Where can I buy a dial caliper

[Arlin Eastman]

with longer legs.

I have been turning bigger spindle stuff lately and the little legs that come on normal ones are to short and I do not want to use some outside calipers.

Anyone have an idea where to buy a one with 4" or better legs?

Thanks

Arlin

[Steve K]

Arlin Eastman said:

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with longer legs.

I have been turning bigger spindle stuff lately and the little legs that come on normal ones are to short and I do not want to use some outside calipers.

Anyone have an idea where to buy a one with 4" or better legs?

Thanks

Arlin

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Walmart?

[Arlin Eastman]

Boy that was fast and what I was looking for too. I Googled and got some from $200 up to $2600

Arlin

[Axehandle]

I see you found what you are looking for but for everyone else here are some 6.5" jaw calipers. I have 2 sets of these at work that I use frequently. They are a pretty specialized application though. They are not designed to be super accurate but all they have to get us to is within .010. Good enough for woodworking I would think too. Despite what some would believe.

http://accuproducts.com/mower-gaging-too...ipers.html

[Arlin Eastman]

To me it is not the accurately of the thing but making the width and making sure it stays locked and get the size to the object being turned..

So if it is easy to use and then lock it down. I found that a inside or outside compass opens up quite a bit when trying to do several things.

Thanks

Arlin

[iclark]

I did not have any luck with the friction type of inside or outside calipers.

The spring-loaded ones that adjust with a screw have held their settings well for me as long as I do not over-lubricate the screw thread and do not pick up or hold the calipers by the nut. The cheap Groz ones work fairly well, but the old Starrett, B&S, MF, and others have a good amount of springiness to the legs. That makes them a lot more forgiving at the lathe.

[Arlin Eastman]

iclark said:

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I did not have any luck with the friction type of inside or outside calipers.

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Yep that is want I was given several years ago.

I would like 2 or 3 maybe of the others so I can use them for sizing my chuck jaws.

Arlin

[MichaelMouse]

Arlin Eastman said:

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To me it is not the accurately of the thing but making the width and making sure it stays locked and get the size to the object being turned..

So if it is easy to use and then lock it down. I found that a inside or outside compass opens up quite a bit when trying to do several things.

Thanks

Arlin

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You can make plywood U gauges for your major diameters at the scroll/band saw if they exceed the dimensions of your open-end wrenches, a common substitute for calipers on tenons.

[Arlin Eastman]

Now why did I not remember that. I seen it on DVDs but it just did not click.

So yep that would work for my chucks but not the spindle work and now with both ideas I have it covered.

Thanks a ton guys

Arlin

O and I have three sides one for Minimal and one for Maximum and another for best holding.

[iclark]

Not as inexpensive as the digital caliper at Walmart, but LV has a nice direct-read caliper for turners here.

FWIW, I would not try using either a dial caliper or the Veritas direct-read caliper as a sizing gauge with the lathe turning.

I have picked up an assortment of outside calipers that the previous owners have re-shaped the tips in different ways that make them especially well-suited to lathe work.