"DoN. Nichols" wrote in message
...
On 2010-10-09, Doug White wrote:
I am milling a part I want to fit reasonably closely to something (close
slip fit, ideally). Something like -0.000"/+0.001". I have it clamped
in
my mill vise, and I have a stop set to locate one end. I'm milling out a
small pocket, and the best I can do for measuring the width & length is a
digital caliper. The thing it fits on is too big to try in place.

Thus far, I haven't taken it out of the mill.

[ ... ]

Comments? Suggestions?

I would suggest that you take a set of fine adjust inside and
outside calipers (spring hinge and a knurled nut on a fine screw) and
use that to transfer the fit from the workpiece pocket to the part which
it fits. It takes a bit of "feel" but that should be better than the
digital calipers overall. That is how machinists made things to fit in
the old days. If you have two pair of each style, you can set the
outside calipers to fit both dimensions on the thing you are fitting,
and then transfer to the inside calipers for both dimensions and use
those to check the fit.


Don, is there any place for using telescopic gauges in this instance?
Personally, I have had limited luck in transferring dimension from outside
to inside calipers and vice versa. I have taken to setting the dimension on
the micrometer (or use the micrometer to measure the male part of the
assembly), set my telescopic gauge to that dimension and then us it to check
the part being machined.

--
Michael Koblic,
Campbell River, BC