# How many of you still use these?



## Harry Knutz (Yesterday at 11:28 AM)

I was going through all of my measuring devices yesterday and dusted off these old relics. Out of the 3, 2 of them are Swiss made, One is a "Swiss Lufkin, The other is made by "Roch" in Switzerland and the 3rd one is made of the finest grade of "Chinesium" and branded "SME" 

I measured with all of them and then checked against a "Mitutoyo" Dial caliper and found them to be quite accurate even the Chinese one is quite accurate and the construction of it feels and looks pretty well made.

The Lufkin still had the plastic wrapper around it and is in a nice wooden case but the foam inside of it had turned to dust. 

My conclusion is that these are very accurate measuring devices and if you looked closely you could most likely measure to a half thou with these.

I am going to start using one of these just to stay in practice with using them.


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## Winegrower (Yesterday at 11:47 AM)

I have a selection, like you I checked for accuracy and was quite impressed.  A thousandth is very easy to resolve.


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## Alcap (Yesterday at 11:54 AM)

I use the Mitutoyo 6” . It was the first measuring type tool i bought in my early teens


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## benmychree (Yesterday at 11:57 AM)

I bought a Starrett 12" vernier caliper with a 50 division vernier back in the 1960s, and have used it quite a lot, but not so much after retirement, Also bought a 12" Starrett height gage about the same time, still use it, more frequently that the caliper, for layout work.  Generally I use the dial caliper, but not for precision measurements.


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## RJSakowski (Yesterday at 12:26 PM)

I have several.  A six and eight inch German made and a 24" Starrett that I picked up for $25.  I cut my teeth on precision measuring with a vernier caliper. IMO, .0005" with a vernier is wishful thinking.  Measuring .001" with one is possible but one has to be extremely careful to avoid parallax and good at evaluating the centering of the two lines.   

My go-to is the digital caliper because of less chance of operator error and the ability to zero the caliper at any position.  My preference in using a caliper is to read while on the measured work as the act of removing the caliper is likely to change the position of the movable jaw, creating an error in measurement.  When measuring a diameter of work in the lathe, it is difficult enough to read a digital display while maintaining proper contact with the work.  It would be much more difficult to do so with a vernier.  I know that I can lock the jaw but doing so while while maintaining proper contact is difficult.   I have couple of dial calipers; my first was a Craftsman, purchased a half century ago, and a B & S.  I don't use them very often.

I still use my vernier micrometers.  The ability to lock the spindle so I can remove the micrometer for proper viewing eliminates the issue with the caliper. My digital micrometer has the annoying property of resetting the zero every time I power it up so it mostly sits idle.


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## Harry Knutz (Yesterday at 12:27 PM)

Yes my Height gauge is also vernier type.


benmychree said:


> I bought a Starrett 12" vernier caliper with a 50 division vernier back in the 1960s, and have used it quite a lot, but not so much after retirement, Also bought a 12" Starrett height gage about the same time, still use it, more frequently that the caliper, for layout work.  Generally I use the dial caliper, but not for precision measurements.


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## Harry Knutz (Yesterday at 12:32 PM)

RJSakowski said:


> I have several.  A six and eight inch German made and a 24" Starrett that I picked up for $25.  I cut my teeth on precision measuring with a vernier caliper. IMO, .0005" with a vernier is wishful thinking.  Measuring .001" with one is possible but one has to be extremely careful to avoid parallax and good at evaluating the centering of the two lines.
> 
> My go-to is the digital caliper because of less chance of operator error and the ability to zero the caliper at any position.  My preference in using a caliper is to read while on the measured work as the act of removing the caliper is likely to change the position of the movable jaw, creating an error in measurement.  When measuring a diameter of work in the lathe, it is difficult enough to read a digital display while maintaining proper contact with the work.  It would be much more difficult to do so with a vernier.  I know that I can lock the jaw but doing so while while maintaining proper contact is difficult.   I have couple of dial calipers; my first was a Craftsman, purchased a half century ago, and a B & S.  I don't use them very often.
> 
> I still use my vernier micrometers.  The ability to lock the spindle so I can remove the micrometer for proper viewing eliminates the issue with the caliper. My digital micrometer has the annoying property of resetting the zero every time I power it up so it mostly sits idle.


I mostly use digital calipers and mics, But I found these old tools interesting in how accurate they were, half thou may be just wishful thinking, But I think you could get pretty close, Especially with the higher quality ones, But on a hobby part I think these old verniers are quite accurate and it is fun to dust them off and use them just for using them's sake if nothing else. Things have sure gotten so much more advanced haven't they?


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## RJSakowski (Yesterday at 12:37 PM)

The vernier calipers are nice for wet. dirty, or greasy envitonments.  They're pretty much bulletproof.


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## benmychree (Yesterday at 1:05 PM)

RJSakowski said:


> I have several.  A six and eight inch German made and a 24" Starrett that I picked up for $25.  I cut my teeth on precision measuring with a vernier caliper. IMO, .0005" with a vernier is wishful thinking.  Measuring .001" with one is possible but one has to be extremely careful to avoid parallax and good at evaluating the centering of the two lines.
> 
> My go-to is the digital caliper because of less chance of operator error and the ability to zero the caliper at any position.  My preference in using a caliper is to read while on the measured work as the act of removing the caliper is likely to change the position of the movable jaw, creating an error in measurement.  When measuring a diameter of work in the lathe, it is difficult enough to read a digital display while maintaining proper contact with the work.  It would be much more difficult to do so with a vernier.  I know that I can lock the jaw but doing so while while maintaining proper contact is difficult.   I have couple of dial calipers; my first was a Craftsman, purchased a half century ago, and a B & S.  I don't use them very often.
> 
> I still use my vernier micrometers.  The ability to lock the spindle so I can remove the micrometer for proper viewing eliminates the issue with the caliper. My digital micrometer has the annoying property of resetting the zero every time I power it up so it mostly sits idle.


I agree with all that you said, I use micrometers for nearly all measuring, other than a steel rule.  The dial caliper is good for measuring non critical work, I do not like digital calipers as they tend to hunt, that is they flicker from one digit to another.


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## GeneT45 (Yesterday at 1:19 PM)

I have a set, but rarely use them anymore because I need an optivisor or at least more magnification than my readers to read them.  Dials are still easy to read.  All but one of my mics are vernier, but I recently picked up a digital 1" (Mitty) and wish I had done so a long time ago...

GsT


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## Provincial (Yesterday at 2:54 PM)

I keep verniers in places where they are used occasionally.  They do not need batteries, and batteries go bad every time you don't have a replacement available.  I also have one dial caliper which is kept in a spot where I would use an electronic caliper if not for the battery problem.  I use micrometers when I need to be precise.

An old machinist I knew when I was young called them "very-nears."

My Starrett 3-inch 425 slide calipers are in my pocket everywhere, every day.  They are my most-used tool.


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## cross thread (Yesterday at 3:37 PM)

In the mid 70's I got a entry level  job in a tool/die mold shop , I had some tools . The owner , a (Euro dude) wanted to look in my tool box . He saw my Craftsman 6" dial caliper (no digital back then) , he wouldn't let me use it in his shop . I asked why , he said " if you drop them they will skip a tooth and you will be making bad parts". I got a Mitutoyo 6" vernier  , I still have it today but it stays on my boat . It refuses to get rusty .
Mark .


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## mmcmdl (Yesterday at 5:27 PM)

I have 12" 24" and 36" still . No batteries to die , the gears never jump , heavy duty beams . The prices of these have gone up vs the dials and digital units . Cabin Fever last year was loaded with them but dayumm were they expensive . We'll see tomorrow what they bring up at the Fever .


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## ltlvt (Yesterday at 5:57 PM)

I have two pair of 6" imports. I keep one in the house to do semi precision measuring in the house and one in the shop for semi critical precision as well. I also have the old spring inside calipers and a Marfadite pair for marking. Next step up is dial calipers and also a pair of Digital ones. My go To's are the dial ones because I don't need to worry about low battery charge. I also have Vernier Mics. All my mics are calibrated to .0001. I also have a digital that is supposed to be accurate up to 1/2 of 0001. It also repeats on the gage blocks. Of the vernier mics my faves are an older than dirt Starret and next in line are B&S then Shars. There just seems to be something about the Starret feel over the rest. I have high confidence in all of them since i keep check on them and I am the only one that use them. I guess my 70-year-old arthritic hands just like Starret the best. LOL


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## Illinoyance (Yesterday at 7:52 PM)

I mostly use digital calipers but I have an old B&S 6", a Sarrett 12", and an old B&S 24". The 6" B&S has dimples on the back for setting dividers. I use that feature quite a bit.  I don't use calipers for precision work, preferring micrometers.


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## NCjeeper (Yesterday at 7:55 PM)

I have a 4 foot Starrett I picked up at a flea market. I couldn't just leave it there. I have not used it yet.


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## Chip Hacket (Yesterday at 8:28 PM)

NCjeeper said:


> I have a 4 foot Starrett I picked up at a flea market. I couldn't just leave it there. I have not used it yet.


It's not necessary you use a tool such as that.  It is important you eliminate the regret of leaving it behind.


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## ChazzC (Yesterday at 8:39 PM)

RJSakowski said:


> Measuring .001" with one is possible but one has to be extremely careful to avoid parallax and good at evaluating the centering of the two lines.



Reminds me of a ChemE PhD candidate in the early 70's who used a magnifying glass to read his slide rule from two vantage points, then averaged the readings to resolve parallax. But then he always aligned the slot-head screws on his experimental setups so they were vertical to avoid dust collecting in the slots and introducing error.

I, too, have several old school vernier calipers; this 24" one states that it can resolve 0.05mm/0.002":


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## ChazzC (Yesterday at 8:42 PM)

NCjeeper said:


> I have a 4 foot Starrett I picked up at a flea market. I couldn't just leave it there. I have not used it yet.


Sadly, I know the feeling . . . Either tomorrow or Sunday I'll post the items that I just couldn't leave without from this year's Cabin Fever.


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## NCjeeper (Yesterday at 8:57 PM)

Chip Hacket said:


> It's not necessary you use a tool such as that.  It is important you eliminate the regret of leaving it behind.


So true. I would be cussing myself all the way home for not buying it, if I had left it there.


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## Harry Knutz (Yesterday at 9:03 PM)

ChazzC said:


> Reminds me of a ChemE PhD candidate in the early 70's who used a magnifying glass to read his slide rule from two vantage points, then averaged the readings to resolve parallax. But then he always aligned the slot-head screws on his experimental setups so they were vertical to avoid dust collecting in the slots and introducing error.
> 
> I, too, have several old school vernier calipers; this 24" one states that it can resolve 0.05mm/0.002":
> 
> View attachment 433510


Wow, That's some fine resolution for these!


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## Provincial (Yesterday at 9:35 PM)

NCjeeper said:


> I have a 4 foot Starrett I picked up at a flea market. I couldn't just leave it there. I have not used it yet.


No Tool Left Behind!


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## ltlvt (Yesterday at 9:39 PM)

4 Feet! OMG! That calls for a 5-foot Gershner Wooden Toolbox. OMG!


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