Which Vernier caliper?

[C R]

Thread hijack (but related).

Lots of measurement advice here so hoping a few metrology experts too.

What handheld device is recommended as a very quick check on diameter of fibres. Not bike related but I'm sure someone knows a good option. We're talking fine fibres (think hair diameter / hairline fibres). It's a robust device and not to expensive I'm looking for. I've used micrometers and calipers but the heads don't exactly make it easy. I'm guessing a wide head would help. Something as easy as grip a handle to open, release to clamp the fibre and an easy reading of the measurements. It's not going to be accurate, doesn't need to be. A few microns either side and who cares. Besides optical microscopy is available for accuracy and records. This is just a shopfloor device hence robust and simple (potentiality just like the operator)

It depends what you want to do. For classification purposes you could create a tool with a series of holes of decreasing size, and group the fibres by the smallest hole through which they can fit.

It may be relatively expensive to make, but should last if the fibres are not abrasive.

Hope this helps.

Edited to add, as this is now way off topic, it may be worth creating a new thread.

 

[winjim]

c'mon you can't leave it at that. What did you buy ?

The Mitutoyos won out in the end, purely on an eenie meenie minie mo sort of basis where they happened to be the ones open in my browser at the time. It's kind of a shame, I live in Sheffield so there was a time when we had the big toolmakers right here. The site of the Moore & Wright factory is now an Asda car park...

 

[Randy Butternubs]

More caliper vids (with more swearing):

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WvszAb0Y0Ec&t=310s

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KnDype-j3hk

 

[winjim]

More caliper vids (with more swearing):

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WvszAb0Y0Ec&t=310s

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KnDype-j3hk

Watched the top vid. He's comparing a set of $150 digitals with some $10 digitals, but a set of decent manuals can be had for closer to $10 than $100. If you can't afford the expensive ones then it'd be better to have good manuals than poor digis IMO.

 

[winjim]

The CC banner ads are now desperate to sell me calipers it would seem...

 

[Profpointy]

The CC banner ads are now desperate to sell me calipers it would seem...

Me too - and I've already got three vernier calipers already !

 

[Profpointy]

The Mitutoyos won out in the end, purely on an eenie meenie minie mo sort of basis where they happened to be the ones open in my browser at the time. It's kind of a shame, I live in Sheffield so there was a time when we had the big toolmakers right here. The site of the Moore & Wright factory is now an Asda car park...

Whilst you'd not go far wrong with Mitutoyo, M&W or Starret, I have to say I have rarely if ever regretted buying a higher quality or more expensive tool than I strictly needed.

 

[slowmotion]

I think that it's about time for one of the "I never need a torque wrench" people to post something about "I never need a measuring device.... I can eyeball it...."

 

[PMarkey]

I spend all day using mic's and verniers in my day job (Jobbing machinist) and all my personal measuring tackle is manual and imperial apart from dual reading verniers , I don't have anything electronic apart from a calculator for any metric drawings plus much to the owners disgust I still use the hand wheel dials on the various lathes I'm on rather than the digital readouts that have been installed at great expense I'm no slower than anyone else and still hit tolerance I just really enjoy using long ago learnt skills and even use inside and outside firm joint calipers on occasion though that does wind the boss up

Paul

 

[winjim]

I spend all day using mic's and verniers in my day job (Jobbing machinist) and all my personal measuring tackle is manual and imperial apart from dual reading verniers , I don't have anything electronic apart from a calculator for any metric drawings plus much to the owners disgust I still use the hand wheel dials on the various lathes I'm on rather than the digital readouts that have been installed at great expense I'm no slower than anyone else and still hit tolerance I just really enjoy using long ago learnt skills and even use inside and outside firm joint calipers on occasion though that does wind the boss up

Paul

Somebody buy this man a pint.

 

[Venod]

Somebody buy this man a pint.

Or some new modern tools

 

[Profpointy]

A nice story a pal of mine had back in the day. He was a machinist or engineer of some sort at the time and a workmate came in with a component - essentially a cylinder of some precise size and asked him to measure it with his micrometers. "I don't need a micrometer" he says and holds in between finger and thumb and pronounces "450 thou' ". "don't be a n arse just measure it's got to be right". Mate stood his ground and the bloke went off huffily and found someone more helpful. Of course it was 450 thou and the whispers soon went round the factory on how this guy was within a thou just with his fingers. My mate had recognised the item as a spacer off a mini and had himself made one for his own car and remembered the dimensions. He never let on to his workmates

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

Or some new modern tools

Old tools are frequently better than modern ones, tend to be more nicely made and are often made of higher quality steel. Given that almost all tools are now made in the Far East down to a price, if I'm on the lookout for quality tools my first port of call is the car boot sale, where much of what you find will be ancient, British or USA made, and of decent quality.

I've got some nice old M & W Inch micrometers (I don't *do* metric if I'm measuring the parts in an old engine), and dual scale verniers including a digital Mitutoyo. However there are occasions where a cheapo tool will do the job better than an expensive one, such as where a 6" no-name Chinese Vernier is more convenient to use than a foot long top quality one that you don't want to lose, have stolen, or get damaged. For typical cycling use, such as measuring the size of a seatpost or wheel rim, any cheapo thing is good enough. You only need a ball-park figure, not a precise one - because the thing you are measuring is going to be one or other of a number of industry standard sizes. All you need is sufficient accuracy to determine which size category it falls into, you don't need to know the actual size down to a thousandth of an inch. Even a 99p plastic one is generally good enough for that!

 

[youngoldbloke]

For typical cycling use, such as measuring the size of a seatpost or wheel rim, any cheapo thing is good enough. You only need a ball-park figure, not a precise one - because the thing you are measuring is going to be one or other of a number of industry standard sizes. All you need is sufficient accuracy to determine which size category it falls into, you don't need to know the actual size down to a thousandth of an inch. Even a 99p plastic one is generally good enough for that!

very true - in fact an adjustable spanner and a rule are usually quite sufficient

 

[Levo-Lon]

As the saying goes..engineer and a flagger chatting
Engineer, i work to within a micron sir..
Flagger, everyrhing i do is spot on pal