Im looking for a decent micrometer any body have any oppions on a good one

I picked up a 6" digital caliper at Harbor Freight last week which was surprisingly nice for $16.99. Accurate to .001" which seems plenty good for rodbuilding work.

Scott Kinney
The Longest Cast Fly Rods
[www.thelongestcast.com]

But for only 12.99 you can get a 6" dial caliper at HF and never worry about the battery running down.

The 6" Harbor Freight digital caliper is very easy to read and I liked it so much I purchased a second one to use in the "dirty" area. I also have a dial caliper - it's just growing dust because of difficulty reading the small numbers unless I use a magnifier. At $12.99, the digital one is a great buy. Stan

Ditto! The "digital" type is the way to go! I also have a 3in plastic sliding caliper that I got thru @#$%&.com
and I find I reach for that one a lot for ease of use. I think a paid a couple of bucks!

Raymond Adams
Eventually, all things merge, and a river runs through it..

as a former machinist a quality caliper is a great tool. dials are great if you can read the numbers as stated. for ease of use digital are the way to go. easy to read and re-zero if needed.

Raymond, Raymond, Raymond... Those were FREE! lol We gave the plastic ones away with a $20 order or something like that because they were "off a tic".

Rob, we've got a nice 6" Stainless Steel Digital that reads both inch & metric that's great for rod building. Makes it easy as different component manufactures use different scales. This covers all the bases with the push of a button (switching inch to metric) and also make converting inch to metric a no brainer. It comes in a case with a spare battery (watch type) for $17. Accuracy is +/- .0005"

Also, stick to a caliper rather than a micrometer because the caliper will provide both inside & outside measurements, where a micrometer won't. I find the "inside" jaws VERY helpful when laying out wraps. It's a serious time saver during layout.

I don't think we have them up on the site yet, but drop me an email and I can get you hooked up!





Mark Griffin
[]
C&M Custom Tackle
San Dimas, California



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/11/2006 11:18PM by Mark Griffin.

Hi Mark,
My memory is not what is used to be I guess!! LOL!!

Raymond Adams
Eventually, all things merge, and a river runs through it..

I have a steel dial and a 'plastic' dial caliper. I scratched a blank once with the steel one and just relegated it to my reloading bench and stick with the plastic one on rod building now. Something to think about...

Putter
Williston, ND

If you are looking for an actual micrometer and not calipers I would suggest Starrett or Brown and Sharpe. They have been two of the best names for a very long time. Mitutoyo has gained popularity for decent quality at a lower cost than the before mentioned companies. When it comes to micrometers I do not like digital read-outs and certainly do not like electronics in either my micrometers or calipers. In my opinion you cant beat the standard vernier scale for micrometers or a dial for calipers. If you want quality measuring tools they are going to cost more than the cheap chinese imports. However, they wil be accurate, stay accurate and you will only need to buy them once. Expext to pay anywhere for $80-$150 for a quality 0-1 micrometer. I think I paid $120 for my Browne & Sharpe calipers about 8 years ago. When I bought these tools it was because I was working as a die maker and needed quality. They have served me well.


$20 import calipers are good for most rodbuilding tasks. If you are going to be doing any machining you may want to buy something better.

James

Amen! James is telling it like it is. Cheap micrometers get you by at rod building tasks as long as they keep working but if you ever get use to good quality vernier scale micrometers it is hard to have much faith in the cheaper counterparts.

Stan Grace
Helena, MT
"Our best is none too good"

I use a Starrett micrometer. Its a pricey tool, but very accurate, and I have other uses for it.

Lou

Mitutoyo mics are very good but are at times a little bulky, Brown/Sharpe very good,Starrett best. Digital stuff is good but primarily for less experienced users. Be careful of any mic with carbide tips as they can scratch high finishes.
If you are using them mostly for rod building the caliper is maybe a more versitile tool. Mics are better for reloading and checking bullet diameters and case diameters calipers for over all length or use a dial indicator.
I dont know that as a rod builder that a mic would give you any advantage over a caliper. Digital is fine but watch out for the tips when using the id features they will scratch. metric / english feature is nice (stupid tip tops and guides standards)