Q:

Measuring Instruments

what are today’s Machineist using for measuring instruments. I am not a machineist, but worked in the trade and almost finished most of a apprentistship program. I see digital mikes and calipers, being sold. Need to measure Pellets. Looking at Starrett instruments. opionions models and price ranges. Loaned my 1″ mikes out and don’t know shape they are in and if they will be returned. which is better to measure pellets, micrometer or caliper, digital or analog. I really liked my Starrett 230 .0001 and am looking for a good used. prefer friction thimble and carbide faces.

anywho been out the industry for about 15 years. Amazing work. I have done some research on the internet and would like some input from machineist working or measuring pellets as a hobby

Mods/Machinists

All Replies

Viewing 5 replies - 1 through 5 (of 5 total)

+1 on the Brown and Sharp!
I’m old enough to use the standard mike. But young enough to appreciate the digital!

You Old Fart’s!!! 😀

But

quote walt_in_hawaii:

the too small, oh well.

aloha,
walt

that’s when you fire up the ole tig machine 😆 😆

Have Starrett mics but they are so easy to confuse when you have to add the damn vernier numbers together that I frequently just use the old 6″ multi inside/outside calipers, good for .001x; I just do an ‘about’ guess at the 10th of a thousandth. If I need the accuracy then I’ll grudgingly bust out the mics but I hate them (have 3 in various sizes, all Starrett). For dial calipers I buy whatever’s on sale, they all seem to work pretty much the same. I only buy thumb wheel models, it’s just how I’m built.

I have thought about the new digitals but instinctively distrust them. Too easy to misplace a decimal. With the dial calipers I can SEE the analog difference from one measurement to the next so I have a running tally in my head of about where I am on the board. With a digital instrument I’d lose that safety; not much, but its still enough to turn me off. Over the years I’ve had too many cuts which were EXACTLY the correct diameter, but on the wrong side; or else EXACTLY .100 too small or too big; ugh. The too big is easy to correct, you just cut some more… the too small, oh well.

aloha,
walt

I have a Starret .0001 mike I have used for 25 years..haha..you cant beat them, their dial calipers suck.. get a brown and sharp.. you couldnt give me a digital anything..tried them and hate them.. 😉

To measure pellets with normal tools, calibres and mikes it is not a very good idea.

The pellets of lead are too soft and the own(proper) pressure of a calibre can alter the measure of the pellets. Specially the skirt

What I use is a Pocket Thickness Gauge that produces a very small pressure of contact on having measured and the more important: this pressure is always the same one and not to depend of your hand that can do major or minor pressure on having verified the measure.

Viewing 5 replies - 1 through 5 (of 5 total)

  • You must be logged in to reply to this topic.