AmericanLongRifles Forums
General discussion => Gun Building => Topic started by: DFHicks on November 20, 2017, 07:05:47 PM
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This looks like it would be useful in building a rifle particularly in checking the forestock/ramrod groove web thickness. However it is only 6 inches long so would it be useful for other measurements? At $30.00 I won't order one without the advice of forum members. I vaguely remember seeing inside - outside calipers in a reprint of a book about the trade 17th /18th century era. A picture of this is in the on-line Grizzly catalog. Sorry but I don't know how to copy & paste from the catalog page.
Thanks,
Greg
Grizzly H9068 - Inside/Outside Caliper 6 Inch
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They are probabley fine but for the money you could likely find some used exc. condition Starrett calipres that you might enjoy owning more. Or for more value something made/used in Europe. I regret every dime spent on import measuring tools. Used value of top quality stuff is just about the new value of low quality imports.
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I would say don't bother and get a Vernier caliper instead. It is far more versatile. You can measure both inside and outside, as well as depth. You can measure screw diameter to see which drill bit you need to drill a hole, you can use the points for scribing lines, etc. etc etc. It's uses are only limited by your imagination. Get the 12" not the six.
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My God -- your going back to the stone age with those and for $30 bucks??? I got a couple pair of the Harbor Freight ones and they are fine- they will repeat to 0.001" and if dropped they still work -mine did. I use them for lathe & milling work - no complaints. I have calibrated Starrett's & Mitutoyo's but I only use them when I NEED to do EXACT measurements.
Try these for under $25
http://www.grizzly.com/products/IP54-6-EZ-View-Digital-Caliper-in-Inches-Millimeters-Fractions/T23557?utm_campaign=zPage&utm_source=grizzly.com (http://www.grizzly.com/products/IP54-6-EZ-View-Digital-Caliper-in-Inches-Millimeters-Fractions/T23557?utm_campaign=zPage&utm_source=grizzly.com)
https://www.harborfreight.com/6-in-digital-caliper-with-sae-and-metric-fractional-readings-62569.html (https://www.harborfreight.com/6-in-digital-caliper-with-sae-and-metric-fractional-readings-62569.html)
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Thanks for the good information so quickly! I'll check out the other options now to decide what to buy.
Greg
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The inside/outside caliper will have almost no use. Instead get a dial caliper, Grizzly G9256 for $23.95 or the Harbor Freight 6" dial calipers 62569 as mentioned above. It is the single most useful tool I have used in building 50 some longrifles. As for not being American made, I remember many years ago talking with a machinist about my $5 Herters one-inch micrometer (made in Germany, not West Germany) and he said that was plenty good enough for gun work. I am still using it. The next most useful tool is a steel ruler, 6 inch and a 12 inch General (from Ace Hardware) that reads in tenths of an inch as well as 32 nds and 64 ths of an inch. Tenths are much easier to work with than fractions. Get a six inch dial micrometer.
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For $15, from Woodcraft, I really like these direct-reading ‘thickness’ calipers and find the jaws easily fit into plsces other tools can’t or where you’d otherwise have to take 2 measurements and perform subtrsction to get the dimension you’re looking for.
FWIW I was machinist in another life and have all Brown & Sharpe or Starrett quality measuring instruments to 0.0001” resolution ... but these shown are DE BOMB for wood working!
(https://americanlongrifles.org/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fpreview.ibb.co%2FcUQaXm%2FB4_DB0_B70_C948_4_CB4_9_DB8_67_D53_D8683_C2.jpg&hash=fe171af0a7974fe4e0a61754695601672547a114) (http://ibb.co/itU2Cm)
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Greg,
The vernier (or not Vernier)calipres calipres (digital etc) posted above Do NOT replace or do the same job as the tool you posted. Your getting sold a washing machine when you went shopping for a toaster- both useful but different. There are at least 100 gunbuilding jobs that need/benfit from a decent set of inside and a decent set of ouside firm leg calipres or spring calipres. Any one who does not use em lots- simply never learned of thier benfits.
Send me your address and I 'll send you a Starret and a Moore and Wright Firm leg calipre to get you started. Both need a bit of love but have lots of use /life in em. Just do your self a favor and READ an old trade school or high school text on how to use em. You will love having the skills.
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I'd get a quality digital caliper, unless you already have one. I got a Mitutoyo with carbide jaws. IT is my most used tool, Expensive but worth every penny.
For your web thickness measurement use the zero function. Zero (tare out) the barrel width. Lay a piece of 1/4" rod in the ramrod channel. Put the barrel n the stock, measure from the barrel across to the rod in the ramrod channel. Take away 1/4".
I use the caliper for depth measurements, inside, outside and as a scribe. I almost never use a micrometer.
I have a nice vernier caliper I never use. I can not see the markings very well anyway. It is like a slide rule, why go there if I have a calculator?
If you want to be historically accurate that is a different question.
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I don't know how to build a gun without useing dial calipers some where or another. I have a set of grizzleys and a better set from my machineist days. The grizzleys and similar quality tools are good enough. Remember most 18 th century gun work besides lock work is to plus or minus 1/64 inch tolerances. BJH
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Greg,
The vernier (or not Vernier)calipres calipres (digital etc) posted above Do NOT replace or do the same job as the tool you posted. Your getting sold a washing machine when you went shopping for a toaster- both useful but different. There are at least 100 gunbuilding jobs that need/benfit from a decent set of inside and a decent set of ouside firm leg calipres or spring calipres. Any one who does not use em lots- simply never learned of thier benfits.
Send me your address and I 'll send you a Starret and a Moore and Wright Firm leg calipre to get you started. Both need a bit of love but have lots of use /life in em. Just do your self a favor and READ an old trade school or high school text on how to use em. You will love having the skills.
Wow, that's great. I've always had dial or vernier calipers but never had enough money in the right pocket at the right time to get some leg calipers. Good on ya.
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I have gotten good service from Harbor Freight digital calipers. In over 40 years in the machining trade I have had Browne and Sharpe, and Starrett and Mitutoyo rack and pinion versions get jacked up from chips getting inside and they were a significant financial outlay. If you are over 40 think twice about verniers those lines get harder and harder to see! B+S and Mitutoyo digital are fine but if you spend the $20 for the harbor freights and you won't be disappointed!
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Wade, If I do not hear from greg I'll let you know and you can house them instead-
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Wade, If I do not hear from greg I'll let you know and you can house them instead-
Be happy to take second position. Thanks for considering it. 8)
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I would say don't bother and get a Vernier caliper instead. It is far more versatile. You can measure both inside and outside, as well as depth. You can measure screw diameter to see which drill bit you need to drill a hole, you can use the points for scribing lines, etc. etc etc. It's uses are only limited by your imagination. Get the 12" not the six.
Where did you find Vernier calipers with a depth rod? Are you talking Verniers or dial calipers? Big difference in price for the good ones.
Edit- Never mind, I see the smaller offerings have depth rods. I'm used to 24"+ Verniers. I do know for certain that a good set of Verniers will hang with good outside micrometers.