Looking for recommendation for a caliper

Shermanscs

Shermanscs

Steve sherman
Silver Member
I am not a cue maker, nor do I work on cues. But I am looking for a caliper that I can use for taking various measurements of my pool cues. I made the mistake of going to Home Depot & picking up a basic caliper, but holy smokes, I would never take that rough machined caliper head to my pool cues. It gives me the shivers just having that thing near my cues as I can see damaging the cue just by taking measurements.

So I am looking for a recommendation for a caliper I can buy that would be gentle enough for use on my cues.

Thanks,
Steve
 
Michael Webb

Michael Webb

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Shermanscs said:
I am not a cue maker, nor do I work on cues. But I am looking for a caliper that I can use for taking various measurements of my pool cues. I made the mistake of going to Home Depot & picking up a basic caliper, but holy smokes, I would never take that rough machined caliper head to my pool cues. It gives me the shivers just having that thing near my cues as I can see damaging the cue just by taking measurements.

So I am looking for a recommendation for a caliper I can buy that would be gentle enough for use on my cues.

Thanks,
Steve
Click to expand...


Hi Steve
There are a lot of Calipers. But for your use and to be safe, you can put a piece of scotch tape on each side and then zero it.
 
ekb6760

ekb6760

Misplaced Texan
Gold Member
Silver Member
I keep a set of Carbon Fiber Calipers in my cue case. They are available online but I've never seen them in stores. Many brands available for around $5 & up.
 
DaveK

DaveK

Still crazy after all these years
Silver Member
Shermanscs said:
...

So I am looking for a recommendation for a caliper I can buy that would be gentle enough for use on my cues.

Thanks,
Steve
Click to expand...

I too am not a cuemaker, but do have a few measuring tools and cues :thumbup:

All slide calipers (vernier, dial, digital) have sharp hardened steel edges on the main jaws regardless of the brand, and as such could carve up wood if improperly used. Tilt the caliper off-normal (90* to the shaft) and you will have edges making contact .... too much pressure and you leave a mark. Good technique will minimize (or eliminate) the risk of damage.

One alternative would be to use a micrometer. While they too have sharp edges on the anvils (the little round parts that come into contact with the device being measured) they can be easier to control technique-wise and with a ratchet style are easier to limit the pressure applied.

Just my $0.02

Dave
 
Kim Bye

Kim Bye

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
DaveK said:
I too am not a cuemaker, but do have a few measuring tools and cues :thumbup:

All slide calipers (vernier, dial, digital) have sharp hardened steel edges on the main jaws regardless of the brand, and as such could carve up wood if improperly used. Tilt the caliper off-normal (90* to the shaft) and you will have edges making contact .... too much pressure and you leave a mark. Good technique will minimize (or eliminate) the risk of damage.

One alternative would be to use a micrometer. While they too have sharp edges on the anvils (the little round parts that come into contact with the device being measured) they can be easier to control technique-wise and with a ratchet style are easier to limit the pressure applied.

Just my $0.02

Dave
Click to expand...

If your doing any tupe of precision work, you need both, calipers to get you in the ballpark amd micrometer for "dead nuts" accuracy. As long as you dont need a digital micrometer, the analog Mitutoyo ones with the plastic ratchet isn't much more than your run of the mill china mike. I have the 0-25mm and the 25-50mm it's all I need for cue related stuff.
 
MVPCues

MVPCues

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
DaveK said:
I too am not a cuemaker, but do have a few measuring tools and cues :thumbup:

All slide calipers (vernier, dial, digital) have sharp hardened steel edges on the main jaws regardless of the brand, and as such could carve up wood if improperly used. Tilt the caliper off-normal (90* to the shaft) and you will have edges making contact .... too much pressure and you leave a mark. Good technique will minimize (or eliminate) the risk of damage.

One alternative would be to use a micrometer. While they too have sharp edges on the anvils (the little round parts that come into contact with the device being measured) they can be easier to control technique-wise and with a ratchet style are easier to limit the pressure applied.

Just my $0.02

Dave
Click to expand...

Like the OP, many years ago when I first started buying measuring tools, I purchased a rather cheap unit. The edges were SHARP. I had the same fear of damaging a shaft and approached a local cuemaker asking about this. He quickly chided me stating you have to be careful with any tool. Well, the edge difference between the cheap unit I had purchased and the Mitutoyo unit I listed is significant.

While your instructions and warning about using too much pressure is correct, I stand with the OP 100%.
 
DaveK

DaveK

Still crazy after all these years
Silver Member
MVPCues said:
Like the OP, many years ago when I first started buying measuring tools, I purchased a rather cheap unit. The edges were SHARP. I had the same fear of damaging a shaft and approached a local cuemaker asking about this. He quickly chided me stating you have to be careful with any tool. Well, the edge difference between the cheap unit I had purchased and the Mitutoyo unit I listed is significant.

While your instructions and warning about using too much pressure is correct, I stand with the OP 100%.
Click to expand...

Fair enough. I haven't seen the OPs el-cheapo caliper. All of mine are similar, including my Mitutoyo 12" vernier (the only Mitutoyo tool I own) and a few off brands. No significant burrs on the precision ground surfaces or their edges and the edges are certainly not radiused.

My primary advice was to be careful with the angle of the tool .. try hard to have the surface of the jaw sit flush on the cue, not at an angle where any calipers jaw edge can dig into the wood.

Dave
 
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