Dial calipers

[tibi]

Hello,

I have decided to buy dial calipers. I had cheap digital calipers in the past, but they were constantly resetting themselves or showing random numbers and as I do not have heated workshop, the battery life during cold months was also low. Then I bought vernier calipers. They are foolproof, but it takes me a long time to read the scale, especially if I want to take readings at multiple places in quick succession.

I use calipers e.g. when I am thicknessing by hand and I go below a mark at a certain area. It is quicker for me to make the board 0.2 mm thinner and check with calipers than to rescribe a new line around the board.

Do you have experience with dial calipers? Are they reliable and should I choose 150 mm or 200 mm version (6 or 8 inch)? I know that bigger is better, but sometimes I just don't want to use a tool often, because it is too big in the hand and it is not comfortable to use. I have made 800 mm panel gauge, and immediately I realized that I want to make a smaller version as well , as this one if too big to use comfortably.

Thank you.

 

[Reffc]

I have a collection of calipers and gauges which I use but the most often used are my Moore and Wright 150mm digital verniers. As I mainly use them for checking thicknesses, depth of cuts and for tool set up, they don't need to be any larger. Battery will suffer in colder months but I haven't changed the battery in mine for about 12 months and it's still fine. Just keep a spare for when you need it.

 

[Jacob]

For woodworking purposes 0.5mm is as precise as you'll ever need but you can go the extra step (0.1mm?) with a cheap vernier calliper such as this - Google Shopping
I've had the same one for thirty years or so. Never seen the point of dials (except eyesight?), still less digital or battery.

 

[Inspector]

My first calliper was a dial type, 6". I still use it from time to time, never for thicknessing though. They are reliable and you don't need a top of the line version but don't look for the cheapest either. An 8" gets to be too big for normal use and if I wasn't getting a 6" a little 4" fits in the pocket nicely if you can find them.

 

[Robbo3]

Posted this in the woodturning section back in 2018.

Very useful for accurate measurement especially if your eyesight isn't as good as it used to be.
The bottom two measure 10mm for one turn of the needle with each small mark being one tenth of a millimetre - more than accurate enough for any type of woodwork. The nylon ones are for general use & the metal ones for use on the lathe. One word of warning, round off the sharp corners of the internal legs if you use them on rotating wood.
The top pair measure in 64ths for the odd time when I need imperial & saves making a mistake with the size conversion.
The second pair from the top measure 5mm per rotation, which although more accurate, you have to take great care to see if the needle is in the 0-5 or 6-10 range.

 

[Ttrees]

I like these types of verniers, great if planing long stock up up, should you be laminating timbers.
No reading, just pinch and lock. (with the single locking screw, the dual screwed ones are an annoyance)
Also nicer if they come to a sharp point, compared to some stubby ones with blunt/steep edges, which seemingly have lesser (jaw?) depth.
Hundreds of uses in the workshop, not just for woodworking either.

I thought these graduations were etched into the stainless everywhere, but I think its some kind of formed alloy as I can make out no joint...
Checking an Aldi one just now, and see it is an alloy strip.
I didn't detect this with the one below.
I was also quite underwhelmed in seeing no etched point in order to read this without using batteries, nor finer increments, a rip off by comparison to the one below.

I'd just look for the cheapest good looking one, with decent pictures.
I'd reckon 15 euro might likely be the lowest place to start with.
Checking the end of the strip would be something to look for,
the workzone cheapie strip is very obviously nasty on the end, and asking to
come away from the stock,
compared to the one below which may possibly be encased/or let in from all edges, or the stop piece held on with a pair of tiny screws are totally covering/keeping the edge from peeling.

This was a gift, and I'd go out and buy another straight away if it got damaged or lost.
(I eased some edges for my thumbs)

 

[MikeJhn]

I use my digital vernier without the battery, I can see the lines and estimate if the tell line is a third or a half a millimetre between two measure lines, accurate enough for woodworking IMO.

 

[tibi]

For woodworking purposes 0.5mm is as precise as you'll ever need but you can go the extra step (0.1mm?) with a cheap vernier calliper such as this - Google Shopping
I've had the same one for thirty years or so. Never seen the point of dials (except eyesight?), still less digital or battery.

My eyesight is not that bad, as I am young, but working at the PC every day does not improve it. I have a vernier caliper, but I find dial calipers easier to read. For the vernier caliper, I find the 4 or 5 adjacent marks to match with the opposite graduation (cannot see the difference well). I can make one or two readings, but in case I need to do many in a row, it really slows me down.

 

[tibi]

I am interested in this caliper. It should be decent
https://shop.kinexmeasuring.com/en/...ntishock-csn-25-1235-din-862-p9002408c24c171/

 

[Jacob]

I like these types of verniers, great if planing long stock up up, should you be laminating timbers.
No reading, just pinch and lock. (with the single locking screw, the dual screwed ones are an annoyance)
Also nicer if they come to a sharp point, compared to some stubby ones with blunt/steep edges, which seemingly have lesser (jaw?) depth.
Hundreds of uses in the workshop, not just for woodworking either.

I thought these graduations were etched into the stainless everywhere, but I think its some kind of formed alloy as I can make out no joint...
Checking an Aldi one just now, and see it is an alloy strip.
I didn't detect this with the one below.
I was also quite underwhelmed in seeing no etched point in order to read this without using batteries, nor finer increments, a rip off by comparison to the one below.

I'd just look for the cheapest good looking one, with decent pictures.
I'd reckon 15 euro might likely be the lowest place to start with.
Checking the end of the strip would be something to look for,
the workzone cheapie strip is very obviously nasty on the end, and asking to
come away from the stock,
compared to the one below which may possibly be encased/or let in from all edges, or the stop piece held on with a pair of tiny screws are totally covering/keeping the edge from peeling.

This was a gift, and I'd go out and buy another straight away if it got damaged or lost.
(I eased some edges for my thumbs)
View attachment 148731

I've got one like yours on the left but I don't use it as 1/1000 of an inch is way beyond anything a woodworker needs and is harder to read then an ordinary vernier caliper like the Draper. Also the Draper is much cheaper and won't come to harm kicking around in a workshop environment.

 

[HamsterJam]

I have these and find them easy to read, very useful and sufficiently accurate…
https://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/calipers/8412537

 

[tpaul]

Hello,

I have decided to buy dial calipers. I had cheap digital calipers in the past, but they were constantly resetting themselves or showing random numbers and as I do not have heated workshop, the battery life during cold months was also low. Then I bought vernier calipers. They are foolproof, but it takes me a long time to read the scale, especially if I want to take readings at multiple places in quick succession.

I use calipers e.g. when I am thicknessing by hand and I go below a mark at a certain area. It is quicker for me to make the board 0.2 mm thinner and check with calipers than to rescribe a new line around the board.

Do you have experience with dial calipers? Are they reliable and should I choose 150 mm or 200 mm version (6 or 8 inch)? I know that bigger is better, but sometimes I just don't want to use a tool often, because it is too big in the hand and it is not comfortable to use. I have made 800 mm panel gauge, and immediately I realized that I want to make a smaller version as well , as this one if too big to use comfortably.

Thank you.

Cheap electronic calipers do not turn off completely, they just shut down the diplay so they can be hard on batteries. I've had electronic ones that ate batteries and ones that didn't. (In a workplace environment they tend to grow legs so there I use cheap dial calipers. If the needle slips they are easily recalibrated by twisting the dial) For my own workshop I finally bought Mitutoyo. Even if I forget to turn them off the battery lasts for ever

 

[Corset]

I have digital, some metal dial and plastic calipers. I reach for the plastic dial calipers always first. Light, easy to read and i dont panic i drop them. MInd you my eyesight is getting worse so that makes vernier a pain. I find .1mm more than accurate enough. MIne are yellow which makes them easy to spot in the dust...

 

[niall Y]

Dial calipers are a good way to go - no short battery life to contend with, and a lot easier to read than a vernier, especially for 'blind old gits' like me. The only fault with the ones I am using at the moment, is that the scale along the shaft ,is starting to rub away, so at some point I will be able to read what fraction of a millimetre I am dealing with , but not the millimetres ,themselves. .....................Time for a newer ,better one , I think

 

[Terry - Somerset]

Looking at the dial callipers they all seem to do only external measurements. I am sure my digital callipers can do both external and internal measurement (can't check as packed away for house move).

Are they all like this

 

[Gerry]

All the ones pictured above in Robbo3's post do internal measurements.

Gerry

 

[Ttrees]

I've got one like yours on the left but I don't use it as 1/1000 of an inch is way beyond anything a woodworker needs and is harder to read then an ordinary vernier caliper like the Draper. Also the Draper is much cheaper and won't come to harm kicking around in a workshop environment.

That Draper one seems to be made of pressed sheet steel, compared to
the milled component which looks a lot more durable and sureworthy to me.

I will mention the little stop at the end did come loose, and a little machine screw
disappeared,(only found the workzone cheapie in the house yesterday)
I might have borrowed the screw for mine.

I'll be piening that little stop permanently in future.
IMO, if you can do that, then it's pretty solid in my opinion.

 

[Jacob]

That Draper one seems to be made of pressed sheet steel,

yes. Perfectly good enough for the purpose

compared to
the milled component which looks a lot more durable and sureworthy to me.

Well mine has been well used and kicking around (literally!) for at least 30 years. Dropped, stood on, left to go rusty cleaned up. No problem at all. Yours probably has closer tolerances which means it wouldn't withstand rough treatment.

I will mention the little stop at the end did come loose, and a little machine screw disappeared,(only found the workzone cheapie in the house yesterday)
I might have borrowed the screw for mine.

No probs with the Draper

I'll be piening that little stop permanently in future.
IMO, if you can do that, then it's pretty solid in my opinion.

Didn't need to mend the Draper

 

[Jacob]

Looking at the dial callipers they all seem to do only external measurements. I am sure my digital callipers can do both external and internal measurement (can't check as packed away for house move).

Are they all like this

They all also do internal and depth. Have another look.

 

[Ttrees]

yes. Perfectly good enough for the purpose

Well mine has been well used and kicking around (literally!) for at least 30 years. Dropped, stood on, left to go rusty cleaned up. No problem at all. Yours probably has closer tolerances which means it wouldn't withstand rough treatment.

No probs with the Draper

Didn't need to mend the Draper

And I've never needed to de-rust mine, as they are made from stainless.