Pin Gage Question

[Rex Walters]

My understanding of the CE mark was it was originally set up to equalize the playing field amongst the European Community members.

Sorry to prolong this, but the uncomfortable thing for me is that I've never seen ANY cert (ISO 9000 and CE are prime examples, but it's every field including software and not just hardware) that hasn't started as a good idea and then eventually been corrupted into a bureaucratic nightmare that inevitably devolves into paying enough of the right people enough money to ensure the certification.

The whole "China Export" thing cracked me up: but I actually admire the brilliant cockiness (sure, sure, yes, obviously the similarty of the mark was PURELY an accident ...).

 

[vvanders]

I think there's still some good examples out there. FCC certification comes to mind but that's got large penalties and clear ownership of who gets fined plus is relatively straightforward for any person with the right gear to identify non-compliant things. There's stuff that makes it through(powerline ethernet comes to mind) but by and large it seems to work reasonably well.

 

[SouthernChap]

Given the very small size of the pins do you think that just holding them might have made them change size a bit ?

I know people say this about micrometers but the pins must be only a fer grams of steel.

You know, I don't know. It was pretty cold in the workshop so any heat from my paws might have had a relatively significant effect. I was wearing nitrile gloves so there would have been some insulation though.

Machinery's Handbook has the data for the various steels' properties so I could look it up and if I absolutely trusted my measuring technique I might well do that but whilst I think my technique is okay, I reckon errors from that technique are likely to be greater than the effects of my gloved hands.

That's just a gut feeling though and if my measurements of these pins needed to be more than just indicative, I'd get off my lazy arse, check the material properties and do a better job.

My head is spinning at the thought of doing 190 mini holes in dowels

Stu

I mean, actually using my brain, rather than making a half-arsed comment, at least partially for comedic value, I suppose I wouldn't actually do 190 separate drilling operations.

I'd take the square dowel and cut enough pieces at the length of the applicable wood drills (so 1mm drill would be about 40mm, 2mm would be 50mm, etc), drill those pieces and then cut each of those drilled shorter square dowels to length (15mm or thereabouts) to make the individual holders.

I'd still have to tidy and chamfer each individual holder though.

Still and all, that's definitely a job for a rainy day.

 

[SouthernChap]

[double post]

 

[Larry$]

import sets from Shars. .011 to .500 by .001" & up to .0002 under.

Something that has not been directly addressed...up to .0002" under. Meaning they could be the marked size but no more and anywhere under down to .0002" under the marked size. So a tolerance of +.0000 to -.0002. At least for me, that means if the pin is actually it's marked size, it will feel very tight if it goes in at all. Warm fingers could make a difference. So could the temperature of the material. I & likely few of you work in a controlled environment. So the idea of a hobbyist working to .0001" is dubious at best. Even when I ream a hole, I suspect the surface finish of it is not perfect. Meaning I'm measuring the high spots. If I'm going for a pressed fit, those high spots will determine how "pressed" it really comes out.
OK, I'm listening to find out why I'm wrong & how come other hobbyist can hold .0001!

Side note: I've never tried to use my .011 gage pin. I suspect I would likely bend it if I tried. What's the trick? (Not using my old hands!)

 

[Rex Walters]

I've never tried to use my .011 gage pin

My smallest pin is 0.061 and I use it all the time as a precise spacer, not to gage bores.

But below 1/16” a feeler gage is more practical, imo.

 

[Rex Walters]

I realize I'm part of the reason this thread is going all over the place, but while I prefer a feeler gage to gage pins for really small dimensions, my favorite feeler gage is the Starrett 467 (or similar) expressly because it has the 0.100" and 0.200" thick leaves. It's really handy for setup work!

(Dunno why either Google or Starrett thinks I'm in New Zealand.)