Considering making my own pin gage set

Did not mean anyone specifically; my apologies The comment was just me being anal. Can't help it; I was the calibration technician for an aerospace company for 30 plus years. Working in and running a calibration lab "splitting hairs" has done strange things to my head. You ought to see what my wife puts up with.
 
My $0.02: I have 3 of the Vermont Gage ZZ Minus sets that cover from 0.061" to 0.625" and I use them a lot. They are accurate to 0.0002" and have black oxide coating. I have learned to pay the money when it comes to metrology stuff such as these and mics. Every pin I've measured is well within stated tolerance. I can't imagine making these with the time involved and precision needed. I assume you need to grind these to dimension and to get a good surface finish.

The biggest set covers 0.501" to 0.625" and is very expensive and heavy, but sometimes I need to go larger than 0.5000".
 
I use pin gauges frequently—I have them up to 0.2500. They are good for measuring tapers, which are really difficult to measure without them.

But pins are like gauge blocks—they are for inspecting work to the tenth, and thus must be accurate to 10 millionths. If the work only needs to accurate to the thousandth, drills and precision ground dowel pins work well enough, if you measure them first with a tenth-reading micrometer.

My rule is to use a measurement tool with ten times the accuracy the workpiece needs. That’s why I bought second-hand pin sets that had been certified at one time. They are usually for sale because something went out of spec, but would still be better than a lower-grade import set.

But gauge pins are also quick and convenient for measuring small holes that don’t need to be as accurate. I didn’t miss them before I had them, but now I use them often enough to be glad I have them.

Rick “uses pins more frequently than blocks” Denney
 
Bone Head said:
Did not mean anyone specifically; my apologies The comment was just me being anal. Can't help it; I was the calibration technician for an aerospace company for 30 plus years. Working in and running a calibration lab "splitting hairs" has done strange things to my head. You ought to see what my wife puts up with.
Click to expand...
I asked her and she said you still round up. You keep saying 5 and half is six inches.






Sorry, couldn't resist.
 
There is a thread here somewhere on extending the measurement range substantially by using three gauge pins, all of different diameter.
This is worthwhile checking out for the occasional need to accurately measure a bigger hole than your set covers.
 
Winegrower said:
There is a thread here somewhere on extending the measurement range substantially by using three gauge pins, all of different diameter.
This is worthwhile checking out for the occasional need to accurately measure a bigger hole than your set covers.
Click to expand...

That’s a really interesting thought. Has anyone worked out the calculator on this?
 
Christianstark said:
That’s a really interesting thought. Has anyone worked out the calculator on this?
Click to expand...

Yes, but I don't know how to copy a thread link directly, nor apparently how to unbold, etc. There are some interesting examples and math for this approach. Use this for the site search:​

Using three pin gauges to extend measurement range​

 
Several years ago I bought import gage pins. .011" to .500" by .001" +.000 to -.0002. I checked them when I received them with a tenths micrometer. They were surprisingly accurate. Perfect, not likely, good enough for hobby use though. I have used them quite a lot and would hate to be without. By just using 2 pins I can accurately measure holes to .998 diameter.
 
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