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.0001 dial calipers?

aceubank

Plastic
Joined
Apr 20, 2018
I'm in the market for a new pair of calipers. I'm bad at shopping both online and in real life and can never find what I'm looking for. What I'm looking for is a pair of 6" dial calipers accurate to .0001. (standard not metric). I am pretty sure I've seen a pair that has the standard dial, but had an extra little red dial or something in the offset middle of the caliper that displayed a 0-10 for the extra 10th of a thou. However, I have been unable to find them. The reason I am looking for this accurate of a dial caliper is that I don't like the feel of digital or the loose calibration of that zero button. Also, I have been working in +/- .002 jobs for a while now and am taking on some +/- .001 or possibly some even some +/- .0005 work that I cannot use micrometers on. It's no problem for the machine, but it may be an issue with my current calipers. I am not picky about brand. Thanks for the input
 
To my knowledge these do not exist. You may be remembering the inch/metric dual reading dial calipers.

If these were available I would be hard pressed to trust them to a tenth. Hell a thou is speculating most of the time with calipers.

There are many different variants of micrometers to suit your needs as well as anvil attachments for them. What is this obscure feature you are needing to measure?
 
Too much flex and play in calipers to be accurate to 0.0001". It takes care and a steady hand to get a mic to repeat to 0.0001". You are asking too much of a caliper.
 
some +/- .0005 work that I cannot use micrometers on.

What is limiting you from using micrometers on the part? There are MANY different anvil styles to allow for different part shapes.
Calipers just aren't accurate enough to check within .0005" or less.
.001" is about the limit.
 
I'm in the market for a new pair of calipers. I'm bad at shopping both online and in real life and can never find what I'm looking for. What I'm looking for is a pair of 6" dial calipers accurate to .0001. (standard not metric). I am pretty sure I've seen a pair that has the standard dial, but had an extra little red dial or something in the offset middle of the caliper that displayed a 0-10 for the extra 10th of a thou. However, I have been unable to find them. The reason I am looking for this accurate of a dial caliper is that I don't like the feel of digital or the loose calibration of that zero button. Also, I have been working in +/- .002 jobs for a while now and am taking on some +/- .001 or possibly some even some +/- .0005 work that I cannot use micrometers on. It's no problem for the machine, but it may be an issue with my current calipers. I am not picky about brand. Thanks for the input

.
i learned after many decades always check any measuring device against gage blocks before using.
.
6.0000, 12.0000, 18.0000, repeatability or ability to get 3 readings to agree especially when you dont know size (like measuring part not known gage blocks) there not much chance of getting spread in readings less than
.0005 for 6"
.0010 for 12"
.0015 for 18"
with a micrometer you can do better cause they flex less but if you can get repeatability less than .0005 for 18" part you are better than me.
.
dial indicating bore gages and shallow bore indicating gages are typically whats used when you want measurements down to the .0001 level and these are set to gage blocks and ring gages.
.
most micrometers especially big ones are often over .0005 off, slight changes in pressure you get big changes in readings. heat from hand holding gage it changes .0001 easily in a minute unless you insulate it
.
you
1) set indicating gage to gage blocks or ring gage
2) take part measurement
3) check setting to gage blocks or ring gage
.
do this every time, quite normal to see .0001 drift or change from heat of hand holding gage
 
Any of you guys ever looked at Gordon's website??

He's got this little force gage thingy that goes on the calipers he uses
so that you get consistent force, and therefore better accuracy, or more
consistent accuracy out of the calipers...

Even then, you aren't getting a tenth, or even close...

I personally don't trust calipers at all.. Guy I used to work with (who
pops in here once in a while) used to call them "Guessing Sticks".


Like others have said, they make micrometers in all different configurations,
and they also sell different attachments.. Even those little balls that
slip on the anvil can be very handy.. One of my favorites is a tube mic,
used for measuring wall thickness of a tube.. I find it handy for measuring
hole distance from the edge of a part, just have to add half the hole size.
Comes in handy for other stuff also.

Another thing to consider.. Go/NoGo gages.. They don't always have to be round.
 
micrometers are made with a more rigid bigger frame (than calipers) and obviously you can lock it to within .0001 of dial setting. the more massive frame takes longer for the heat of you hand to warm up. and often measuring bigger objects you wiggle it more to get a square reading. and of course the micrometers carbide tips make it last longer from wear. i have often seen worn caliper jaws
.
usually 9 out of 10 machinist favor a micrometer over a caliper
 
Do a couple of gage R&R studies and you'd find out that 0.005" is more likely with calipers.
Somewhere less than 0.001" (but not much) for a standard micrometer. If you want tenths, better get an indicating micrometer.

I assume you are talking about a study where several people measure items/features using different methods? I'm not going to get into the caliper argument (again) but I know damn well I can do better than .005"

Back to the OP, I've never seen calipers that read to tenths, unless you mean digitals that read 5 tenths. :D (a different 5 tenths about every other measurement) LOL
 
i always use a .0001 indicating gage set to gage blocks or ring gage kept in the cnc so its at part/coolant temperature
.
if coolant is 65F and shop gages are at 70F that changes 10" long steel and cast iron parts .0003" all by itself
.
thats kind of basic. what you going to do keep a caliper in the cnc getting splashed with coolant so its at temperature ??
 
My first digital calipers were Starrett, and they read tenths. Used correctly they would repeat within 2 tenths, but I wouldn't trust them to that. Calipers IMO can be good to .001" if you hold the jaws and not the frame when measuring, and they are properly adjusted, but I wouldn't bet on it unless I confirmed it with a micrometer occasionally.
 
My first digital calipers were Starrett, and they read tenths. Used correctly they would repeat within 2 tenths, but I wouldn't trust them to that. Calipers IMO can be good to .001" if you hold the jaws and not the frame when measuring, and they are properly adjusted, but I wouldn't bet on it unless I confirmed it with a micrometer occasionally.

I have Starrett digital calipers (the older 797, made in the USA type) and they resolve to 0.0005. Reasonably repeatable. But five times better than that (0.0001)? That would be tough.
 
there are some, mitutoyo irrc, was posted here

well close anyway, found it, Sylvac, Swiss, not Mit. they claim 4 micron repeatability, so about 1.5 tenths.

Calipers : Caliper S_Cal PRO Micron.


The reference cited is interesting. They claim

Resolution 0,001mm or 0,00005’’
4μm repeatability

You have resolution stated to be 0.001mm, or 1µm (1 micron), is 0.00004 inches. The repeatability stated is 4µm. I found another reference to the same caliper, stated 0.0005" (not 0.00005") resolution. The 4µm repeatability is, as McGyver points out, about 0.00015". That would make a little more sense, rather than having a random last digit.

Fowler 54-1-67 Sylvac IP67 S_Cal Pro Electronic Caliper, 6" Maximum Measurement, .5" Resolution: Digital Calipers: Amazon.com: Industrial & Scientific

I see 50 millionths from a caliper and suspect not. You'd change the reading by 50 millionths just picking the darned thing up!
 








 
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