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.
Thanks for your help.

Both

It's much easier to have several sets of calipers set for different
measurements than to keep changing one set. I've got about 6.

Look on ebay. Lots of them there.

Walt C


"Dave" wrote in message
news:86sGe.219817$nG6.138447@attbi_s22...
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.
Thanks for your help.

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

Owen Lowe writes:

Unless you are turning matching bowls I can't see a need for calipers
for bowls.

Well, it's one way to get an even thickness.

--
Sending unsolicited commercial e-mail to this account incurs a fee of
$500 per message, and acknowledges the legality of this contract.

Well, maybe I'm missing something but for woodturning just go and buy
anything that doesn't look like it will fall apart in 2 days and is easy to
set/adjust. You aren't looking for 0.001" in this application. I have a
Sorby dual-caliper which shows an opening on the rear jaws equal to the
opening on the front jaws doing the measuring; these I use all the time for
bowls.
Billh

"Dave" wrote in message
news:86sGe.219817$nG6.138447@attbi_s22...
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.
Thanks for your help.

On Fri, 29 Jul 2005 15:40:52 GMT, "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.
Thanks for your help.


I only use calipers in bowl turning to make sure that my hand/eye measurement is
right... you're not machining stainless steel for NASA, right? *g*

This works well for me, they're available all over:
http://www.shopsmith.com/ownersite/c...knessgauge.htm

Almost as accurate and easier to store are your thumb and fingers... you'd be
surprised how sensitive they are to variations in wall thickness when you run
them down the side of a bowl.. (most folks have thumb inside bowl, finger (s)
outside)

The only 2 things you need to concentrate on, IMHO, are to be safe and have
fun..



mac

Please remove splinters before emailing

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.
Thanks for your help.


Lots of bowl and vessel turners use wire calipers, bent from coat
hangers or other stiff wire.
I like to make mine from copper tubing which is stiff enough but easily
bendable to any shape:
http://www.woodturner.org/vbforum/showthread.php?t=641

Ken Grunke
http://www.token.crwoodturner.com/

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