Subject: Recommendations needed: Dial Caliper

From: [email-masked] (David Hood)
Date: Mon, 11 Oct 1993 21:51:26 GMT

I find myself in the market for a dial caliper and have no idea what
brands or sources to investigate.  I will be making frequent measurements
in the range of 0.032" to 0.400" and need them to be accurate to 0.001".
I am guessing that a dial caliper is the most reasonable compromise
between convenience and cost in choosing a dial over either a vernier
or digital electronic caliper.  The tool may also find some use in my
woodworking (stock thickness, hole size, etc.).

What tool do I need?  Will a micrometer be better than a caliper?
What brands do you recommend?  What suppliers (local, mail order, etc.)
do you recommend?

I have no idea how general this type of information is so respond by
email or notes at your discretion; I will summarize all responses if
there is any interest.

Thanks,
David Hood
[email-masked]

P.S.  If there is a more appropriate group than rec.crafts.metalworking
please let me know by email.

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From: [email-masked] (michael jensen)
Date: 12 Oct 1993 13:56:45 GMT

>What tool do I need?  Will a micrometer be better than a caliper?

If you need to be accurate to .001 buy a micrometer. 0 to 1 inch 
micrometer from enco, carbide faces, about $20, Better quality 
starrett or mitutoyo about $60, Top quality Etalon about $100.

If this is for home use buy the enco. I have a starrett and a enco. I 
bought the enco about 11 years ago so that I would not wear out my 
starrett. I am still using my enco micrometer every day. So for me it 
has been a great deal.

Mike J.
--
Mike Jensen ([email-masked]) 
Chemistry Instrument Shop
University of Nebraska
(402)472-3542

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From: [email-masked] (David Jenkins)
Date: 12 Oct 1993 14:23:10 GMT

In article <[email-masked]>, [email-masked] (michael
jensen) writes:
|> [email-masked] (David Hood) writes:
|> 
|> >I find myself in the market for a dial caliper and have no idea
|> what
|> >brands or sources to investigate.  I will be making frequent
|> measurements
|> >in the range of 0.032" to 0.400" and need them to be accurate to
|> 0.001".
|> 
|> >What tool do I need?  Will a micrometer be better than a caliper?
|> 
|> If you need to be accurate to .001 buy a micrometer. 0 to 1 inch 
|> micrometer from enco, carbide faces, about $20, Better quality 
|> starrett or mitutoyo about $60, Top quality Etalon about $100.
|> 
|> If this is for home use buy the enco. I have a starrett and a enco. I
|> |> bought the enco about 11 years ago so that I would not wear out my
|> |> starrett. I am still using my enco micrometer every day. So for me
|> it 
|> has been a great deal.
|> 
|> Mike J.
|> --

Alternatively, you might like to consider splashing out and getting a
digital caliper - accurate to 0.5 thou, checked against a toolroom's
calibration thingy.

My Mitutoyo cost me about 80 UK Pounds, and was probably the major
influence in improving the standard of my work.  Yes, I know a
micrometer will measure just as well, but:

a. This is easier to read;
b. I enter my "target dimension", zero the caliper then measure the
item.  The caliper tells me how many thous to come off;
c. I sometimes have to make things to metric dimensions, but my lathe
uses inches: I simply set my "target dimension" in metric, press the
metric/inches button and my readings are in thous.
d. It is accurate to a half-thou from zero to 6" - not many
micrometers can do that (not at 80 Pounds, anyway!).

Yes, I know there are some limitations, but none have stopped me
working yet (and my micrometer hasn't seen the light of day for 3
years).

This thing cost me 20 UK Pounds more than my lathe (Yes, it's very old)
but I don't regret buying it - not in the slightest.

-- 

David Jenkins

"Oh dear, I think you'll find reality's on the blink again."
-- Marvin The Paranoid Android

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From: [email-masked] (Tim Kirby)
Date: 12 Oct 93 21:27:37 CDT

David Hood ([email-masked]) wrote:
: I find myself in the market for a dial caliper and have no idea what
: brands or sources to investigate.  I will be making frequent measurements
: in the range of 0.032" to 0.400" and need them to be accurate to 0.001".
: I am guessing that a dial caliper is the most reasonable compromise
: between convenience and cost in choosing a dial over either a vernier
: or digital electronic caliper.  The tool may also find some use in my
: woodworking (stock thickness, hole size, etc.).

: What tool do I need?  Will a micrometer be better than a caliper?
: What brands do you recommend?  What suppliers (local, mail order, etc.)
: do you recommend?

One of the issues when choosing between the two is... what are you going to
be measuring? the anvil on a micrometer ids typically aorund 0.2" in diameter
or more, whereas the jaws on a vernier/dial caliper are much slimmer. If you
are measuring where that size difference matters, the caliper may be more
useful; the same difference may, of course, work against you... particularly
if turning items on a lathe, it is easy with the caliper to not get the jaws
perfectly opposite each other across the work, giving a false reading; the
mike will give a more reliable reading (Ok, I know it's a weak argument as
long as you are careful, but still possibly relevant)

The caliper is more versatile in terms of capacity, and it will do internal
measurements too of course...

Tim
--
Tim Kirby --------- Cray Research Inc., Eagan, MN, USA ---------- [email-masked]
Disclaimer: Cray didn't say this... I did...
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If all else fails, Immortality may always be assured by spectacular error(JKG)

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From: [email-masked] (Joe Landau)
Date: Thu, 14 Oct 1993 04:36:30 GMT

>woodworking (stock thickness, hole size, etc.).

Dial Calipers _read_ to .001", but I've often wondered just how _accurate_
they are.  Repeatability of measurements seems harder for me with a caliper
than with a mike.  Anyone know?

Incidentally, I've made mistakes with my dial caliper, that I don't think
I'd have made reading a vernier.  Probably just brain atrophy.

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From: [email-masked] (michael jensen)
Date: 14 Oct 1993 16:14:02 GMT

>than with a mike.  Anyone know?

That is because there are more things that can go wrong with a caliper
made measurement. The measuring tool has more flexiblity then a 
micrometer. It is not as rigid a measuring tool and therefor 
inaccuracies in measurements can happen if you are not carefull. I 
personally do not trust caliper made measurements more then +/- .003 
inches. If I want to measure to +/- .001 inch, I use a micrometer.

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From: [email-masked] (Roger Mitchell)
Date: Mon, 18 Oct 1993 21:05:13 GMT

Get a digital caliper. Enco has them now for about $70 US. they are even cheaper
than some dial calipers. Repeatability is very good and you make fewer mistakes
with them. You can also zero them anywhere and make differential measurements.
				
				Roger Mitchell
				President and Master Mechanic
				Fort Collins Municipal Railway Society Inc.
	
				Ham Radio N0MCR

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From: [email-masked] (Greg Lewis)
Date: Wed, 20 Oct 1993 16:26:03 GMT

>				Fort Collins Municipal Railway Society Inc.

While the use of a dial caliper is good advice, Id caution you about
dealing with Enco. I have suffered the poorest quality and rudest
treatment of any mail order company I have ever dealt with from them.
There are many other companies who sell similar products at reasonable
prices.You may also find that local suppliers sell imported tools at
acceptable prices and you can deal with them face-to-face. Sometimes
that is worth the extra few bucks.
___________________________________________________________________
[email-masked]
Photojournalism sequence, Department of Journalism
CSU Fresno, Fresno, CA 93740