Which Vernier caliper?

[PeteXXX]

Here’s mine.. I’ve had them since I was a scientific glass blower in 1976.
They still come in handy!

 

[smutchin]

[QUOTE 5111521, member: 9609"]depth gauge[/QUOTE]

Oh! So that's what it is. I never realised.

Doh!

 

[Levo-Lon]

Dont forget a vernier is no good for measuring worn disc rotors as the can't measure dished wear as they go across the flat parts so you get a false reading
Mic for minimum thickness is the right tool.

 

[Tim Hall]

(thread drift) After listening to The Infinite Monkey Cage last night, I looked up the Ligo experiment, where laser interferometers were used to detect gravitational waves. Over a 4km path they were measuring teeny weeny distances, which if scaled up were equivalent to the thickness of a human hair over the distance to Proxima Centuari. That's somewhat boggling.

 

[gavroche]

I still have my mics and Mitutoyo digital vernier from my days of working in engineering, including a four drawers tool box I made myself in the 70s.

 

[gbb]

Cheap ones are fine for occasional home / cycle use.
I have a digital Mitutoyo at work and a cheap plastic dial type and tbh, for sizing drills etc, i more often than not just use the cheap plastic one.

 

[Biff600]

I've got a load of these high quality 100% pure plastic ones that I use for measuring glass thickness's at work

 

[AyJay]

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/150mm-6i...345307&hash=item4b336b3ddb:g:g38AAOSwVNxaS7S7

I paid about £4. I works for me. Bring on the contempt.

Yeah, works for me too. For the few times I use it, fine.

 

[Pale Rider]

I've got a load of these high quality 100% pure plastic ones that I use for measuring glass thickness's at work

View attachment 391049

You had better Christmas crackers than we did.

 

[Randy Butternubs]

I've got a load of these high quality 100% pure plastic ones that I use for measuring glass thickness's at work

View attachment 391049

Yeah, I've got a plastic pair and they are just fine for low accuracy shed stuff. They feel far nicer than cheap metal ones as they don't have sharp, unbroken edges or a graunchy sliding action.

 

[andrew_s]

I'd suggest that you get a dial caliper rather than a vernier.
Easier to read than a vernier, and no battery to be in need of replacement just when you want to measure something.

 

[winjim]

Right, cheers for the input all. I've had a look round and got a shortlist together. All are 150mm, 0.05mm, metric + imperial.

• Mitutoyo seem to be the top brand. Two suitable models, the 530-104 for £38.04 and the 530-316 for £50. Not quite sure what the differences are but 50 quid is too expensive anyway.
• Moore and Wright are no longer made in Sheffield, which is a pity. Seem to have one "proper" set for £49 and several budget lines, the 100 series at £15.90 and 110 series at £18.20.
• Starret are simple with a single product at £31.39
• Kinex have their top line parallax free model at €32.77 with a lower model at €17.58

So, budgetary constraints being what they are, it's looking like either a cheapy model of a good brand (M&W), or a good model from a lesser known brand (Starret or Kinex). Much as I'd love one, both the Mitutoyos are really out of my price range. The cheap M&W feel like they're just trading on the name, so I'm leaning towards the Starret or Kinex.

I'll sleep on it.

 

[winjim]

I'd suggest that you get a dial caliper rather than a vernier.
Easier to read than a vernier, and no battery to be in need of replacement just when you want to measure something.

You've not been paying attention, have you? I pour scorn on your suggestion. I also should have on @youngoldbloke and @flake99please but I was in a conciliatory mood when they posted.

I'm also upset that my new year's resolution joke isn't getting the recognition it deserves, so scorn it is.

 

[andrew_s]

I have some nice Starret ones which have just skipped a tooth thanks to a microscopic bit of sawdust, putting them something like 0.05mm out. Now I have to work out how to reset them.

Do you not just close them, unlock the dial, turn it so that zero is aligned with the pointer, and relock the dial?

 

[andrew_s]

You've not been paying attention, have you? I pour scorn on your suggestion.

Just you wait until you've got to get your reading glasses or a magnifying glass before you can read your elegant vernier.