Decent cheap measuring tools

[thinfourth]

Got my sticky hands on a lathe and a milling machine

Now i want a nice set of micrometers and a good vernier

Not too sure if i want digital or not


I also want a good Digital clock gauge

Any recommends or avoids?

And how much should i be spending to get something good

 

[brightspark]

digital calipers are the best. imperial metric conversion at touch of button there cheap as anything and acurate 2 .u can get some good second hand dial gauges of e bay. i got metric one a starret mint in box 6 quid if it were mine id have rather kept it than sell for that price

 

[Pete.]

I wouldn't do without a dial gauge. Have a digital one by all means but for centering parts in a chuck I'd go for a sweeping dial any time.

For a digital caliper I'd buy a cheap Aldi one for £9. They are repeatable within their limits and you won't be sick like you would if you dropped a digital mitutoyo etc and made it no more accurate than the ten quid job.

For proper measuring, micrometer & bore gauge.

TBH most novice home machinists will find a digital caliper sufficient at least for a while.

 

[Pete.]

One thing that a cheap digi caliper is very good for is doing quick arithmatic to 2 or 3 decimal places. Say you want a stepped spacer 45.32mm overall with a step in it and the fatter part is 17.69mm wide? No problem, zero your caliper and then open it to 45.32, then zero it again and close it to -17.69, then zero it again and close it up, you have the depth measurement for the narrow section plus you can just keep turning the shoulder back until it measures zero on the depth gauge. Simples!

 

[stormin]

Second what Pete says. Forget the digital DTI clocks. An analogue sweeping arm is far better to tell realtive movements. Some of the cheap digital clocks can be slow to update the display too.

I've got both a traditional micrometer and a digital vernier. The digital vernier (Moore and Wright off Ebay) is so good I never use the micrometer. Only thing is I wish it was coolant proof. Got splashed a few times and have to wait a day or so for it dry out and start to work properly again. Coolant proof ones are a bit more expensive but I'd definately go for one next time.

 

[Archie]

Have a look at the monthly flyers on J&L. Verniers, DTIs etc are usually on offer.

 

[the artfull-codger]

As stated above aldi digital calipers are o-k for most jobs but for real accuracy you can't beat a micrometer, the trouble with calipers is they rely on your sensitivity wheras a 'mike has a constant torque ratchet for closing. It all depends on what you're doing, ie chasing 10ths of a thou or ''farm work''

slan go fol.

 

[brightspark]

As stated above aldi digital calipers are o-k for most jobs but for real accuracy you can't beat a micrometer, the trouble with calipers is they rely on your sensitivity wheras a 'mike has a constant torque ratchet for closing. It all depends on what you're doing, ie chasing 10ths of a thou or ''farm work''

slan go fol.

true

 

[shenion]

I have a micrometer, digital caliper and a dial test gauge with a magnetic stand.

The dial gauge is needed for centering work.

Calipers are good for most work and will measure a bore. Micrometer when i need best accuracy and use it often to check digital one.

I have a Craftsman vernier caliper (no gauge). Was not cheap. Finally found the inside jaws were off by 0.002". Usually good to have more tha one way of measuring.

 

[brightspark]

I have a micrometer, digital caliper and a dial test gauge with a magnetic stand.

The dial gauge is needed for centering work.

Calipers are good for most work and will measure a bore. Micrometer when i need best accuracy and use it often to check digital one.

I have a Craftsman vernier caliper (no gauge). Was not cheap. Finally found the inside jaws were off by 0.002". Usually good to have more tha one way of measuring.

id rather use telescopic bore gauges and micrometer rather than vernier caliper for acuracy

 

[shenion]

id rather use telescopic bore gauges and micrometer rather than vernier caliper for acuracy

Yes, but most of my boring is in the 1/2" to 3/4" range. Have not seen gauges that I can afford.

 

[brightspark]

moore and wright do a set of bore gauges up to 2 inch for not a lot of money but as said it depends on how acurate u need to be

 

[chap]

A lot of the gear HERE looks to be the same as all the rest of the imported stuff, but 1/4 cheaper. Tooling and measuring stuff.

I'd go for a reasonable quality digi caliper, as you'll use this for 90% of your measuring; a Mitu one is £50 from J&L, has a quick refresh rate.. this is the one we use in the Toolroom. The mould shop floor get the £10 ones they can shag up, slow refresh rate: anoying to use!
0-25, 25-50 micrometers for precision shaft measuring, milling plate thicknessing, etc
Telescopic bore gauges to use with the mic's.
A £200 set of shop slips is very handy for measuring, setting up and running jobs.. no more eye-ing up with a rule to the depth stop!

Had my old Mitutoyo 150mm digi caliper for 7 years before i dropped it to the extent that the ID measuring finger bent. It's a bit down to personal 'feel', but i used to think that i could trust it to 0.01mm.
Caliper #2 i had 3 months, came back from holiday and the ID finger was bent: 0.1mm out!
Caliper #3 i've had to remove a burr from the ID finger 4 or 5 times (there's a trend here).
I have noticed that the reading will drift in and out 0.03mm if the caliper is opened or shut hard to the limit of it's travel. Present on all the calipers (all Mitutoyo).
I periodically check internal and external with slips.

 

[brightspark]

measuring tools

i use chronos chester and gloster tooling 4 drills milling cutters taps and dies ect i use tracy tools

 

[Pete.]

I saw a guy with 3 full sets of shop slips at an autojumble for £15 each. Unfortunately I had just spent my last tenner on a pair of period dashboard clocks for my Berkeley or I'd have had a set.