OK - we have all seen the various tooling wish lists but I want to go one step further here and try to gain a consensus on what is essential over desirable.
Primarily, these are the questions I would like you to consider:
Like many of you, I have basics tools like tape measures, rules, a square, a protractor, external and internal spring calipers and different types of dividers. I also have a pair of 6" digital electronic calipers, a pair of 6" dial calipers, several outside micrometers (mine cover 0-100mm), a couple of dial indicators, a dial test indicator and a set of thread measuring wires. Personally, I consider this to be a pretty standard base level inventory.
So what else (if anything) should we look toward next?
Personally, my next purchase was a set of Mitutoyo telescoping gauges for measuring inside diameters, which was far cheaper than buying internal micrometers to cover the same range. In the thread on parallels, we have heard how adjustable parallels can similarly be used to measure slots. Tips like this that can save us money.
Recently, I purchased a second hand depth micrometer as I found it cumbersome using the depth rod on my calipers but perhaps there was another alternative?
Now I know this is heavily biased upon what you intend to measure and the level of accuracy required but I hope this will develop into a useful thread.
Edit: I fixed a typo - my mics measure up to 100mm not 200mm.
Primarily, these are the questions I would like you to consider:
- What are the tools you reach for first?
- If starting from scratch, with a limited budget what would you buy first?
- When should you consider purchasing a more specialised tool, when you already have a general purpose one?
Like many of you, I have basics tools like tape measures, rules, a square, a protractor, external and internal spring calipers and different types of dividers. I also have a pair of 6" digital electronic calipers, a pair of 6" dial calipers, several outside micrometers (mine cover 0-100mm), a couple of dial indicators, a dial test indicator and a set of thread measuring wires. Personally, I consider this to be a pretty standard base level inventory.
So what else (if anything) should we look toward next?
Personally, my next purchase was a set of Mitutoyo telescoping gauges for measuring inside diameters, which was far cheaper than buying internal micrometers to cover the same range. In the thread on parallels, we have heard how adjustable parallels can similarly be used to measure slots. Tips like this that can save us money.
Recently, I purchased a second hand depth micrometer as I found it cumbersome using the depth rod on my calipers but perhaps there was another alternative?
Now I know this is heavily biased upon what you intend to measure and the level of accuracy required but I hope this will develop into a useful thread.
Edit: I fixed a typo - my mics measure up to 100mm not 200mm.
Hunting American dentists since 2015.