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Homemade thickness caliper?
http://luthiersforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10101&t=47717		 Page 1 of 1
Author:  cablepuller1 [ Sat Apr 30, 2016 5:51 pm ]
Post subject:  Homemade thickness caliper?
Hi

Have ordered a cheap digital thickness caliper from China and have some perspex handy to make a deep reach caliper
Just wondering if anyone has been down the diy route and what you use as on the bottom of the caliper to roll across the bottom surface as I have no idea what to use really
Thanks
Author:  david farmer [ Sat Apr 30, 2016 7:12 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Homemade thickness caliper?
l ways thought a drill press with a locked quill and a round carriage bolt head in a block of wood might work, Just an Idea.
Author:  truckjohn [ Sat Apr 30, 2016 7:43 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Homemade thickness caliper?
waste of time if you want any sort of precision. Flex kills you when you are trying to hit precision.

Instead - hunt EBay for used "sheet metal micrometer". I got a used Chinese made 12" deep, 0-1" sheet metal mic for $20 a couple years ago... All nicely calibrated and certified. Sure - it's no Starrett - but it does the job and I am very happy with it.

accurate to better than 0.005"
Author:  bobgramann [ Sat Apr 30, 2016 7:47 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Homemade thickness caliper?
Round off the top of a fine-threaded bolt or find something threaded with a rounded top. You need to be able to turn it up and down to zero the dial gauge.
Author:  Bri [ Sat Apr 30, 2016 8:22 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Homemade thickness caliper?
http://www.ebay.ca/itm/8-Outside-OD-Dig ... 20cb98cc48
Try this. $28 on ebay
I have bought a few measuring tool from igaging and for the price they are unbeatable.
The vendor Taylor tool has a great selection. Not sure but I think there is also an online store.
Author:  Jim Watts [ Sat Apr 30, 2016 9:50 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Homemade thickness caliper?
I chuck up a dial indicator in my drill press, then lock the spindle and table down nice and tight. It works well for flat plates and the like. You just have to make sure that you're pressing the top down firmly against the table around the indicator tip when taking a measurement.
Attachment:
drill press thickness gage.jpg

Attachment:
IMG_2622 Medium Web view.jpg
Author:  david farmer [ Sat Apr 30, 2016 11:22 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Homemade thickness caliper?
That's it! just put a round head bolt poking up under the dial gauge.
Author:  Chris Pile [ Sat Apr 30, 2016 11:37 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Homemade thickness caliper?
Since I'm thinking about building some archtops... YES, I'm interested.
Author:  Woodie G [ Sun May 01, 2016 7:36 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Homemade thickness caliper?
Up until I found a nice Japanese-made cello dial caliper (in mm only... :cry: ) at PATINA for $25, I had been researching a shop-made plate thickness gauge (the cost of ones similar to the German plate thickness gauge I have access to here was prohibitive). In addition to a thread or two on this site, the Musical Instrument Maker's Forum library has plans and a couple discussions on the topic (must be an registered MIMF member to access these pages). Here is the most complete thread I could find on OLF, and a link to the MIMF page where the plate thickness gauge plans may be found.

http://luthiersforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10101&t=43588&p=576120&hilit=making+caliper#p576120

http://www.mimf.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?f=32&t=920
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