Technical Anyone still using Dial Calipers?

I have vernier, dial, and digital, calipers as well as, Starrett and Mitutoyo mikes. I bought the vernier calipers in 1965, and used them until I bought the dial calipers in 1970. Like the other posters have mentioned, I use the digital calipers for differential measurements and when I need to measure something in metric.
I pull the batteries when I am not using the digital calipers, because I have been caught with a dead unit at times when I wanted to use them.
I still use the vernier calipers (with a magnifying glass) at times, because there are times where the larger size of the dial calipers, makes measuring with them impractical.
Like the other posters have mentioned, I am extremely careful with the mikes, and nobody but my son and myself are allowed to touch them.
Bob

 

True story! Was working on a military project several years ago as an engineer. After the tech writers had finished the production assembly/disassembly manuals they had to go back and rewrite sections. They were told to edit any reference to “clockwise” and “counter clockwise” in favor of rotate left or right because the younger users may not understand those terms.

 

Yep! I still have my Mitutoyo 0-6" .200" sweep calipers..... Next best thing to those high priced starrets (sp)..... I bought those new in '86...

 

About 5 years ago I got one of those Harbor Freight coupons for their calipers for $10. I check my Mitutoyo and mike standards and it is always right on and it still has the battery it came with. When the battery dies I will just go get another.

 

I have a story from 1974, when LED digital watches were becoming common and the price to acquire one had dropped significantly. I bought a LED watch on sale, and it was so much more accurate than my expensive mechanical watch, that I started using it at work as an airline pilot on the DC8 at the time. We were taxiing in to the terminal after landing at Toronto, which is a very busy airport particularly at our arrival time in the morning. The ground controller was very busy because he was required to program the movements of both arriving and departing aircraft to multiple runways.
The controller gave us our typical complex clearance to the terminal, and as we were taxiing in, a conflicting aircraft had missed their stop point. There was a lot of unhappiness on the part of the controller, and after he straightened out the offending aircraft, he called us to warn us to give way to the offending aircraft at our 9 o'clock. I couldn't resist, and replied, asking if he could he give us more specific instructions because I only had a digital watch. There was a long pause, during which time I don't know if he was laughing or wanted to kill me. I can't remember whether or not he said anything, because we were laughing our ass off, but we did make it safely to the terminal.
I don't claim to be the first to have used the joke, but I had never heard it before, and it worked for me.
Bob

 

Oh, yeah..... I almost forgot.... I also have a 0-12" dial caliper that's made by Mitutoyo.....

 

My HF one was a total POS... heavy emphasis on the WAS. It would switch back and forth between metric and US scales by itself. I opened my big black garbage pail and threw it in from 30' away like a tomahawk...

 

Used to use one constantly on a daily basis when I was a machinist. Now retired, still use them out in the garage a couple times a week, 6" and 12" dial and a 6" digital which is nice for converting metric to inches.

 

* Save the parts.

* Grind the gauge.

* Change the prints.

 

Would be lost without them. When I am out in the shop I use them daily

 

I found it easy to make an error measuring with the .200" dial. All of mine have the .100" dials.

 

I just used my dial caliper less than 5 minutes ago. Then I came into my office and de-stressed by checking out the HAMB.

P.S. This is my post #1,000.

 

Naw I tighten a C clamp on the item and measure the gap with a wooden ruler. That as accurate as it needs to be for me.

 

Not in a while, but when I do it’s a Starrett Dial. I’m old and have trouble seeing any of them.

 

I use my Mitutoyo 8" digital calipers all day, every day, unless the part is over 8" up to 12", then it's the 12" dial calipers. If it's over 12" to 36" then it's the 36" verniers.(not very often.) For the last 21 years I've worked at the National Institute of Standards and Technology making scientific equipment.It's the best job I've had. I'm by myself, in my own shop, and I get to design a lot of what I make.

 

Daily work and home be lost without them. Digital's usually younger generation it's easier

 

All the time.

 

I never had a problem with those.....

 

I'm getting there.....

 

Started with a Starrett Vernier caliper, in 1955. Nephew dropped it in 1984, was worried it had gone out of accuracy (!)
So, nephew bought me a nice Central dial caliper. (both were accurate to the .0001" when checked with my 0-1" micrometer.
1992, I bought a digital caliper, just for measuring my own engine/transmission project builds. (retired from pesky customers)
Digital caliper would deaden battery in 2 weeks! I turn it off, and lay it in its case.
<CNC programmer/operator son stated that he leaves his 'on' in the box, never shuts it off. Current battery is 8 months old, still going.>
This sounds like a 'machinist story', anybody heard this one? Leave it ON to preserve it???

 

Mike, I don't think there's any way leaving any kind of battery operated device on when you're not using it could make the batteries last longer, unless it takes a lot of energy to get it started up, which I doubt in the case of calipers. Unless I forget, I always turn mine off at the end of the day, and my batteries last a few years.

 

I have verniers,,,dial,,,and digital.
Depends on what your checking.
My depth gauges and bore gauge are dial .
I have depth mics,,,,but different subject .

Also,,,,,back to the failed part.
All Q.C. guys are like that,,,,wait,,,they are called Q.A. now .
It is all subjective to the one doing the reading .
That is why there are R&R checks on gauges.
To test the repeatability of the gauge .

Kind of like that old saying,,,,,those that can play,,those that can’t coach .
Some guys have to make the parts,,,the others run the gauges,,,or CMM .

Tommy

 

Thanks, Lepus...
Couple of HAMB gents mentioned that they remove battery after use. My caliper case has a recess for the battery, so maybe I'll try that.
I thought that was for an 'extra' battery, like in the olden days when shit made sense...
grumble, grumble...