ASE, I might need a 3-ft capable caliper to measure the difference in the actual diameter of two different tires, for example. {
@acemaster
I commend you on a sane approach to dealing with tires and Awd. If it is in winter especially, the same decisions could be responsibly be made for any two wheel drive car too.
Please send your caliper out for verification/calibration and post the results showing the accuracy of the unit. If Iām using it to measure within 1/32" tolerance I want it to be true.
Other than measuring my ever-increasing waistline I have to wonder what it was made for/used originally.
"other then measuring my ever-increasing waistline ā¦"
No more then two to three meat meals per week, plenty of fruits and veggies and curtail the starches including bread (eliminate white), pasta and beer and you will have little need for your caliper. Of course boredom would be the next concern.
Forgetaboutit, ase. Aināt gonna happen.
Besides, the measurements you refer to are comparative, and repeatablility is the only thing that matters, not incremental accuracy. Granted, repeatability is a part of calibration (re:MIL-STD-45662), but it still aināt gonna happen.
What was it made for? To take money from guys like me that see it and say āHey, Iāve never seen one of those. The cost is right. I think Iāll buy one. I might need it someday.ā. If youāre jealous, I can tell you where to buy one.
āWhat was it made for? To take money from guys like me that see it and say āHey, Iāve never seen one of those. The cost is right. I think Iāll buy one. I might need it someday.ā. If youāre jealous, I can tell you where to buy one.ā
You mean they made more than one??
We use verniers like that in our optics lab to precisely position various components on the table.
Regardless, since when did NEED have to factor into a tool acquisition? Iāve bought lots of impulse tools that bailed me out of some bind later on. If it catches my eye, itās probably coming home!
Yup, they made more than one.
Re: your earlier comment about the accuracy: Iāll bet I can measure the difference between two tire diameters of different tires more accurately with my calipers than you can your wayā¦
Well then youād better tell me where to get a set. Next time an AWD comes in with a flat Iāll just pull that baby out from under the counter, open 'er up and say āLetās see what we need for your carā¦ā
I dunno, you get a chance to pick up a 3ā vernier caliper for $10, I think you ought to do it. My problem would be where to put it. It doesnāt have to be limited to automotive. Trying to measure anything round and in place like a cement column, water heater, etc. etc. Not something youād need every day but Iāve got tools I only use every ten years or so. Well, maybe every 20 years and on some of those I canāt remember what they are for, even though I made them.
I bought mine at a huge off-price store in Maine, Mardus I think, that deals in odd lots, overstocks, out-of-season stuff, out-of-business inventory, etc. I can confirm the name if youād like.
Thanks for the laugh, Bing. I have a few of those self-made āwhat the heck is thisā tools that I cannot remember what I made them for too.
Hereās one mfr of them-
http://www.mitutoyo.co.jp/eng/products/nogisu/ogata.html
up to 100 cm for the digital version.
Check out the strange looking mic on this page- http://www.mitutoyo.co.jp/eng/solution/special/sokuteikogu/index.html
āI have a large vernier caliper that measures up to over three feet that I bought recently for about $10 at a discount storeā.
@the_same_mountainbikeāIāve been wracking my brain where I saw a big caliper. We had an alignment shop in town where the proprietor had what I think were big calipers that he used to set the toe-in. The proprietor retired over 35 years ago and the shop is long gone. The shop only did alignment work. The alignment rack looked similar to what was in most shops, but it didnāt have the āvisualinerā equipment. I was a customer and the proprietor was the local genius on alignment. I watched him align the cars I owned at the time, and I think he used the caliper to measure the distance between the top of the tires and the bottom. The proprietor once showed me his appointment book for the month. Dealers and chain tire stores had appointments to bring cars in. These dealers and tire stores had alignment racks, but if they couldnāt satisfy the customer, this alignment shop was called on to do the alignment.
I had my Riv aligned on the computer equipment at the Goodyear shop. I donāt know what they did but it scared the heck out me worse than it was before on a certain curve in the rain. I finally took it to an old guy who had the old Bear equipment that I used to use as a kid. No computers but he got it right, plus he was able to reattach the engine cradle that was ready to fall out which was probably the problem. Funny the kid with the computer never noticed that.
He called me up at work (50 miles away) and said I had to come look at my car as it had a big problem with the front end. I said just fix it if you can but he said no you need to look at it. So I left work and went down there and the whole engine cradle was only held on by about one bolt. I said Iād like to get another year out of it if you can fix it. He said it would probably cost $150 or so. I just about kissed him but held back. Went to the GM dealer and got three new mounts and sure enough, he got it all done almost good as new for a couple hundred bucks. He was pretty proud of what he did as he had a right to be. I donāt know how old he is but he was probably in his 30ās 40 years ago. Got new tires after that and the thing drove like a new car with over 400K on it.