# How often do you measure over 12"?



## NCjeeper (Apr 27, 2017)

My mics and calipers go up to 12" and I hadn't needed to take a precision measurement over 12" so far in the last few years of home shop machining. Just wondering if its worth picking up a 18" or 24" caliper for the off chance I may need one. Just don't want to spend money on tools I may never use. For those that own larger measuring tools how often do you use them?


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## David S (Apr 27, 2017)

Just a hobbyist here, but I have never needed more than my 8" calipers.  

David


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## T Bredehoft (Apr 27, 2017)

I have used my 12" calipers in the last 4 years, but only once.


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## chips&more (Apr 27, 2017)

A true toolaholic would not be asking this question! A true toolaholic would already own one!!!


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## Charles Spencer (Apr 27, 2017)

I have micrometers up to 13".  I haven't used any over 6" in the last four years.  I have an 18" rule and a 36" Lufkin rule.  They are accurate enough for work of that size that I do.


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## rgray (Apr 27, 2017)

I have a set of 12" calipers. Haven't used them for years.
I have micrometers to 5" and haven't used a 4 or 5 in a long time.
A friend of mine with a tractor repair shop bought a set of mitutoyo mics from 0-12" and was very proud of them.
I was looking at them and thinking to myself "at least there are 3 in the set that might get used"
Usually hoping I don't need to measure anything that big that accurately.


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## pstemari (Apr 27, 2017)

I have 12" vernier calipers I use fairly often, but it's because I love how they feel and they are considerably more rigid than typical dial calipers.

I seldom measure anything longer than 3" to any serious degree of accuracy.

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk


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## NCjeeper (Apr 27, 2017)

chips&more said:


> A true toolaholic would not be asking this question! A true toolaholic would already own one!!!


I agree. Just that I cant afford everything I see.


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## Rustrp (Apr 27, 2017)

I'm really surprized you didn't get more, oh sure, absolutely, you will need them when that big job comes along, and you will never be able to get by without an 18"-24" so go ahead and Super Size to a 36".  

Go with the vernier scale and then it doesn't matter how long it waits to measure something, it will always be ready.
http://www.starrett.com/metrology/p...-Hand-Tools/Precision-Measuring-Tools/123z-36

Edit; It's always good for a chuckle when I visit my friends shop and I can't resist running my finger through the dust of the wood case for his 72".


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## ch2co (Apr 27, 2017)

My longest is a 12" Mitutoyo dial caliper which I take out of its box every now and then. Glad I have it.
What do you guys do to accurately measure something longer than the longest caliper or micrometer in your tool box.
I was thinking of trying to do-it-yourself with a DRO turned into a caliper. Any other suggestions for a small home shop?

Grumpy


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## T Bredehoft (Apr 27, 2017)

My 36" vernier caliper, (.025 scale) hasn't been used since before  I retired in 2000., Yes, it's  wooden case is  dusty.


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## dlane (Apr 27, 2017)

I have a super accurate yard stick


ch2co said:


> I was thinking of trying to do-it-yourself with a DRO turned into a caliper. Any other suggestions for a small home shop?






Some day I'll figure a way to mount on my SB10L or ?


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## ch2co (Apr 27, 2017)

DLANE    Where did you get such beast? Thats really cool. Is it actually a yard long? What type of end piece does the scale have on it?

Grumpy


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## NCjeeper (Apr 27, 2017)

Shars has a 24" vernier for 60 bucks. I may grab that.


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## Rustrp (Apr 27, 2017)

dlane said:


> I have a super accurate yard stick
> 
> View attachment 232295
> View attachment 232296
> ...



I'm seeing a vernier scale on this correct, 21.221" +/-?


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## scwhite (Apr 27, 2017)

NCjeeper said:


> My mics and calipers go up to 12" and I hadn't needed to take a precision measurement over 12" so far in the last few years of home shop machining. Just wondering if its worth picking up a 18" or 24" caliper for the off chance I may need one. Just don't want to spend money on tools I may never use. For those that own larger measuring tools how often do you use them?


I wish I had some 12" vernier calipers starrett 123 
    They are better that dial calipers but far .


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## f350ca (Apr 27, 2017)

My mic's only go to 6 inch, very seldom need high precision above that but have a 24 inch Fowler dial caliber that gets used a few times a year. 

Greg


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## randyjaco (Apr 27, 2017)

I use my 24" calipers about once a month. When I have to, they are worth their weight in gold. I also have 18s, 12s, 8s and 6s.

Randy


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## dlane (Apr 27, 2017)

It is 3'  , not sure what it came off ov, it has shcs's on the ends 
And is built rite


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## joe350r2 (Apr 27, 2017)

I carry a 12" caliper with me as I travel to set up clamps on bottle making machines, but what prompted my input to this thread was an ex- engineer I worked with would regularly specify dimensions in excess of 100" to 4 decimal places. For a part that in times past would have been laid out with a tape measure 

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk


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## Silverbullet (Apr 27, 2017)

Oh you have the money , you gotta have the biggest YA can. At least 36" minimum 24" .  But I'm a toolaholic  and have to many tools or do I .


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## 4GSR (Apr 27, 2017)

I have mikes up to 16" left over from dad's shop.  I have not used any one of them over 9" since we shut the shop down in 2003.  I do have digital and dial calipers up to 12" and they get used quite often.  Also have vernier calipers up to 40" and they get used about once a year. Will I get rid of any of them? Probably not. Let my kids deal with that after I'm gone.


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## darkzero (Apr 28, 2017)

My largest mic is a 6" also. I really don't have the need for accuracy better than a couple thou for larger than that. I regularly use a 6" caliper, digital too. I use calipers for quick & easy measurements. But I do have 12" & 18" Mitutoyo vernier calipers in wooden cases. 

I was fine with the 12" but recently had to measure something that was 15" long. Came across the 18" so I picked it up. They don't get used often so vernier was fine with me & I got them for great prices anyway.

When I was bidding on the 18" I was also bidding on a 60" Mitu vernier. Price got to high so I backed out. I probably would have never used it anyway.


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## uncle harry (Apr 28, 2017)

NCjeeper said:


> My mics and calipers go up to 12" and I hadn't needed to take a precision measurement over 12" so far in the last few years of home shop machining. Just wondering if its worth picking up a 18" or 24" caliper for the off chance I may need one. Just don't want to spend money on tools I may never use. For those that own larger measuring tools how often do you use them?



I have a 12" dial caliper that I have used  once  in 8 years. A couple decades ago while visiting a vendor in Springfield MA I was shown a seven foot vernier unit that they were required to have in order to bid on military jobs. I didn't ask how often it was used.


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## mzayd3 (Apr 28, 2017)

I have only used my 12" dial caliper twice in several years. For large stuff, you could possibly get by with plain calipers, if you are fitting in piece to another and both are on hand.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Ulma Doctor (Apr 28, 2017)

i gotta get my game together, the largest calipers i have are 8" 
i really don't machine stuff larger than 6" in diameter, but larger calipers may come in handy sometime


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## scwhite (Apr 28, 2017)

If I had a set of 12"  Vernier calipers  starrett 123 master bar
I would use them every time I needed them
    I got my 8-1/2" calipers and my 14-1/2" vernier
 123 both sets .


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## BGHansen (Apr 28, 2017)

I've got a 24" calipers that's been used once.  Have 12" calipers (dial type) at two lathes and a mill.  Have digital 12" at the two lathes.  Have 8" digitals at each machine; also 6" dial/digital and 4" 'ers.

Bruce


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## Rustrp (Apr 28, 2017)

joe350r2 said:


> I carry a 12" caliper with me as I travel to set up clamps on bottle making machines, but what prompted my input to this thread was an ex- engineer I worked with would regularly specify dimensions in excess of 100" to 4 decimal places. For a part that in times past would have been laid out with a tape measure
> 
> Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk



At the company picnic the engineer would be in the process of explaining the project; He stops mid sentence and says to my coworker and I who were sitting across the table, "you guys don't even do that" as we shake our heads no. Must have been our facial expressions.


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## Rustrp (Apr 28, 2017)

dlane said:


> It is 3' , not sure what it came off ov, it has shcs's on the ends
> And is built rite



I'm questioning if it came off of anything and Built-Rite probably isn't in the tool making business anymore. The positive is they are still in the US making tool and die products specific to the injection mould industry. Maybe the screws in the ends are just to keep the vernier scale on. Leave it outside tonight and I'll come by to inspect it. 

Edit; I'm surprised I can't find any information on it. It is a nice measuring tool and I could see it mounted to the lathe but I think it would have more uses otherwise.


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## kd4gij (Apr 29, 2017)

My 6" calipers don't get used much at work. The 12" sure does.


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## scwhite (Apr 30, 2017)

dlane said:


> I have a super accurate yard stick
> 
> View attachment 232295
> View attachment 232296
> ...


Is that a lathe carriage scale .
    Where did you get it.
        How long have you had it 
             Is it home made or a true lathe vernier scale 
It looks to be a very good tool to add the the lathe


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## Uglydog (Apr 30, 2017)

Brown Sharpe 36" vernier caliper.
Got her cheap on account of the surface rust.
Was very pleased that she had no pitting! 
Cleaned up nice.

Daryl
MN


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## scwhite (Apr 30, 2017)

Uglydog said:


> Brown Sharpe 36" vernier caliper.
> Got her cheap on account of the surface rust.
> Was very pleased that she had no pitting!
> Cleaned up nice.
> ...


Is that bar round


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## Uglydog (Apr 30, 2017)

scwhite said:


> Is that bar round


Looks exactly like this only 36". This is not my pic... 
Also, mine didn't come with the 2diamonds.

Daryl
MN


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## scwhite (Apr 30, 2017)

Uglydog said:


> Looks exactly like this only 36". This is not my pic...
> Also, mine didn't come with the 2diamonds.
> 
> Daryl
> ...


I was talking about that vernier scale early 
On in this thread that is laying on that big saw cut 
Log . It appears to be a round Vernier 
Don't look anything like the one you just posted


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## dlane (Apr 30, 2017)

Scwhite : the yard stick is 2/3 round, the measure head is round on the right side,
I got it from a guy that his machinist farther passed away and was selling stuff off about a year ago along with a lot of other machinist stuff.
Rustrp: I was referring to its quality not who made it, as there are no names on it, hence built rite.
Some day I'll find a use for it , I'm not seeing a way to mount it on the SB 10L yet.


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## scwhite (Apr 30, 2017)

dlane said:


> Scwhite : the yard stick is 2/3 round, the measure head is round on the right side,
> I got it from a guy that his machinist farther passed away and was selling stuff off about a year ago along with a lot of other machinist stuff.
> Rustrp: I was referring to its quality not who made it, as there are no names on it, hence built rite.
> Some day I'll find a use for it , I'm not seeing a way to mount it on the SB 10L yet.


Is the ends threaded


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## Rustrp (Apr 30, 2017)

dlane said:


> Scwhite : the yard stick is 2/3 round, the measure head is round on the right side,
> I got it from a guy that his machinist farther passed away and was selling stuff off about a year ago along with a lot of other machinist stuff.
> Rustrp: I was referring to its quality not who made it, as there are no names on it, hence built rite.
> Some day I'll find a use for it , I'm not seeing a way to mount it on the SB 10L yet.



Okay, I saw built rite and thought you were referring to the tool company in Massachusetts. I can find a use for the precision rule if you run out of ideas.


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## dlane (Apr 30, 2017)

1/4-20 end threads


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## Highsider (May 1, 2017)

I have a 24" vernier caliper, but for most OD measurements, a diameter tape (pi tape) is just about as accurate and a lot cheaper.


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## Dabbler (May 1, 2017)

I have a 12" digital caliper I use about 1/month.  Just picked up a 24" manual vernier caliper.  I admit it - I'm a toolaholic.


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## scwhite (May 1, 2017)

Highsider said:


> I have a 24" vernier caliper, but for most OD measurements, a diameter tape (pi tape) is just about as accurate and a lot cheaper.


No a tape is not ether 
Try the Starrett Vervier calipers model 123z 
Master bar . 
      They are extremely accurate.
          All you need to do is learn how to use them 
The feel is a little tricky but they are very very accurate. 50 vernier  divisions on them .


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## coolidge (May 1, 2017)

For anything over 6 inches my Starret rules and square have sufficed, I have a 12 and 24 in chrome satin that fit the combination square.


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## NCjeeper (May 11, 2017)

So I needed some stuff from Shars so I threw a 24" caliper in my cart. Ironically on ebay shipping costs for the caliper are 17 bucks. My order from shars with the caliper was 15 bucks.


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## Dabbler (May 11, 2017)

One of my friends, a toolmaker, claims he did an assembly over 24 feet using only an accurate tape measure and a jewelers loop, holding to .003 tolerance all along the way...  I know he holds incredible accuracy on his machines, so it lends some credibility to his claim.  It was cheap enough to get an accurate vernier that was 24" long.


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## Rustrp (May 11, 2017)

Dabbler said:


> One of my friends, a toolmaker, claims



It's my guess that .003" will come and go with the evening breeze.


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## ezduzit (May 11, 2017)

Pikers! 

My largest caliper reads to 60"


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## NCjeeper (May 12, 2017)

You win ez.


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## rick9345 (May 16, 2017)

Big callipers,Big *bragging rights*, no need to measure.


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## Catcam (May 29, 2017)

NCjeeper said:


> My mics and calipers go up to 12" and I hadn't needed to take a precision measurement over 12" so far in the last few years of home shop machining. Just wondering if its worth picking up a 18" or 24" caliper for the off chance I may need one. Just don't want to spend money on tools I may never use. For those that own larger measuring tools how often do you use them?


You can't have enough tools but when your calipers are not long enough I use the bed of the mill. clamp the item down  and measure it with the DRO.
Realistically only ever used it once on a motor shaft that was rebuilt and I wanted to ensure the end play was correct.


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## NCjeeper (May 29, 2017)

Catcam said:


> You can't have enough tools but when your calipers are not long enough I use the bed of the mill. clamp the item down  and measure it with the DRO.
> Realistically only ever used it once on a motor shaft that was rebuilt and I wanted to ensure the end play was correct.


Ahh good thinking.


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## benmychree (May 30, 2017)

scwhite said:


> No a tape is not ether
> Try the Starrett Vervier calipers model 123z
> Master bar .
> They are extremely accurate.
> ...


The Pi Tape reads to .001" how is the vernier caliper any better?


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## Dabbler (May 31, 2017)

pi tape... good idea!


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## benmychree (May 31, 2017)

Actually both vernier caliper AND Pi tape are better!  Pi Tape for diameters and Vernier caliper for lengths and short IDs and ODs.
A dude cannot have too many tools!


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## celtic1522 (May 31, 2017)

Have a pair of 12 inch digi absolute mitutoyos, and a pair of 8 inch vernier mitutoyos too. Would use the 12 inch pair every day as they are just so easy to read! As for mics, they go to 6 inch and 150 mm on the ex and 300 mm on the internals, 8 inch and 150 mm with the depth. Anything over that I borrow off a friend who is a general engineer. Only happend once in 10 years I think.  

David


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## 4GSR (May 31, 2017)

I have a couple of PI tapes I use to measure OD's and some ID's of rubber goods.  Ever try to measure a piece of round rubber using calipers or mics?  Rubber is not always round, definitely spongy.  I have fought with rubber vendors on dimensions being out of tolerance, and when they pull out a PI tape and measure, guess who's right now?


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## scwhite (May 31, 2017)

benmychree said:


> The Pi Tape reads to .001" how is the vernier caliper any better?


I guess I don't know what you are talking about 
    What is a Pi Tape I don't think I know what one is


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## scwhite (May 31, 2017)

4gsr said:


> I have a couple of PI tapes I use to measure OD's and some ID's of rubber goods.  Ever try to measure a piece of round rubber using calipers or mics?  Rubber is not always round, definitely spongy.  I have fought with rubber vendors on dimensions being out of tolerance, and when they pull out a PI tape and measure, guess who's right now?


Pi tape 
You are going to have to tell me what the Pi stands stands for .


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## rock_breaker (May 31, 2017)

Not trying to steal any ones thunder but pi is the circumference of a circle divided by it's diameter.  My dictionary says this is of Greek origin.  As you know it is also used to find the area of a circle.
Have a good day
Ray


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## Rustrp (May 31, 2017)

scwhite said:


> Pi tape
> You are going to have to tell me what the Pi stands stands for .


Pi numerically is 3.1416 and you know this already. A Pi tape is used to wrap around the circumference of a cylinder to arrive at the diameter. As has already been commented, they work well on irregular or distorted shapes and soft plastic, rubber, etc. When all else fails or you just don't have a tape, wrap a piece of sturdy tape around the outside, slice it with a knife, peal it off and measure it, then divide this by 3.1416. I wouldn't look for .0001"accuracy this way but you're in the ballpark close.


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