Starrett sheet metal / wire gage.

[Highpower]

I have a pocket sized metal thickness gage from Miller electric that I have been using that is far from being accurate. It is a cheap piece of stamped  aluminum with rounded over edges. The gaps are either too narrow or too wide for an accurate measurement.



I was searching for something better and found that the majority of the common round gages that were once made in the USA (General, PEC, etc.) are now imports of poor quality. The Starrett web site lists their (hardened) gage at $81.00 MSRP.


After searching Amazon 3 or 4 times and only finding Starrett gages at around $78, I somehow accidentally ran across this:

Starrett 188

Just a heads up in case anyone is interested in getting one of these tools.   

[Highpower]

It's here!   

Much, MUCH nicer than the Miller cookie-cutter gage. Free shipping and 45% off to boot. 

   

   

[DaveH]

Quite nice that ................ double sided   All nice and new.

But mine is in stereo    held together with a rivet  must be nearly an antique 
   

   

If you haven't got one - you have no idea what you are missing    

DaveH

[Highpower]

  I've never seen one like that before Dave. Then again there are a LOT of machinists / metalworking items I've never seen before.   
Now if I can just find another good deal on a Starrett gage in a US Standard, I'll have all my bases covered.   

If I only had a sheet metal shear.... and a place to keep it....   

Oh well. Can't have everything.

[PixMan]

I have a dumb question:

Is there any difference between wire gauge sizes and sheet metal gauge sizes? I thought a "22" wire was a lot thinner than say 22 gauge sheet metal, but that's probably just my own mind being unable to notice the similarities because of the completely different shapes.

I do know that there's been a LOT of mistakes made in machine shops with unknowing people confusing those gauges with drill size gauges. I learned the hard way myself. A No.1 drill is .228", while a wire gauge size 1 is .2893". Or...something else.

Here's a chart I found on sheet metal and I'm even more confused now.

http://www.engineersedge.com/gauge.htm

[DaveH]

Hi Ken,
What you call "wire gauge" I call "American wire gauge" and your wire gauge is different to my SWG "Standard wire gauge"

My SWG is the same as sheet metal gauge (in inches) my SWG #20 = .036" for both sheet metal and wire. At least that how it was 30 years ago, now everything is metric, I don't even know if it is even used now.

I would say your wire gauge is different to (steel) sheet metal gauge.  

It's your own fault ........ you had that revolution thing      

 
DaveH