Adam Savage's Favorite Tools: Dial Caliper
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 26 ก.ย. 2024
- Many of you have asked about the tools used in One Day Builds and seen around Adam's workshop, so we're starting a new series putting a spotlight on some of Adam's favorite and most essential tools. Adam starts with his favorite calipers, and explains why it's like having a superpower--to precisely measure!
SE Dial Caliper amzn.to/35AQsBi
Brown & Sharpe Dial Caliper amzn.to/2R5QjAS
Mitutoyo Digital Caliper amzn.to/308uBAi
Shot and edited by Norman Chan
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Here are the items Adam is talking about in his video: SE Dial Caliper amzn.to/35AQsBi
Brown & Sharpe Dial Caliper amzn.to/2R5QjAS
Mitutoyo Digital Caliper amzn.to/308uBAi
Disclaimer: Tested may earn an affiliate commission when you buy through the links here.
It should be noted that the quality has been significantly reduced as most components are made in China. Be careful not to drop any of these calipers as it may ruin the gear mechanisms. Look for older Brown & Sharpe calipers made by the Swiss or older Starrett 120A series for some quality tools.
Adam Savage’s Tested I calibrate these almost daily. Thanks for speaking about their importance.
I've been thinking about this for a while now, but I think it would be awesome if Adam Savage had a Masterclass (on Masterclass.com) on making things. It could have lessons on how to start or become a good maker, essential tools, useful skills to develop, etc.
How do you feel when people use calipers to mark materials by scoring the calipers tips along it?
@@leepuckett9706 I was wondering whether he tested the new models out or not... because like so many good things from the past... new iterations drop their quality control and shop out production to the lowest bidder
"I have some very specific feelings about calipers"
Yes, this is why I am here.
I have been teaching in engineering labs for the last 7 years, and the students always ask "why are all the calipers dial?" or "are you too cheap to buy digital?". The answer I give every time is "We use dial because they never run out of batteries. There will be a day when you are using a digital caliper and they will be out of batteries, and in all likelihood, it will be when you are in an impossible position and cannot even take the time to go get a new battery."
Also, calipers are great to show the difference between a slip fit, press fit, and an interference fit
@@jameskribs2258 So true. The one advantage to display is when trying to fit into a tight spot - sometimes the dial makes the head of the caliper a bit too big.
Other advantage of analog - you can "calibrate" them yourself with the base of the dial and a couple blocks and get a feel that you know you're right - if the digital ones drift, there is no needle movement to give you a sense of consistency or accuracy.
@@jameskribs2258 always two new batteries in the micrometer case...
IT hasn't stopped you yet.
I just cant get my self to trust any digital instrument. Idk why but even if they are the most trusted expensive blah blah. I just cant do it.
In the junk drawer when I was growing up were a bunch of cartoon character (Mickey Mouse, Goofy, Trix Rabbit) wrist watches, some disassembled. My dad died when I was young so I had no clue wtf that was about. Years later I came across his dial caliper, and he had replaced the dial hand with the watch hand from a Mickey Mouse watch that was his gloved hand pointing. It was a really satisfying mystery to solved
Oh my, that is great xD
That's just fantastic. I love it.
Did you cry? I would have drowned in tears man. Holy. Shit. What a treasure of an experience. I bet that told you a lot about your dad.
Great story! Thank you for sharing!
Your dad thought so much of you that a tool he probably used dozens of times a day for most days he was working that he took it apart and put something in it that would make him think about you everytime he used it.
A good set of calipers are one of those things that once you get them, you'll wonder how you ever got by without them.
I don’t know how to read them
I agree, but honestly for "most" people like myself just a digital $20 set off Amazon works wonders.
I don't even get what you'd need them for unless you are a specialist building extremely specific things
Your average workshop I don't think would need calipers 😅
My husband was a machinist and I always enjoyed watching him work. One of the tools I saw him use the most was his dial calipers.
When I was a professional blacksmith we would joke, “Measure with micrometer, mark with chalk, cut with axe”.
I don't get it
@@DanielSultana because you arent a blacksmith
@@DanielSultana you lose accuracy, that's the joke.
I like the above statement so much that about the 3d print it as my logo, engrave with laser on the side of ...and more. :)
Growing up, my Dad worked as a machinist. He had all kinds of cool measuring tools that I got to learn about as a young lad. Fast forward to me being in my late 20s, I got into woodworking. I had a cheap set of calipers that got the job done, but I could tell its .001" and an actual .001" were slightly different. So I got my first set of Starrett dial calipers. They weren't the made in USA ones, but they were miles ahead of where I was. When they came in the mail, I sent a picture to Dad of my first Starrett tool. Later that year, for my birthday, he gave me his old toolbox with his calipers in it and tons of other amazing things. For his birthday a few weeks later, I made him a valet tray with as much precision as I could attain. It turned out great and is one of my professors achievements.
Anyway, calipers hold a special place in my heart and they're a tool that anyone who makes things needs to have in their arsenal.
*one of my proudest
As somebody who cleans and calibrates calipers nearly every day in my job, Adam's grimy B&S nearly made me cry. :)
I love Adam's spirit! The way he gets so excited about his experiences and looks like he's just bursting to share it with the world is so wholesome and inspiring.
Love you Adam, never change
Snug...if you really want to geek out about Adam's enthusiasm on a more personal level, I highly recommend his book, Every Tool's a Hammer. It's my Bible next to my Machinists Bible. Cheers! Zip~
Never needed to measure anything that accurately.
Bought a set anyway.
Now I need to measure everything that accurately so can't be without them
Calipers are one thing, micrometers take it to another entire level again...I find myself using my caliper quite often though not even being a machinist.
@@djsomeguy Psh, Electron Microscope or GTFO
@@TonyBullard Haha damn straight, electron microscope ftw!
I am a grind shop machinist. I use a 0-1” mic every day and the super mic at least one day a week for precision parts (aerospace and racing, cryogenics, etc) Super micrometer can measure .00005” tolerances. We use calipers for STARTING stock sizes. Lol
@@sdcsuxd33 super mic? All the mics where I work will do. 00005
I used to use a dial caliper for years but digital was like a revelation. Being able to switch on the fly from metric to imperial is great and easily zeroing them at any measurement to take deviation readings is amazing. Sure, you'll need to replace the batteries once or twice a year but it's totally worth it.
When he talked about measuring to the side or middle of a mark on a ruler, I felt that. That spoke to me.
Shoutout to Vernier scale calipers as Adam in his professional wisdom has neglected to mention the poor man's non-battery-reliant option.
No fancy mechanics, no electronics, still gets you to thousandth resolution.
Maybe not worth buying new at this point but very handy when you find a pair in your dad's toolbox.
It really depends. My chineseum digital calipers crapped out after a few months, and I know that while this is literally a sample size of one, at least a vernier will never let you down. Unless you bent it or something. If you can't fine one in your dad's toolbox, it's still worth getting one new just to have one on standby.
I got my Mum to buy me a Mitutoyo Vernier caliper (with both .001" and .02mm scales) for christmas; I asked for Vernier because of the mechanical simplicity and the fact that you never need to zero a slider
l use calipers often enough to appreciate the digital ones and not have an issue with battery life. I love my Mitutoyo Digital calipers but it's fun to hand my Vernier scale (non dial) calipers to people and watch them try to figure it out.
I personally hate using vernier calipers. I don’t know about you but i can never get a good reading quickly or a quick reading thats accurate. Never an issue with the digital calipers and hardly one with the dial variants.
I have to admit a smugness to being able to read a vernier scale that muggles cannot. And mine are 8", coz size does matter.
As a quality supervisor, I appreciate this mans passion for calipers.
Every work station in my shop has a set of calipers at the ready. Some digital, some analog, but there always close at hand whether I'm at the Electronics bench, the engine bench, the lathe or the mill and drill press. They're the single most invaluable tool when it comes to finite measurements that are absolutely critical. Thanks for reaffirming this with this video Adam! Cheers! Zip~ p.s. Your Book is my Bible right next to my Machinists Bible.
Well Zip. Now all you gotta do is learn to read em. Lol. Great content buddy.
I got my dial caliper when I went to art school as part of the standard art supplies package required. I'd never known such precision was even possible, and I still have the same caliper decades later.
"I bought them at Fox Hardware on 4th and Mission back in 1992" - Dude, I can't remember what I bought last week.
And I damn sure don’t remember the address of the store
I worked in flooring for many years and whether it was cutting in plywood or the flooring itself, things like "leave the pencil line on" and "take the pencil line off" etc... became part of my vocabulary. We'd often mark things inside and take it outside to cut. That was my fathers way of making sure I cut what he saw when he marked it. It's a really important point to make and even the width of a pencil line is massive when it comes to getting something right.
More of these videos please. ❤
Love hearing Adam talk about tools and stories, and just making in general.... " I live to be Savage. "
“Every tool’s a hammer” - Adam
*DISCLAIMER* do NOT use calipers as a hammer! Turns out, not every tool is a hammer! 😂😂
I think they get classed as an instrument so it misses this rule 👍
I've seen instances of caliper inside jaws being used for chipping welding slag, and 1500mm verniers being used as a lever.
Calipers with the middle of the main jaws worn out from measuring material still spinning in the lathe etc.
Then there's the perennial "Precision G Clamp" stepping up in size typically by 25mm or 1" steps.
Any form of abuse you can imagine (and many you probably wouldn't) is regrettably all too commonplace for these precision instruments.
One company I know of decided that they would purchase such instruments for new engineering staff, to be the property of the staff member. An allowance was then added to the wages of these people to cover normal wear and tear expenses (contact points on test and dial indicators for example) All repair and replacement expenses had to come from the employee's pocket (hence the allowance). It is amazing how quickly the cost of company's instrument repair and replacement dropped.
Another company used dial gauges in their manufacturing processes, and it was an absolute mystery how these gauges would conveniently break down on the night shift when the workers decided they had done enough for the day.
(I started out my working life repairing these sorts of precision measuring instruments. Using as a hammer is just the start of the atrocities to which these instruments are subjected.)
Morrie Wyatt REALLY?! Wow, that’s insane! I suppose you see the worst of it as a repair man. Haha, that’s almost unbelievable, but then I think of the guys in the machine shop at work... and uhhh, yea, I could see why those things may happen! The allowance is a good idea, it keeps people liable for their actions. Very interesting! Thanks for sharing!
I also use my micrometers as a C clamp.
@@metalman6708 NOOO, Stop! lol, there was a kid that actually did that in my class. It makes me cringe so hard. XD
I just got my first 3D printer, and calipers were on my "must have" list of accessories for giving this printer a proper home and a long lived future!
I had to buy a caliper when i started technical aviation school 24 years ago, and i still cherish them today. This was not the dial type, but the "slide-ruler" type, but i remember being amazed when i learned how to read 1/20th of a mm. It's just genieus.
I'm glad ot use the metric systems. All these fractions would make me insane. 3/16 of an inch, 64/1000 of an inch/ I mean come on/
Agreed! xD
Calipers don't use fractions, they use thousandths of an inch. When dealing with the very small, thousandths are far better than metric
@@gerrye114 That makes no sense. Metric system is a decimal-based system.
@@gerrye114 Not really.. Metric system have micron, which are 2½ times more precise than a thousandth.
This is 'merica. We use freedom units here!!!! Not that commie stuff..... /sarcasm
I got my first set of (digital) calipers about a year ago, and I totally understand the desire to go around measuring everything, but one thing stood out to me immediately upon receiving them that I didn't even consider when purchasing them... They are right-handed. I know it seems like it shouldn't matter, but as a lefty, it would be really nice to be able to use the dial wheel with my left thumb while being able to read the display. Maybe one day when I have my own shop and need calipers more frequently, I'll invest in a set of lefty calipers, but in the meantime I'll just make do. It would be really nice to see more precision tools be designed to be either ambidextrous, or have lefty versions for the same price, because it seems unfair that lefties have to pay more for essentially the same tools.
I got a dial caliper from a (at the time) coworker. I had just started in the trade at the time and didn't know the value of a lot of tools nor had the money for any really good ones. My now former coworker was trying to make room in his toolbox for some new tool he was getting and decided to sell some of his other tools to us in the shop. Got one of his dial calipers for $40 CAD. Fast forward a few months. I had started to take notice that the caliper I bought off the guy was crazy accurate, to the point I trusted it almost as much as my micrometer. After actually taking a good look at the thing, I realize it's a mitutoyo. It's obviously very old and still accurate. I even found at the bottom of the box for it a certificate of accuracy from mitutoyo themselves. I love the thing so much I made a custom built wooden case for it. I trust this caliper for any measurement I need to take with up to a 0.003" tolerance. No idea how much the thing was originally worth, but best $40 I've ever spent.
Right there with you. Many, many moons ago, I started with vernier calipers, but in marginal light they were sometimes vexing to read. Then I went digital and, as realized by so many, the batteries inevitably were dead when I wanted to use them. So then I went dial -- dial with both imperial and metric scales so I could bound between what was common and what was sane without having to endure tool clutter. I've never looked back. It's used at least as much as that scratched-up clear plastic ruler that always seems to be at arm's reach when I need a quick-and-dirty measurement.
I still remember the first pair of dial calipers I was ever given, and still have them. At my first job in the engineering field (as an intern) my boss gave them to me and told me they'd be useful.
Dial calipers are so useful and yet so few people know what they are or how to use them. When my wife needed to measure something small and asked me where the calipers were I was so proud.
The Metric System has left the chat.
There is a special and deeply profound bond between a person and their first set of dial calipers.
I appreciated the comment about learning, at some point doing carpentry, that you'll start to think about which side of the line you're measuring or cutting to.
I learned that lesson a few years ago about whether to "take the line" or "leave the line" and it was like a bulb that went off in my head - suddenly some of the inaccurate cuts I had made in the past, despite feeling like I measured correctly, started to make sense.
My grandpa was a tool maker, and I inherited a bunch of his old measuring tools. I had almost no idea how to use them.
I recently started working at a machine shop and have been getting a crash course in the art of measuring down to the nearest .0001.
So now I'm dusting off grandpa's old calipers and measuring things around the house.
Going from 15 years as a tree trimmer, only measuring in terms of paces, this is a complete change.
I bought my very first dial caliper back in ‘96. I was working at a tool and die shop as a student the shop allowed me to buy it from their shop account and then have the cost deducted from my paycheck. So by the end of the summer when I went back to university my calipers were paid for!
I was a metrologist in a plastic molding facility for a while, and even with a large assortment of measuring tools at my disposal, including a CMM....the dial caliper (even a really nice digital caliper), were by far the MOST used tool in the lab. Measurement is not only it's own science, it is really an art.
I don't know what I like more. Good tools or Adams enthusiasm for showing his favourite things. ^^
Adam, I've been using mitutoyo digital calipers for about 30 years at work. At home, I have dial calipers and rely on them all the time for multiple measurements. I still have an old set of vernier calipers. I use them sparingly because my mental math isn't what it used to be. Lol. I enjoy the fact that you still have work remnants on your hands, cuts and bandages. You are a true craftsman. Thank you for sharing what you do with the world! Have a great day. Jim
There's something very satisfying about taking a reading from a set of analogue Vernier calipers.
I am a set builder for stop motion animation and bought these calipers after watching this video and instantly fell in love with them, using them on a job! Thanks, Adam!
I didn't realize how much life needs a pair of calipers until I worked a brief stint as a machinist at a small manufacturing company. Funny thing is I felt more comfortable with the 20 year old dial calipers that nobody wanted to use than I did with the digital ones. Now I have my own set of dial calipers. $30 on Amazon and they work perfectly.
Nice! The pride you feel in using calipers is compounded when you graduate to machining tolerances of +0.0000 and -0.0003 and having to measure it with a micrometer. Try boring a hole on your mill to those tolerances. It’s really satisfying. Lots of free cuts required. Thanks for sharing.
I understand your feelings about when you bought your first dial calipers. In my mid 20s I decided I needed a professional multi-meter. This was an AVO, it was analogue, big and heavy, but it had a mirror on the scale. The needle was flat, and wider from front to back, but very narrow sideways. This meant you could line the needle up with its reflection to read the scale very accurately. This meter was expensive, but it was at the time the Rolls Royce of multimeters, and pretty much still is in the analogue world. It made me feel that I had arrived! I was a grown up electronics engineer at last! Even if all I all I was doing was fixing my Dad's radiogram, being able to bring out my AVO to take readings was such a great feeling of power. Another great video Adam.
Vernier Calipers were part of my Apprentice toolkit in the '70 as a machinist. Still have them. Still use them.
Yes.. yes.. and yes, when Adam was clarifying about measuring to a mark, and getting a feel for it. Digital are good for documentation, however dial is a test of your skills.
The depth-rod or tail is an often overlooked very useful part of the calipers. Combined with some dykem, holding the calipers at just a very slight angle, you can scribe lines on a part for cutting reference or hole locating. I've made some very accurate parts this way.
I never really bothered with metric until a pair of mitutoyo calipers were given to me at my job, within a week I just lived in it! since then I have gone on to purchase several mitutoyo tools, from dial indicators to gauge blocks all the way to purchasing a surface plate made by them. the affinity for precision is addictive, theirs a certain part of your brain that just freaking kicks off when you make things align to a level where these tools are operating at their absolute resolution limits. so satisfying. I never really considered myself a scholar of metrology but now I find myself opting to work at tolerances well beyond what is necessary for the task at hand simply because the challenge is so fun. plus the compliments at work are good fun too.
Yes! I grew up working/hanging out in my uncle's gunsmithing shop in the 70s/80s. His dial calipers fascinated me. Then he got an electronic set and they just weren't as fun. He passed in 2001 and I have that dial set in their case. I still use them, too :) Love this video!!
Pretty sure I commented a while ago about how there could be a show about Adam's favorite niche tools. Happy it turned into something I shouldn't care about but absolutely do.
This video makes me even more proud of the fact that my Christmas gift this year was a caliper! Loved the video!
@Adam Savage’s Tested I use my dial calipers a lot when measuring real-world objects (I have three different sizes 4”/6”/12”) and modeling them in 3D. Recently I decided to consolize a PlayStation Portable, and I wanted to design a case that was a scale version of the original PlayStation 2. So instead of doing all the calculations to scale it down, I measured one of my spare consoles and input all of the measurements into a vector drawing in Inkscape and scaled it down. And then I used the measure tool in Inkscape (it’s definitely something you should try out, it’s pretty awesome to have a readout of the angle, and if your measurement line crosses several intersections, it gives you the distance between the individual intersections, and the overall length, plus you can adjust the precision) to transfer into Fusion 360. I use Inkscape a lot for a measurement device, because I can scan a PCB for instance, with a quarter or washer on the platten to correct for one axis being stretched (which I measure with my dial caliper) and then I have a representation to trace for import into 3D applications (Inkscape can export as DXF which is pretty universal for import), or measure directly (I usually setup guides at the points I measure and color code them). I usually use four digits of precision in Inkscape and then round.
I should note that I have an older tabloid size Epson flatbed scanner that goes up to 2400dpi (I can’t remember the model right now) that I bought for $20 at a thrift store and it serves me fairly well for a measurement device as well as scanning documents. So if someone has a need to measure things, but can’t afford a dial caliper (mine are all Shars brand I bought on eBay, the six inch I only paid $8 for) a flatbed scanner could work for some measurements and be supplemented with an inexpensive dial caliper in the 6” to 8” range.
"Buying my first set of calipers felt like progressing from adolescence to adulthood"
I know exactly what you mean. When I was 17 I took a class on jewelry and metal smithing at my college. It was the first that I had any practical need to measure in something as abstract (or so it felt at the time) as a thousandth. They were a plastic harbor freight poc, but I still have them hanging in my shop. In many ways, they were the marking point where I began to take pride in the parts of my work that are not immediately visible. Great video!
YES. Impossible to tell if something is a little "light" or "heavy" with digital calipers. LOVED my dial calipers when I was in the machine shop. I was always super particular about keeping them clean and in their case when not actively measuring something. They were my baby.
I totally agree with you on dial v's digital. I find the dial much quicker to read and much more intuitive. I am a jeweller by trade and am still using the Mitutoyo vernier I bought as an apprentice in 1992. Never had to change a battery. ;-)
As a machinist I approve of calipers. I use them constantly in work. They have many methods to measure something by.
One thing I will say is do not be afraid to invest in a pair. It is absolutely worth it. And treat them nicely! Clean them, store them correctly, and use them correctly. They are wonderful tools that will elevate your making profoundly. If you invest in a good pair of 6” calipers they will last your entire life.
Precision and consistency makes making a pleasure.
Thanks for sharing Adam.
Your explanation of why you prefer the dial calipers is spot on. A local shop has vernier calipers (real cheap ones $3) Every time I am in there I pick up a couple.. the good part of a vernier is that it has both Metric and Inch, plus you get the same ability to judge if you are on the high side. Not quite as good as a dial, but still better than digital. The metric and inch is nice, so you don't have to do any calculations you have a converter in your hands.
adam is such a great teacher/explainer. very enjoyable to watch him talk about even mundane things
I love using calipers and micrometers at my job. So satisfying
I used to work in a chocolate factory,We used micrometers to check thickness of the liquid chocolate. that was the weirdest use of micrometer ever.
I'm an Aerospace machinist. Calipers are one of my life bloods
I'm kind of an amateur maker but I've been doing it all my life. Recently got a 3D printer and i have another side project. Now that I'm venturing into designing 3D parts for printing, i need a caliper and have been looking at a lot of them, and was leaning more towards a dial one, somehow looked more useful than a digital one and Adam just confirmed it for me, also the SE one is cheaper on the Amazon of my country, so i think i just got the perfect caliper for me thanks to Adam.
Started using calipers when I worked in an industrial hardware store down in the Port of Houston area, part of a rather heavily worn Stanley folding flat ruler like a truncated version of the one Roy Underhill used on the Woodwright series. An employee at a scientific instrument company that was located in the same neighborhood was always looking at me askance when he came in; seems he thought I was transgressing against proper collector's etiquette by using such an obvious antique in such an everyday setting. But dang it, it's just so USEFUL!
l use calipers often enough to appreciate the digital ones and not have an issue with battery life. I love my Mitutoyo Digital calipers but i's fun to hand my Vernier scale (non dial) calipers to people and watch them try to figure it out.
Dad, a mechanical engineer, gave me my first caliper when I was 10. It was a plastic one but still really accurate. I think knowing how to use it at such a young age completely defined the way I think. 20 years later I still have it.
He the shop teacher all students dream to have
awsome
Not gonna lie, I had the same attitude towards Engineering. Loved that class and I liked the teacher. But unfortunately I couldn't get the class this year. (And then I thought dial calipers are the best thing since sliced bread because I can measure to a greater precision)
I had a middle school shop teacher with that spark. I was glad to learn recently they still have a shop.
I used to have my dial calipers when i was working for my dad's shop as an machinist. And i love it
All very accurate. I also measured my hair when I first got some calipers. Invaluable tool even cheap crappy ones.
It really does give you an ability to measure things like never before.
I bought my calipers when my 3D printer was in the mail. Every other video on 3D printing I saw had someone using calipers, so I figured "Guess I need those.". They're probably the single most useful tool for making 3D printed objects other than the printer itself.
Totally relate!
At work we have Digital Caliper but it's just a different feeling. If it dies well your fu**ed. So at home I have a analogue caliper. And in my back pack a small one.
For a long time I thought you just can measure (mm) but one day my father showed me there are different markings with which you were able to measure 1/10 of a mm. A big discovery and impressive back then.
As a product developer it's one of the best and most used tool.
Thank you Adam! :)
I purchased my first caliper in 1980, still use it off & on today, although I use digital 90% of the time
large number on the readout, for my old eyes !! and a large supply of batteries.
Solar powered calipers. Changed my life ... in my 50s 😂
Lol running around the house with a new superpower....that definitely hit home that's precisely what I did when I bought my first set of calipers
Look at those hands. The hands of a true builder.
I always used tape measures and rulers only for a long time, until abit over 4 months ago. I completely agree, exclusively use them now only just dial calipers
i have been doing auto body since i was 15, i am now 51, and i have been doing my kitchen and other home projects, when i was assembling a drawer, and all the sudden realized, my table saw wasn't square, so i tried to square it, and couldn't get it rite, so i learned how to check a square , and it was off, so for about a year now , i have been seeking out "square", so now all i use are 1 2 3 blocks, a T square, that i made square, an empire speed square,an engineers' square and mostly, a set of brown and sharpe dial callipers that i found in a box of old garage sale stuff, that i found out were made at least as far back as the 50's, what you described , i just went through, i had an apiffany
Good to know that I wasn't the only one that ran around my house measuring things when I got my 1st set of calipers
I have the same pair of Mitutoyo calipers. I them purchased at a garage sale from a retired machinist who reproduced window hardware in his shop. His price on the calipers was one dollar.
Dial Calipers are so useful for measuring Inside, Outside and Depth. Heck you don't even need to measure at all if you just need a drill bit for a certain bolt or something. Close the Caliper on the bolt and find the drill bit that is exactly the same size or just a tad bigger if needed.
Interesting you talk of which side of the mark as you your skill progress. When I worked in a cabinet shop the owner took his time to teach us his way. When you make a cut you leave half the mark!
Just bought a Starett caliper made in Athol Mass. Arguably the best in the world
I'm surprised that he didn't show the caliper with dual dials, that shows both imperial and metric at the same time. He has bragged about it to at least two guests, he seems to really treasure it
You know it would be awesome to start seeing digital calipers have audio enabling on them so someone like me can listen to the digital readouts on my measuring device. If you’re curious yes I am blind.
Thank-you, Adam! I've always wanted a set of calipers, but I didn't know which was a reliable brand. I also battled between digital and analog for a while before settling in analog for the very same reason: dead batteries.
Mitutoyo Solar digimatic callipers. Never worry about batteries again. Works great.
Love this tool stories. More of it pls Adam ;).
Living in a mixed metric/imperial world, the digital calipers are awesome. I'll switch between the two based on convenience so I really like that. One minor thing I wish mine could do is limit them to a specific fraction, i.e. 1/16, 1/32, 1/64... Mine go up to 1/128 and that's not always needed. Sure, it's easy to divide, but that takes away from the power of the toggle to switch between inches, mm, and fractions! In any case, I love mine and you're totally right: It feels like leveling up when you get your first pair. Great series :)
I have the same digital caliper! haven't used dial calipers yet though. Got to love the engineering and precisions required to measure 0.000! So much goes into that level of accuracy. Thanks for the tool share, looking forward to seeing the other tools!
Adam I have one word for you, "solar". Mitutoyu 500 series digital calipers are solar cell powered that run perfectly well under even low workshop lighting. They're the bomb!
Mitutoyo Digital and Browne & Sharpe Dial Calipers is my exact setup!
Im all about that dial.. Used the digital exclusively for years until it was temporarily misplaced. Then out came the dial and I haven't looked back.
There really is something about it
As a trim Carpenter by trade, when you mentioned measuring to the mid/side and where to cut, I know exactly what you mean. I ended up becoming the go to cut man because my stuff was so on point... Unfortunately that put me in front of a saw all day and I'm more of a hands on, build stuff guy. Guess I should have left my cutting precision a secret.
Finish trim carpenter here too Jeff. I know what you mean. I was called when precision was mandatory due to the customers "keen eye", but I was always insistent on being the only one measuring, cutting AND installing. With Quality, comes the ability to set the ground rules. If they know you're on point, then you hold the golden ticket and with that, you have the power to insist you are the only one to measure, cut and install. Trust me...I was where you are and I had the General tell me...you've got the power to tell even me that you are the master and will be doing all the work and you can have as many helpers as you need to get the job done because they know, you're the talent in the mix. Best of luck! Zip~
I do feel that way and yes everything you said is true I agree 100%. There is a time in life when you say 1 inch heavy or 1 inch light. I remember when that happened. I’m now 65 years old have my own TH-cam channel and revel in the fact that, my occupation boils down to exact measurements especially with Medeco the best locks in the world. If you’re 1 inch heavy in these bad boys that key won’t turn or you’ll feel a disruption in the force, your stomach will start to get queasy and you’ll start looking at all your equipment, saying why why is this happening, I’m sure you’ve been there. Enjoy when you hit 65. You’ll be even better than you are today well at least with experience.
My rules for metal working as taught by Russ King, Melvin Tool & Die (in 1977) - Steel Rule at the band-saw; Vernier Caliper for roughing at the mill, lathe, etc,; Micrometer for finish work at the mill, lathe, etc. The logic being, the Steel Rule is accurate enough to measure & rough cut stock. The Vernier Caliper is accurate enough for roughing and is resistant to chips & dust. (No rack & Pinion Gears). Micrometers, highest accuracy, for finish work.
I use calipers constantly in my work with antiques. Usually cheap ones, because I have a tendency to leave them at locations after measuring things. Calipers are amazing, such an essential tool in any toolkit
Because most of my work starts out digital my measurements end up in digital. And yes, Mitutoyo is my caliper of choice. Though I must say I don't share Adam's issue with batteries. I carry my 6" Mitutoyos in my daily bag and have done so for nearly 20 year and only recall changing the battery 3 times which is absolutely superb battery life for a tool that is used almost everyday.
Managed to keep digital calipers alive by hot gluing on a switch & some heroic soldering of the battery traces. It's not the cost of the calipers but the rent to store them.
My Brown & Sharpe has served me well for about those two decades, picked it up for a handful of quarters when I was working in a pawn shop, the digital ones sure are sexy though
Calipers, one of the most powerful tools in a prop maker's toolkit!
I always have one or two good ones and a couple of cheap ones.
I've seen a lot of aliens in my life
I bought a beautiful set of calipers at a yard sale for $6 a few years back. Best money I ever spent.
Sometimes I love youtube! Where else would I find something like this? The joy of using great tools is something only a fellow maker can understand. I have a secret tool box the rest of my family can not use, in it I keep my favourite tools that I always want to be able to find. 🙂 Of course I can use any hammer but my favourite one feels just right and makes the work so mutch more enjoyable.
I love your energy on here
I really loved this video... Everything he said spoke to me and my experiences.
Though, the batteries in my calipers seem to be immortal. I've never changed them in so many years... And use them almost daily.
Like the batteries in the HP 12C calculator. I only changed them after 20 years. I figure I'd better not stock spares, the shelf life is probably less than the life in use. LOL
Great video and great information
I must say, being able to take a measurement tool and measure the inside of a circular area, and not only see it as decimal inches, fractional inches, and metric units, with the push of a button, is very powerful. Battery units have had the same problem for the last 20 years, they rely on a cheap switch that doesn't actually disconnect the electronics, this is true for any unit with batteries. Eliminating battery devices for that reason, the fact that a very small amount of currennt is drawn, isn't showing that the creative mind can cope with an old problem. There are methods, and manufacturers show you the most popular method every time they sell you something with batteries in it, which is to simply remove one of the batteries and place a non conductive thin membrane behind it, which can be pulled out quickly. Easy, worth doing so you can have these remarkable devices. That said, manufacturers could add a true switch and we wouldn't even need to do that. In fact, I do this with anything that basically has a "push button" (technically a momentary contact push button switch) and since I do a ton with electrical/electronics (always have, since "very early teen aga years" ) , and momentary contact push buttons with batteries have been used for 20 or more years, I've always had that little piece of thin paper or plastic I've grabbed and insulated at least one of the batteries. The other method "trick" is , if there are two batteries in series, put one in backwards. Works.
His hair test reminded me of a very fine scale i used at uni. I put 3 grains of sugar on it and it registered their mass. When talking about engineering, everyone talks cars, rockets, computers. But people building these precision measuring instruments are the real heroes.
The ever increasing precission is one of the drivers of technological revolution everybody neglects.
One thing I will say is try and buy a gage block or gage pin around what may be your most typical measurement size to ensure accuracy if needed. As a metrologist it does not take much to degrade the accuracy on calipers so it is always good to have a way to double check for sanity.
I feel like Adam and I could talk about tools all day long. I agreed 100% on all the talking points in this video. Dial calipers are my go-to. I have a hand-me-down Brown and Sharpe imperial dial calipers at work. They are nice and we have some calibrated digital Mitutoyos that I use when working with C.S.A. or U.L. Although the Mitutoyo and Brown and Sharpe are expensive, I went the cheap route and bought a pair of "Anytime Tools" imperial and metric dial calipers on Amazon, then measured the accuracy with some Mitutoyo gage blocks at work. To my surprise, they were accurate to the .001".
Question for Adam: Stanley or Milwaukee tape measures?