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| Need Help - Making Thickness Caliper http://www-.luthiersforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10102&t=7909 |
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| Author: | j.Brown [ Tue Aug 08, 2006 3:58 am ] |
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There was a fantastic thread a while back about making many tools at home with some great photos. I searched and can't find it anymore. If anyone knows where I can find that thread, please let me know. And specifically, I am looking for ideas on making a home made thickness guage/caliper. Thanks in advance. -j. |
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| Author: | Michael McBroom [ Tue Aug 08, 2006 4:33 am ] |
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Hi J, Here's a pic of a setup I rigged up: 
You can find inexpensive versions of the tools I show at tool supplies. I bought mine at Wholesale Tool (wttool.com). I probably have $50 in the whole setup. I had to go with a gooseneck arm because I couldn't find a beam-type with the reach I needed. You'll note the corian sink cutout. This gives me a very flat surface that I zero the depth gauage against. I just move the wood around under the gauge to check thickness. Best, Michael |
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| Author: | j.Brown [ Tue Aug 08, 2006 4:43 am ] |
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Excellent. Any idea on where to source the dial guage? I'm hoping for a metric, but I guess I can translate a standard. What is it exactly that I ask for? Just not sure what the terminology is on that thing. Thanks again. -j. |
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| Author: | Arnt Rian [ Tue Aug 08, 2006 4:49 am ] |
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I see you are in the US, so this is probably not convenient for you, but I bought mine from Axminster in the UK. |
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| Author: | John Cavanaugh [ Tue Aug 08, 2006 5:15 am ] |
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Lee Valley has one. They don't have a metric version, though. |
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| Author: | bbeardb [ Tue Aug 08, 2006 5:59 am ] |
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Hey J, I got one at Harbor Freight on 88th and Sheridan I think. It's digital so if I remember you can do either english or metric. It was cheap two, I'm thinking like $20 or so. I'm going to mount it to some bike forks of just make somthing out of 3/4 mdf. |
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| Author: | Michael McBroom [ Tue Aug 08, 2006 6:08 am ] |
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[QUOTE=j.Brown] Excellent. Any idea on where to source the dial guage? I'm hoping for a metric, but I guess I can translate a standard. What is it exactly that I ask for? Just not sure what the terminology is on that thing. Thanks again. -j.[/QUOTE] It's called a dial indicator. I bought an indicator with base, just an inexpensive generic model, looks something like this one here. I bought the gooseneck arm separately from WT, but I don't see it in their catalog anymore. Other places, like Enco or Penn Tool, might carry it. Best, Michael |
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| Author: | Rod True [ Tue Aug 08, 2006 6:25 am ] |
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J. here's the link to the thickness gauge discussion, I think you are looking at Shane Neifers cool gauge ya? |
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| Author: | j.Brown [ Tue Aug 08, 2006 6:49 am ] |
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Thanks for all the info. I just picked up a digital dial indicator over lunch for $29. It reads in inches OR mm. |
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| Author: | KiwiCraig [ Tue Aug 08, 2006 10:07 am ] |
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Hi J, Here's one I made a few years ago. It's fully adjustable and I use it all the time for lots of different things . It's a bit of fun and always puts a smile on my face . Doesn't measure down to thousands ( in fact it's metric ) but the increments are easily fine enough for guitar work 
Regards KiwiCraig 
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| Author: | Arnt Rian [ Tue Aug 08, 2006 10:12 am ] |
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KiwiCraig, that looks fantasic! How about some close-ups? |
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| Author: | Don Williams [ Tue Aug 08, 2006 10:47 am ] |
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Yeah...that's real cool! Very slick. |
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| Author: | KiwiCraig [ Tue Aug 08, 2006 10:49 am ] |
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Thanks Arnt. Sorry , that's all I have stored on my computer and don't have a camera at the moment. Made it out of scrap lying around. The treble upper bout on the little brass and copper guitar acts as a cam .I've used bronze (off an old horse buggy) for the wearing parts . The dial was made from a piece of copper pipe I split and flattened. I engraved it and filled with black enamel . It measures exact !, There are three adjustments to fine tune it, should it ever be required. The part I am very happy with is the little round base of the measurement area ( don't know what it's called. )It has a part spherical bottom which sits on a bronze rimmed hole . No matter what angle you have the wood to be measured , it reads accuratley. I t annoyed me with other calipers , that you have to muck around to find the lowest type reading ,by shifting the wood until you have it parrallel with the unit . It's a fault of most micrometers 
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| Author: | Bobc [ Tue Aug 08, 2006 11:21 am ] |
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Here's one made by Shane Neifer that is real nice. 
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| Author: | Serge Poirier [ Tue Aug 08, 2006 12:03 pm ] |
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Here's one i made out of purple heart and a recycled stainless steel lamp 
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| Author: | Rod True [ Tue Aug 08, 2006 12:17 pm ] |
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Your the king of recycling there Serge, living in such a large building has it's advantages eh? |
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| Author: | CarltonM [ Tue Aug 08, 2006 1:35 pm ] |
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Nice job, Serge! Though it kind of looks like you actually recycled a banjo... |
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| Author: | PaulB [ Tue Aug 08, 2006 2:03 pm ] |
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[QUOTE=KiwiCraig] Hi J, Here's one I made a few years ago. It's fully adjustable and I use it all the time for lots of different things . It's a bit of fun and always puts a smile on my face . Doesn't measure down to thousands ( in fact it's metric ) but the increments are easily fine enough for guitar work
Regards KiwiCraig [/QUOTE]
Nice one Kiwi, have you thought about an inlay? 
It looks awesome. |
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| Author: | Serge Poirier [ Tue Aug 08, 2006 2:35 pm ] |
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Rod and Carlton, my middle name is Scroungy!
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| Author: | KiwiCraig [ Tue Aug 08, 2006 9:52 pm ] |
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Me too Serge .It's always interesting to see what you can come up with . I cut the little guitar out of an old brass puncture repair clamp . One bracket was cut from an old window fitting and found a bronze bracket I cut up from an old horse buggy . The aluminium pieces are cutoffs I scrounged The spindle for the dial indicator / counterweight arm is from a record player turntable . All the copper was from a copper pipe I split and flattened . I find that when you go looking through little bits and pieces to fill a need , you are often sparked by an idea . I love all the individual efforts on show here . Well done guys ! 
Paul , It actually does have a brass into copper inlay ! I'll try and get a close up sometime.
Regards to all , KiwiCraig |
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| Author: | Serge Poirier [ Tue Aug 08, 2006 10:02 pm ] |
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Thanks Craig, where are my manners, yours is awesome too, very clever, i love it bud!
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| Author: | northsongs [ Wed Aug 09, 2006 3:59 pm ] |
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Very inventive! I needed one also, and one day while looking for something else in the shop I came across the old dial indicator I bought years ago for setting top dead center on my old Yamaha Enduro motorcycle. I still had it, and it's been in its case for years. Well, a light went off and I built me a thickness gauge out of it. I have to say, it works great. Finally found a use for something I'd been dragging around for years. Best part was it cost nothing (well, I did give about $30 for it about 30 years ago, which is probably about $85,000 in today's money!). |
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| Author: | Colin S [ Mon Aug 14, 2006 9:11 pm ] |
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I'm a great believer in keeping things simple, so when I needed a thickness caliper I went down the simple route. This one I made Ive used for many years and find I want nothing else. Simply made of plywood, with a dial indicator and rounded bolt the handy thing about this one is you can put it in a vice for ease of use and stability, just run the wood between the jaws. Took about 30mins to make from a dial gauge and scrap. 
Colin |
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| Author: | Serge Poirier [ Mon Aug 14, 2006 9:52 pm ] |
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Colin, i love this simple and effective concept, i will dismantle mine, use the purple heart for my guitars and build one like this !!!! Thanks!!! |
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