I bought a dial calipers from Harbor Freight for around $15. I have a digital micrometer (Mitutoyo) and after replacing the batteries every 6 months or so, I took the battery out and just read the barrel of the micrometer.
With a dial caliper, I can tell if the needle is in between the dial graduations, in other words I can read it to 1/4 of one thousandth of an inch...digital readouts usually don't get better than 1/2 a thousandth (at least not for the cost of a HF cheapie).
The HF dial caliper is more than good enough for hobby use, it slides smoothly, is repeatable and made from stainless steel. Much more expensive measuring tools are definitely worth their price (I used to work in a machine shop where we made gages and measured down to 5 millionths of an inch); but if you don't have $300 bucks for a nice one, get a decent cheap one for now.
http://delray1967.shutterfly.com/pictures/5
SEMI Free-Mo@groups.io
OT DeanBack when I was in HO, I used to measure things, particularly sheet and wire thickness, with one of my micrometers and convert things to HO, knowing an HO inch is about .011", using a calculator. When converting measurements to actual inches, I used .0114829", which is even more accurate. Even today, in O scale, for closer tolerances, I divide 1 by 48, store it in the memory, and calculate from there.
Actually in HO (or any scale) you can use the formula:
[1 ft/(scale ft/ft.)] x 12 in./ft = fraction of an inch/scale ft.
Example, HO
[(1 ft)./(87 scale ft./ft)] x 12 in./ft. = 0.138 in./HO scale ft.
Or, you can just say:
( 12 in.ft)/(scale ft./ft.) = fraction of an inch/scale ft.
So, for O scale:
(12 in./ft)/(48 scale ft./ft.) = 0.25 in./scale ft.
So, for converting inches to scale ft. in O scale:
inches/ 0.25 = O scale ft.
. . . and for converting O scale feet to inches:
O scale ft x 0.25 = inches
HF also has a digital angle gauge that measures in % which i would believe would be a grade angle.
Exactly! I mentioned it before: The one advantage digital versions have is being able to switch between english to metric. Dial (analog) calipers are just as accurate and you don't need to deal with batteries - aka dead batteries.
Digital does NOT mean better in ALL cases...
Tom
https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling
Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.
why not get a dial vernier and avoid the problems of a battery
greg - Philadelphia & Reading / Reading
I have two pairs of good dial calipers- one Starrett, one Neill, micrometers to 5", inside and outside reading, and depth, plus a few larger ones, from time I spent in the machining trade. I never regret buying good tools... for modelling, regular dial calipers and a calculator are invaluable tools.
Steve Hunter
I have a professional quality Vernier Caliper and a Micrometer that my dad gave me when I started into the hobby. He was a research scientist so I can't imagine him using poor quality instruments. They work great, except I have trouble reading them. My eyesight, which I thought was still pretty good, just can't focus on the lines well enough, even when I'm using my Optivisor. So, I just bought a digital caliper. Why not? They are cheap and plenty accurate enough for modelling purposes.
No more squinting my eyes!
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
General Tool Company, who have been making those handy stainless steel scale rules (O, S, HO & N, plus a lot of other useful scales and charts, all in one) used to make HO and O scale dial calipers made of plastic or resin, for a very good price. I have one of the O scale versions and it can give an accurate reading down to 1/4 scale inch (.005"), so I suppose the HO version would read down to a half-inch in scale.
I also had one of their inch-reading calipers and it worked just fine, but once I got my micro-lathe, I bought a stainless steel one from Micro-Mark for just over 30 bucks. Back when I was in HO, I used to measure things, particularly sheet and wire thickness, with one of my micrometers and convert things to HO, knowing an HO inch is about .011", using a calculator. When converting measurements to actual inches, I used .0114829", which is even more accurate. Even today, in O scale, for closer tolerances, I divide 1 by 48, store it in the memory, and calculate from there.
As others have said, no batteries, so it's ready to go when you need it, and partnered with a calculator, comes in very handy. Maybe someone else can tell us if the General Tool scale calipers are still available...?
Deano
Southgate Harbor freight has a great digital caliper. Catch it on sale, it's a great bargain too. Obviously not in RR scale, but still, while were on the subject... Oh. It turns itself off when not being used. Saves battery life.
Harbor freight has a great digital caliper. Catch it on sale, it's a great bargain too. Obviously not in RR scale, but still, while were on the subject...
Oh. It turns itself off when not being used. Saves battery life.
Yes, a great value, usually around $10, maybe less depending on sales and whether you have a 20% off coupon.
I suspect recent lots of these are product improved in the parasitic draw dept. Earlier versions seemed to discharge the battery whether on or off. Mine seems OK in this regard. YMMV
Mike Lehman
Urbana, IL
E-L man tom Very good information on calipers here, as I have been wondering what to buy; I will need one in the near future. I can convert inches to metric (and back) OK and easily convert scales, but I will need, and have needed one for measuring diameters of pipes, rods and small drill bits.
Very good information on calipers here, as I have been wondering what to buy; I will need one in the near future. I can convert inches to metric (and back) OK and easily convert scales, but I will need, and have needed one for measuring diameters of pipes, rods and small drill bits.
Either dial or digital will measure those equally fine.
Very good information on calipers here, as I have been wondering what to buy; I will need one in the near future. I can convert inches to metric (and back) OK and easily convert scales, but I will need, and have needed one for measuring diameters of pipes, rods and small drill bits. I'm leaning towards the digital calipers. I always remove the batteries on battery operated equipment anyway, so I'm already in the habit of battery conservation. Just have to remember where I put the batteries when not in use!
And you usually do not have the spare button batteries on hand. I know.
Rich
If you ever fall over in public, pick yourself up and say “sorry it’s been a while since I inhabited a body.” And just walk away.
Mike,
I picked up a decent pair of dial calipers for $20. Pretty economical, accurate, and no worries or hassles with batteries. Since most of the measuring I do in HO is in inches, it serves me quite well.
If I needed to go back 'n forth between metric and english then digital calipers would definitely be my choice. And that's a good suggestion about removing the batteries for long battery life and precaution against possible leakage.
If you'rre not sure when you'll use it again, always a good idea to remove the battery just in case it leaks anyway. And the battery will most likely hold its charge just fine and be ready for the next time you use it.
Tom,
You don't consider price to be an advantage?
Please note I'm not arguing about ultimate accuracy, but cost-effectiveness for the needs of most folks in this hobby.
Quite a few years ago I bought a plastic and fiberglass dial caliper, Spi 30-415 dial caliper. This one is similar.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/SPI-31-414-Plastic-Dial-Caliper-a3387-/401122970519
Served me well for many years. It has small divisions for Metric. Dial is only SAE.
I multiply or divide by 87 for HO scale.
I did a bunch of motor, gear motor substitutes which many know today are all Metric.
My newer dial caliper with SAE and Metric can eat batteries.
Both have the same accuracy. Probably was easy for me as I have been a machine mechanic for many years.
maxman mlehman If your budget is tight, buy a nice low-end digital and enjoy Yup, got one of them. Unfortunately it is useless without the battery, and the battery is invariably dead when I need to make a measurement.
mlehman If your budget is tight, buy a nice low-end digital and enjoy
Yup, got one of them. Unfortunately it is useless without the battery, and the battery is invariably dead when I need to make a measurement.
Hence, why I mentioned the dial (analog) calipers. No batteries required and - like a snow shovel - starts up first time; every time. The only advantage digital calipers have over analog are quickly switching between inches and millimeters.
I guess they sold "O" and "HO". My HO does not have the fine adj screw.
mlehmanIf your budget is tight, buy a nice low-end digital and enjoy
It does make a nice paper-weight.
Greg:
Thanks for the photo of the vernier caliper. When I clicked on it to expand it, it actually went to a website which explains all sorts of things about model measurement instruments. I finally learned how to properly read the caliper my dad gave me when I started into model railroading.
these have been mentioned but aren't available
looks like this one from PFM was for O not HO gauge.
"One difference between pessimists and optimists is that while pessimists are more often right, optimists have far more fun."
Mitutoyo, Brown& Sharpe, Starrett, SPI all make excellent precision instruments. Today most digital calipers are plenty accurate for the work we do in model railroading. If you need to hold closer tolerances, a good pair of micrometers is a much better choice, if used properly accurate to .0001 of an inch, where as most digital calipers are good to .001 maybe .0005 in the right hands.
PFM as in brass engines sold one many years ago, 30+. It was calibrated in inches and HO scale. Made by MITUTOYO. This was before digital.
I reload my own ammo and 0.01" can be a big deal.
I've had a mechanical Craftsman caliper fail. It was impossible to get it to zero. The HF digitals are consistent in their readings, but seem to burn through batteries faster than they should.
An excel spreadsheet would easily convert inches or mm to HO scale.
Henry
COB Potomac & Northern
Shenandoah Valley
Yeah, but try finding a dial caliper that beats the price on a HF or other digital caliper these days. While ultimate accuracy is a good thing, for the vast majority of model RR work, the accuracy of the current generation of digital calipers is completely adequate. If your budget is tight, buy a nice low-end digital and enjoy unless you know you have need for greater accuracy. And if you don't know that you need it, then you'll likely do just fine without the finer resolution possible with a more expensive instrument.
While digital calipers are nice for switching between inches and mms, I actually like and prefer dial calipers for viewing minute differences that less-expensive digital calipers aren't able to read out. And dial calipers are just as good, just as accurate, and don't require batteries.
My ...
Micro-Mark used to sell one, but it's been discontinued.
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