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"Zeroing" a caliper to a value greater then zero

deljr15

Cast Iron
Joined
Aug 6, 2013
Location
Duluth, Mn
As the title says anyone know of a way to do this with any common caliper?

So when closed it would read some positive value.
 
As the title says anyone know of a way to do this with any common caliper?

So when closed it would read some positive value.

"Mechanicals" one uses a clamp-on offset extension plate. pin, or bespoke shaped tip. Old stuff for making hasty gages, short-run production.

Electronics? Faithless hoors, most are.

They'll set their readout to zero wherever they are when you press the zero button, and then - read negative, not positive, 'inbound' from that point.

RPITA when 'zero' button is tagged by fat-fingers and you don't notice right away...

Where's the mystery?

:)

Bill
 
Right I get the whole it reads incrementally part. I was just hoping that maybe there was a hidden way. This would be a really handy feature. When checking holes to edge of part to have it auto add a value set to be the radius of the hole.
 
Right I get the whole it reads incrementally part. I was just hoping that maybe there was a hidden way. This would be a really handy feature. When checking holes to edge of part to have it auto add a value set to be the radius of the hole.

My ones have USB sockets. The plan is one attaches to an external 'computerish' device and does the math munging, offsets, compensation, recording, graphing, statistical QC - wotever... on that device.

There are 'kits' of specialized attachment & tips to cover most of the common needs, such as the one you mention. Or you can fab such.

You/we/I are seldom-ever the first Pilgrim with a need.


Bill
 
Adding a spacer or simply using quick math has been the method up to now. I feel like there is a missed opportunity for caliper makers here. Say open to desired reading hold some button while sliding closed release button and begin using with the positive number.
 
I feel like there is a missed opportunity for caliper makers here.

When first I entered this trade... over fifty years ago.. the names of custom gage makers were legion, legendary, and known far and wide.

Now? Even basic metrology houses have had to shrink and merge. Or vanish.

In the USA, Dorsey is now one of the few still around.

Wha hoppen?

NC, then CNC removed the very NEED for most of their product. Programmable electronics ate much of the rest.

So, no.. they ain't missing a thing.

You are!

:)
 
So back to the OP. No?

This is a case where a company like Mitutoyo could make a little software update to give their calipers more functionally.
 
So back to the OP. No?

This is a case where a company like Mitutoyo could make a little software update to give their calipers more functionally.

*sigh* They DO...

And they expect to get PAID for it. Have a recce at their higher-end 'systems'.

A basic caliper is ... a basic caliper. They might not even make five bucks per each after all costs are in.
 
The edge to hole and hole to hole scenarios have already been covered. $58 from China: China Apothem Centerline Digital Vernier Calipers Distances Between Hole and Edge - China Digital Calipers, Calipers

Somewhere around here I have the ancient vernier equivalent of this -- a hole to hole caliper.

Personally, I don't like digital measuring tools that require a refresher course or Googling the manual each time I use some obscure function. Frequent user of that function, different case -- but that's also what custom measuring tools are for.

The add-on caliper jaws to measure edges to holes etc. (with some consistent offset, say .400") are easier. Measure. Subtract .400" Or, in the case of many (e.g. thread pitch attachments), just zero the caliper.
 
As the title says anyone know of a way to do this with any common caliper?

So when closed it would read some positive value.

Sigh, here we go. Why would you want to do that? There are 3 common caliper types - vernier, dial and digital. What you want to do is impossible with a vernier unless you have gorilla like strength. With a dial rotate the dial to something other than zero. With a digital you have 2 options. Either the "gorilla solution" or simply buy a digital caliper that can be PRESET (not reset as they all have that) and you get it to show just about any number you want. I have in fact a couple of digital calipers that can be PRESET and find them useful for my special purpose.

I believe I can post this link to show what I mean as I have no idea who they are. It's the text that's interesting IMO.

Exactools - 216.126.P
 
What about using a pin (perfect fit with the hole) in the hole and either a gauge block or, if you have one, a Moore-style edge finder? At that point you have both rather reliable references for your measurement and you need to subtract a positive value (i.e. half of pin diameter and the whole gauge block).

Paolo
 
What about using a pin (perfect fit with the hole) in the hole and either a gauge block or, if you have one, a Moore-style edge finder? At that point you have both rather reliable references for your measurement and you need to subtract a positive value (i.e. half of pin diameter and the whole gauge block).

Paolo

Judging by how I understand the OP that'd be too easy :)
 
What about using a pin (perfect fit with the hole) in the hole and either a gauge block or, if you have one, a Moore-style edge finder?
The problem with this is the same as measuring from the near edge of the hold...

You're measuring the diameter when you actually want the radius.

- Leigh
 
Is arithmetic really so hard? I imagine there might be other uses for this feature but to simply add the radius of a hole seems silly. How about using a pin of the diameter of the radius of the hole. That way there's no addition required and the measurement is more accurate.

Teryk

{smartphone ad removed - TRL}
 
How about using a pin of the diameter of the radius of the hole. That way there's no addition required and the measurement is more accurate.
Convincing an undersize pin to remain rigidly and accurately in position while you make a measurement by applying pressure against it laterally would be a significant accomplishment indeed.

Particularly so when measuring tolerances in thousandths

- Leigh
 
Sigh, here we go. Why would you want to do that? There are 3 common caliper types - vernier, dial and digital. What you want to do is impossible with a vernier unless you have gorilla like strength. With a dial rotate the dial to something other than zero. With a digital you have 2 options. Either the "gorilla solution" or simply buy a digital caliper that can be PRESET (not reset as they all have that) and you get it to show just about any number you want. I have in fact a couple of digital calipers that can be PRESET and find them useful for my special purpose.

I believe I can post this link to show what I mean as I have no idea who they are. It's the text that's interesting IMO.

Exactools - 216.126.P

Hi Gordon, That is along the lines of what I'm looking at. "Preset" makes sense now.

This application is a little odd. We have some parts that get slots along the edge of a bent extrusion. The tolerances are wide open ±0.031 on size and position. However the position is all over, wile the slots are all the same size.

To speed up program prooveout/inspection it would be nice to zero a caliper to half the slot width. Operator then uses this "special" caliper to measure and note the locations without doing any math.
 
To speed up program prooveout/inspection it would be nice to zero a caliper to half the slot width. Operator then uses this "special" caliper to measure and note the locations without doing any math.

Dunno the sizes you are faced with, but for a rather broad range of 'em, I could reach for my Flexbar Indical, select tips and DI to suit, and HAVE such a hasty gage - cheaply - in a lot less time than this thread has been running...

:)

Bill
 
Dunno the sizes you are faced with, but for a rather broad range of 'em, I could reach for my Flexbar Indical, select tips and DI to suit, and HAVE such a hasty gage - cheaply - in a lot less time than this thread has been running...

:)

Bill

A hasty fix is to use a bit of tape and stick a gauge block stack to the jaw of a caliper. In doing so it seemed this was something the caliper could do without the hokey workaround. Hence asking a simple question.
 
A hasty fix is to use a bit of tape and stick a gauge block stack to the jaw of a caliper. In doing so it seemed this was something the caliper could do without the hokey workaround. Hence asking a simple question.

Tape and gage blocks really is asking fer trouble.

An Indical might look like a kludge, but is not. Purpose-built for slots, holes, and edges.

Better-yet, with a "bring-yer-own dial indicator" design so as to leave THAT needful open to best fit to the need. One could even use a head with go / no-go LEDS if you need that.

INDI-CAL INTERNAL GROOVE GAGE

There are plenty of other 'store bought' solutions out there in metrology-land.

Do a bit of research. You ain't the first seeker with this sort of need. Not by a hundred and more years.

Bill
 








 
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