In article 86sGe.219817$nG6.138447@attbi_s22,
"Dave" wrote:
I am new to wood turning and want to buy a caliper and divider set. What
size do you folks recommend 8 or 10 inch? I want to learn to turn bowls and
spindles. I'm not interested in turning large bowls, just regular size.
Unless you are turning matching bowls I can't see a need for calipers
for bowls. And, unless you are turning architectural columns and such
you wouldn't need anything larger than 6" calipers. Most spindle work is
3" or so and under; the capacity of the 6"-ers would be just fine.
I second the recommendation to look on ebay. The old Starrett, Brown &
Sharpe, and Goodell & Pratt calipers are superior to the Groz, General
and other cheapies today (even the Lee Valley offerings don't have the
same "feel" as the true machinist company models). You could spring for
new Starrett, Fowler etc. if that's in your budget. Also look for the
models with the "quick nut" feature - take my word for it, I'd have the
quick nut on every one of my calipers if I had known about it before
buying them.
http://cgi.ebay.com/THREE-STARRETT-S...mZ7534065377QQ
categoryZ12581QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem (Though these don't appear to have
the quick nut they're looking pretty inexpensive at the moment.)
Onward... I'd say to start out with 2 or 3 outside calipers, 1 or 2
dividers and 1 (if any) inside calipers. (I hardly ever use my inside
calipers.)
If you want to measure the wall thickness of bowls and such, I really
like my Veritas calipers. There are much less expensive options, like
using 3/16" steel rod, armature wire or a coat hanger, but I really like
these:
http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=2&p=43201&cat=1,43513
Also consider getting a dial caliper. When you need a precise
measurement these are quite versatile:
http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.a...43513,43546&ap
=1
I probably use my dial calipers more than any other measuring tool -
'cept my little 6" metal rule.
--
Owen Lowe
Northwest Woodturners,
Cascade Woodturners,
Pacific Northwest Woodturning Guild
___
Safety Tip'o'th'week: Never grind aluminum and steel or iron on the same
machine or workstation - Thermite.
http://www.hanford.gov/lessons/sitell/ll01/2001-36.htm