digital caliper
- Thread starter Soulcoma
- Start date
> I concur,adding that Browne and Sharpe also make nice calipers,even in the dial type.
You can probably get away with SPI,or some of the other import brands,but check them out of the package if at all possible,some of them have burrs that cause them to skip,or have rough movement. You can also buy several sets of these for what a set of Mito or Starrett cost in most cases.
The important thing is to develop a consistent measuring pressure,as you can certainly lock down on something hard enough to "spring" the solid jaw,and cause inaccurate readings,not to mention mar the finish or wood.
I got familiar with my Mitotoyos to the point I can use the calipers,then use a vernier (.0001 resolution) micrometer and am always within .001 comparing the 2. Until you get consistent with calipers,the most accurate measuring instrument will be a vernier mike. Tommy D.
You can probably get away with SPI,or some of the other import brands,but check them out of the package if at all possible,some of them have burrs that cause them to skip,or have rough movement. You can also buy several sets of these for what a set of Mito or Starrett cost in most cases.
The important thing is to develop a consistent measuring pressure,as you can certainly lock down on something hard enough to "spring" the solid jaw,and cause inaccurate readings,not to mention mar the finish or wood.
I got familiar with my Mitotoyos to the point I can use the calipers,then use a vernier (.0001 resolution) micrometer and am always within .001 comparing the 2. Until you get consistent with calipers,the most accurate measuring instrument will be a vernier mike. Tommy D.
calliper
For what you are doing any old cheapy digital will be accurate enough. If you were getting into wire gauges then I would go Micrometers not calipers.
John
For what you are doing any old cheapy digital will be accurate enough. If you were getting into wire gauges then I would go Micrometers not calipers.
John
I have one of the cheapie imports and consistently get different readings than cue builders I know with Mitutoya, etc. Seems that mine always measure more - .005 - .010 more. I'm saving my pennies for one of the quality ones.
Scott <<== never thought about the pressure thing
Scott <<== never thought about the pressure thing
All good advice so far.
Bang for the buck: Mitutoyo for sure. Easily meets FAA inspection criteria. That's good enough for pool cues! If accuracy is of paramount importance, invest in a few gage pins close to your diameters so verify the calipers at the diameter you intend to measure. If you need tenths accuracy, look into a flat-anvil micrometer instead.
Now, if you are predominantly measuring wood, and also not 'savvy' with calipers as of yet, I strongly suggest a set of PLASTIC mechanical (not digital) dial calipers.
They are cheaper, accurate enough, and will lessen the chance (but not eliminate it) of marring the wood. Also, it will help you develop the proper 'feel' with calipers, that you can only get through use.
And, if you break/loose them, you do not break the bank.
TIP: If you do go with steel calipers, apply a piece of masking tape to each jaw, and re-zero it with the tape on. That's what I do!
Food for thought!
Bang for the buck: Mitutoyo for sure. Easily meets FAA inspection criteria. That's good enough for pool cues! If accuracy is of paramount importance, invest in a few gage pins close to your diameters so verify the calipers at the diameter you intend to measure. If you need tenths accuracy, look into a flat-anvil micrometer instead.
Now, if you are predominantly measuring wood, and also not 'savvy' with calipers as of yet, I strongly suggest a set of PLASTIC mechanical (not digital) dial calipers.
They are cheaper, accurate enough, and will lessen the chance (but not eliminate it) of marring the wood. Also, it will help you develop the proper 'feel' with calipers, that you can only get through use.
And, if you break/loose them, you do not break the bank.
TIP: If you do go with steel calipers, apply a piece of masking tape to each jaw, and re-zero it with the tape on. That's what I do!
Food for thought!
Dial type that run on a gear need to be cleaned and adjusted at times . You need a small screwdriver to adjust it. You also need a known size to test it. Drill bits are often undersized a few thousandths so you need something you are sure of the size. Even the cheapest should work for the purposes of measuring a cue shaft. I have several cheap ones from Enco. I like to have extra tools so I don't have to go looking for it when I need it, I can have them in different places where I work. They are just as good as the ones I have that cost 10x more.
0.010
Scooter 0.010 is a freekin mile......
or did you mean 0.0005 to 0.0010??
I have 5 sets of cheapie ones in the shop and also 3 sets of Mitoyo coolant/ dust proof ones. They are pretty close in tolerance but not close in price.
John
Scooter 0.010 is a freekin mile......
or did you mean 0.0005 to 0.0010??I have 5 sets of cheapie ones in the shop and also 3 sets of Mitoyo coolant/ dust proof ones. They are pretty close in tolerance but not close in price.
John
I agree totally. There are 3 parameters concerning calipers which consist of resolution, accuracy and repeatability. I've got over 10 sets of digital calipers that I use, 2 that I don't use and the only one that doesn't have a resolution of .0005 or .01mm is a Mitutoya and it cost me 90.00 on sale. It's useless for cue work as you need better resolution than .1mm. I've got another Mitutoya that is solar powered but it's a pain to use for the first half hour or so after turning on the lights so it never gets used. I have found the repeatability on all of the digitals to be the same which is perfect. No matter how many times I check the size, using the same caliper, the caliper reads the same. Now accuracy is a different matter all together. Different brands read at different sizes. Not by much but it is still aggravating. I don't think a caliper that reads .0005 off is anything to worry about in cue making. I absolutely do recommend that if a number of calipers are going to be purchased that they should be the same brand however so that you get the same readings from all of your calipers. Consistency is paramount as far as I'm concerned. I believe I probably like the ones that I got from Horrible Fright, on sale for 15.00 the best as they seem to be easier to read. On thing about imported digital calipers is to use good batteries as the cheap Chinese batteries don't last long.
Dick
batteries
the cheap calipers tend to eat batteries, they have a parasitic draw that kills batteries fast, it seems my friends Mitotoya gets him almost a year on a battery, my cheapies I get a couple months to a couple days. I was told the circuit never totally turns off on the cheap digital calipers
the cheap calipers tend to eat batteries, they have a parasitic draw that kills batteries fast, it seems my friends Mitotoya gets him almost a year on a battery, my cheapies I get a couple months to a couple days. I was told the circuit never totally turns off on the cheap digital calipers
You need to check your battery brand. I bought a bunch of Chinese batteries off of e-bay once and they would only last a few weeks but when I use good ones such as energizer I only change batteries about once a year. They don't draw much power even when left on continuously. Probably not much more than a watch. Just my observations.
Dick
I too like having measuring tools all over the shop. Unfortunately as an anal engineer I end up spending too much time comparing the readings on the various mics and calipers and dialing them in so they read the same and are accurate
I once spent a weekend trying to figure out what was really square and what was not, the bane of having a bunch of engineers squares (some at the mill, some by the surface plate, more in a box for other uses). After those experiences I can understand why someone might want to have only one 1" mic ... I have 4 or so.Hey Scott, can I interest you in a nice used-but-unmarked Starrett 224 0-4" mic with standards in the original box (the box has a little extra, um, charactor) ? I'll take a cue on trade :grin-square: If you can't find a cheap enough cue in your collection I'll toss in a 9" direct-indexing center, an antique of unknown-but-quality origin so you can make some real nice ring-a-ma-bobs.
Dave
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Batteries
Thanks Dick I had bad luck with energizers, and worse with Chinese bats. Maybe I got some bad energizers, I will try again, the often goes dead in a month with energizers. I do like the digital more than dial, and way more than the old vernier scale.
Thanks Dick I had bad luck with energizers, and worse with Chinese bats. Maybe I got some bad energizers, I will try again, the often goes dead in a month with energizers. I do like the digital more than dial, and way more than the old vernier scale.
batteries
I've got a couple of cheapie digital ones that I've been using for about 10 years now, they all seem to use the batteries that are size 357. I buy em in the Dollarama store at 5 for a buck. Usually last about 3-4 months each, so I get about a year and a half for $1 - decent trade off
Reagrds
Walter
I've got a couple of cheapie digital ones that I've been using for about 10 years now, they all seem to use the batteries that are size 357. I buy em in the Dollarama store at 5 for a buck. Usually last about 3-4 months each, so I get about a year and a half for $1 - decent trade off
Reagrds
Walter
My question is where to buy a decent cheap caliper?
R
R
China Harbor (Harbor Freight) has what you need, in 6". I prefer Starrett, in 6" too.
ok well either this caliper I got is a total POS or I have no Idea how to use this correctly.
I can measure the same shaft in the same spot 20 times and 20 times I get a different reading.
I have 2 Meucci Black Dot shafts that according to meucci are standard 12.75mm. However I can get anywhere from 12.98mm to 13.12mm. Have 2 314 shafts one reads anywhere from 12.83mm to 13.02mm. the other reads anywhere from 12.74mm to 12.98mm.
The way I use the gauge is I close it with no abnormal force and zero it. I open it up then close it and verify zero again. I then open it slightly wider than the shaft tip and then close it the same way as when i was zeroing the gauge. Take reading, open it slightly, close gauge read zero, then remeasure. I do that 20 time and get a different reading everytime. Even if I zero the gauge after each reading.
As far as the jaw on the gauge I use the point where it goes to almost a Cutter use the point where it goes back out of cutter shape as the center reference of the shaft. Shows this in the instructions that came with it. However, it doesn't matter where inside the jaws I use to measure I still get random readings.
I have been messing with this thing for nearly 3hrs and I'm getting Frustrated. Please help. Is it me? Or should I return this POS and bite the bullet and go for one of those Mitutoyo?
Forgot to state this is a $30 Set from Autozone Brand Name is OEM Tools for Professionals.
Specs state:
Measure Range 0-150mm/0-6in, 0-300mm/0-12in
Resolution 0.01mm/0.0005in
Accuracy + or - 0.02mm/0.001in (<100mm)
+ or - 0.03mm/0.001in (>100-200mm)
+ or - 0.04mm/0/0015in (>200-300mm)
Repeatability 0.01mm/0.0005in
Max measuring speed 1.5m/sec, 60in/sec
Measuring system Linear capacitive measuring system
Display LCD
Power One silver oxide battery 1.55v, type LR44
Capacity 180Mah
Working Temperature 5 degrees C - 40 degrees C/41 degrees F - 104 degrees F
Influence of humidity Not important under 80% of relative humidty
Can any1 break this down in English for me?
I can measure the same shaft in the same spot 20 times and 20 times I get a different reading.
I have 2 Meucci Black Dot shafts that according to meucci are standard 12.75mm. However I can get anywhere from 12.98mm to 13.12mm. Have 2 314 shafts one reads anywhere from 12.83mm to 13.02mm. the other reads anywhere from 12.74mm to 12.98mm.
The way I use the gauge is I close it with no abnormal force and zero it. I open it up then close it and verify zero again. I then open it slightly wider than the shaft tip and then close it the same way as when i was zeroing the gauge. Take reading, open it slightly, close gauge read zero, then remeasure. I do that 20 time and get a different reading everytime. Even if I zero the gauge after each reading.
As far as the jaw on the gauge I use the point where it goes to almost a Cutter use the point where it goes back out of cutter shape as the center reference of the shaft. Shows this in the instructions that came with it. However, it doesn't matter where inside the jaws I use to measure I still get random readings.
I have been messing with this thing for nearly 3hrs and I'm getting Frustrated. Please help. Is it me? Or should I return this POS and bite the bullet and go for one of those Mitutoyo?
Forgot to state this is a $30 Set from Autozone Brand Name is OEM Tools for Professionals.
Specs state:
Measure Range 0-150mm/0-6in, 0-300mm/0-12in
Resolution 0.01mm/0.0005in
Accuracy + or - 0.02mm/0.001in (<100mm)
+ or - 0.03mm/0.001in (>100-200mm)
+ or - 0.04mm/0/0015in (>200-300mm)
Repeatability 0.01mm/0.0005in
Max measuring speed 1.5m/sec, 60in/sec
Measuring system Linear capacitive measuring system
Display LCD
Power One silver oxide battery 1.55v, type LR44
Capacity 180Mah
Working Temperature 5 degrees C - 40 degrees C/41 degrees F - 104 degrees F
Influence of humidity Not important under 80% of relative humidty
Can any1 break this down in English for me?
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Well, first of all, I have less than 1 percent of the experience and knowledge of any of the posters above, but I'm learning.
One of the confounding issues with cue building/reparing/comparing is that3 measurement standards are used:
1 - Inch fraction
2- Inch decimal
3 - Metric (mostly millimeter)
I had an Inch decimal/millimeter digital that was OK. But I replaced it with an Inch Fraction/Inch Decimal/Millimeter off of eBay for less than $30 and it is GREAT!
I don't have any calibration standards, so I can't speak to accuracy. But when I measure, say a 1/4 - 20 tap (which I suspect to be fairly standard) it gives me either "1/4 inch" or "0.25 inch" or "6.xxx millimeters". And it gives it to me over and over and .... So repeatability seems to be there.
It's really nice to have all three standards at the push of a button. I'm not sure what your intended use for the caliper is, but I offer my experience.
YMMV
Gary
One of the confounding issues with cue building/reparing/comparing is that3 measurement standards are used:
1 - Inch fraction
2- Inch decimal
3 - Metric (mostly millimeter)
I had an Inch decimal/millimeter digital that was OK. But I replaced it with an Inch Fraction/Inch Decimal/Millimeter off of eBay for less than $30 and it is GREAT!
I don't have any calibration standards, so I can't speak to accuracy. But when I measure, say a 1/4 - 20 tap (which I suspect to be fairly standard) it gives me either "1/4 inch" or "0.25 inch" or "6.xxx millimeters". And it gives it to me over and over and .... So repeatability seems to be there.
It's really nice to have all three standards at the push of a button. I'm not sure what your intended use for the caliper is, but I offer my experience.
YMMV
Gary
My use is to measure the Shaft size, Joint size, butt size etc. As to give as much details to buyers as well as knowledge formyself when Experimenting with different cues to find differences and likes dislikes with different things.
I always use the knife edge on the front of the jaws for measuring. I make sure that the caliper jaws are square to th object being measured by rocking the caliper back and forth slightly to the point that I get the lowest reading. I've had no problems with repeatability with any of the different brands that I have. If you try putting on to much pressure on the wheel or push knob the readings can be skewed.
Dick