Is there an alternative use for telescoping bore gauges?

[ericc]

I happened to find myself in Berkeley, so I went to a garage sale. It turned out to be run by two very obvious stoners. Oh dude, what a freaky city. They were just like the stereotypical old hippies. There were all kinds of tools there, and I picked up this huge indicator for $3. It is cute, anyway, and it looks pretty high quality. It looked like something that Alice's white rabbit would be carrying around. Anyway, there was an ashtray sitting on the table with some dual ended alligator clips. Obviously, they were roach clips. The ashtray and its contents were drenched with some foul smelling resin and made me wish that I had some mineral spirits with me to clean up a little. The smell would have been preferable. There were three telescoping gauges made by Starrett in the ashtray. One was caked with resin and jammed, but I was pretty sure that penetrating oil would free it up. The old guy asked me if I knew what they were, and I said sure, telescoping gauges. He said they were used to calibrate calipers. "Do you just trust those things without checking them?" Anyway, he just threw them in with the indicator. Are they used as, er, paraphenalia for partaking of such substances? I am not very savvy about this pastime, but I thought that telescoping gauges were only for measuring internal diameters, oh, and of course "calibrating calipers."

 

[Deleted member 69715]

Soak the telescoping gauges in a mix of kerosene and ATF. A few days at least; that should loosen them up.
Telescoping gauges are a "transfer standard", or at least that's how the shops I worked use them. And no; they do not "calibrate" anything.
Not familiar with the dial indicator tool.

 

[darkzero]

 

[Winegrower]

That flexible head makes all the difference in a good hammer.

 

[FOMOGO]

Now that there is some funny stuff. Mike

 

[OTmachine]

I have one of these Ames Gauges that I like. Even comes with an included adjustable standard down to 1/8” increments, which doubles as the handle.

 

[mmcmdl]

LOL , I remember that one Will !

 

[benmychree]

I have one of these Ames Gauges that I like. Even comes with an included adjustable standard down to 1/8” increments, which doubles as the handle.

Yes, dial bore gage for showing taper/wear in gas engine cylinders.