Chesterman Height Gage Repair

In this video we do some functional repairs and light restoration including calibration of a beautiful old Chesterman Height gage sent to me by a friend in the UK. This wonderful old height gage has seen many years of shop use and has the patina to prove it. The unique triangular beam is one of the key design elements of the Chesterman height gage. The inch/metric instrument is quite lightweight for its size.
Snip credit from Jim Nicholson and the Stumperlowe Probus Club.
James Chesterman was born in 1792 and came to Sheffield in 1820 where he initially worked for Dixons as a powder flask maker. James died in 1867 and the business was taken over by his son William and a cousin: further success followed. The business continued to expand and build up a world-wide reputation for measuring tools and high precision equipment. In the 1990s the company was bought out by Stanley Tools but they were not interested in developing the precision side . 200 Years of tool making.

[@davidandrews8566]

Hi Tom, I was born in Sheffield and we are very proud of our steel and tool making history. I thank you for honouring and recognising the people who used this tool over the years and for the restoration work you did. Greetings from the UK.

[@oxtoolco]

Hi David, You can almost feel the folks that used this tool. It was heavily used but cared for over the years. Thanks for the nice comment. Cheers, Tom

[@mackk123]

God bless you, exalt the steel makers, have as many kids as possible to extend your bloodlines.

[@timelessengineering]

G'day Tom this was an absolutely wonderful video and honouring to the toolmakers that made such great Sheffield tooling. I watch your videos because you are so passionate about what you do, your inspiration and your knowledge transfer. Thanks for everything Tom greatly appreciated.

[@lapoint7603]

A tool by itself is useless. It is the humans who use it that makes it valuable. This is one of my favorite videos. I'm glad to see that you acquired the necessary parts to get your CNC mill up and running. I have been craving more OXTOOLCO videos. Thanks!

[@oxtoolco]

Hi Anthony, Thanks for the nice comment. Cheers, Tom

[@Da5idc]

My Dad was a surveyor and had a few Rabone Chesterman tools and tape measures. Thanks for reviving the memory 😊😊

[@WILFRED1184]

No matter what trade you are in, the difference between a good tradesman and a great tradesman is the attention to detail. Great video and attention to detail as always!👍

[@Workshopfriend]

Enjoyed your sensitive restoration. Thanks for sharing with us and to Alan for making it available to us all.

[@davidrichardson376]

My dad used his Chesterman every day at work in England. I was eighteen then and now I'm eighty-two and living in Australia. I can still remember the weight and feel of this beautiful instrument.

[@robertpartsmade5832]

Hi Tom , excellent as always , have a 24” Chesterman on the corner of my granite surface plate , purchased it in 2003 when Rover/BMW made us all redundant, we all had used it in the shop everyday and it very true how the corners rub of with use !! Now spending its twilight years helping with veteran motorcycle restoration ..... Regards Robert Partsmade 🇬🇧 ( as a foot note on the site closing down sale I and a work colleague bid on all of them and we bought 42 in total 12” right up to 48”, very sad paid little more than scrap weight for them some still boxed ☹️)

[@serdiefgotreb]

You could help a new passionate machinist or in a hobby club by passing some of them. Nothing better for a tool than to be used with care!

[@billwilson7782]

Tom having fun! Thanks for the show.

[@eotwh]

I used one of these for years....in the QC dept. at Ford Motor Co.... easy to maintain & accurate,.. we changed all of our scribers to accept a carbide brazed point.... we had at least a dozen in continual use.

[@outsidescrewball]

The smile on your face like a proud papa at the video end was priceless!!

[@OldIronMachineWorks]

Tom, the 18,891 to watch this video and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I love your attitude when it comes to these old tools. There's just something about using a old tool that you know has many years of history behind it. Looking forward to the day we can all get together again. Gary

[@walterbordett2023]

We stand on the shoulders of the giants who went before us. There is a special pride in holding in our hands the tools they used to make quality useful things with their own skills and tools. Great video Tom. Thank you for sharing your tradecraft with all of us.

[@mfletch392]

You my friend are a connoisseur of precision thanks for saving a British height guide

[@warbirdwf]

Your decades of machinist experience is so visible. You made making that brass part on the lathe look so super easy. I just love the precision/accuracy of your work. Good camera work as well. Thanks for sharing your experience/expertise. I enjoy your channel.

[@oxtoolco]

Hi Bill, Thanks for the nice comment. Cheers, Tom

[@philmay7834]

I wish I was as enthusiastic about anything as you are about all things mechanical. And sharing your enthusiasm and knowledge is a tribute to your strength of character. I’ll definitely be checking you out more now that I know about your channel. Later....

[@sharkrivermachine]

Very nice tool. I love to use the tools that I got from my grandfather. He was a tool and die maker. I don't pick up one of his tools without thinking about him using them. Thanks for sharing.

[@oxtoolco]

Yeah that's the best part. Thinking about all those people that used the tool before you. Connects us with our past and with history. Cheers, Tom

[@devster52]

Getting a close up look at that height gage and how it works was worth price of admission. Love these old tools.

[@brianevans1946]

Wow man a tool to be treasured..

[@cliffordfender1159]

Nice job Tom !! Thanks a bunch, Cliff

[@kingcrunch85]

For the screw-holes: Stick a match in there backwards with a bit of wood glue, cut it off flush and drill a new hole. Works perfectly for this small stuff and i used this technique on several furniture restorations before.

[@oxtoolco]

Excellent! Just the tip I was looking for. Cheers, Tom

[@PaulSteMarie]

My grandfather taught me that trick, although with toothpicks, not matches.

[@phrozenwun]

golf tees for larger holes - just fyi.

[@okiwatashi2349]

That can’t be the way to do it! No indictating, no making a special one off tool to make a one off jig, what do think this is!

[@PaulSteMarie]

@@okiwatashi2349 It's wood elf techniques for dead tree carcasses, of course!

[@Za7a7aZ]

Just an incredible wonderful measure instrument..with such fine instruments the modern world is built in those days..

[@RGSABloke]

Hi Tom, nice to see the Knipex Pliers Wrench at 34:32, great job there. Kindest regards Joe.

[@timothyprochilo4840]

Great stuff as usual Tom....😎😎

[@billdlv]

Nice work Tom on a good old tool. It's rare to find tools that you can tell were well used, but not abused.

[@jonnafry]

I like your philosophy of retaining the tool's 'story' as much as possible. Well rounded and entertaining video as always. Thanks for your efforts.

[@richardbennett6053]

Tom must have a huge project going on I'm missing his videos, he's terrific, I hope to see more from him soon

[@nickp4793]

Awesome video! I am considering buying one of these on ebay because they are so pretty. They were also rebranded as Brown and Sharpe for the USA market.

[@danbreyfogle8486]

I completely agree about the patina of use on a tool. In fact as you look at the device you start to wonder just how many projects were completed with it and what were those projects. Some may have been piddly little parts that had no great importance and yet there is every possibility that the parts were very significant either on a personal level or perhaps even significant on the world stage. I like the hooks, no you couldn't go to the hardware store and get them because all you would find is crappy die cut hooks that would bend the first time you used them, IMHO... Great video.

[@FinnoUgricMachining]

This is from my perspective one of the best videos You've made. We share the same type of respect for old tools. My last was a Steinmeyer 100-200 mm micrometer.

[@oxtoolco]

Thanks for the nice comment! cheers, Tom

[@Gottenhimfella]

@@oxtoolco I have one of those, and I had to refurb it much as you did. It's a nice piece, for sure. One design feature I don't think you mentioned: the diamond profile beam provides an excellent opportunity to eliminate parallax error from the vernier scale, by configuring it to taper down to a knife edge. This means that the two graduated scales meet at a single edge, instead of being offset from each other.

[@krazziee2000]

Good to see you again ,, Very nice tool and work there, Thanks for the video and lessons,,

[@jmew1922]

ive had the exact height gauge for over 45 years and its never let me down (in old england)

[@chrisstephens6673]

I too have the same 369, also in Blighty.

[@fredgenius]

Nice! I love old British tools, greight to see this one restored and fully functional again.

[@phrozenwun]

Very enjoyable to see you care for this little bit of history - I would have liked to see a little more on use (calibration, lapping etc), but all in all a very nice dive into that tool.

[@Smallathe]

I love tool restoration - the kind that makes the tools work again... this is lovely!!!

[@randyhendrick3060]

I think I have the same height gauge. Nice repair Tom

[@cammo7014]

I bought one of these from the tip shop for $10 Australian. They're beautifully designed and built

[@PaulSteMarie]

Nice hollow-ground screwdriver there. Whoever buggered the screw heads should have been using one like it. Is it shop-made or purchased? That little boring bar is adorable, too. Don't drop it in the chip pan or you'll never see it again! Parting off into a threaded hole is a good way to catapult your part into the next county. I did that with a steel part that was threaded to 1-12 and it hit something hard enough to put about an eighth inch divot in the solid steel. After that, I've always caught the part on a steel rod clamped in the tailstock chuck. I I don't care to risk my hands or my skull on luck going through that part.

[@railgap]

often called 'gunsmith's screwdrivers'

[@jamesmorris3175]

Great video. A little piece of matchstick wedged into the screwhole is a good way to tighten up old screws without having to faff about with epoxies.

[@apachesmokemachining6487]

Great video as always

[@josephwilson6651]

I believe you are correct Tom, the patina says I am loved and respected will continue to be essential and beautiful

[@georgetapley776]

Hey Tom, I absolutely loved this video! I have been following you for quite a while. I had thought that I was the only person who has used the term, "patina of use" I say that a lot. That height gauge you have is an amazing piece and I do love how you talked about the patina and how all the years of use, use by people who made a living from using this tool. To also say, I also work in a not so secret US research laboratory. A very long time ago, back in the 80's I had applied for a job, a machinist apprentice position at this research facility. Great channel and thank you!!

[@wallbawden5511]

Tom the screw driver you need is in a gunsmiths tool kit they come with a couple of those type screw drivers as some of the rifle scope mounts have those split type nuts hope this helps ps i like the way you explain things and show how to do the things you do inspires one to fix things

[@samrodian919]

Hi Tom, a very nice repair in the sympathetic restoration mode, I have the exact same gauge. Notice I spelt it correctly as it's an English tool lol mine is in a not so worn state, but has some little rust stains that I tried to get off sympathetically without scrubbing the balls off of it . I used oil and wire wool, they still show the shadow, but it's clean and oiled regularly and above all used and LOVED ! Greetings from good old England.

[@jlkinsel]

Hey Tom - another fun video to watch. Love your point-of-view on not doing a full restore. Reminds me of something from my (computer) industry that turns over technology so quickly - it's too bad there's no tools that get passed along like this. Any software I write will have little if any trace left in 5 years, not alone 50...

[@TrevorDennis100]

Tom: 'I measured the block, and it's a little bit long'. Reality: plus two microns. OK, being honest it was three tenths. Spot on for most of us. A country mile for Tom.

[@sblack48]

Love that mill!

[@TheKnacklersWorkshop]

Hi Tom, I like the Chesterman... it was very kind of Alan to send it to you. Take care Paul,,

[@TopGearFan29]

I love having all different kinds of pleers too!

[@adkinsfabricationandthenso3488]

Awesome tool and job Mr. Tom.

[@redordead3868]

It was my first time watching tom and i enjoyed it so i subscribed. looking forward to learning from you.

[@carlwhite8225]

Tom, that is a neat old tool.Thanks for sharing.

[@pamdemonia]

What a lovely and subtle restoration! Absolutely beautiful.

[@ronslaughterandalice1018]

I really like that Height Gage , it appears to be a cross between a height master and height gage and still has the base where you can check squareness of an object on the surface plate.

[@AmateurRedneckWorkshop]

Great video very interesting. Thanks for taking the time to show this.

[@1jtolvey]

GREAT VIDEO !!!

[@richardcurtis556]

Lovely tool. Loving repair. Thank you for sharing!

[@motor1395]

Very nicely done Tom. Thanks!

[@tonypike5785]

I like that video Mr. Tom, thanks

[@zarouszz]

42:14 if you remove the screw, dip a toothpick in wood glue, jam it in the hole and snap it off, you can put the screw in immediately and you're done. Rather than mess with mixing epoxy and all that. Even better are small slivers of hardwood rather than a toothpick. works great for door jams, door stops, cabinet pulls etc. Another great restoration. If you add that offset attachment to reach zero, be sure to turn on the camera.

[@jeffanderson1653]

Using the Makino is cheating dood. Well done Tom. I enjoyed seeing this beautiful analog measuring instrument.

[@herbertsunday5913]

Excellent video. Always enjoy your content

[@RRINTHESHOP]

Very nice tool, quite unique.

[@Thewatson77]

Great piece 👍🏼 I love the patina just the way it is as well

[@dansquires2713]

Your an inspiration to clumsy people allover the world. ;-)

[@domaves4043]

Lovely job and lovely tool. P.s. as a Brit, for the love a sanity GO METRIC!

[@craigs5212]

Nice video Tom, thanks. The problem with going to the store these days to buy the latches, they would be poorly de-burred steel, lacquered over .5 microns of plated brass, rusting in short order. They should outlaw the term "brass colored". You need to tell us about your CNC machine.

[@Gottenhimfella]

Yes, and yes indeed.

[@doyouwanttofuk]

I have that same gauge work was tossing it out, such great quality. Tho because it starts so high I don't use it hardly ever, most only need 5-10mm

[@TomChame]

Very nice, thanks.

[@nicholasmcintyre4166]

The school I'm going to at the moment has this exact hight gauge and iv been bugging my teacher to give/sell it to me because they don't use it. I found it in a box at the back of the class buried under empty boxes. Hopefully I can take it home and restore it as well.

[@Asaadomar]

Enjoyed the video. I would like to see guts of the device more closeups of the scale and half nuts. Thanks for sharing

[@joefalmo5528]

Nice job Tom enjoyable to watch, I appreciate the attention to detail I think you did exactly what needed to be done. 👌

[@Cws351]

Many thanks Mr. Tom. Cws

[@billjohnson5793]

Very cool

[@MartinE63]

Got the exact same model in my workshop, just in a black painted box. No idea of age but would guess some time in the 1960’s

[@machineshopatthebottomofth3213]

Tom, I have the more modern version of this gauge that has a rack rather than a screw. Great tools. I love the script of the numbers.

[@wolfy9005]

Could always set up a magnetic chuck and grind the slots? Viable if you had 100s to do as well I think, the beauty of the circle etc etc

[@elanman608]

The gauge does have some age on it as Chesterman merged with Rabone (precision rule and level makers) in 1963 and were there after known as Rabone Chesterman.

[@CraigLYoung]

Thanks for sharing!

[@sgt290983]

Hi Tom.. Thank you for you videos. About 2 days prior to you posting this video, I acquired the very same Chesterman height gauge. Unfortunately it was in slightly less than ideal condition. Would you happen to know from which grade of steel that they are made? Could you please put me on to the right product to polish my beautiful 'new' height gauge?

[@dauber1828]

Thanks Tom for another great video All I have to say is Meatloaf

[@larrysperling8801]

very interesting repair. love the latches. i saw something in the background of your intro that some of us are old enough to remember , it has a big black handwheel????

[@CraigLYoung]

You think Tom's wife said something like "How's my press coming?"

[@xenonram]

We don't talk about the etching press.

[@larrysperling8801]

@@xenonram who said etching press ? not me.

[@lunkydog]

I bought a Chesterman from a pawn shop for $80 around 2005. Amazing smooth quality feel and beautiful satin chrome. No box unfortunately.

[@davewilliams6172]

get some practice on your woodworking skills and make a box....you know it makes sense

[@lunkydog]

@@davewilliams6172 Honestly it hadn't even occurred to me until I saw this. I've got a large enough 2 ledge Starrett pink granite surface plate to just leave it out.

[@ThunderCricketGWP]

Who makes that beautiful red handle screwdriver at 9:04? I must have one! Thanks for the great video!

[@BajaBill7]

The gauge block is oversize in the sunny States. In Sheffield, it's usually brassic - 'It's grim up north!' - so would measure right!

[@lesbender236]

You too, have the patina from use

[@1crazypj]

The height gauge is in incredibly good condition for it's age. It must be pretty old as it's rare to see Chesterman without Rabone in friont of it (I have few items from 1970's marked Rabone-Chesterman)

[@donho1776]

You don't need to fill the latch screw holes with epoxy. A couple or three wood slivers with glue ( I use small tooth picks) will pack the screw hole enough to get a tight fit on the screw which should last longer than the rest of the case.

[@Tezza120]

So I've been watching your channel for the past 2 years (maybe more) and only just noticed the massive map of Australia on your wall. Is it a holiday destination? just like the peeps? Anyway just paused to msg and now back to the 44mins of awesome content I bet it'll be :) Cheers from down under

[@oxtoolco]

Those pins are all viewers located down under. I used to do a video series "where is your pin?" I have friends all over the world now thanks to KZbin. Cheers, Tom

[@josephlovell6951]

Nice job as always. You should give CaLem a shout out i think he could realy use it and apostate it. Not to mention he probably the most improved machinist in the last 2 years on KZbin. And please pass this on it you would. And thanks for all you do for the community God bless

[@MrShobar]

"...apostate it..."?

[@rootvalue]

MrShobar English might be Joseph’s second language.

[@josephlovell6951]

Sorry auto correct appreciate it

[@xenonram]

Calem just put out a video saying that Tom sent him some stuff, so I assume they're already talking.

[@incubatork]

I bought a chesterman on ebay a while back and it too does not go down all the way to zero(base level) why did they make them like that? as is its not much good for smaller parts unless i make a marker piece for the end and grind it down to reach zero, it came with a marker but its about 5mm too short so anything under that you cannot use it. Just curious to know what was the reason for making them that way. Thanks for sharing.

[@tced2858]

Hey Tom, I have a couple of extra threading gauges laying around, I can send one your way if you need one... ;)...great video as always, love the height gauge..!!

[@oxtoolco]

Hey Tc. I have plenty. Just didn't have one at my fingertips at that moment. I always look a the number before I start threading so I know when I have to start paying attention. Cheers, Tom

[@bobvines00]

Tom, at ~23:04, the drill bends a surprising amount back & forth before settling down for its cut. How much does that affect the accuracy of the diameter being cut? Is it still "on center"? Is it still as "round" as a normal hole cut with a twist drill that didn't bend back & forth? Anything else? Of course, you followed up with the carbide boring bar, but I'm still curious about what a drill gives you by itself. I _really_ need to buy a vernier height gauge for my (hobby) shop, 12-in. or 18-in. high. I don't want a digital gauge. I'll probably have to buy an "import" height gauge due to limited funds though. And, I like the closing quote by "Unknown"! ;)

[@hisuiibmpower4]

sir can u talk a little about that Leblond Makino milling machine's rail？it doesn't look like traditional box way slide,how that liear system works

[@bcbloc02]

The shop favorite deserves to live on the granite plate not in a box. :-)

[@hastuart9639]

I think you will find the company was called Rabone Chesterman. Sheffield was the city for the manufacture of hand tools of many types. Stainless Steel was invented in Sheffield. The tools would be stamped Made in Sheffield, ( not Made in England ) it was world famous. Birmingham was also a tool manufacturing city, mainly machine tools. After all that precision work you use a butchering tool to tighten the nut instead of the correct spanner.

[@samueltaylor4989]

If you ever need to fill a screw hole to re drill one, just get a toothpick and some wood glue. Very nice Height Gauge!

[@19672701]

Great video, wondering if you would do a home shop tour,just got laid off as my company got thier product out,(stockholder essential)so craving some cool content. Watched a older video,I think you gave NYC CNC a tour of your work,hurt my peanut brain. Maybe revisit the Helve hammer,that's where I found out about you on a old Ron Covell video. I would rewatch that but I dont have a VCR anymore.Thx.

[@oxtoolco]

If you look in my catalog there is a shop tour. I have over 500 videos on youtube. Cheers, Tom

[@mixolydian2010]

How does skin polish away knurling? My first video , Cheers very interesting.

[@farmalltomf]

Blue Moly....................Boomer's lubricant of choice! Well Played Tom. Nice commentary and great work!