a nifty little (diameter) gauge

[Bob Hammond]

It's a pleasure to make a tool that is reasonably accurate and precise.

A woodturner by the name of David Reed Smith posted an online article about how to make a Direct Reading Caliper. It's meant to be a woodturner's diameter gauge of 0-1" capacity, but it works for measuring the thickness of planar items too. The scale can be calibrated to any desired graduations, permanently or temporarily. I made one and liked it, but it didn't quite fit my hand. So I made another one with modifications, and I dropped a thankyou note to Mr. Smith.

Here's the reference to Mr. Reed's article:

http://www.davidreedsmith.com/Articles/ ... aliper.htm

Below is a pic of my modified gauge. To make it easier to hold, I padded the brass frames with 1/4" cherry, and added the golf tee that fits between my ring and pinky fingers. I couldn't find the springwire that is specified in the article to keep the gauge open, and so I pilfered a hair barrette from someone whom I hope won't notice that soon. The thumbnut lets me adjust the drag or fix the gauge in position. I haven't scribed the scale yet.

[Bill Raymond]

Nice work Bob. Thanks for posting the link; there are a lot of interesting woodturning articles there.

[Bob Hammond]

Bill, woodturning is a genre of woodworking that can be very enjoyable to learn and practice. It has its own Zen of sorts, and is adaptable to situations when/where time is tight. It's possible to start and finish a beautiful item in one single session, or one can plan very elaborate projects. If a sturdy lathe can be found at a reasonable price, then it can be a very fun and rewarding tool to use.