Fractional dial caliper with .001 resolution?

[Sam]

I just got a fractional dial caliper, not realizing it is accurate to .01 instead of .001 like my decimal caliper. Does anyone know of a source for one good to the nearest .001? Sam P.

[Greg G.]

I don't know of one with english fractional markings - only decimal and metric. I don't know why it would really matter with wood, however. It expands, shrinks, and distorts WAYYY more than .001". That much accuracy would only depress you...

Greg G.

[Bridger]

and besides, the dial would have to be pretty big to have room for all of those numbers.

[Mark]

[<redd103]

Enco or KBC tool about $25 for a 6". Great for quick setups.

[Frank McVey]

I remember reading an article a number of years ago, by the late Jim Kingshott, one of the UKs leading woodworking gurus. He related his experience as a apprentice patternmaker, where they were reqd to work to +/-

1/64". They had to bag their workpieces up in oilcloth overnight, because they would vary by more than the tolerance next morning due to humidity change.

Obviously accuracy is important, but we're woodworkers, not metal machinists. If you're currently working to tolerances of +/-1/100", then that's more than good enough for even the best quality joinery. If you're aiming for an ultra-close fit on a particular component, then there's not much wrong with the old way, where you made a component slightly oversize, then hand-fitted it, rather than aiming for a good fit straight from the machine.

Cheers

Frank

[John Crea]

Don't think there is such an animal, as the fractional dial indicators go 1inch per rev, and it would be sorta hard to put

1000 gradiations on a single rev

Most dial indictors/calipers with res to 0.001 go 0.1in per rev

John

[Bridger]

I try to work both ways. where I can, I get my setups accurate enough to go straight off of the machine. where I can't, I leave enough for hand fitting. Bridger

[Absinthe]

They are always on eBay. Try a search there for "Dial Caliper"