calipers and scales recommendation

L

lynng2378

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I want to purchase calipers and scales to measure and weigh my cues. I am a collector not a cuemaker so I want good quality but I probably don?t need the very highest end of either. I would appreciate any recommendations you can give me.

Thanks and a Happy and Safe New Year to all.

Lynn
 
P

Paul Dayton

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
lynng2378 said:
I want to purchase calipers and scales to measure and weigh my cues. I am a collector not a cuemaker so I want good quality but I probably don?t need the very highest end of either. I would appreciate any recommendations you can give me.

Thanks and a Happy and Safe New Year to all.

Lynn
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You can get perfectly acceptable calipers for less than $20 from Enco and the "pelouze" model sps scales that weigh up to 5 pounds in grams and tenths of an ounce will work fine, but you'll have to find a source. I suspect Staples has them.

Happy New Year.
 
Cheez Dawg

Cheez Dawg

Flawed Perfectionist
Silver Member
These are the ones I use...

0586800_450_CC_v1_m56577569830710053.jpg
 
Cheez Dawg

Cheez Dawg

Flawed Perfectionist
Silver Member
lynng2378 said:
What brand are these?
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They are Mastercraft. I bought 2 of them at Canadian Tire when they went on sale for $14.99 CAD.
I believe they are regualar $34.99. Not a bad deal, and they do exactly what I need them for.
 
billyjack

billyjack

Registered Loser
Silver Member
I have a set of cheap digital calipers from Harbor Freight that work OK. While I trust my NSK Dial calipers implicitly, the ability to switch between inches and mm with a button saves a lot of calculation when dealing with cues. There's one important thing to watch for if you go the Taiwan route, however. Many of the cheaper ones eliminate the thumbwheel to advance the movable leg. Consistent measurement requires consistent pressure on a soft material such as wood or plastics, and it's much more difficult without the thumbwheel advance. Also, keep a spare battery around, as these things seem to burn through batteries rapidly.

Bill
 
JimS

JimS

Grandpa & his grand boys.
Silver Member
This is copied from another thread but I can now add that I bought a 500 gram test weight and this portable is dead nuts correct while my much more expensive desk model postal scale was off by .2 oz.

https://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.1165

This is the one that I also have. Mine weighs items approximately .1 oz lighter than my postal scale but I don't know which is more accurate. Since the pocket scale weighs items to the hundredth of an ounce and the postal scale to the tenth of an ounce I usually use the portable/pocket scale.

To keep cues from rolling off I glued 3 foot spots together, cut them in half, laid them about 1/2 inch apart on the scale table and glued the halves on the scale. I like it fine and the price is right.

I also have found that the cheap Harbor Freight calipers work just as well as $40 brands from Lee Valley Tools

Edit: I got to looking at the web site for that little scale and for $10.90 shipping I just ordered a backup. It's only about the size of a pack of cigarets and works perfectly.
 
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hangemhigh

hangemhigh

Known Sinner
Silver Member
China Harbor, er...Harbor Freight has both items at a very low price that will fulfill your needs. There is no reason to spend more for your purpose.
 
M

masonh

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
for you i would buy a set of the plastic calipers that do not scratch or damage finish since the teeth are plastic instead of metal.they are less accurate than good metal calipers but for your purpose they will be plenty accurate.for cue building i always try to buy mid to upper end calipers,i am sure the cheap ones work fine but i am funny like that when it comes to tooling and calipers.
 
MVPCues

MVPCues

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
To add to what Mason said, I find the el cheapo calipers I have bought have too sharp an edge on them for me to trust using on finished cues. The better (more expensive?) ones have a more relaxed edge.

Kelly
 
dave sutton

dave sutton

Banned
masonh said:
for you i would buy a set of the plastic calipers that do not scratch or damage finish since the teeth are plastic instead of metal.they are less accurate than good metal calipers but for your purpose they will be plenty accurate.for cue building i always try to buy mid to upper end calipers,i am sure the cheap ones work fine but i am funny like that when it comes to tooling and calipers.
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they were the 10$ i was talking about but for 8$ id ratherhave metal. good job with the edge tho. hes right. could create a problem the the ess careful users

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=93293


lol...tommy
 
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