FINALLY! Calipers made for woodworkers!
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 24 ม.ค. 2020
- Choosing the right caliper can really change the way woodworkers measure all sorts of stuff!
My favorite dial caliper: www.chipsfly.com/fractional-d...
My favorite digital caliper: www.chipsfly.com/fastener-cal...
A nice, basic digital caliper: www.chipsfly.com/ezcal-calipe...
Bluetooth digital caliper: www.chipsfly.com/origin-cal-d...
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Thanks James once again you come to our aid through your videos
Cracks me up listening to a UK woodworker video, where they talk about a 4x8 sheet of 20mm plywood. ;-)
That's true but we would always say 8x4 and 18 mm instead of 3/4 inch and 2x4s are 4x2s. and as for rabbits - lets not go there!
We say 8x4 because that is the dimension it is sold in. Nobody is going to say "can I have a 2440mmx1220mm sheet of ply". Plaster board is sold as 2400mmx1200m but you ask for 8x4. But 4x3 plasterboard is 4"x 900mm.
@@stephenribchester2185 True but it's invoiced in metric and made to the mm.
@@stephenribchester2185 The plonkers here in South Africa don't know it as 8x4. Or even what a right handed door means. Or even that an Allen key is a brand name.
Yup. We're polymensurate over here.
Being the son of a former machinist and having spent some time in the metal working industry myself, I am comfortable with decimals. But it is still easier to work in fractions most of the time. I had never heard of a caliper that rounds down. That is a great idea! I may get one. Thanks James!
brother, you're blowing my mind with that fractional dial caliper! you deserve an extra-cold cold one for turning me on to that tool
I’ve been checking out calipers for a week or so, and you just demonstrated everything I wanted to see. You put a lot of thought into these videos and it shows. I’m sold on the $30 one. Unless you’re calibrating equipment or something lifesaving, I couldn’t justify $100.
I bought a moderately priced 12" digital caliper a few years ago, to use on one specific job. I thought I'd only use it somewhat occasionally after that, but ever since I've had it, I've found tons of uses for it, and it's been a really handy tool to have around the shop! I'm so glad I made that purchase, and highly recommend getting one. It was money well spent, and I've never regretted it.
Ok! I just bought the dial style. Thanks.
As a newer woodworker, your channel is always a first-stop, great-resource, well-crafted, and entertaining channel. Thank you!!
Nice find for the fractional calipers....
Metric woodworkers are not just overseas; we are here in the US too. Doing math in tens is so much easier than dealing with fractions. I get it if you are already invested in lots of imperial tools, but if you are in the US you can do metric, and I’m attempting to set up my shop that way. For instance, when I bought my SawStop, I ordered a metric tape to replace the imperial that came with the saw. Clinging to the imperial system is doing the US wood-working community a disservice, since the US is the only industrialized country in the world still on the system, and most all large US manufacturers went metric years ago. By the way, I LOVE your channel and have learned so much from you! You should think about converting some tools to metric as you replace them! ;)
Thank you! I just ordered the fractional dial calipers. They are just what I need.
Excellent piece of content, Jim. I just bought your favorite digital caliper on the strength of your review -- the ability to resolve only down to 1/32" and the ability for the device to "remember" where it was when you turn it off and on again. Both of those features will save me a lot of time. Thank you for all you've done to educate the woodworking community throughout the years -- you are a treasure.
I love all my machinist gadgets in my woodworking shop. Being ultra precise prevents a lot of errors that would otherwise slow down production. Granted my shop centers around a CNC machine. The right combination of understanding wood movement and pre-planning your projects down to .005" has made my shop life so much simpler.
I had no idea that there were so many different versions of calipers. As an amateur woodworker these need to be investigated. Thanks James
One reason I'm glad I worked as a QC inspector in a machine shop before I got into woodworking. I love using my calipers to get the most precise dimensions possible
LOL! I came to wood working only three years ago after 40 years as a toolmaker, and it still frustrates me that I can't make wood comply to the same tolerances I was used to with metal. And when you do get it close, a few weeks later it has changed all by itself! Rob Cosman has great tips for minimising the effects of wood expanding and contracting according to moisture content.
Growing up with imperial then my country decides to go metric just as I start to grasp imperial I find myself still using both, I find I use my callipers on everything I make, so handy, Thank you Mr Nubs for another informative video.
Well, I did not know that fractional calipers existed. I have been using my dial caliper since I bought it in school in 1980. One makes assumptions and learns to deal. Now I have purchased a brand new fractional dial caliper thanks to you. I can’t wait to stop doing thousandths to fractions in my head!
This was a timely episode for me. Very helpful. Thanks for sharing.
I love the calipers... been using them since I used to be a machinist but that's cause I memorized the conversions.. I do like the dial model you show and might add one to my tools for ease of use ! thank you !
Wow, that's a great site that I've never heard of before. Lots of great, reasonably priced measurement tools. Thanks!
Great discussion James, thanks for sharing it.
Thank you thank you thank you for this video, James. I have struggled for too long with trying to round up/down on a standard digital caliper. I did have an app for my phone that would do the rounding for me, but found that to be a pain to use, so generally just struggled with it in my head or with a pencil on my workbench top. I just ordered both the digital and dial versions that you recommended and am very grateful.
I bought a pair of digital calipers about three years ago. It's surprising how much I use them. I got them at lowes for like 30 dollars. Well worth it.
I bought the dial Calipers on your Recommendation, I love these. Thank you Stumpy
Thanks James, I think this will be my new favorite caliper too, so I got me one!
6" FASTENER-CAL CALIPER
Great video. I started using calipers in machine work and it took me a while to realise that they are useful in woodworking as well.
Just ordered the digital caliper with fractions. I guess my conversion calculator will go on a vacation. Love your Journal. Keep em coming
I have had trouble with that all my life THANK YOU
...another superb presentation. Thank you!!
I absolutely love my mitutoyo absolute digital calipers! They are accurate and repeatable.
Yea but I would have to sell a kidney to afford one of those.
I bought my Mitutoyo at work (payroll deduction). How does the saying go? I owe my soul to the...
Timely, James. I have both a dial and digital caliper that I gave up on. I'll give them another try now. Thanks.
Thank you - you answered my question on what to look for in a caliper.
Thanks James really need to get those calipers.👍👍
I grew up when in the 70's the US decided to try metric and it went over like a lead balloon. Now we suffer with both systems and it costs me double because of router bits, drill bits, wrenches etc. being in both scales. I have learned to love the metric system because of building cabinets using it. The metric cabinet is so simple and standardized. I use the Festool LR32 system frequently which makes errors much less likely because it registers on both ends of the panel so no matter which end is up or down it's the same if you build using the 32mm standard. I like that it is a little more accurate without using 32nd's in fractional scales which always confuse me. Try dividing cabinets parts into several equal sections using fractions...mind numbing even with a construction calc. My Saw Stop has metric scales so I love to use it. I wish we had gone thru the conversion. The excuse was no one understood it and it would cost too much to retool our factories etc.
I like working in both systems, and both have their issues. For fans of metric who claim it's easier, take a look at thread and tap drill specifications for metric. While yes, our use of fractions, lettered, and numbered drills is a bit confusing to someone who is new to it, it is a whole lot easier than the fractional metric sizes. The only thing that comes close in our system is the difference in wire gauges for ferrous metals versus those for electrical wire. Most of my projects combine woodworking and metalworking technologies, so working with them all is necessary. Frankly, I don't see any significant usability difference at all. If there was one area where I think American standards could use a total rework, it would be with pipe threads, which are based on the 19th century standard wall thicknesses of galvanized pipe. Also, the tapered threads are nice until you need a nut for a piece of pipe with an extended set of threads - then it's good luck finding something that works. Finally, for those who claim we didn't change - we did, just selectively as determined by consumer behavior.
One add to your testing of the calipers for accuracy at the end of your video. I am an engineer and one thing that is just as important in gauges is not just accuracy, but repeatability. Some more expensive gauges have tolerances for repeatability so that if you measure the same dimension repeatedly the measurement is consistently accurate. In woodworking it is not as overly critical, but is important in quality control situations in industry. We measure both accuracy and repeatability using a statistical technique called a Gauge R & R. Anyway love your videos!!!
As in GO, No Go gauging ?
I've been using the igaging absolute origin caliper for ~6 years, still on the same original battery, love it.
Thank you, this video really explained calipers well. Not yet in my wood working career to where I know where I should be using them but I'll be ready.
Thank you for this!
Its time for me to get a caliper to up my woodworking game
Another great video. My first dial calipers were purchased for reloading ammunition but I quickly started using them for building radio controlled airplanes. The accuracy improved instantly. I now have several, both dial and digital but prefer the dial models because they never have dead batteries. The digital are handy for quick comparisons. Die hard machinists bad mouth calipers but I find them to give the same measurements as my micrometers that I use for metal machining. Good mikes measure to 0.0001” but I rarely need ten thousandths accuracy even when machining metal.
I'm glad you did this video. I bought a new one from Harbor Freight and Amazon after my old one failed. One had moisture inside of it and the other one the scale kept jumping around.
I waited 2 months and watched a bunch of videos before I settled on an iGaging 6 inch 0 reference, Bluetooth model.
I also purchased a set of Precision Machinists bars around the same time for overhauling my equipment.
The iGaging caliper was accurate for every bar I tested. Since then my ARCH caliper went down as well. I used it to set router and saw height.
So, I set the caliper to the height I want. Use the square ruler and set it to the caliper. Now I have a stable, flat surface to place above blade and bit to stop against.
Even with the Incra T-ruler there's a comparison from one to the other. Using the square I just bring them up to meet.
I think you for all your hard work.
In Aus, when we changed from imperial to metric, tape measures with both scales were (and still are) common, one guy came back from site with a markup with dimensions like one thousand two hundred and seven sixteenths because “it just worked” still makes me smile 45 years later. I would imagine that most American who measure stuff are able to use metric as needed? I avoid the battery type tools as they’re always flat when I need them, I’ll now start taking the battery out. Thanks for the tip.
I have three digital calipers in my toolbox including a Mitutoyo from the late 1980s. I replace batteries maybe once every two or three years, but they all use the same battery so it is no problem keeping a spare in the toolbox. I use the cheaper (Fuller I think) for marking out metal. Maybe once a year I sharpen the tip with a diamond stone (from the back of course).
(michigan) most schooling focuses on using metric,
give any random person here either kind of tape measure, or ruler, and the biggest issue that would come up is them not knowing what the fractions smaller than 1/4 on the imperial scale are.
The change to metric the year after I started high school so I started using Imperial and ended using metric. I remember there was a period (my head has 15yrs embedded) where all rulers had to be metric only and then you could get both. I was on Bunnings the other day looking for a steel rule with both but my local didn't have one.
Im the opposite john.
I keep getting frustrated that thevtapes i want to get are always both. My job means i have to be able to read from different sides depending on where im working, so i need a metric only and the buggers charge more for them.
Fpr steel rules, try art supply stores like eckersleys. They will probably carry a wider range as they do tech drawing supplys
@@davidwood3751 ...or Fast Cap. They have a wide range of tapes with right-to-left/left-to-right metric tapes....
From the UK. I was brought up on Imperial but the UK changed to decimal. When working in wood I build to what ever the size is quoted or measured, that is if the job needs a 4ft piece or a 1200mm board then it is cut to that size. It is amazing how quick the brain responds to what is needed. We also always quote wood the correct way ie 4X2 3x2 etc. not the other wrong way round.
I was a machinist for a while and our CNC's worked in decimal inches to the nearest 1/10000 of an inch. Our end mills and drills were in inches and it didn't take long to learn that .0156 was 1/64th or that .3125 was 5/16th etc. when we used our calipers that read in decimal inches.
^^^exactly... 😁👍
its ok for us engineers i was a capstan/ctr lathe turner for 45 years also CNC so working in metric and inches and converting is no problem it comes automatically. in England its just came naturally when the conversion turned from inches to metric so now i am retired and now a wood turner i still use a lot of my metal work measuring tools verniers and the like.
1/64th is .015625 to be precise.
@@BedsitBob haas vertical Mills only do 4 decimals. If you don't sometimes you get an error saying out of precision
Well done! Thanks for the links.
Thanks stubby I just ordered the digital caliper
Great information James, I had no idea those were available with features like that.
I love the igauaging dial caliper, I've been using it for years, the original used to be available only from Highland Hardware.
Thank you for saying American, I just build a cradle for my great grandson and I used calipers for the precision of all pieces involved in that project
Thanks Stumpy, I have always been confused as to what kind of caliper would be best for me. Therefore being too cheap to experiment, this has been a very helpful video.
Thank you for explaining that!
Great subject, Mr. Nubs!
I love my vernier callipers for woodworking. Great beginners video Stumpy. Those 64ths scale callipers look sweet.
Thanks for the information!
Just made a purchase. I can never do the metric/imperial conversions in my head, especially after falling on it last year, LOL.
I have used a machinist’s dial caliper for decades. However, after seeing this video, I ordered the Fastener-Cal digital version you recommended. No more mental gymnastics or scribbling on a notepad???
I’m a chemist, so the metric system is no mystery to me. But I just consider myself “bilingual”, and happily do woodworking using the English system without guilt!
Great review. Agree with your choice #1 and #2 selection. Will need to buy choice two #2. Fractions are great! All are based on binary system, only two numbers, 1 & 2, no need to leave my toes out to count.
I'm blown away by your incredibly clear, concise and easy to understand talks.
I subscribe to a number of very intelligent teachers on TH-cam, but I think you may be the best.
At least in woodworking.
Thanks for doing it.
A digital caliper with a flat battery is still a decent gauge in a pinch, but I keep a strip of spares in my bench's top drawer.
On metric; When I was in 6th class in Australia, (the 6th grade in the US) Mr Perrault came in and carefully drew the metric system symbol on the blackboard, explaining that as a nation, many things were about to change. He made the interesting observation that kids or age would have a solid grasp on both systems, which would be advantageous. I often admire just how prescient he was and try to model that forward thinking.
I also drill the occasional bowling ball and that can *only* make sense in Ye Olde British imperial measurements, which keeps me sharp on inches and fractions.
You're on the money James (and others), sometimes it's handy to just switch units! I have an old Lufkin tape in metric and imperial and if something is bang on an imperial unit, that's what I write down, if it doesn't need to go on a drawing.
Thank you
Many, if not most, woodworkers are always seeking ways to up our game. James Hamilton helps that improvement process A LOT! I’m one that tries to avoid the caliper measurements. Now I have new options.
I live in Canada which has been metric since the mid 70's but still use feet & inches for wood working because all the metric plans use is millimeters, Never centimeters or meters. According to Toyota , the wheelbase on my truck is 4000 millimeters
Great video. Love the comments. Keep working on that hand.
GREAT video! I'm a Luthier and guitar repairman, I also repair upright basses. My digital caliper works fine, but it does that frustrating 128ths. thing, and I really liked that fastener cal caliper with the 64th.s feature you demonstrated. I just ordered one! I watch your vids, and am now subscribed.
I have one of the digital calipers and since I'm an engineer and a former math teacher I have little trouble converting decimals to fractions. But your comments on determining what the 16th fraction is nearest to a reading of a 128th fraction is one I've experienced many times. Yes I can do the calculations but it takes time from what I'm doing. Thank you for the tip on the Fastener-cal caliper, I just ordered one.
That was useful as usual, thanks. Metric is to Imperial as river dance is to ballet. Sharp staccato vs. organic and flowing. I use them both depending on my mood.
A joiner makes sure that what he makes fits with the rest down to the tenth of a millimeter.
A carpenter makes sure it fits down to a millimeter.
A mason makes sure it fits down to the centimeter.
If the painter makes it to the right address, it's a good thing.
Paint thinner kills the brain.
Okay, I really like your preferred digital caliper. I'm going to pick one up. Right now I have a cheaper harbor freight digital caliper and while they're okay, I wanted a second pair to keep an another part of the house.
Calipers are great for the wood lathe! Glad you pointed out the non machinist type. Will have to take a look at them.
Nice one James. Dial calipers are great. The biggest issue is that they can skip a tooth if dirt gets into the rack and they will become inaccurate. Dial calipers come with a "needle probe" which can revert the dial once the offending piece of dirt or chip gets into the rack or the pinion. I Love digital.
Informative. Thanks, Stumpy.
Excellent video!
I am a 73 year old woodworker. I have used a caliper with a Vernier scale to 1/128 scale for 40 years. I would love to have that digital caliper and the price seems reasonable
Because I am both a hobby woodworker and a hobby jeweler I have calipers coming out my ears. But I was unaware of some of the features you showed. In New Zealand we work in metric, but my father was English and an engineer so he trained me in both metric and imperial - best of both worlds. Most software will happily work in both, changing back and forth as required.
Thank you very much! I didn’t know they made a dial caliper with inches and fractions. I will be upgrading to the one you recommend in the comments. In truth I work with most measuring devices as story sticks with numbers on them. There is comfort in seeing familiar numbers though.
As a toolmaker, I always get a chuckle when people talk about calipers being precise. 😎
you chuckle until a woodworker borrows your tiny c clamp without asking ;)
fortunately precision is relative, it'd be a little ridiculous to lay out a rafter with a sine bar on a surface plate :P
@@dscrive Rafters yes I'd agree, but I've used my sine bar and gauge blocks to set up and rotary plane walnut on my mill for my 1/6th scale civil war cannon project where a match between the wood and metal angle cuts had to be exact. Milling wood with a power feed and dro is almost like cheating. :-)
@@turningpoint6643 haha, I wonder how the "CNC isn't real woodworking" crowd would react to that.
out of curiosity, is that cannon functional?
some of the fancier planers have digital readouts, and there are power feed devices for use in the wood shop. I haven't used either, but they seem pretty sweet.
Once you get used to machinist tolerances, it changes your world with regard to what's possible. And, as William Ng shows, it's not that hard and often worthwhile to machine wood that accurately.
The need for varying degrees of precision is relative. A framing carpenter has no need to measure more precisely than 1/16”. When I measure a copper jacketed .44 caliber bullet it measures .430” whether I’m using a cheap digital caliper or a Starrett micrometer. It’s hard to cut wood as precisely as we have the ability to measure it so any further precision is not beneficial. Calipers are quite precise for woodworking even if they aren’t accurate enough for toolmaking. I build both RC airplanes and bolt action rifles with .001” measuring tools and have been quite successful at both pursuits. Without a tool room lathe measuring to tenths isn’t that useful.
Nice little video, thanks for the info.
Thanks for the video
I have had calipers since 1970 that measure down 1/128. I never learned to use that system. It just may be easier to learn the decimal system than trying to figure out which is bigger 9/64 or 5/32. I have digital calipers that read in fractions. They are useful to match drill bits with their slot in the box since my eyes no longer read the size stamped on the shank.
I have a really cheap plastic, kind of primary school toy caliper that I found and now I'm using it every day in my shop! I am amazed at its accuracy! Mainly use it when planing. Ha I have a digital one too, but it's stored waiting for the right project. Ha
Thanks for sharing that
As a metrophile I still give this 640/128 stars. Good stuff as always 👍
I've had two different digital calipers that ended up with a failed encoder. Both were less than a year old. Now I have the iGauging dial caliper you demo'd that reads in fractions. I absolutely LOVE that one!
That is not a digital calliper problem. The problem is you cheaped out. A $40 unit would not be like that. What do you expect for $10 unit? The point of their use is for accuracy and repeatability. Your cheapness defeats the whole point.
@@MrBonners So without knowing a single detail such as what brand I've got or how much I paid, you're able to jump straight to trashing me? Ok, I'll join you in the mud dipshit, you're an idiot.
@@JeffSolenberg - Welcome to the internet :)
@@StumpyNubs :D
When I first got into woodworking I had already been a working manual machinist for a little over a year. Since I am a creature of habit, the calipers and micrometers were and still are always on the bench. I don't generally use fractions much as I am much more comfortable with decimal dimensions and tolerances.
And yes I know a +/- 0.005" tolerance is probably overkill for woodworking but it's personal preference I guess
Great vlog! When I got to the fastener calipers, was straight to chips fly site placed my order. My only complaint didn't come with a 32" display oh well thanks
I have a set of dial calipers with the fractions and like them better than any digital solution. The biggest reason is that analog dials are relational while digital displays are absolute. I can look at my dial and easily see that I'm shading close to a 16th without any mental strain. There is a direct correlation between the dial and the workpiece. I can see that it's still a hair too thick and the amount the dial needs to move gives me a good idea of how much needs to come off (or more typically, how much too far I've gone). Analog dials just give you a little bit more information in a more easily processed way, and I like that.
Working with guitars means working with wood and metal. Specifically, the strings are measured in tenths of an inch. The wood can be either tenths or fractions.
I've been using the same Mitutoyo dial calipers in my cabinet shop since 1992. Standard inches of course.
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Great video as usual. God bless.
I used both the imperial and the metric system all the time. I am from Europe but your opinion on how you think we precive our system as superior ( is miles apart from the reality. I am stating the majority don't think like that, so I hope this changes your opinion by a good multimeter or two, both systems are warranted. My shed is 15 ft by 13 ft and 10 feet high at its highest point, the roof sheeting was 4.75 metres long, window I used was 40 inches by 40 inches, door was 6ft 6 inch by 5 ft 4 inch wide, we use milimeters and cm because we are not thought inch fractions like the usa, the common person will use both unless you work on a big job site.
When I first took physics or electronics, I IMMEDIATELY realized why we are ridiculous for sticking with imperial/American units. You just move decimals to change scales, the names match the position... It's the most rational and sensible thing 😄
When you took Physics and Electronics, I bet you never worked angular measure in Gradients? Instead you used 1 rotation as 360 Degrees or, 2 Pi Radians!!! LOL!
@@henrysiegertsz8204 fair enough, there. No, I definitely didn't use gradians, I was really just talking about measurements in meters and kilograms
Changing a measuring system nationally is very much like changing the currency. Look at the chaos that ensued when the UK changed from pounds, shilling and pence to the decimal system. I was at school then and a lot of my time was taken up by going shopping with elderly neighbours who were really struggling with it.
I can visualise things in feet much better than I can in metres but when it comes to smaller measurements mm are easier than inches. At the end of the day the best system is the one that works for you in the particular situation.
Thanks James, that igage fractional dial is exactly what I've been looking for. On metric, if materials were in metric I would be happy to use it all the time, but I'm pretty pretty good at using a mix. Except bolts and nuts, it is terrible to mix metric and sae on the same device, I swear when I run onto a 7/16 nut on a 10mm headed bolt.
I did get floating values on some early less expensive calipers, both digital and dial, but over the years, the inexpensive digitals seemed to have gotten better as you've pointed out. My goto is a Starrett dial, flawless if anything can be. I may have to check out your recommended digital caliper though. Be nice if they added Bluetooth. That would certainly seal the deal.
Yeaaaaaahhh Millimeters ;)
Been wanting to buy a decent, but affordable, caliper. Now I know where to start looking.
In ~ 1986 I bought mail order from a woodworker's catalog a General Tool No 142 6 inch Dial Caliper Swiss Made that reads in hundreds and 64ths of an inch on the same dial.
It is made out of black and gray plastic. The depth rod is steel.
thank you i have been a mechanist and a woodworker to have a gage that can do both is i great idea . i got to get one...lol
I commonly used metric measures in my job as an archaeologist. Since I retired, I've come to appreciate fractions. For two reasons. One is that millimeters quickly grow to centimeters and decimeters. Inches are less fussy. The other really handy property is that fractions are remarkably easy to calculate with in your head or occasionally if need be, by hand, (use decimal inches and there's no reason not to be using millimeters instead), and since I very rarely use a measure smaller than a sixteenth of an inch, the ease of calculation is nice. Using metric system or decimal inches is a practice that needs a calculator as far as my shop is concerned.
I have a digital readout caliper and a vernier caliper and I find that I use the old vernier caliper the most. Just more used to it I suppose.
I bought 4 or 5 cheapo digital calipers over the years and found the batteries would die within 3 months. Finally bouth a pair of mitutoyo's and love then, battery last around 2 years. I bought em used on ebay, best 80 quid i ever spent.