Thickness calipers

**craigw** · Jul-08-2004, 1:08pm

Anyone willing to share their designs for shop made thickness calipers and pros and cons on the subject? I believe there was a thread some time back but I haven't been able to locate it in archives. Thanks!

**Gail Hester** · Jul-08-2004, 1:30pm

I’ve posted this before but here’s the one I made. I used a Sears depth gauge (about $30) and some scrap Mahogany. It works great and I’ve made many tops and backs with it.

**craigw** · Jul-08-2004, 1:46pm

Thanks Gail!

**Magnus Geijer** · Jul-08-2004, 2:27pm

I have made one as well, from scrap maple, but it really doesn't have any benefits over Gail's, so I'll be lazy and skip the pictures. I did, however, get the dial from Harbor Freight for $6.99, and it's been plenty accurate (100th).

/Magnus

**Darryl Wolfe** · Jul-08-2004, 2:27pm

save some time and effort...$69
regular ebay item

**Luthier Vandross** · Jul-08-2004, 5:40pm

We just use old loop style calipers, with inscribed lines only to the thicknesses we normally use.. it helps not having to look at all those little lines, although I like the look of the sewing machines all you ladys made..

M

**craigw** · Jul-08-2004, 5:47pm

Thanks guys, and you too Luther! I'm always entertained by your levity. By the way, I used to own a Randy Wood A model back in 74-75 when my 24 Loar had been stolen and later returned. Was a great little mando.
craigw

**Rob Powell** · Jul-08-2004, 7:31pm

I don't know Darryl...there's something about making your own that just seems like good karma...

**Darryl Wolfe** · Jul-09-2004, 8:36am

I know where you're coming from beergeek...I made my own too...similar to those above but with no baseplate.....but may get one of those

**mandough** · Jul-09-2004, 10:55am

Hi,
Here's a caliper that I just made yesterday. #It's made out of 3/4 in. plywood and has a detatchable base. #Total cost, about $13 for the dial gauge and the rest was scrap laying around.

**craigw** · Jul-09-2004, 6:58pm

Just picked up dial guage at Harbor Freight for $13. Official name is '1" Travel Machinist's Dial Indicator'.
Now I can go to work and throw something together. Thanks for everyone's input!

**Michael Lewis** · Jul-09-2004, 11:51pm

Craig, that dial indicator is probably in thousandths of inch. Most plate maps I know of are in mm. It's easy to convert in your head, keep in mind that 1 mm = .040"

**craigw** · Jul-10-2004, 9:34am

Thanks Michael! See you at Wolf Mountain.

**Rob Powell** · Jul-10-2004, 6:43pm

Hey Michael,

What's up with your site? I tried to steal a pickguard image to post in another forum here under my favorite pickguard but couldn't get the site to come up...

That's a sad thing for me as I look at several times a week for inspiration...

**Ellie** · Jul-20-2004, 3:25pm

I did mine out of dumpster scrap, and a desire to not look at ugly plywood.

**sunburst** · Jul-20-2004, 4:25pm

Ellie, An irrepressible sence of style just can't be hidden.

Enjoyed seeing the Jessica Rabbit mando in Tacoma.

**Bill Snyder** · May-08-2005, 10:55pm

If you want to build one really cheap and 1/32nd of an inch is accurate enough then you could build one like I did. This is just a 3' Lufkin tape measure that measures to the 32nd of an inch.
1 inch is my starting point instead of 0. The spring action of the tape measure is enough to return it to zero (one).
Cost was $2.07 for the tape and my time and some scrap maple, glues and screws

**Bill Snyder** · May-08-2005, 10:57pm

Closeup of the tape.

**Chris Baird** · May-08-2005, 11:27pm

Thats great, when I first looked at it I thought it was a joke. Then I looked closer and thought "it probably works".

**Stephanie Reiser** · May-09-2005, 4:43am

I purchased the Harbor freight dial for $6.99 that will measure the thickness of paper. I made my whole device in half an hour. Stew-Mac can keep their $159 one.
Stephanie

**Jim Garber** · May-09-2005, 12:17pm

Originally Posted by (Amanda Lyn @ May 09 2005, 05:43)

I purchased the Harbor freight dial for $6.99 that will measure the thickness of paper. I made my whole device in half an hour. Stew-Mac can keep their $159 one.
Stephanie

Anybody have the tiem number or direct link for that dial? I can;t seem to locate it on the Harbor Freight site.

Thanks
Jim

**Stephanie Reiser** · May-09-2005, 5:51pm

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=33675

Jim, hopefully that will take you to the dial gauge.
If not let me know.
Stephanie

**Jim Garber** · May-09-2005, 7:34pm

Strange, but I can't get on the Harbor Freight site at all, now. They must be having some sort of problems. I will try again later or tomorrow.

Jim

**chipotle** · May-09-2005, 10:23pm

Great thread! Thanks a million to all, this answered a lot of questions for me as far as planing/sanding accurately the top and bottom.

**Jim Garber** · May-10-2005, 7:58am

I was finally able to get on the Harbor Freight site. There are two dial indicators both for $13.99 (none that I can find for $6.99):

1" Travel Machinist's Dial Indicator

1" Dial Indicator

Then there is this Jeweled Dial Test Indicator for $29.99.

Any clue as to which one is better?

Jim

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