Thread: Digital vernier caliper

BTDT. Compu-duh-rs aren't the be-alI and end-all for everything. The only advantage I see is ability to switch among fractional/digital (Imperial), and metric. I now use a dial caliper (mechanical). Reset to zero by adjusting the outer ring. Even so, you must take care to not unconsciously introduce variations in clamping force; quality micrometers have a drag feature (like on fishing reels) for consistent bearing.

Cheers,
Joe

Hi Tiger,
Are you sure you have the correct Battery.
Had 1 put in my good watch, by the time got home it was not working.Took it to a proper Watch Maker, said, the battery was wrong as it was to high, & had shorted itself out.
Going well now.
Just maybe.
Regards,
issatree.
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Got a really cheap one from Aldi. Haven't used it much but it comes with spare battery and a three year warranty!
I checked it against my old eye-straining ones and it seems accurate but for how long?
Cheers,
Jim

Originally Posted by Tiger

I bought a digital caliper from Super Cheap Auto a couple of years ago and now even after a new battery it has developed the nasty habit of losing its zeroing after I reset it. So, I set it to zero measure something, put it down and then seconds later when I check it by closing the jaws, instead of it reading zero, it reads -0.17 or +0.13 anything but 0.00 It didn't use to do this before, I guess it means it has had it and I assume there's no fix for it. I know you get what you pay for, but I haven't used it much but it's typical for Super Cheap Auto stuff.

Have you used it anywhere near metal dust?

Mine went troppo like that and I opened it up and washed it metho and let it dry out and it came good. Trouble is I dropped it the other day and shattered the glass cover - it still works but it's just a bit hard to read thru the cracks.

The problem with the cheap ones is they often cannot be taken apart.

Originally Posted by jimbur

Got a really cheap one from Aldi. Haven't used it much but it comes with spare battery and a three year warranty!
I checked it against my old eye-straining ones and it seems accurate but for how long?
Cheers,
Jim

I have several of the Aldi ones, keep one at most machines and have attached some to others, and none of them have given up the ghost yet. Also have one better quality one, use that for the metal lathe and mill, and although they are easier to read (bigger digits) they give the same readings as the cheaper ones.

I have a very high quality standard vernier calipers and IMHO the cheap digital ones give more accurate results as they are easier to read and interpret.

Hi all. My first post.

I too have a reliable Aldi one, think it was $19. Never missed a beat. The case it came in, including the fake wood grain and the smooth area where the 'brand' is customised, the internal foam cutouts for the tool and the spare battery, and the tool itself down to the materials, the adjustment knobs and colour of the digital readout encolsure are exactly the same as ones sold for $70+ by various vendors, e.g. at the Timber and Working with Wood Show.

renov8or,

At $19, can't go wrong, thanks for that.

All,

Apologies for re-raising this Very Old thread, but you seem to be the brains trust on digital calipers. I'm having a "discussion" with someone at work about the technique for using them to measure an inside dimension. A long time ago I was told to insert the calipers as far as possible into the bore to eliminate any machining wobble around the edge, and to make sure they're as close as possible to parallel with the axis. Both arguments made sense to my pea-sized brain. There is another school of thought (into which I bumped only recently) that claims I should only just insert the tip of the calipers. This seems fraught with opportunities to manipulate the reading, but I'll bow to advice and opinions from those who use them more often.

Any thoughts?

Well I can't comment on the tip/whole lot bit, but if you're doing a lot of that type of measuring and the small possible error is crucial, invest in a good internal caliper/micrometer.

A quick hunt on eBay will give you a couple of hundred options from Starrett and Mitutoyo. I picked up a BRAND NEW 12in metric and imperial Starrett Master vernier on eBay for $200 shipped - rec retail is over $600.

Originally Posted by 27saxophone

All,

Apologies for re-raising this Very Old thread, but you seem to be the brains trust on digital calipers. I'm having a "discussion" with someone at work about the technique for using them to measure an inside dimension. A long time ago I was told to insert the calipers as far as possible into the bore to eliminate any machining wobble around the edge, and to make sure they're as close as possible to parallel with the axis. Both arguments made sense to my pea-sized brain. There is another school of thought (into which I bumped only recently) that claims I should only just insert the tip of the calipers. This seems fraught with opportunities to manipulate the reading, but I'll bow to advice and opinions from those who use them more often.

Any thoughts?

With ID it's the smallest ID that matters. I was taught to measure ID in at least 8 symmetrically spaced radially locations with the calipers as far in as possible near the middle of the ID. If you can't reach in far enough then you need to use one of those longer ID calipers and use the digital in OD form on those.

Wot joe greiner says. Was involved in this field some time ago and most of our stuff was Mitutoyo mechanicals. A shight & briny digital display draws attention and everyone wants one only until they realise the things just aren't practical in everyday use. That being said, even the mechanical ones need calibrating, whether vernier or dial.



Wrote out a big long spiel on here only to realise how old the original post is.