Calipers that don't have a dead battery

[tvrgeek]

Well, my digital calipers are fine, but, switched to a "fractional" dial for most work but wanted a decimal "thou". Don;t use it much but want it to work when I do without a dead battery.

Taylor has one on sale for $20. I have been warned reading Amazon reviews a lot of the cheap calipers accuracy over length is less than great, so I can check it against my digitals.

No, a prestige professional machinist $300 caliper is not on the table. I know they are smoother, accurate, and a joy to use for decades of every day use. I need years of weekly.

 

[Mike Davis]

I have had great luck with used calipers.
I have a Starrett vernier and a 120 dial.
no battery calipers here.

 

[mdbuntyn]

You have to either pay up, or take the battery out after each use (which is what I do).

 

[Warped Woodwerks]

Here ya go... no battery required, and under $160.

Made in China: https://www.amazon.com/Starrett-Caliper-Adjustable-Bezel-Fitted/dp/B00SJADL3G/

 

[bob vaughan]

My experience with the gear rack (covered and not) dial calipers in a woodworking environment hasn't been satisfactory because of the fine dust that eventually clogs things.
If I were to need a dial caliper, the first 'economy" grade one I'd consider is the Shars 303-1315 currently on sale for $46.00. The $20.00 clunkers I've seen weren't worth the effort to take them out of the package.

 

[Wilsoncb]

My vote is for the Mitutoyo dial version. I’ve used them in the sheet metal world for 40+ years. I think it’s better than the digital battery version as it gives you more “feel”. Unless you spend a whole lot more for a higher level battery version, they are made with more plastic. The material in the dial version is very durable. I use mine to scribe lines when doing precise layouts and it’s held up well. Easy to re-calibrate but rarely needs it.

 

[junquecol]

My original (ordered by mail) Hf has served me well. I keep it in the storage case when not in use. Primary use is checking thickness of stock coming off the planer.

 

[bob vaughan]

Scott, keep us in the loop and tell us what you bought and how well you like them.

 

[chris_goris]

Digital calipers for woodworking? calipers in general makes me pause for woodworking. Sure I own a set of Starrett with dial, but only get them out when I need to measure machine parts (bearings , shafts etc) as they were intended. Even on my CNC I have no use for them.

 

[tvrgeek]

I use my fractional ones all the time. Easy to read to a 128th. Easier to grab than my outside calipers even for a relative measure. I measure relative far more than by the numbers.

https://www.amazon.com/iGaging-Fractional-Decimal-Combination-Caliper/dp/B005FRGF1Q?th=1

Just occasionally I want to read to that thou. and seeing if I can convert more to metric. Ordering this one:

https://www.amazon.com/Anytime-Tools-Caliper-Reading-Standard/dp/B00B5XJW7I/ref=sr_1_5?crid=2Q3F5E5H37Y6S&keywords=dial+caliper+6+inch&qid=1705925172&s=industrial&sprefix=dial+caliper%2Cindustrial%2C79&sr=1-5

As I said, Starrett or Mitutoyo are fine is you are a machinist and use them every day. No question. They don't come for $40. I have not won Lotto yet. I do keep my Shars digital as it seems to be the best of the cheap ones. Again, usually dead battery. I take a lot of effort to keep airborn dust down. Multiple dust collectors, MERV 13 and 15 filters on the HAVAC and circulator, moving to more hand tools, scraper rather than sanding etc.

I have one of those digital iGaging thickness calipers I bought for measuring off the planer or sander. Never use it. Flimsy and of course, every time I grabbed it, the battery was dead. One more thing for the picnic or BS woodworking. I put a digital scale on the planer. Never use it. Put one on the TS fence. Again, I never use it. Just don't think of it and just grab the good ruler I keep handy. I do use my digital tilt cube but I wish that was built into the TS. My digital height gauge seems to keep the battery longer, but if I found a dial measured in fractional like my calipers, that would be a great woodworking tool for machine setup.

 

[Rwe2156]

I’ve got an Igaging digital and don’t seem to have an issue with batteries. Yeah they go dead, maybe faster than expected? So you keep some replacements on hand, that all.

I also have a digital on my planer (Wixey) and I rarely use it. Seems like every time I use it needs recalibrating. Same thing with my drum sander - Wixey too. When I’m thicknessing veneer I find it very handy!

I bought a Grizzly Rotacator for setting up my planer.

Digtial height gauge and digital thickness caliper - collecting dust.

With the exception of a square, machinist level measuring tools are hard to justify in woodworking.

I buy 2023 batteries by the 6 pack.

 

[bob vaughan]

Back in the late 60s I needed something more accurate than a yardstick. I went to a store and bought a set of vernier calipers that had metric on one side and English on the other because that's all they had. I got used to using them and still have them. To this day, I still use that type in the wood shop for 95% of my woodworking. No gear rack to get sawdust clogs. I tried that and didn't like it. Too slow and too fidgity. I now keep a set of 1/128-metric vernier calipers next to the planer, drill press, table saw, and workbench. Vernier calipers that read in 1/10 inch are too fussy to read and translate.

I think Mitutoyo still offers a sets marked like this but they are jaw-dropping expensive for what they are. In the mid 1990s Enco offered these for $16.00 per set in 8" length. I bought 8 sets and still use them to this day.

 

[tvrgeek]

Yea, that's why the fractional dial ones are so handy.

Picked up a certified square. Only use it to verify and tune my working tools. I find I grab my Western traditional wood/steel try most often even though I have a Japanese style miter square and the small Woodpeckers one next to it. Just the feel I guess. ( I really regret not paying the ransom for a Bridge City try when they were still rosewood) If I had a larger Japanese style, maybe it would be the perfect tool. 15 or 20 CM. The 10 is often just too small. Seems they go to machinist style or the fragile framing style for larger ones.

There are 100 ways to do things. 99 of them work. So, which is one's preference? I still grab my grandfathers #4 Bailey instead of my heavy WoodRiver or #5 even though they are probably the better choices.

Taking batteries out is just too much time and effort better used in a more noble pastime after cleanup. Like relaxing with an nice pint of amber or brown ale.

 

[tvrgeek]

The problem with vernier calipers is I always have the wrong glasses on. Never seen one in fractions. That's sweet. Something to watch for.

 

[bob vaughan]

What makes the above set so readable is that the 1/128 scale has about 1/8" between marks. Over the years I've picked up some cheapies that only had 1/16" between marks and those are indeed hard to read but still beat the heck out of the 1/10" scales.

 

[mdbuntyn]

Taking batteries out is just too much time and effort better used in a more noble pastime after cleanup. Like relaxing with an nice pint of amber or brown ale.

15 seconds to install, and another 15 to remove.

 

[bobby g]

I’ve got an Igaging digital and don’t seem to have an issue with batteries. Yeah they go dead, maybe faster than expected? So you keep some replacements on hand, that all.

I also have a digital on my planer (Wixey) and I rarely use it. Seems like every time I use it needs recalibrating. Same thing with my drum sander - Wixey too. When I’m thicknessing veneer I find it very handy!

I bought a Grizzly Rotacator for setting up my planer.

Digtial height gauge and digital thickness caliper - collecting dust.

With the exception of a square, machinist level measuring tools are hard to justify in woodworking.

I buy 2023 batteries by the 6 pack.

Could you please forward the Wixey model number for the drum sander. I've been wanting to ad one to mine.
Thanks.
bobby g

 

[petebucy4638]

Well, my digital calipers are fine, but, switched to a "fractional" dial for most work but wanted a decimal "thou". Don;t use it much but want it to work when I do without a dead battery.

Taylor has one on sale for $20. I have been warned reading Amazon reviews a lot of the cheap calipers accuracy over length is less than great, so I can check it against my digitals.

No, a prestige professional machinist $300 caliper is not on the table. I know they are smoother, accurate, and a joy to use for decades of every day use. I need years of weekly.

I have a couple digital calipers and a more traditional model that reads in fractions of an inch. Both have their place. Every digital caliper that I have ever owned had some degree of parasitic drain. The batteries usually lasted, at most, six months. My solution was to keep replacement batteries in the caliper case and a few more in the spare battery drawer.

 

[Mike Davis]

After years of working in thousandths of inch and converting to fractions you just kind of see it automatically in your mind. .375- 3/8, .5-1/2, .75 - 3/4 etc. adding and subtracting thou is much faster and easier than fraction. I am fairly fluid in moving from fraction to thou and back. I’m much slower with metric but getting better. I really like my Starrett master vernier caliper that I bought at a yard sale for $30. I use it to check everything that matters in my shop including my dial caliper that does the daily chores.

 

[tvrgeek]

Dial came tonight. It actually has two pointers from independent gears. One for the .1 inch full rotation, one for 2mm full rotation. Slick. I'll test it with feelers and setups tomorrow. I also never liked how digitals give precise numbers that sometimes make you think, when the dial you can see you are just under or over by a hair without thinking.

OK, easy math, .362 is about what? Oh yea, it means I screwed up the tenon.

I have a Vernier in my desk inside. Just too hard to read. Have to get the light just right and usually need a magnifying glass. It was easier to read 30 years ago.

So tomorrow I'll buff up the knob and tote of my "new" #3 type 18 I just found. Cheap and it was in excellent condition. I always strip the black paint, dye and shellac them so they look and feel better in the hand. Never thought about a 3 until all the refurbs I did for BullCity Woodworking. When I got my LN pocket plane, I just about quit using my block planes but sometimes there is something smaller than a smoother. A #3 may be "just right." I think the 18's were the very best users Stanley made and fortunately, being post war, not as collectable so cheaper than a 15 or 16. 19s on I am not so sure on the quality.

Bob, I would not bother with a Wixi on your sander. Just like the one I put on my planer, it may be more trouble than it is worth. It is pretty easy to do quarter or eighths turns or less to fine tune a thickness you of course check for real with a caliper. The Wixi is accurate, but does not take into account flex in the machine or the wood. Pretty reproduceable on the table saw fence, but not quite as good on the planer. On my table saw, I have an idea for multiple rail stop blocks for repeatability and ditch the digital. Understand, as I break sheets with a circ saw I just about never run more than 18 inches across the table saw so a ruler is super easy. The WIxie would be a lot handier if you had to measure to 48 or 60 inches.