When I started in engineering I “could” read the vernier callipers tenth by naked eye, when I retired I “could not” read a digital vernier without glasses. 😂😂😂😂😂
When I started work, I was taught to interpolate the 1/64" graduations on a rule to thirds of 1/64", which is pretty near measuring to 0.005". I was pretty sceptical at first, then after a while, found it really worked. (with relatively young eyes) I expect others reading will be sceptical, too... In engineering, there are a lot of oddball personalities. Advice to the youth. Watch the older guys, maybe especially the quirky ones, see who produces most with least sweat... They've got the trade sorted. They're the ones with useful tricks to teach... If they like you... They're the ones who have all the oddball bits of kit whose purpose isn't immediately obvious... Until you see it in use... Often they gauge, rather than measure, for speed. With some oddball piece of kit...
Not only. Some calipers are simply hard to read. Grey writing on slightly different grey steel. Workbenches may be well illuminated - but calipers are often used elsewhere where lighting is not optimal. The digital ones have a clear advantage there. If they have a display with a reasonable contrast. Many have dirt cheap displays with low contrast. And if you have to use a digital one at below freezing temperatures - good luck. Some LCD displays simply become super slow or entirely unusable at low temperatures. If the measurement electronics are still working accurately enough, that is. And mine drains button cells quickly even when not in use. So there are good reasons to keep a vernier one around.
@@ralfbaechle Notice however, that calipers are "measure and take" instruments. Simply close them on the measured part, take them off, and read in better lighted place.
I few months ago I asked a guy at a bearing supplier why they had Vernier calipers on the counters; the answer was "The Boss wouldn't pay for the batteries, dial-calipers were a bit fragile, and anyway, they kept disappearing out the door! The sort of 'Scrote' who nicks digital calipers doesn't know how to read a Vernier, so he leaves these ones alone!" She's a great world we live in!
@@sunriseboy4837 : You can't beat quality! I admit I have three cheap Chinese calipers, scattered around the house and workshop, and never had a failure. I buy batteries from a cheap, reliable On-Line supplier, and keep a spare in the case. They are absolutely fine for times when absolute precision is not needed... if I am machining something for a sliding or press fit, I am quite happy to use them until I get close, and then swap to a micrometer. Ageing eyes makes the readout welcome, while the micrometer's Vernier requires serious squinting! BTW: I have a good quality digital caliper, bought when they first appeared. It cost about twenty times as much as the Chinese "throwaways", is not a great deal more accurate, and has much smaller numbers. What I hate about it is that if it times out, it does not retain its settings... you have to zero it each time, which can be a disaster! I doubt if I will ever use it again!
Step measurment and China Export was new for me. Thank you very much.
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That's an urban myth. CE is self certified anyway, and the wrong spacing is just a result of Chinese exporters not even giving a crap about putting the logo on correctly.
Another trick I use when using a digital caliper when facing many parts to length in a lathe or mill (or any measurement for that matter) is to set the caliper to the desired length and ZERO the readout there. When you measure any parts, it will take the guesswork out of how much needs to be removed to get the parts to final size.
or to determine the hole spacing of two identical holes: measure the hole, set to 0, measure the hole outside/outside with the inside measuring jaw and you have hole center/center
Good old fashioned engineering will never be bettered by a computer as engineering creates the computer. Why do we teach young children (not kids) to rely on a battery tool - the Victorians had no batteries, Vernier Callipers, Slide Rules if the computer is broken the older generation will use old fashioned tools like a multimeter to effect a repair. Above all your times tables are sacrosanct if you can - play darts and use mental arithmetic for the answer if you know maths the rest is easier, no maths then you are up a creek without a paddle. Never, never throw the baby out with the bathwater. This earns do not forget where you have come from.
Yes. Now I've got to go look my tools over to see if I've got any China Exports. It never ceases to amaze me how those with less quality try to pass themselves off with deceptive markings.
I'm a retired machinist, instructor and process engineer. I found your information to be very sound. the only thing I will add is to be very, very careful when relying on the depth rod as it's easy for inaccuracy to creep in. The other thing I'll note is that my Verniers are more difficult to use than they were 50 years ago when I was 20 (all you older guys are chuckling over that, I'm sure). On the plus side. I dropped my verniers in the bottom of a screw machine- a very dirty environment. They made a soft landing in the carpet of chips. I fished them out, dunked them in mineral spirits, wiped them off and they were none the worse. My boss did the same thing with his dials. They were toast.
Inaccuracies creep in with age and wear... it's just that in our case the age and wear is not necessarily the caliper! I 100 percent get where you are coming from! 😜
Also, with the dial calipers, you can get dirt etc in the rack and it will put them out of zero without you realising. The dial needle won't read zero when the caliper is closed. I prefer a vernier caliper with fine adjustment.
@@thomasdecker7631 we chuckle because we can relate! I had a magnifying glass in my toolbox. When I was in an area of the shop with poor lighting, you need the extra help!
@@Funco1979 That's why long ago I got in the habit (a habit I always shared with students) of checking zero before taking measurements and again when I was done to make sure that hadn't happened during use.
I have the 530-104 Mitutoyo calipers. Back when i started engineering school, my dad had an older pair of Mitutoyo's i could use. I loved them, and when *HE* lost them (unknowingly) and blamed me for it, i gifted him the 530-104. ... Then he found his old calipers at the bottom of his toolbox, and he hasn't stopped apologizing since. He gave me back those gifted calipers as an apology. (at my own literal expense :P) In school, everyone had digital calipers. Except for me. And i couldn't have been happier. Say what you will about digital. It works, it has its benefits... But it also replaces a lot of hardware it doesn't need to, and ends up inducing error or reliability problems that doesn't belong there. Analog will fail you when you break it. Digital will fail you when it breaks. The difference is small, but measurable. Well, _given the right tool of course. ;)_
My father was a master machinist. His children were raised with micrometers and dial-indicator verniers, working on iron cast machines. There was no CNC. If you lost your zero working on a job, you were basically screwed. This was about 1972. Today, computer control makes these tasks quite a bit easier. My father taught me never to store the verniers completely closed, and never slam the verniers closed, as a sudden impact might affect the accuracy of the instrument. I still have a pair or two of the old dial-indicator verniers. They are still accurate, and I use them for my woodworking.
I've been in QC for 45 years and that's one of the first things I learned but it's even more important with 0-1" micrometers and never leave gage blocks wrung together. All it takes is the right amount of moisture and they fuse together. I have seen it happen more than once and even if you can get them apart the gauge surfaces are pretty much ruined for any true precision usage.
@@robertc8134 : Your father would have collapsed in shock if he had seen me trying to use a Vernier caliper as a wrench! I was pre-school aged. My father spotted me in time to avoid disaster, but I did get reminded for many years afterwards! 🥴
65 year old engineer here. Lots of great information in this short video. I use a vernier caliper simply because it needs no battery! I was also taught to never touch the measuring surface without wiping it clean. Sweat is corrosive and can cause corrosion pitting although these days they are so cheap maybe this is not so important anymore. Thank you!
64 year old quality engineer here, today they are made of stainless steel, so don't worry about sweat, but it's good practice to keep them always clean so you can rely on your measurements 😊
I got a digital calliper a while ago. You know, step into the modern age and all that. But the battery dies on your when you need it the most, and the digital measurement is very flaky. I got fed up with it pretty quickly and got a good quality vernier calliper instead. Bombproof, accurate, and never runs out of batteries.
@@CristiNeagu you get what you pay for 😄 Buy Mitut.... and the battery will last years and is so accurate, tested with gauge blocks mostly 0 deviation or +- 1/100 mm..... you'll never need a replacement....
@@anthonywalsh6605 we mostly have Mitu.. in the factory, some Mauser...., so reliable in harsh conditions, I got lazy and replaced my 150mm at home with Mitu.. Digital, only the long guys are traditional as I use them rarely..
I'm 75 and have used vernier calipers and digital calipers for many decades, yet you were able to teach me a few things. Good job! Thanks for taking the time and effort to post this excellent video.
Yeah, I've been using all types of calipers every day in my occupation for over 20 years and I still learned several things in this video that I never knew!
I'm 82, and overnight I (in my dreams) decided to do bore measurements to determine the correct size of a bore for a minnie ball. Yep, you guessed it. Received a Euroarms M1853 Enfield. Hot dog. Fortunately I have in this room a mechanical dial caliper and three Verniers (1 being micro). I also have four slide rules and...a magnifying glass.
38+ years machinist here, one thing I would add, when using the blade type calipers, use only the blades when possible. I have measured a plug gage with the blades, then on the heavier flats and gotten a .001" difference. I unserstand that sometimes it can't be helped. Also, search pictures of the Starrett vernier calipers, the only have the main jaws, and they aren't bblades, but nibs that are flat and parallel on the inside (for OD measurement), and radiused on the outside (for ID). There are seperate scales for ID and OD so you don't have to compensate. You didn't mention mechanical dial calipers, no battery and easy to read. Last year I had to replace my 20 year old Browne & Sharp 6" dial calipers when they decided to kiss the floor. I would have sent them for repair, but my company bought me brand new ones. Now owned by a Swiss company, Tesa, and still the same excellent quality. Some regular micrometers also have a vernier scale for measuring to .0001".
That's a superb explanation, I didn't know about step measurement. In our Polish workshop we have old “Made in USSR" calipers that we use daily, after all the years of use, they have surprisingly little amount of play. But for anything that requires proper precision, we use digital one. Also, a small bit of trivia: In Polish it's called "Suwmiarka", which roughly translates as "Glide scale".
As you mentioned about 'Play' good Mitutoyo Vernier caliper, made in Japan, have a thin plate on the sliding member which can be adjusted with two fine screws to compensate for any wear and tear. Also an additional sliding member is attached to the main reading piece with a Thimble and screw. This is for fine adjustment while measuring. Thanks.
I started using caliper on my RC car when setting up the steering, suspension and camber of the wheels. Ever since doing so the handling is out of this world. The RC car I race is in 1/12 scale and I can use real world set ups by scaling down. I also used them to construct a aniti roll bar for the suspension on the front and back of the chassis and this has given me a car that handles like a dream. Because it is front wheel drive i now get that lift off over steer just like the real thing.
Still rocking the dial Starret vernier caliper. Those and the Mitotoyu 0-1, 1-2 and 2-3" mics set are still going strong after 40 years. Buy good tools and take care of them and service when needed and they will last a lifetime.
2:50 The advantage of digital calipes is that i can read the numbers without using glasses as thick as bottle bottoms. Becoming old is a hard business ^^
1:10 I recently did a project where I made a large number of accurate measurements using calipers, both digital and vernier. In the end I switched to digital calipers because it reduced the mental labour required.
In tradeschool they would only let us use vernier scale calipers and conventional micrometers. Nowadays I work in a high volume CNC machine shop, we only use digital everything. At home I use the midground between vernier and digital, dial calipers. Easier on the eyes than vernier and doesn't need batteries.
@@mikewatson4644 And almost all of you couldn't drive a Model T Ford because technology has surpassed the need to know how. No one needs a slide rule now except to measure their black and white RCA picture tube and find some weird level of superiority over those that couldn't care less.
@@booifojoe Can't agree with that. i am a retired pilot and we use(d) circular slide rules. We called them 'whiz wheels' and they are easy to carry, cheap, reliable, rugged and can do all kinds of calculations. Not sure i've seen a calculator for doing that but there may be. The vid was amazing as i had no idea about the finer points
@@booifojoe There are lots of slightly modified slide rules used for things today. For example, there is one that is used for calculating how much concrete is required for a slab. I was helping to pour a rather large slab recently (required 5 truck loads) and we were getting down to needing the last load. We measured the area that was left. 1 guy pulled out his cell phone and started to use the calculator. Another guy pulled out the modified slide rule and started to slide the dial around. I did it in my head and beat both of them. To be fair, I had a head start because I started to figure as soon as we started to measure.
A machinist taught me to always check that the caliper reads zero when closed. If it does not read zero, then it is likely that there are tiny metal chips on the jaws. Also the zero on a dial caliper can be adjusted by loosening a set screw and turning the dial face slightly.
I use calipers daily and I'm a little amazed that we aren't introduced to them in school. I use everything from cheap plastic verniers (for times when damaging the caliper is a real possibility and high precision isn't critical) to our usual cast of characters. I usually grab dial calipers since it's relatively easy to read and doesn't take batteries. Next is vernier -- again, the battery thing. I usually only go digital if 1) I have batteries since it's probably gone dead since the last time I used it; 2) I have a lot of things to measure since reading the screen is so much easier. All are used and useful.
I was taught how to use a Vernier caliper (and Slide-rule) at school... admittedly that was more than sixty years ago. These days, that lesson has probably been replaced by "How to use an Electon Microscope"! 😜
@@PiefacePete46 lol. Know what you mean. I was the last slide rule practitioner at my school. I had to stop when they 1) requested more than 3-1/2 digits of precision; and 2) stopped allowing log and trig tables for test taking. Ti-30 to the rescue. Nowadays I just use the 'rule on my desk for funzies when I feel like going old school.
@@terpcj : We are talking about everday items from not too long ago that todays youngsters could puzzle over for hours! Not long after I left school I worked as an aircraft Load Controller. The balance of the aircraft was calculated with a rudimentary Circular Slide Rule... Today, Google would probably work it all out for me if I asked nicely! 😜 I still have a slide rule in the drawer behind me... I must check it out for a giggle.
Note that resolution and precision is not the same thing. The digital caliper has a resolution of 0.01mm, but not necessarily that level of precision (check the datasheet). Also, a lot of measurements are tricky to perform by the operator. There's a thing called MSA (measurement system analysis), which is used to determine how reliably an operator can make a certain measurement
I was a metrologists for many years and find the video informative. The real test comes at the hands of an experienced machinist. Technique is everything!
Thank you very much! As a student, I had a choice of Marching Band or Shop. I was in the Band and missed out on loads of vital skills. I have frequently found myself in my shop attempting to solve the puzzle of accurate measurement. This video is clear, concise, and extremely helpful in understanding the proper use of my calipers!
There are also calipers with a dial, I have a Swiss-made Tesa accurate to 0.02 mm. Otherwise, the CE = China Export story is just an urban legend, there is even a section about this in the Wikipedia article on CE marking. In any case, the CE marking is only a sworn statement made by the manufacturer, not a certification mark.
@@blechtic Once again, this is not a certification mark, it is solely under the responsibility of the manufacturer. Also, they are calipers, there's no safety risk involved... Regulation (EC) No 765/2008, article 30: 1. The CE marking shall be affixed only by the manufacturer or his authorised representative. 3. By affixing or having affixed the CE marking, the manufacturer indicates that he takes responsibility for the conformity of the product with all applicable requirements set out in the relevant Community harmonisation legislation providing for its affixing.
It's an urban myth that's hard to kill. It was all over the European tec community 15 years ago. It's been debunked a lot of times, even in the European Parliament. Links to debunk on the Wikipedia page en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/CE_marking
I like my Mitutoyo digital calipers. The action feels smooth and the battery lasts a really long time in them compared to cheap chinese calipers. I really like dial calipers but I've had the rack and pinion mechanism fail due to debris ingress. There's nothing to go wrong on vernier calipers, as long as you can read them.
For years I used digital calipers for 3D Printing and CAD but it always struggled to geht designs to fit vor geht accurate prints. Two years ago I bought a analog one and instantly everything fits perfect first time. Comparing the analog with the digital it is a huge difference in accuarcy and consistency
Not to mention that digital calipers are essentially automatic reading verniers that use varianle capacitors on the slider caused by alternative conductive and isolating strips on the ruler (under the label). Electronoob's video on digital calipers was really inspiring
Working in Machining since the early 70's this is a great video. I have used Vernier Calipers that were 3 and 4 feet long. Still own 12 " ones. This all we had at one time.
Pretty nice tutorial. I never used a Vernier Caliper much but I still have my Starrett dial calipers. 40 years and still working perfectly. If I had known how it operated i might have used one instead. simple durable and your battery won't die at the worst possible time.
CE was new to me. Great guide for a beginner! I'd also like to add, be careful not to apply too much force to the slide, as excessive pressure can cause the caliper jaws to misalign and result in inaccurate measurements. This is especially crucial when measuring from the thinner tip of the calipers. If additional force is needed, apply pressure on either side of the caliper jaws themselves causing direct compressive forces, rather than through the slide, as this will prevent misalignment between the body and the slide.
It's an urban myth that's hard to kill. It was all over the European tec community 15 years ago. It's been debunked a lot of times, even in the European Parliament. Links to debunk on the Wikipedia page en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/CE_marking
Thanx for the review, and the reminders and the "new" info. My father was a Civil Engineer and he taught me to read the Vernier scale on his K&E Mountaineer Transit when I was about 14 years old. I still have the pocket magnifying glass he gave me to make it easier to read.
Excellent Instructional Video!!! Quick and to the point. My only criticism being the fact that some parts are quite vague offering minimal information, however, as a whole, this is a highly efficient and an excellent piece of work. Thank you for making it available to the community.
Most electronic versions even turn off . Still use a tiny bit of battery life. So if used infrequently. Pull out the battery. Ready to put back in the next time you need it. Nothing worse trying to use it , only to find the dead battery.
I would say that dial calipers are far more common than Vernier calipers. The reason why the Vernier is just accurate as dial/digital is that calipers aren't all the precise to begin with. They are better than a scale or tape measure.
As a non cnc hobby machinist I use the dial, digital and vernier in order of preference. Battery’s suck, verniers are difficult for old eyes. Regardless calipers are a wonderful tool. Great video!
What amuses me is the price range of calipers. A 12-inch caliper can run anywhere from under $20 to over $1,000. While the $1,000 caliper is extremely accurate and precise, the $20 caliper is still good to 0.001" and suffices for most applications. To be told, I do have a number of high dollar, high accuracy and precision instruments, but they are not used every day and are primarily used for inspection. Needless to say, no one touches them but me. Did you know that if you are trying to do high precision work, how you hold your measuring instruments can affect their accuracy.
Yes and a 1 or 2 degree temp change from inside machine check to outside on table changes size and reading and calipers good to .005 or more anything smaller needs mics. Have indicators and mics down to .00001
Thanks for this info. The step measurement was also new to me. I also prefer the vernier calipers, as my digital one burns through the battery quickly.
China Export calipers are usually (electrically) very bad designed and use 1 battery per 3 months (if you are lucky). I invested in a Mitutoyo 10 years ago and never have had to replace the battery...
Calipers are a Must Have Precision Tool for Everyone. You didn't show a dial caliper, which are great for reading ease and no battery (I'm still using the Brown and Sharpes from 1983). The downside with dial calipers is that they are either metric or standard. I'm sorry but standard vernier calipers are too time consuming and difficult for new users. My favorite calipers are 8" Mitutoyo Digital, they are super smooth and accurate. The batteries last 1 to 3 years depending on use. Great video ;keep up the good work. I'm a retired tool and die maker from Honda.
I remember... I seem to recall they had "Switzerland" as well, for "Made in Switzerland" watches. They also added one jewel, so watches could have "Jewelled Movement" printed on the face. The solution to that was that watch faces had to say how many jewels were in the movement... The answer to that rule was watches with "0 Jewels" on the face! Of course it was only a matter of time before Japan moved on from this nonsense, and started producing some stunning high-class products. "Made in Japan" no longer had a stigma attached to it... I guess China will follow this path very quickly.
@@PiefacePete46 What I've learned is that the "NO (0) JEWELS INSIDE" was put there on watches with non-jeweled movements to avoid the higher import duties for jeweled movements put in place to make customers choose domestic watchmakers.
@@ZacabebOTG : That makes sense. My version came from my father... it could easily have been his own interpretation, or a story being spread at the time. "Misinformation" is not as new as we think! 😉
@@PiefacePete46I don’t think Chinese companies need to really care about the quality of their products. They have much less competition than Japan did and operate primarily in environments that reward deception, like Amazon’s marketplace.
Worth watching even if you thought you knew all about calipers. The CE issue was the best explanation I've seen, and I now need to go and check all my stuff!
The whole China Export myth has been debunked already but it keeps popping up. The CE marking on products manufactured in China actually corresponds to the European CE marking required on some products but it looks different due to changes in dimensions and typography. There is no official CE logo specification. Also, the European CE marking only indicates (but is not proof!) that the manufacturer claims to have passed the required quality controls (which is always the responsibility of the manufacturer). This is often the case but not always. And the reason they put the CE logo on there is because the European Union demands that for a whole slew of products that manufacturers want to sell in Europe. Just search for it and they are easy to find.
When I worked as for QA as an engineer, we would use our cheaper calipers (the ones that weren't Mitutoyo) to also score lines on our metal blocks to indicate measurements. The calipers are, as far as I know, all made out of hardened stainless steel so it was easy to use as a scribe
I was in a technical school more than 40 years ago before the digital age caught on. We learned to read verniers and micrometres and how to set up and use shapers. The new thing for me is step measurement. Nowadays you are the man if you can program CNC.
WOWZA!!! Like others, I thought I knew how to both read and use a Caliper. I did not, until now! Most excellent! I am sending to many gearhead friends. Good job.
I didn't think I could learn something new from this video, but the step measuring was new to me. I just used the depth measure to measure steps. Great and informative video, keep up the good work
@@MikeBucceroni The video says that the "CE" logo can also mean "China Export" instead of "Conformite Europeene". Are you saying that it's just an urban legend and the manufacturers are certifying that their product complies with the EU regulations?
@@VeniceInventors : Yes, exactly. The whole "China Export" thing is an urban legend. It's common enough that it's referenced and debunked in the Wikipedia page for "CE marking". There are sometimes fraudulent CE markings, of course, but they are simply fraudulent markings; there is no actual claim that they stand for something else.
I think this is the best video I've seen on using these tools properly. 🙂👍 I use the Vernier Calipers in Locksport and although I've used them reasonably right, but now I realise that I need to tweak how I use them. Like many others I thought the calipers that were non digital were nowhere near as accurate, thanks for clearing that up 🙂👍
A trick I picked up when I first started using vernier calipers is that if it's hard to identify the best fit, find the last mark that's clearly on the left, then find the first mark that's clearly on the right. Usually those will be 2 marks apart and the correct one will be the one in the middle. Or, you can just average those to amounts and call it good enough. Often times it won't be absolutely 100% in alignment.
2:07 Holy crap! This is high-value info here. I don't pull out the calipers often, and when I do it's a digital caliper but after this video that my change. Digital calipers are frustrating and finicky at times, at least mine are, but I've put up with them due to my belief their accuracy and general ease of use outweighed their flaws. What I learned from this video in just the first 2.5 minutes has changed my mind. And made me hate button batteries even more!
Also take a look at dial calipers, they're my favorite type of calipers, but a bit harder to find. They're faster to read than Vernier calipers, but still no batteries.
5:28 dam. i learned something today. i have always used the depth end to measure steps. now i just need to keep that in mind when next time using calibers
Yeah but the accuracy comes down to users eyesight. Let's say digital is more accurate in that the number displayed is the number you use, where as with verniers you could be out because you couldn't quite see a distinction between which line was closer.
Before this video, I didn't know about the depth measurement possibility at all! I have a $10 AliExpress digital caliper for home use and it has always served me well. Thank you for a very informative video.
I use a dial indicator caliper and I love that tool. The cheap digital ones don't have proper power management when turned off, so your battery will not last long. Even the proper CE label only means that the manufacturer claims that it conforms to the standards given, but no one ever checks it, so you need to trust every Chinese backyard shop not to lie about it. IMHO, it's completely useless.
I worked in one shop that had a Chinese 12" dial caliper, and that thing had a number scale along the beam that was off a mile. Fully extended, the number scale would read something like 11.8 instead of 12. You had to have a good rule with you to measure how far apart the jaws were.
Using vernier calipers is the only time I actually appreciate being near-sighted. Once those glasses come off, my eyes have magnification built in... ^.^
That was the best explanation on calipers I have seen. I bought a digital calipers but always afraid to use it because of the lack of any knowledge. Now I have an idea I can now at least try out using mine to learn and rewatch your video to compare what I found and what I may not have correct. Brilliant job
What an awesome channel! Crisp and detailed information precisely explained. That is pretty rare nowadays. Thanks for the great job and keep up the good work.
⭐⭐⭐ How refreshing to hear a young person who actually understands the ins and outs of a caliper. It would be nice to see a follow up video on how to use gage R&R results to improve your metrology skills.
I dropped and bent my Vernier callipers so I thought I'd splash out on a pair of digitals , I now wish I'd bought another pair of Verniers , the battery doesn't run out when you need it most . I will be buying a Vernier and a dial calliper next .
Fun Fact! The "China export" symbol doesn't actually exist. It's just that some manufacturers (mostly the cheap one, who happen to be concentrated in China) don't use the symbol as specified in the regulations, only something that looks like it. That doesn't mean that the product doesn't otherwise conform to European standards, but it's a good indication that a manufacturer isn't all that attentive to regulatory details.
Fun fact the symbol exists in so much as there are so many Chinese manufacturers using it to imply something it's not. Has nothing to do with attention to regulatory detail, it's entirely there to deceive. Have been experiencing this logo being used in electronics, radio and other tech areas. It's very common on counterfeit circuit boards and component supplies and has been for ~20 years.
@@dennis8196 China export is a 15 year old myth. It's been debunked a lot of times, even in the European Parliament. en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/CE_marking
Suggestion for the presenter: If you're pointing at very fine lines (such as what is inscribed on a caliper) avoid using your finger (which is a couple of orders of magnitude thicker than the lines). Instead, using something of similar fineness, such as a sharp pencil or the tip of a pen. Thanks.
I’ve had a set of Mitutoyo calipers for about 25 years. They still have no play in the jaws and were used extensively during my time working as a mechanic on heavy machinery. I’ve been retired for 10 years but still use my vernier calipers all the time in my home workshop as well as a Mitutoyo 0-1 inch micrometer for really accurate measurements. I was brought up using inches but systems changed to metric in my younger days. I still like to measure fine measurements in thousands of an inch rather than using my metric mics.
Nice tutorial I purchased my first Vernier calliper in 1975 a 6 inch Japanese instrument it cost me £49 still using it today although I am long retired, a point of interest in 1975 my weekly take home pay was £7 so it was not exactly a cheap tool.
Great guide on how to use the very versatile calipers! Straight to the point with clear explanations. The step measurement was new to me. I've been using the depth guage, but it's sometimes hard to get it straight. And if there is a slight gap in the step, the very slim guage can slip under it.
For you model railroaders out there, Pacific Fast Mail once imported vernier calipers in both HO scale and O scale versions. Nice quality as they were made by Mitutoyo. Nice to read direct without having to make a number conversion. They are a bit collectible now and may cost a bit but turn up on eBay from time to time.
There was a joke from half a century ago that claimed that (Japan) (China) had named a city "Usa" so they could honestly say it was "Made in USA". Now they're doing it. Sigh.
One thing i dont like to see is when people use a vernier caliper as a marking out gauge. I have seen people scribe lines on a rotating part thats rotating in the lathe chuck.
@@grandpasbarn2806 But if you do that you still show that you don't respect your tools. Why would anyone use any fine instrument (or even a cheaper one) to a job it wasn't intended to be used for (Scribing marks on the work piece).
The most common calipers I see in industry for 6", 12" and 24" sizes are dial calipers though digital have taking over in many places leaving Dial and Vernier calipers as the backup. Beyond that 24" size you generally only see Vernier calipers since measurements beyond that size are far less often made or only made in specific industries. Digital calipers are becoming fairly common but they are almost always backed up by having a dial caliper just in case since inexpensive digital calipers are notorious for having dead batteries and some even have drift over time when making several measurements so you have to check and zero pretty regularly. A good quality Vernier or Dial Caliper will last you a life time if used, stored and taken care of properly. I have had Digital ones fail just from sitting in their case in the shop tool box but I am sure that is mostly down to quality. The other thing to remember is while some digital calipers (and dial calipers for that matter) may offer more precision on the display readout (adding a digit for the 10,000s place), in real world measurement the actual accuracy of all three tools is about the same and is highly dependent on the quality of the measuring device. For example a low to mid priced 6" caliper of all three flavors that claims a measuring precision of +/-0.001 inches is likely only going to be within about 0.002 inches of actual accuracy which is still more than fine for the majority of measuring tasks but if you need more accurate measurements you may need to move to a micrometer instead.
If I may nit-pick, Pierre Vernier invented the Vernier measurement aid. He was French. Vernier is pronounced VER-nee-ay (ay as in jay), *not* VER-nee-er. :)
as a kid I thought they were named after someone then got older and started woodworking with verniers, very thin sheets of wood, and thought that I misheard the name of the tool that was named after the material, not many times you look back and realize you had it right as a kid.
@@TheLegionofReason - Here in New England it’s typically pronounced “luh-GRAHNJ”, although as one heads towards Canada there’s generally more folk of French decent and you’ll frequently hear it as “luh-GRO(NG)ZH”. You never really hear it with a long A sound except from visitors/recent arrivals to the region. Fwiw, LaGrange Street is a fairly major road in the western part of Boston.
@@PiefacePete46 he didnt leave out anything basic, true. using calipers like pro includes stuff like measuring distance between hole centers where the caliper jaws can't directly touch
Measuring small inside diameters, keeping the caliper perpendicular to the surfaces, parallax errors on some calipers, calibrating them, how hard to press the jaws, measuring soft surfaces like o ring or rubber sheets, using the zero function on digital calipers, not scribing lines, using the screw on the top …
I came looking to see if someone had already made the comment for me, which you did, so I will just leave this comment thanking you for making it unnecessary for me to leave that comment.
I got an education on how to use calibres. I just use them for my guitars' nut measures & model railroading coupler mounting. Never knew you can use for so much more, Thank you.
Kids these days. They need internet for everything. There are few tricks he doesn't know tho. Meme about young generations: "when you have a smartphone, but you're not smart".
@@GrandePunto8V The older generation had to learn from somebody too, unless you are inventing everything you use yourself. Like Issac Newton said, "If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of Giants". The only difference between the older generation and the younger generation in the learning category is that the younger generation have a lot more people to learn from thanks to the internet, which generally would make people smarter. But young people are always reticent to heed the advice of the old.
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When I started in engineering I “could” read the vernier callipers tenth by naked eye, when I retired I “could not” read a digital vernier without glasses. 😂😂😂😂😂
This happens to everybody, the calipers must be really bad for the eyes! :)
Same problem here.
When I started work, I was taught to interpolate the 1/64" graduations on a rule to thirds of 1/64", which is pretty near measuring to 0.005". I was pretty sceptical at first, then after a while, found it really worked. (with relatively young eyes) I expect others reading will be sceptical, too... In engineering, there are a lot of oddball personalities. Advice to the youth. Watch the older guys, maybe especially the quirky ones, see who produces most with least sweat... They've got the trade sorted. They're the ones with useful tricks to teach... If they like you... They're the ones who have all the oddball bits of kit whose purpose isn't immediately obvious... Until you see it in use...
Often they gauge, rather than measure, for speed. With some oddball piece of kit...
Not only. Some calipers are simply hard to read. Grey writing on slightly different grey steel.
Workbenches may be well illuminated - but calipers are often used elsewhere where lighting is not optimal. The digital ones have a clear advantage there. If they have a display with a reasonable contrast. Many have dirt cheap displays with low contrast. And if you have to use a digital one at below freezing temperatures - good luck. Some LCD displays simply become super slow or entirely unusable at low temperatures. If the measurement electronics are still working accurately enough, that is. And mine drains button cells quickly even when not in use. So there are good reasons to keep a vernier one around.
@@ralfbaechle Notice however, that calipers are "measure and take" instruments. Simply close them on the measured part, take them off, and read in better lighted place.
I few months ago I asked a guy at a bearing supplier why they had Vernier calipers on the counters; the answer was "The Boss wouldn't pay for the batteries, dial-calipers were a bit fragile, and anyway, they kept disappearing out the door! The sort of 'Scrote' who nicks digital calipers doesn't know how to read a Vernier, so he leaves these ones alone!"
She's a great world we live in!
Kinda like "3 on the tree" or "4 on the floor" and that 3rd pedal deter vehicle theft.
@@lurch6404
Yeah that 3rd pedal might also impel vehicle theft though. 😂😂👀😉🤫🤫🤫
@@lurch6404 Millennial anti-theft devices!
Yeah, after watching, I'm about to order/buy Verniers. I'm tired of this Chinese knock off digital crapola we've been duped into buying.
@@sunriseboy4837 : You can't beat quality! I admit I have three cheap Chinese calipers, scattered around the house and workshop, and never had a failure. I buy batteries from a cheap, reliable On-Line supplier, and keep a spare in the case. They are absolutely fine for times when absolute precision is not needed... if I am machining something for a sliding or press fit, I am quite happy to use them until I get close, and then swap to a micrometer. Ageing eyes makes the readout welcome, while the micrometer's Vernier requires serious squinting!
BTW: I have a good quality digital caliper, bought when they first appeared. It cost about twenty times as much as the Chinese "throwaways", is not a great deal more accurate, and has much smaller numbers. What I hate about it is that if it times out, it does not retain its settings... you have to zero it each time, which can be a disaster!
I doubt if I will ever use it again!
Step measurment and China Export was new for me. Thank you very much.
That's an urban myth. CE is self certified anyway, and the wrong spacing is just a result of Chinese exporters not even giving a crap about putting the logo on correctly.
Bottom line is that someone purposely copied CE to be deceptive.
@@hansangbat least they spelled it right!
There is no 'correct', that's the problem. The only size/spacing requirements are that it has to be at least 5mm high.
@@hansangb no deception. Literally anyone can put the CE mark on, if it meets the certification requirements, you don't need to 'get certified'.
Another trick I use when using a digital caliper when facing many parts to length in a lathe or mill (or any measurement for that matter) is to set the caliper to the desired length and ZERO the readout there. When you measure any parts, it will take the guesswork out of how much needs to be removed to get the parts to final size.
or to determine the hole spacing of two identical holes: measure the hole, set to 0, measure the hole outside/outside with the inside measuring jaw and you have hole center/center
Good old fashioned engineering will never be bettered by a computer as engineering creates the computer. Why do we teach young children (not kids) to rely on a battery tool - the Victorians had no batteries, Vernier Callipers, Slide Rules if the computer is broken the older generation will use old fashioned tools like a multimeter to effect a repair. Above all your times tables are sacrosanct if you can - play darts and use mental arithmetic for the answer if you know maths the rest is easier, no maths then you are up a creek without a paddle. Never, never throw the baby out with the bathwater. This earns do not forget where you have come from.
😎👍
Yes. Now I've got to go look my tools over to see if I've got any China Exports. It never ceases to amaze me how those with less quality try to pass themselves off with deceptive markings.
My fav part of this trick is when I take off too much material and end up scrapping the part.
I'm a retired machinist, instructor and process engineer. I found your information to be very sound. the only thing I will add is to be very, very careful when relying on the depth rod as it's easy for inaccuracy to creep in. The other thing I'll note is that my Verniers are more difficult to use than they were 50 years ago when I was 20 (all you older guys are chuckling over that, I'm sure). On the plus side. I dropped my verniers in the bottom of a screw machine- a very dirty environment. They made a soft landing in the carpet of chips. I fished them out, dunked them in mineral spirits, wiped them off and they were none the worse. My boss did the same thing with his dials. They were toast.
Inaccuracies creep in with age and wear... it's just that in our case the age and wear is not necessarily the caliper! I 100 percent get where you are coming from! 😜
Also, with the dial calipers, you can get dirt etc in the rack and it will put them out of zero without you realising. The dial needle won't read zero when the caliper is closed.
I prefer a vernier caliper with fine adjustment.
@@thomasdecker7631 we chuckle because we can relate!
I had a magnifying glass in my toolbox. When I was in an area of the shop with poor lighting, you need the extra help!
@@Funco1979 That's why long ago I got in the habit (a habit I always shared with students) of checking zero before taking measurements and again when I was done to make sure that hadn't happened during use.
@@PiefacePete46 Might want to check out the Bates Method for eyesight. It works.
I have the 530-104 Mitutoyo calipers.
Back when i started engineering school, my dad had an older pair of Mitutoyo's i could use. I loved them, and when *HE* lost them (unknowingly) and blamed me for it, i gifted him the 530-104.
... Then he found his old calipers at the bottom of his toolbox, and he hasn't stopped apologizing since. He gave me back those gifted calipers as an apology. (at my own literal expense :P)
In school, everyone had digital calipers. Except for me. And i couldn't have been happier.
Say what you will about digital. It works, it has its benefits... But it also replaces a lot of hardware it doesn't need to, and ends up inducing error or reliability problems that doesn't belong there.
Analog will fail you when you break it. Digital will fail you when it breaks.
The difference is small, but measurable. Well, _given the right tool of course. ;)_
My father was a master machinist. His children were raised with micrometers and dial-indicator verniers, working on iron cast machines. There was no CNC. If you lost your zero working on a job, you were basically screwed. This was about 1972. Today, computer control makes these tasks quite a bit easier.
My father taught me never to store the verniers completely closed, and never slam the verniers closed, as a sudden impact might affect the accuracy of the instrument. I still have a pair or two of the old dial-indicator verniers. They are still accurate, and I use them for my woodworking.
That’s so wild. I was about to post that my dad taught me the same thing!!! Still do to this day and I’ve taught my son that too.
I've been in QC for 45 years and that's one of the first things I learned but it's even more important with 0-1" micrometers and never leave gage blocks wrung together. All it takes is the right amount of moisture and they fuse together. I have seen it happen more than once and even if you can get them apart the gauge surfaces are pretty much ruined for any true precision usage.
@@robertc8134 : Your father would have collapsed in shock if he had seen me trying to use a Vernier caliper as a wrench! I was pre-school aged. My father spotted me in time to avoid disaster, but I did get reminded for many years afterwards! 🥴
@@robertc8134 your dad was correct! Any precision equipment like micrometers, calipers if closed during storage it can lead to rust or corrosion, 👍🏼👍🏼
CNC/'computer control' is only as reliably accurate as the program/s behind it.
It's worth checking manually before committing to a new product.
65 year old engineer here. Lots of great information in this short video. I use a vernier caliper simply because it needs no battery! I was also taught to never touch the measuring surface without wiping it clean. Sweat is corrosive and can cause corrosion pitting although these days they are so cheap maybe this is not so important anymore. Thank you!
64 year old quality engineer here, today they are made of stainless steel, so don't worry about sweat, but it's good practice to keep them always clean so you can rely on your measurements 😊
@@mobilfone2234 Good point, but old habits die hard! (Although I am not so sure about the s/s from China 😀)
I got a digital calliper a while ago. You know, step into the modern age and all that. But the battery dies on your when you need it the most, and the digital measurement is very flaky. I got fed up with it pretty quickly and got a good quality vernier calliper instead. Bombproof, accurate, and never runs out of batteries.
@@CristiNeagu you get what you pay for 😄 Buy Mitut.... and the battery will last years and is so accurate, tested with gauge blocks mostly 0 deviation or +- 1/100 mm..... you'll never need a replacement....
@@anthonywalsh6605 we mostly have Mitu.. in the factory, some Mauser...., so reliable in harsh conditions, I got lazy and replaced my 150mm at home with Mitu.. Digital, only the long guys are traditional as I use them rarely..
Im 105 year old retired engineer and these informations are great help for the younger generation. Thank you for these.
I'm a 2600 year old retired greek philosopher and I agree with you
@@rojirrim7298 I'm a 10,000 year old subsistence farmer and I agree with both of you.
actual 18 year old account, not sure what to make of it
My grand father was a machinist around 50 BC in Ancient Greece.
He live until the 1800's
how are you typing this since your bones are dust
I'm 75 and have used vernier calipers and digital calipers for many decades, yet you were able to teach me a few things. Good job! Thanks for taking the time and effort to post this excellent video.
Yeah, I've been using all types of calipers every day in my occupation for over 20 years and I still learned several things in this video that I never knew!
I'm 82, and overnight I (in my dreams) decided to do bore measurements to determine the correct size of a bore for a minnie ball. Yep, you guessed it. Received a Euroarms M1853 Enfield. Hot dog. Fortunately I have in this room a mechanical dial caliper and three Verniers (1 being micro). I also have four slide rules and...a magnifying glass.
38+ years machinist here, one thing I would add, when using the blade type calipers, use only the blades when possible. I have measured a plug gage with the blades, then on the heavier flats and gotten a .001" difference. I unserstand that sometimes it can't be helped. Also, search pictures of the Starrett vernier calipers, the only have the main jaws, and they aren't bblades, but nibs that are flat and parallel on the inside (for OD measurement), and radiused on the outside (for ID). There are seperate scales for ID and OD so you don't have to compensate. You didn't mention mechanical dial calipers, no battery and easy to read. Last year I had to replace my 20 year old Browne & Sharp 6" dial calipers when they decided to kiss the floor. I would have sent them for repair, but my company bought me brand new ones. Now owned by a Swiss company, Tesa, and still the same excellent quality. Some regular micrometers also have a vernier scale for measuring to .0001".
That's a superb explanation, I didn't know about step measurement. In our Polish workshop we have old “Made in USSR" calipers that we use daily, after all the years of use, they have surprisingly little amount of play. But for anything that requires proper precision, we use digital one.
Also, a small bit of trivia: In Polish it's called "Suwmiarka", which roughly translates as "Glide scale".
Or "stroke measure" :)
Dzień dobry
VIS vernier calipers for the win.
As you mentioned about 'Play' good Mitutoyo Vernier caliper, made in Japan, have a thin plate on the sliding member which can be adjusted with two fine screws to compensate for any wear and tear. Also an additional sliding member is attached to the main reading piece with a Thimble and screw. This is for fine adjustment while measuring.
Thanks.
Funny, I have a pair of verniers that were made in Poland.
I love how the vernier scale gets you an extra significant figure. Such a neat trick. It is scaled to 11/ 10, predating Spinal Tap 😆
It also has half lines so you don't just get tenths of millimeters but twentieths of millimeters.
The Comic Strup Presents 'Bad News' predates 'Spinal Tap' by a year... They even went on stage at Donington to much amusement.
Do the electronic ones have Dobly? ;-)
I started using caliper on my RC car when setting up the steering, suspension and camber of the wheels.
Ever since doing so the handling is out of this world.
The RC car I race is in 1/12 scale and I can use real world set ups by scaling down.
I also used them to construct a aniti roll bar for the suspension on the front and back of the chassis and this has given me a car that handles like a dream.
Because it is front wheel drive i now get that lift off over steer just like the real thing.
That's awesome, would love to see some vids of your car.
Reading this makes my Inner-Geek *so frikkin happy* 😊👍
handles like a dream? and how you've solved that icing problem?
@@mojeimja i don't quite understand what you mean, as I don't race outside unless it's dry in the summer months and indoors through winter.
@@b00ts4ndc4ts
This is an Iron Man joke.
Still rocking the dial Starret vernier caliper. Those and the Mitotoyu 0-1, 1-2 and 2-3" mics set are still going strong after 40 years. Buy good tools and take care of them and service when needed and they will last a lifetime.
Mitotoyu are wonderful tools, but be careful when buying, they are often faked.
Or you could buy cheap poor quality tools, and curse your stupid decision for a lifetime?
2:50 The advantage of digital calipes is that i can read the numbers without using glasses as thick as bottle bottoms. Becoming old is a hard business ^^
1:10 I recently did a project where I made a large number of accurate measurements using calipers, both digital and vernier. In the end I switched to digital calipers because it reduced the mental labour required.
In tradeschool they would only let us use vernier scale calipers and conventional micrometers. Nowadays I work in a high volume CNC machine shop, we only use digital everything. At home I use the midground between vernier and digital, dial calipers. Easier on the eyes than vernier and doesn't need batteries.
I'm a woodworker and rely on the dials for ease of reading and not needing to change a tiny battery every time I go to use it
Dial calipers looks cool not gonna lie, I'll stick with the vernier though.
Some of us older engineers can read vernier scales because we learned to read a similar scale on our slide rules!
Some of us even older engineers CAN'T read vernier scales because we CAN'T SEE THE BLOODY SCALE! 😠 😜
And the young people today don't even know what a slide rule is. Let alone how they would be used.
@@mikewatson4644 And almost all of you couldn't drive a Model T Ford because technology has surpassed the need to know how. No one needs a slide rule now except to measure their black and white RCA picture tube and find some weird level of superiority over those that couldn't care less.
@@booifojoe Can't agree with that. i am a retired pilot and we use(d) circular slide rules. We called them 'whiz wheels' and they are easy to carry, cheap, reliable, rugged and can do all kinds of calculations. Not sure i've seen a calculator for doing that but there may be.
The vid was amazing as i had no idea about the finer points
@@booifojoe There are lots of slightly modified slide rules used for things today. For example, there is one that is used for calculating how much concrete is required for a slab. I was helping to pour a rather large slab recently (required 5 truck loads) and we were getting down to needing the last load. We measured the area that was left. 1 guy pulled out his cell phone and started to use the calculator. Another guy pulled out the modified slide rule and started to slide the dial around. I did it in my head and beat both of them. To be fair, I had a head start because I started to figure as soon as we started to measure.
A machinist taught me to always check that the caliper reads zero when closed. If it does not read zero, then it is likely that there are tiny metal chips on the jaws. Also the zero on a dial caliper can be adjusted by loosening a set screw and turning the dial face slightly.
I use calipers daily and I'm a little amazed that we aren't introduced to them in school. I use everything from cheap plastic verniers (for times when damaging the caliper is a real possibility and high precision isn't critical) to our usual cast of characters. I usually grab dial calipers since it's relatively easy to read and doesn't take batteries. Next is vernier -- again, the battery thing. I usually only go digital if 1) I have batteries since it's probably gone dead since the last time I used it; 2) I have a lot of things to measure since reading the screen is so much easier. All are used and useful.
I was taught how to use a Vernier caliper (and Slide-rule) at school... admittedly that was more than sixty years ago.
These days, that lesson has probably been replaced by "How to use an Electon Microscope"! 😜
@@PiefacePete46 lol. Know what you mean. I was the last slide rule practitioner at my school. I had to stop when they 1) requested more than 3-1/2 digits of precision; and 2) stopped allowing log and trig tables for test taking. Ti-30 to the rescue. Nowadays I just use the 'rule on my desk for funzies when I feel like going old school.
@@terpcj : We are talking about everday items from not too long ago that todays youngsters could puzzle over for hours!
Not long after I left school I worked as an aircraft Load Controller. The balance of the aircraft was calculated with a rudimentary Circular Slide Rule... Today, Google would probably work it all out for me if I asked nicely! 😜
I still have a slide rule in the drawer behind me... I must check it out for a giggle.
@@PiefacePete46 Electron Mics are so yesterday. The heat they generates kills everything. Dark-field is better afaik
@@frozenflyify : Damn... I might have to go back to school! At 78 years old, that's a scary prospect! 🥴 😜
Actually the only tool I use regulary, and I didn't know about the step. Learned something new today, so not a wasted day. Thanks!
Note that resolution and precision is not the same thing. The digital caliper has a resolution of 0.01mm, but not necessarily that level of precision (check the datasheet). Also, a lot of measurements are tricky to perform by the operator. There's a thing called MSA (measurement system analysis), which is used to determine how reliably an operator can make a certain measurement
There are "micron calipers" now available (0,001 mm). There's not much practical sense, but they exist.
if someone is measuring "by hand" precision of the instrument is the least of the concerns
Also has hammer mode for tapping in small nails and can be used to pull nails as well.
naughty lad
Don't forget "Wrench mode"! 😜
Crowbar mode too
I was a metrologists for many years and find the video informative. The real test comes at the hands of an experienced machinist. Technique is everything!
Hey, I just learned the step measurement. Didn't know that one before. Thanks!
Awesome, thank you for a great no nonse, no stretch explanation of a great tool. Keep up the good work!
Except the CE part, as that is false
Thank you very much! As a student, I had a choice of Marching Band or Shop. I was in the Band and missed out on loads of vital skills. I have frequently found myself in my shop attempting to solve the puzzle of accurate measurement. This video is clear, concise, and extremely helpful in understanding the proper use of my calipers!
I bet your time in marching band has come in useful many times in your adult life!
There are also calipers with a dial, I have a Swiss-made Tesa accurate to 0.02 mm.
Otherwise, the CE = China Export story is just an urban legend, there is even a section about this in the Wikipedia article on CE marking.
In any case, the CE marking is only a sworn statement made by the manufacturer, not a certification mark.
Ahhh Wckipedia. Anyone can write whatever they please there. Made up stuff
I think the statement has to refer to a specific, certified testing laboratory inside the EU so it's somewhat verifiable by simply asking them.
@@blechtic Once again, this is not a certification mark, it is solely under the responsibility of the manufacturer.
Also, they are calipers, there's no safety risk involved...
Regulation (EC) No 765/2008, article 30:
1. The CE marking shall be affixed only by the manufacturer or his authorised representative.
3. By affixing or having affixed the CE marking, the manufacturer indicates that he takes responsibility for the conformity of the product with all applicable requirements set out in the relevant Community harmonisation legislation providing for its affixing.
Holy cow! Never knew the CE detail!! Also that step method is new to me!
CE thing is a myth.
step method is like the depth method but done with the other end
It's an urban myth that's hard to kill. It was all over the European tec community 15 years ago.
It's been debunked a lot of times, even in the European Parliament. Links to debunk on the Wikipedia page en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/CE_marking
I like my Mitutoyo digital calipers. The action feels smooth and the battery lasts a really long time in them compared to cheap chinese calipers. I really like dial calipers but I've had the rack and pinion mechanism fail due to debris ingress. There's nothing to go wrong on vernier calipers, as long as you can read them.
The zero doesn't change. That's a big plus.
For years I used digital calipers for 3D Printing and CAD but it always struggled to geht designs to fit vor geht accurate prints. Two years ago I bought a analog one and instantly everything fits perfect first time. Comparing the analog with the digital it is a huge difference in accuarcy and consistency
Not to mention that digital calipers are essentially automatic reading verniers that use varianle capacitors on the slider caused by alternative conductive and isolating strips on the ruler (under the label). Electronoob's video on digital calipers was really inspiring
Working in Machining since the early 70's this is a great video. I have used Vernier Calipers that were 3 and 4 feet long. Still own 12 " ones. This all we had at one time.
Pretty nice tutorial. I never used a Vernier Caliper much but I still have my Starrett dial calipers. 40 years and still working perfectly. If I had known how it operated i might have used one instead. simple durable and your battery won't die at the worst possible time.
CE was new to me. Great guide for a beginner!
I'd also like to add, be careful not to apply too much force to the slide, as excessive pressure can cause the caliper jaws to misalign and result in inaccurate measurements. This is especially crucial when measuring from the thinner tip of the calipers. If additional force is needed, apply pressure on either side of the caliper jaws themselves causing direct compressive forces, rather than through the slide, as this will prevent misalignment between the body and the slide.
It's an urban myth that's hard to kill. It was all over the European tec community 15 years ago.
It's been debunked a lot of times, even in the European Parliament. Links to debunk on the Wikipedia page en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/CE_marking
Thanx for the review, and the reminders and the "new" info. My father was a Civil Engineer and he taught me to read the Vernier scale on his K&E Mountaineer Transit when I was about 14 years old. I still have the pocket magnifying glass he gave me to make it easier to read.
Excellent Instructional Video!!! Quick and to the point. My only criticism being the fact that some parts are quite vague offering minimal information, however, as a whole, this is a highly efficient and an excellent piece of work. Thank you for making it available to the community.
Most electronic versions even turn off . Still use a tiny bit of battery life. So if used infrequently. Pull out the battery. Ready to put back in the next time you need it. Nothing worse trying to use it , only to find the dead battery.
I have a rule to always keep a spare fresh battery in the caliper box.
exactly why I own dial calipers
Worse is if the battery also leaked and you have to clean out the crud inside.
I never knew about step measurement. Every day is a learning day. Thank you.
I would say that dial calipers are far more common than Vernier calipers. The reason why the Vernier is just accurate as dial/digital is that calipers aren't all the precise to begin with. They are better than a scale or tape measure.
As a non cnc hobby machinist I use the dial, digital and vernier in order of preference. Battery’s suck, verniers are difficult for old eyes. Regardless calipers are a wonderful tool. Great video!
What amuses me is the price range of calipers. A 12-inch caliper can run anywhere from under $20 to over $1,000. While the $1,000 caliper is extremely accurate and precise, the $20 caliper is still good to 0.001" and suffices for most applications. To be told, I do have a number of high dollar, high accuracy and precision instruments, but they are not used every day and are primarily used for inspection. Needless to say, no one touches them but me.
Did you know that if you are trying to do high precision work, how you hold your measuring instruments can affect their accuracy.
Yes and a 1 or 2 degree temp change from inside machine check to outside on table changes size and reading and calipers good to .005 or more anything smaller needs mics. Have indicators and mics down to .00001
@@scottrhodes3929 It is the old story of accuracy versus precision. Usually we like to have both.
Thanks for this info. The step measurement was also new to me. I also prefer the vernier calipers, as my digital one burns through the battery quickly.
China Export calipers are usually (electrically) very bad designed and use 1 battery per 3 months (if you are lucky). I invested in a Mitutoyo 10 years ago and never have had to replace the battery...
Calipers are a Must Have Precision Tool for Everyone. You didn't show a dial caliper, which are great for reading ease and no battery (I'm still using the Brown and Sharpes from 1983). The downside with dial calipers is that they are either metric or standard. I'm sorry but standard vernier calipers are too time consuming and difficult for new users. My favorite calipers are 8" Mitutoyo Digital, they are super smooth and accurate. The batteries last 1 to 3 years depending on use. Great video ;keep up the good work. I'm a retired tool and die maker from Honda.
CE vs C E... I never knew that. Thank you!
China Export reminds me of the district in Japan in the 60's called Usa. So they could market as Made In U. S. A. by marking the product Made In USA
I remember... I seem to recall they had "Switzerland" as well, for "Made in Switzerland" watches.
They also added one jewel, so watches could have "Jewelled Movement" printed on the face.
The solution to that was that watch faces had to say how many jewels were in the movement...
The answer to that rule was watches with "0 Jewels" on the face!
Of course it was only a matter of time before Japan moved on from this nonsense, and started producing some stunning high-class products.
"Made in Japan" no longer had a stigma attached to it... I guess China will follow this path very quickly.
@@PiefacePete46 What I've learned is that the "NO (0) JEWELS INSIDE" was put there on watches with non-jeweled movements to avoid the higher import duties for jeweled movements put in place to make customers choose domestic watchmakers.
I never even knew about this!! Thanks for the info!
@@ZacabebOTG : That makes sense. My version came from my father... it could easily have been his own interpretation, or a story being spread at the time. "Misinformation" is not as new as we think! 😉
@@PiefacePete46I don’t think Chinese companies need to really care about the quality of their products. They have much less competition than Japan did and operate primarily in environments that reward deception, like Amazon’s marketplace.
Worth watching even if you thought you knew all about calipers. The CE issue was the best explanation I've seen, and I now need to go and check all my stuff!
The whole China Export myth has been debunked already but it keeps popping up. The CE marking on products manufactured in China actually corresponds to the European CE marking required on some products but it looks different due to changes in dimensions and typography. There is no official CE logo specification. Also, the European CE marking only indicates (but is not proof!) that the manufacturer claims to have passed the required quality controls (which is always the responsibility of the manufacturer). This is often the case but not always. And the reason they put the CE logo on there is because the European Union demands that for a whole slew of products that manufacturers want to sell in Europe. Just search for it and they are easy to find.
There is a very precise official CE logo specification
You could even use calipers to check it...
When I worked as for QA as an engineer, we would use our cheaper calipers (the ones that weren't Mitutoyo) to also score lines on our metal blocks to indicate measurements. The calipers are, as far as I know, all made out of hardened stainless steel so it was easy to use as a scribe
I've even seen a case of someone suggesting grinding one of the jaws to a sharper point for the purpose. (And, yes, on a cheap caliper set of course!)
I was in a technical school more than 40 years ago before the digital age caught on. We learned to read verniers and micrometres and how to set up and use shapers. The new thing for me is step measurement. Nowadays you are the man if you can program CNC.
WOWZA!!! Like others, I thought I knew how to both read and use a Caliper. I did not, until now! Most excellent! I am sending to many gearhead friends. Good job.
I didn't think I could learn something new from this video, but the step measuring was new to me. I just used the depth measure to measure steps. Great and informative video, keep up the good work
I learned 3 things, the purpose of the notch on the depth rod, the step measurement, and the double meaning of the CE logo. Thank you!
Pathetic part (about young generations): you needed an internet to learn those basics.
The CE logo does not have a double meaning. that is an urban legend. CE markings are self-certified.
@@MikeBucceroni The video says that the "CE" logo can also mean "China Export" instead of "Conformite Europeene". Are you saying that it's just an urban legend and the manufacturers are certifying that their product complies with the EU regulations?
@@GrandePunto8V thanks grandpa
@@VeniceInventors : Yes, exactly. The whole "China Export" thing is an urban legend. It's common enough that it's referenced and debunked in the Wikipedia page for "CE marking". There are sometimes fraudulent CE markings, of course, but they are simply fraudulent markings; there is no actual claim that they stand for something else.
Thanks for that, never too old (77) to learn.
I think this is the best video I've seen on using these tools properly.
🙂👍
I use the Vernier Calipers in Locksport and although I've used them reasonably right, but now I realise that I need to tweak how I use them.
Like many others I thought the calipers that were non digital were nowhere near as accurate, thanks for clearing that up 🙂👍
Great video many thanks.
If you are using them when machining, warm parts or parts with different temps. The readings will differ.
indeed
My old 1976 standard issue engineers rule actually has the accuracy temperature stamped on it!
A trick I picked up when I first started using vernier calipers is that if it's hard to identify the best fit, find the last mark that's clearly on the left, then find the first mark that's clearly on the right. Usually those will be 2 marks apart and the correct one will be the one in the middle. Or, you can just average those to amounts and call it good enough. Often times it won't be absolutely 100% in alignment.
2:07 Holy crap! This is high-value info here. I don't pull out the calipers often, and when I do it's a digital caliper but after this video that my change. Digital calipers are frustrating and finicky at times, at least mine are, but I've put up with them due to my belief their accuracy and general ease of use outweighed their flaws. What I learned from this video in just the first 2.5 minutes has changed my mind. And made me hate button batteries even more!
Also take a look at dial calipers, they're my favorite type of calipers, but a bit harder to find. They're faster to read than Vernier calipers, but still no batteries.
5:28 dam. i learned something today. i have always used the depth end to measure steps. now i just need to keep that in mind when next time using calibers
I contest they are far more accuret than digital because you can and often set the ZERO Wrog. You can not set the Wrong ZERO with a Vernier caliper
Yeah but the accuracy comes down to users eyesight. Let's say digital is more accurate in that the number displayed is the number you use, where as with verniers you could be out because you couldn't quite see a distinction between which line was closer.
Before this video, I didn't know about the depth measurement possibility at all! I have a $10 AliExpress digital caliper for home use and it has always served me well. Thank you for a very informative video.
I use a dial indicator caliper and I love that tool. The cheap digital ones don't have proper power management when turned off, so your battery will not last long.
Even the proper CE label only means that the manufacturer claims that it conforms to the standards given, but no one ever checks it, so you need to trust every Chinese backyard shop not to lie about it. IMHO, it's completely useless.
I worked in one shop that had a Chinese 12" dial caliper, and that thing had a number scale along the beam that was off a mile. Fully extended, the number scale would read something like 11.8 instead of 12. You had to have a good rule with you to measure how far apart the jaws were.
Let me guess -- they laid out the number scale with 25mm "inches"....
Using vernier calipers is the only time I actually appreciate being near-sighted. Once those glasses come off, my eyes have magnification built in... ^.^
That was the best explanation on calipers I have seen. I bought a digital calipers but always afraid to use it because of the lack of any knowledge. Now I have an idea I can now at least try out using mine to learn and rewatch your video to compare what I found and what I may not have correct. Brilliant job
What an awesome channel! Crisp and detailed information precisely explained. That is pretty rare nowadays. Thanks for the great job and keep up the good work.
⭐⭐⭐ How refreshing to hear a young person who actually understands the ins and outs of a caliper. It would be nice to see a follow up video on how to use gage R&R results to improve your metrology skills.
Of course, he may be an old person who has mastered the ins and outs of sounding young. 😜
I dropped and bent my Vernier callipers so I thought I'd splash out on a pair of digitals , I now wish I'd bought another pair of Verniers , the battery doesn't run out when you need it most . I will be buying a Vernier and a dial calliper next .
My grandfather was a machinist. I learned a few things from this video, thanks so much
Fun Fact! The "China export" symbol doesn't actually exist. It's just that some manufacturers (mostly the cheap one, who happen to be concentrated in China) don't use the symbol as specified in the regulations, only something that looks like it. That doesn't mean that the product doesn't otherwise conform to European standards, but it's a good indication that a manufacturer isn't all that attentive to regulatory details.
Fun fact the symbol exists in so much as there are so many Chinese manufacturers using it to imply something it's not. Has nothing to do with attention to regulatory detail, it's entirely there to deceive. Have been experiencing this logo being used in electronics, radio and other tech areas. It's very common on counterfeit circuit boards and component supplies and has been for ~20 years.
@@dennis8196
China export is a 15 year old myth. It's been debunked a lot of times, even in the European Parliament.
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/CE_marking
Got my calipers at the age of 14 in school, still use them 22 years later, smooth as new.
Suggestion for the presenter: If you're pointing at very fine lines (such as what is inscribed on a caliper) avoid using your finger (which is a couple of orders of magnitude thicker than the lines). Instead, using something of similar fineness, such as a sharp pencil or the tip of a pen. Thanks.
I have to admit, I didn't know about step measurement. Up until now, I've always used depth measurement for this task. Thanks!
I'm old so I know how to read them but I will take dial or digital any day. Cause I'm also lazy and impatient.
I never thought to use the bar for measuring hole depth. Plus the CE mark and step measuring tips are much appreciated!
I’ve had a set of Mitutoyo calipers for about 25 years. They still have no play in the jaws and were used extensively during my time working as a mechanic on heavy machinery. I’ve been retired for 10 years but still use my vernier calipers all the time in my home workshop as well as a Mitutoyo 0-1 inch micrometer for really accurate measurements. I was brought up using inches but systems changed to metric in my younger days. I still like to measure fine measurements in thousands of an inch rather than using my metric mics.
Nice tutorial I purchased my first Vernier calliper in 1975 a 6 inch Japanese instrument it cost me £49 still using it today although I am long retired, a point of interest in 1975 my weekly take home pay was £7 so it was not exactly a cheap tool.
2:35 hate to be that guy but i think you meant 2.39 mm ;)
Funny how he's able to read a normal caliper but fails to read a digital one 😂
Great guide on how to use the very versatile calipers!
Straight to the point with clear explanations.
The step measurement was new to me. I've been using the depth guage, but it's sometimes hard to get it straight. And if there is a slight gap in the step, the very slim guage can slip under it.
Please make a video on how to handle, clean and oil calipers :)
Thanks Bro. I used the Tesa dial indicator vernier almost everyday of my engineering life!!!
I never knew about step measurements, I always used the depth rod.
The step feature was new when I bought my first set in 1970. Handy!!!!
I think you are in good company there.
"Calipers For Dummies". seasoned users and experts always seem to forget beginners so a guide like this is bloody welcome, thank you 🤩
Another superb tutorial. Thank you by, Mr. Gatlin.
For you model railroaders out there, Pacific Fast Mail once imported vernier calipers in both HO scale and O scale versions. Nice quality as they were made by Mitutoyo. Nice to read direct without having to make a number conversion. They are a bit collectible now and may cost a bit but turn up on eBay from time to time.
Oh, nifty! I hadn't heard about those before, and now I want one.
Interesting to know about the ce mark, thank you. Chris in UK.
Even if it does have the EU CE mark, if it's from China it's possibly faked.
There was a joke from half a century ago that claimed that (Japan) (China) had named a city "Usa" so they could honestly say it was "Made in USA". Now they're doing it. Sigh.
It's not true
The CE mark is bogus. Only thing in the video I found wrong.
@@RobertKarlBerta In what way? There ARE two almost identical marks with VERY different meanings.
I have used calipers for so long but never knew that they were so versatile. Thanks!
One thing i dont like to see is when people use a vernier caliper as a marking out gauge. I have seen people scribe lines on a rotating part thats rotating in the lathe chuck.
On some of the channels I watch, they have an inexpensive caliper for that purpose.
@@grandpasbarn2806 But if you do that you still show that you don't respect your tools. Why would anyone use any fine instrument (or even a cheaper one) to a job it wasn't intended to be used for (Scribing marks on the work piece).
The most common calipers I see in industry for 6", 12" and 24" sizes are dial calipers though digital have taking over in many places leaving Dial and Vernier calipers as the backup. Beyond that 24" size you generally only see Vernier calipers since measurements beyond that size are far less often made or only made in specific industries. Digital calipers are becoming fairly common but they are almost always backed up by having a dial caliper just in case since inexpensive digital calipers are notorious for having dead batteries and some even have drift over time when making several measurements so you have to check and zero pretty regularly. A good quality Vernier or Dial Caliper will last you a life time if used, stored and taken care of properly. I have had Digital ones fail just from sitting in their case in the shop tool box but I am sure that is mostly down to quality. The other thing to remember is while some digital calipers (and dial calipers for that matter) may offer more precision on the display readout (adding a digit for the 10,000s place), in real world measurement the actual accuracy of all three tools is about the same and is highly dependent on the quality of the measuring device. For example a low to mid priced 6" caliper of all three flavors that claims a measuring precision of +/-0.001 inches is likely only going to be within about 0.002 inches of actual accuracy which is still more than fine for the majority of measuring tasks but if you need more accurate measurements you may need to move to a micrometer instead.
If I may nit-pick, Pierre Vernier invented the Vernier measurement aid. He was French. Vernier is pronounced VER-nee-ay (ay as in jay), *not* VER-nee-er. :)
You should hear how “Lagrange” is pronounced in the US.
as a kid I thought they were named after someone then got older and started woodworking with verniers, very thin sheets of wood, and thought that I misheard the name of the tool that was named after the material, not many times you look back and realize you had it right as a kid.
@@TheLegionofReason - Here in New England it’s typically pronounced “luh-GRAHNJ”, although as one heads towards Canada there’s generally more folk of French decent and you’ll frequently hear it as “luh-GRO(NG)ZH”. You never really hear it with a long A sound except from visitors/recent arrivals to the region.
Fwiw, LaGrange Street is a fairly major road in the western part of Boston.
Its the first time I have seen a vernier that shows the measurements in actual fractions. Its now on my must have list
You forgot to mention dial vernier calipers.
Good eye, good eye. hahahaha.
Thanks for sharing this. I did not know I could measure the depth with my simple digital caliper.
>"HOW TO USE CALIPERS LIKE A PRO"
>absolute basics
I can't think of anything he left out... if you can, tell us about it.
@@PiefacePete46 he didnt leave out anything basic, true. using calipers like pro includes stuff like measuring distance between hole centers where the caliper jaws can't directly touch
Measuring small inside diameters, keeping the caliper perpendicular to the surfaces, parallax errors on some calipers, calibrating them, how hard to press the jaws, measuring soft surfaces like o ring or rubber sheets, using the zero function on digital calipers, not scribing lines, using the screw on the top …
@@klave8511 true there are much more aspects to it about being pro
@@klazzera : Fair comment. 👍
As a retired maintenance engineer loved my vernier calipers nearly as much as my hammers 😊
2:33 onwards: I never knew 2.39 mm is the same as 2.9 mm.
Nice to learn something new
Murica....
@@u3pyg i never knew they use millimeters in Murica.
They don't use the metric system, right?
Aw, be nice. I'm sure he meant to say two point three nine. ^.^
@@hazelhazelton1346 i am sure as well.
But he didn't.
And i think it is funny.
I came looking to see if someone had already made the comment for me, which you did, so I will just leave this comment thanking you for making it unnecessary for me to leave that comment.
I got an education on how to use calibres. I just use them for my guitars' nut measures & model railroading coupler mounting. Never knew you can use for so much more,
Thank you.
7:21 "Finally the tap size or drill bit size" - It cant be both, if you drilled at 5mm, a 5mm tap would fall through :)
Great that you discovered how caliper works and why all caliper features are there.
Kids these days. They need internet for everything. There are few tricks he doesn't know tho.
Meme about young generations: "when you have a smartphone, but you're not smart".
@@GrandePunto8V The older generation had to learn from somebody too, unless you are inventing everything you use yourself. Like Issac Newton said, "If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of Giants". The only difference between the older generation and the younger generation in the learning category is that the younger generation have a lot more people to learn from thanks to the internet, which generally would make people smarter. But young people are always reticent to heed the advice of the old.