Calipers

glp makes a good point there...but it's really difficult these days to take that stand....and really take that stand!
 
Tom Cruise said:
Calipers come in different varieties and levels of sophistication and are used when precise measurements are needed. Many professions such as machinists, physicians and staff, navigators, mechanical and architectural engineers, just to name a few, would find their job very difficult or even impossible without them. Following is a high level overview of the different calipers types.The earliest history of a caliper was found in a ship wreck in the 6th century. This wooden piece had fixed and moveable jaws. The Venier caliper came into existence around the 1600s by the French scientist Pierre Vernier. As you can see calipers have evolved from early days of wooden to the current days of digital through the use of current day technology.
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Dividers are not the same as calipers.
 
For my loading work I have a couple 8" mitutoyo's Im most comfortable with. I started using them 8" mitutoyo Bout 12 years ago and now my old six inch staretts feel to short now but they are nice and prety ridged. My 12" mitutoyo callipers stay at work and they are better.

Over the years I have used a number of cheap ones and just don't feel right about them. Out of them all the mitutoyo's have lasted the longest from hitting the ground or whatever.they are still going as far as the cheap ones I have lost a few from just one drop I just replaced a 24" set of fowler's that an other machinist clipped and hit the ground for the first time in ten years and that was all they took to kill them. I replaced them with more cheap ones.
 
Most of the calipers I use are Mitutoyo, just like my micrometers, but I have bought a couple of sets of calipers made in China, a pair of "limit" sold here in NZ and a pair of "igaging"

The China made calipers are not consistant, I've tried measuring guage blocks and come up with defferent measurements, yet the Mitutoyo's are consistant using the same method.

Recently I bought a couple of China made digital micrometer heads and used them for a project, I find the ratchet to be totally inconsistant yet if I do not use the ratchet I can get very consistant readings.
If I use a Mitutoyo or Starret micrometer head I can get consistant readings by using the ratchet or not.

So no matter what you buy and use, test them to see how repeatable they are.

Ian
 
Wilbur said:
I know there's a difference in $25 calipers and $250 calipers but for measuring rifle cases and general purpose stuff....is there any difference that would justify the extra cost? I've got the expensive calipers...the ones with the engraved ID numbers ground off that I ..uh...bought at a yard sale...yeah, that's the ticket...bought 'em at a yard sale. I've read over the years that they ain't that much better than a Chinese caliper so what do Y'all say on this?
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In my experience the only difference is battery life. As has been stated before, when it counts, I use my micrometer!
 
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