I absolutely loved this episode. Thank you for everything you do.

[@rollingballsculptures]

That was great! Love your stream of thought, Adam.

[@bloopez]

I'm so glad I stayed til the end, the way that gauge could detect the expansion from the heat of your hand! Amazing!

[@stefanf922]

I love watching you geek out on this stuff. It really is amazing stuff to wrap your head around.

[@chuxmix65]

Johansen and his wife made the first sets of gauge blocks using what would be considered now as primitive methods. But it worked. Comparing family photos to measurement scales is why I watch Adam. Would love to see Adam tour an advanced CMM somewhere.

[@chrisalfano589]

Zeiss should have him over to Switzerland. He’d love it.

[@TesserId]

Vernier calipers have always fascinated me. A recent tear-down of a digital caliper convinced me that they are also Verniers. I'd like to see the tear-down of a dial caliper. There must me something special about that claim of "shock proof".

[@asicdathens]

Vernier calipers use the Vernier scale. Digital calipers use magnetic strips to measure distance.

[@DedmenMiller]

I'd assume it's the same shock proof as wristwatches. So the jewels that hold the gears are held in with springs

[@TesserId]

@@asicdathens Exactly. The tear down I saw (Big Clive) showed that two sets of strips are aligned with one being scaled down for a Vernier relationship between the two sets of strips. The key explanation: kzbin.info/www/bejne/nHy2hIxnnN92e9U

[@TesserId]

@@DedmenMiller Hmmm, having seen ruby synthesized in a kitchen, I think that's very plausible.

[@TesserId]

BTW, I'd had long distrusted (past tense) digital and dial calipers because I didn't know how they could achieve reliable accuracy. Traditional Verniers I trusted because I not only understood how it worked, but also could see it in action. That Big Clive video convinced me that my distrust was unfounded.

[@Bob-jn8jt]

Make more of these walk and talks. Scale and perspective is so important. I started understanding these concepts when I started woodworking and strangely enough when learning close up magic.

[@iliadimitrov7131]

Im 21 and have problems with concentration in school and later in uni but some how 30 minutes to 2 yours zoom so fast when watching you talk about these fascinating topics and tackling your projects I really can watch this all day

[@przemekolchowy8745]

Adam! The Mitutoyo caliper at 6:05 measures to 0.01mm, which is 1/100, not 1/10. So in imperial it's not 4 thou, but rather 4 ten-thou.

[@rlaxton666]

Was going to mention that. The Mitutoyo is rated to a far greater precision than the B&S that he was discussing. To be honest, listening to Adam converting back and forth and having to think about whether one measure is larger than another is exactly why the metric system is superior. I don't have to wonder what fraction the smallest graduation on my mechanics rule (which is 1mm on the one that I have in my hand) is of the measurement that I have on my calliper or micrometer.

[@tiltedstudio]

Yep, so if we're going to insist on a granularity comparison here, one is 0.01mm and the other is 0.0254mm. The 2nd number is bigger, so the imperial is "lower granularity" - but only based on the quoted rating. this says nothing about a system of measurements. No particular system of measurements is inherently "more accurate" or "more granular" than any other.

[@Liberty_Offroad]

Thanks! You reminded me that I worked with a team of engineers from Ball Aerospace who helped fix Hubble. We needed to align 80 beams of light from a single fiber optic onto an array of 80 MEMS mirrors, then back into one of two fibers. They taught me that to maintain that alignment over a wide range of temperatures required them to build the optics mounting structure from dissimilar metals that had inverse coefficients of thermal expansion.

[@StrikerV3]

The ending was the coolest thing I’ve witnessed in a long time. How i wish i had teachers as passionate about such things as you are

[@DuramaxZack]

That’s absolutely amazing, super stoked that you shared it with us!

[@Engitainment]

I just realized, you and Wren (from Corridor Digital) could make a really cool Scale video out of this sort of thing, coupling your understanding and passion for measurement with his similar passion for explanations through graphics and comparison

[@sheltongolden4394]

That would be a great collaboration

[@corndog6700]

As Adam mentioned, if a customer requires some seriously close tolerance that you'd need an indicator like that, takes quite a bit of experience to hit. In fact, most machinists have never done this kind of work, at least in my experience.

[@chrisalfano589]

I love that kind of work. Have my own millionths indicator for the serious stuff. Otherwise I use works .0005”. I get a kick out of his caliper love… idk if he knows the “rule of 10”

[@Fshop_make]

Adam, do more of these deep dive type videos! I got just as excited as you when I saw that dial starting to move as the gauge block cooled

[@lopezepol75]

Robin rinzetti has a video about gage balls where in addition to factoring in the CTE, he also had to compensate for the deflection caused by the weight of the stylus tip of the indicator. Think he was more in the 5-10 millionths range but crazy stuff.

[@redbuttonmatt]

My dad has a story of using one of those. He followed the senior machinist's instruction but he kept seeing some strange vibration in the dial. It was his heart beat, the damn thing was seeing his heart beat move the material.

[@Highlandword9]

It's amazing how precise they are

[@Bakafish]

I've got a 1/2 micron analogue Mahr and a 0.1 micron digital Mitutoyo. But that's a classic unit. The mechanism it uses is novel and simple. Worth checking under the microscope.

[@Bakafish]

Actually, it looked like he had a Mahr in the background. I would suspect it was at least micron accurate unit (I have one of those too.) So better than the Mikrokator he was showing.

[@Dr.Love14]

This was my favorite video, I do HAVC for a living and when we do major repairs on units we’re put the refrigerant system under a vacuum to check for leaks and we use digital gauges to measure Microns . Never thought it could actually be physically measured with an analog gauge. Incredible.

[@MJHanegraaf]

LOVED seeing you geek-out! I completely understand. Had no idea that LIGO and JWST required much lower tolerances than the gauge blocks (but makes complete sense). Thanks for this!

[@RambozoClown]

That gauge is typically referred to as a resolution of fifty millionths. Really small in the realm of machining, but mountainous when you dive into the realm of semiconductors. You should link to Tom Lipton's video on measuring a sharpie mark.

[@PBMS123]

Semiconductors use exclusively SI units though, so millionths would be lost.

[@TheJame951]

0,001 inches is 0,0254 mm so the answear is ''no'' a 1 thou caliper is not more granular than a 10 micron one. That said, i'm not a native english speaker and i didn't quite get if Adam was being ironic or not, please someone let me know.

[@jonathanmartin3370]

One of the coolest videos you've made about metrology! I very much enjoyed your sometimes tangential way of jumping into esoterica - it makes my ADHD very happy.

[@edbass57]

I started out machining in the 70's . I've always called gauge blocks , Jo-blocks . it stuck all these years later. Keep up the good work Adam .

[@enobmah1955]

Carl Edvard Johansson was the man who invented......REALIZED THE NEED FOR.... gage blocks....I'll bet at first they were called Johansson gages or Johansson blocks, and just eventually was shortened down in America to "JO" blocks! Makes sense, no? Mr. Moldmaker

[@TesserId]

Lapping is really well presented and discussed at Huygens Optics.

[@TesserId]

BTW, I am really fantasizing for a day when those monolithic telescopes can be purchased for under a thousand dollars. I so want one.

[@bikerfirefarter7280]

@@TesserId There is (are?) videos on youtube of a DIY monolithic block telescope. I think that once you get hold of a suitable block of glass you could make one yourself. The process is a little tedious but with a little ingenuity and persistence you should be able to do it. Or you could cement together several suitable lenses, bought online, spacing them with one or more glass plates. Probably less then 200 bucks.

[@TesserId]

@@bikerfirefarter7280 Oh, yummy. Any links?

[@TesserId]

@@bikerfirefarter7280 Yeah, I'm seriously tempted. I do plenty getting sharp edges and flat surfaces out of conventional abrasives. Achieving an optical surface is a fantasy that I just haven't committed to. But, I can fantasize about it.❤

[@archivist17]

I was going to ask about thermal expansion, but then you covered it in a magnificent epilogue!

[@supernova4760]

I had a chill run down my spine after you held it and it expanded due to your body heat. Fascinating!

[@EastyyBlogspot]

Mike Rons who is he ?

[@johnv8840]

The fact that you Handled the gauge blocks with your naked hand never mind the hot coffee would bugger all your measurements for the next 24hrs. I regularly work to 5 millionths of an inch or approx 0.02micromenters. 0.00002mm. We can’t even stand near our instruments and measure at the same time. It’s a frisking ain!

[@johnv8840]

Pain even!

[@Panicagq2]

I recently bought an old Gurley surveyor's alidade and am learning how to do plane-table topographic mapping using tacheometry instead of tape to calculate distance and elevation...tacheometry is a dangerously fascinating form of metrology. Most of the Western US was surveyed with these simple but super cool tools...

[@xXTECHxKNIGHTXx]

It's extremely fascinating the level of precision that was achieved in a time that seems so prehistoric now!

[@RyanMercer]

Ooohhh

[@edwardlow667]

...just give in to metric system...we both know its gonna happen anyway...

[@michaelpendergrass8607]

Technically the USA officially converted to the metric system in 1975 but the "permitted the use of US customary units in all activities". 🤷‍♂

[@edwardlow667]

@@michaelpendergrass8607 I just looked it up...interesting ;) Thanks for pointing that out !

[@kindlin]

@@edwardlow667 And if you work in science or anything international, metric is always there. In engineering we still use imperial, like Adam through this video, but I feel like this is one of the last professions to not pick up metric, as we interact too directly with construction to be constantly converting numbers.

[@hogey989]

In no universe could this ever be something that I would need to use, or know about, but watching stuff like this is still absolutely delightful and fascinating to me.

[@curiousfirely]

Thank you Adam for this delightful journey down the path of measurement precision. I would love a short just on guage blocks and Johansson, so I can show it to my middle school math students. 😊

[@first_namelast_name4923]

A 64th of an inch is ... 15 thousands? Incredible. I fail to understand how you [people working with precision] can work with this weird mix of [powers of two] fractions and thousands and microns. Not to mention feet, yards and other weird units. When you say "ten thousands [of an inch]", do you mean 0.01 or 0.0001? Something like that can't happen with a metric system.

[@saschaoswald480]

I was once like you....grew up with the metric system. Then I had to learn the imperial system with all it's "weirdness" and realized it's not that difficult. The key is that fractional dimensions are rarely used for anything requiring accuracy better than 1/16". Below that you simply work in thousands of an inch which are an incredibly convenient unit for the majority of work done in precision machining. It was a bit like learning a new language....incomprehensible at first, but once you learn the rules used in your industry, totally manageable. Having said all that, yes, metric is easier to learn for sure.

[@ScuffedEngineer]

When working in thousandths, 10 thousandths (aka 10 thou) would be 0.01, if it's .0001 we would say a tenth.

[@00Skyfox]

I've watched a few of your videos now and I love how it's like just hanging out in the shop with a buddy shooting the shit and working on projects. The lack of flashy production value makes them much more enjoyable than polished videos.

[@MattH-wg7ou]

I just love this channel. And metrology is such a fascinating field to me for some reason. Wish I had known it was a thing when I was younger.

[@patrickdemarco9838]

I’m at the most novice level of understanding measurements and “craftsmanship” yet I’m finding myself infatuated over the excitement and pure joy of someone obsessed with their work. Thank you Adam Savage!!

[@TobeJex]

Adam, this was a wonderful video. I learned so much, and you were very successful in passing the fascination through your delivery medium. I would LOVE to see more videos like this. Especially when you bring to light the lesser know facts of the history of essentially the foundation of engineering (atleast in our country). My mind was blown when I first learned about Tesla's contributions to society (to be stolen by Edison), and I genuinely felt that same feeling again when you talked about the man that took charge on defining measurements... PLEASE! MORE OF THIS! ❤

[@OldMysticFantasist]

This was fascinating & worthwhile just for the demonstration of the affect of your body heat on the expansion of the metal.

[@ThatBeTheQuestion]

This almost literally sent shivers down my spine. This is SO COOL!

[@h.Freeman]

I love when Adam geeks out over obscure tools an I want to see more oddities especially obscure and strange tools...this is definitely an official content request

[@contomo5710]

i love your videos, its like anti youtube, the regular kind, its just talking, you rambling telling and inspirering, no music, no fast pace cuts, no sponsers, no gibberish, just you doing what you love.

[@keithsharples7714]

During my apprenticeship I spent about 18 months in the Standards Room. One log the tasks completed was the manufacture of an apparatus for re-lapping the anvils of large outside micrometers, even up to 36 inches. The “A” grade set of Joblocks( English Moore&Wright ones) were our standards. We also had a height gauge capable of reading .0000001”. The increase in expansion from the heat of fingertips could be actually seen!

[@markmonroe7330]

Really enjoyed this one. Thank you. More on this as you have time.

[@PrimalRenegade17]

Your body heat creating a measurable difference in the height of that block is the most mind blowing thing I have seen in a long time! Wow! I obviously knew metal expands when heated but to visualise the expansion from just a tiny amount of heat is INSANE!

[@olli_k]

Now that is a really cool demonstration of measurements and external factors having an influence.

[@martinstephens7057]

Worked at a shop where bronze bearings needed to be pressed into finished parts. Bearings were kept in a chest freezer overnight, to prepare them.

[@pikitienmies]

The ending is so awesome. Thanks Adam 👍

[@louisfratangelo8501]

I have the same Gerstner toolbox you do like the one on the bottom i think mines from 1955 and were called the apprentice box's , they were giving to all the apprentices in the unions way back when . Love the channel .

[@Vickie-Bligh]

Watching the incremental change in the measurement of that block hits my fascination spot. I can watch stuff like that all day long. For years I worked with equipment that had measurements of 0.014" to 0.002" that we would thread into a coronary artery. Seeing finer measurements is fun and exciting. I really appreciate it, Adam. Thank you so very, very much for this video. It is one I am going to rewatch many times.

[@Vickie-Bligh]

Also, I love the scale of time you shared. My mom was born in 1916 and remembered when airplanes flying overhead caused everyone to run out of the house to see the wonder going by. We were watching a Gemini launch one morning, anticipating the final countdown when mom related that story. It stuck in my mind so much that when Apollo 10 lifted off, I couldn't help but think of the fact my parents had witnessed the beginnings of flight to its ultimate conclusion: flying to a different celestial body.

[@GatorGlider]

All of these metrology videos are awesome. It truly is a fascinating subject.

[@rocketech]

Your gauge blocks video is one of my favorites on KZbin.

[@ThaStrake]

Thanks for showing it and teaching us about how it works! I was curious in how such a gauge would be used, mainly because I'm just familiar with calipers and rulers.

[@mikewolf8437]

Just a simple VLOG. Loved it. :) keep up the great work you guy. :)

[@rickytoddbotelho9555]

Excellent job. I've had draftsman set for years and years I never used❤

[@birunboles6883]

I absolutely love this kind of video, would be awesome to see more videos on measuremtns

[@HelloMrCrockett]

Adam, In the video you mention having a picture with your grandpa Joe on a porch in West Virgina. My late mother was named Rebecca Ross Crockett, Ross being her maiden name. She was born in 1948 and was one of 15 brothers and sisters. Years ago while I was in high school I was watching a Mythbusters marathon and upon hearing your name enough she thought to mention to me that we could possibly be related. I of course laughed it off but I asked her about it again a few years later and she told me that we were related to a family by the last name of Savage here in West Virginia. Fast forward to today and you spoke about family in West Virginia and it dawned on me that my mother may have been right. Perhaps we are distantly related and that makes my day!

[@williammilligan1700]

Hi Adam, fellow metrology nerd here. I absolutely love videos like this and consider them a love letter to science and our ability to understand our universe. Have you considered a mini series just on metrology tools and methods? There are such videos out there but most are a little dry. Fine for those already indoctrinated into the church of the mechanical and scientific arts but not very engaging for others. Another Johansson worth a mention is Johan Petter Johansson who invented both the Adjustable Spanner (contrary to the popular belief that it was the Crescent company) and the adjustable Pipe Wrench!

[@super_slo]

Holy crap. Watching thermal expansion in steel over a small temperature swing in a tiny test piece is blowing my mind right now. 👏

[@johnmckeighan4400]

From an old aerospace guy, thank you Adam for bringing CEJ into focus.

[@dstrctd]

You’re efforts to convert between inches and metric reminded me of a set of dial calipers I have that measure in both inches and mm. A full rotation of the dial is 1/10in, but 2mm, so it has two needles with the metric one going around slightly faster. Sliding it around gives you a good feel for the relationship.