Old School Calipers

[jag312]

I have two dial calipers; a Mitutoyo and an Etalon. I have two vernier calipers; an SPI and a Mauser. Yes, Mauser made precision measuring instruments. The Mauser is the only one I regularly use. It is marked "Made in Germany", not "Made in West Germany". Could it be pre-WW2?

 

[geeollie]

I have a Brown and Sharpe (dial), Lyman (dial) from the 1970's and a new Neiko (digital).

I really do not know if this is a true test for accuracy but every now and them I zero them the best my eyes will see then measure paper, coins, bolts etc. All three tools show the same measurement.

Brown and Sharpe was expensive the others were not.

 

[mikld]

A plain dial caliper and micrometer are not difficult to use and no batteries are needed. They are probably at least as accurate as the battery operated versions.

I have used precision measuring tools for most of my working life. I started in 1965 with a Craftsman set of 6" dial calipers and a 1" carbide tipped micrometer. Bot excellent tools and lasted me several years until they were stolen. In the late '80s I tried digital calipers. Worked OK for a short while and soon noticed wandering zero, every time I picked up the calipers I had to "zero" it. Changed batteries often, but it soon began to switch from metric to SAE and often back (I was using it to measure parts to .001"). Put that caliper away and bought an inexpensive dial caliper. The dial caliper as been accurate for 18+ years, and since I retired 10 years ago I only use it for reloading, and it remains as accurate as new...

I think if I went back to vernier style calipers I'd get some strong readers and a bright bench light. I use my magnifying visor when measuring dents in my bullet alloy to determine BHN...

 

[Drm50]

I was taught to use vernier scale measuring instruments when I was a kid.
The Transits I used were Vernier scale and had to use a glass to read them no matter how good your eyes were. I have dial and digital instruments now but have never trusted them. I'm never happy until I check with the Verniers. Most of my stuff is Starret or Brown& Sharp. My slide rules are Post. The vernier stuff is top of the line and that's why I trust it. I always check the dial calipers against the Verniers before I use them. The big thing with precision measuring of any type is the tolerances you are working with.
With all the cheap digital instruments on the market a beginner should have them checked out for accuracy before using them.

 

[k22fan]

My first caliper was a Mitutoyo dial caliper that I bought in 1973. It was a big expense I justified thinking it was for both work and reloading. About 15 years later in a different factory I had trouble with it gumming up with fine particles and traded it off then went to a 6" vernier Mitutoyo. I wish I just took the Mitutoyo dial caliper back to my reloading bench and left it there but at the time I could easily see vernier scales. Now I use a magnifying glass to read that old Mitutoyo vernier.

A couple months ago I bought a RCBS 6" dial caliper for $20. The seller was selling used reloading equipment. It is only marked in 0.001". I wonder who actually made it. At the same time I bought an old all plastic RCBS 4" caliper for $1. It measures in 1/64" and 1/10 MM increments. I did not know RCBS or any one else ever made such a cheapie. They must have thought it adequate for cartridge over all length. I only wanted it for measuring bolts & pipes.

 

[Drm50]

I've bought a lot of decent Jap Mics off school kids. They make them buy stuff for machine trades in vocational school and kids sell it when they get out. They only use them as go& no go gauges because the instructors they have can't read Verniers themselves.

 

[bigwheelzip]

My "Old School" calipers are a General Tools No. 621. Kept in the drawer with the magnifying glass I use to read it.

 

[RustyNut]

I bought my first slider type back in the 70s and used it for years working on Allison automatic transmissions. Now that I'm retired and it's getting harder to see the lines, I picked up a dial. The dial works and I can see it great.

 

[BigMoneyGrip]

I love Vernier calipers. I have a pair of Starrett 12" that were $1100.

 

[Grey675]

Here's mine.

I aquired this vernier caliper in 1969. I still use it occationally, inches on one side, milimeters on the other. I have several slide rules, too, but don't actually use them anymore.

 

[SMSgt]

I used the old RCBS plastic caliper for years until it got misplaced somewhere. Now I've upgraded to Harbor Freight. I'm measuring brass cases, not thermonuclear trigger devices.

 

[Eddie Southgate]

I use Vernier and dial both with Brown & Sharp being my first choice followed by Starrett . Got one of the jap dials but it's not on the favorites list . Don't use digital although I have several of them that belonged to my dad .

 

[old tanker]

I have a couple sets of both vernier and dial calipers. Every now and then one of the younger guys in the shop will ask to borrow calipers. I always hand them the wooden box with Harbor Freight verniers. They invariably come back a few minutes later speaking in a manner that would cause their mommas to break out the laundry soap.

 

[Imissedagain]

I have a few old Mitutoyo calipers.
The 24” is now used to layout scales for fretboards and kayak boat work.
The little one is a 300mm version.
I have another 8” and 12” that were modified to fit a non-cnc Taig milling machine for easier cutter location.
The 8” was used for decades to measure rudder posts for autopilot drives and then Edson would mill the part. It was the only one with a 2” throat at time... the “S” brand was $$$$$$$. The Mitutoyo was $80 back around ‘80 and in stock.
There’s an old HF 6” cheapo digital and a new Mitutoyo digital 6” 500 series that is sweet and easy on the eyes.

Measure twice
Cut once

 

[stu1ritter]

Here is my collection from a DIY mechanic to a pro Mercedes mechanic to a furniture builder. The two vernier units on the bottom are from the 1960's. The Helios(mm)/Mitutoyo(inch) during my fixing cars and the fractional inch dial for furniture making and the digital for reloading. Gads, my history in a photo of measuring tools.

Stu

 

[gwpercle]

Had to add a magnifying glass to help see the little marks/numbers but yes I still use the old school dial caliper . Too cheap to buy a digital ... the dial one still works fine .
Gary

 

[Engineer1911]

Most useless caliper

When I started reloading, I went to the Sears store where I had bought all my tools in the late 1960's before going in the air force. Everything I measured was in fractions of an inch, 1/32" is getting reallllllllllly close. I bought a Craftsman caliper that measured down to 1/128" (0.0078") . Now that is a measurement number that is just about completely useless. Cartridge OAL = 2-33/128" (2.260").

After about 6 months of mental pain, I had seater dies correctly adjusted, used only 1 bullet per caliber, 38 Spl, 357 mag, and 30-06. Everything was dandy for a couple of years. Finally bought the 6" Mitutoyo dial caliper when I got a part-time job in a machine shop. I gave away the Craftsman caliper.

 

[cmansguns]

Now ready for full retirement, but the last 5 years or so have been full of "mentoring" new people in our Shop and Engineering sections. Some of the "Root Cause Failure Analysis" courses I teach involve calipers in determining amount of stretch vs a standard measurement piece. Of course calipers (all digital these days) are good for quick "looksee" to get the point across. Most all students, new employees, even old employees...never saw vernier, or dial, so it is like anything else (computers come to mind). If it reads x.xxxx then that's what it is!...never mind zero, or temp fluctuations, thumb pressure, etc.

Anyway....If asked what calipers (any kind) are good for....I now teach that they are really "precision C-clamps", used by extremely skilled millwrights to hold our products together while the glue sets.

I have the feeling some actually believe it!

 

[DWalt]

I have only one vernier caliper, but it is a doozy - 24" long, and the vernier reads to 1/256" (0.004"). I think I used it one time years ago. Otherwise, I have three dial calipers - 4", 6", and 8". The 8" is a Mitutoyo, the other two are no-name, but they seem to be made just as well as the Mitu. Most of the time, I use the 4" just because it is a little handier. The 8" Mitu is just too clumsy to handle, shorter is better, and adequate for most everything I do. Dial calipers are fine for me, don't need no stinkin' digital. I also have a set of six micrometers 1/2" to 8" (plus a 25mm metric micrometer), but have never needed to use any of them beyond 2".

 

[metalman60]

Calipers

Using calipers is not old school, it's just careful. I use calipers to measure overall cartridge length for reloads in revolvers.

Anything that gives you good data for the process you are using is a good thing.

When you get a chance, pick up a set of calipers by Mitutoyo or Starrett. They are worth the investment.