Heck of a bargain!

[MtGun44]

If you have not done much precision measurement in your life, a dial or digital
caliper may feel like a real piece of precision measuring equipment. It is a
good tool, but for measuring boolits to fit to a barrel, slugs from barrels or cylinder
throats or similar tasks that are essential to good results with cast boolits, you
have an entirely inadequate tool.

The typical caliper is rated to be accurate within plus or minus .001 inch. This
means if you measure a bore slug at .307, it could be .308 or just as well, it
could actually be .306. There is absolutely NO WAY to know between the limits
what the actual measurement is.

You need a micrometer which is accurate to .0001 inch, or TEN TIMES the accuracy
of a dial caliper. In answering a question on another thread I just went out to
Enco, a large national supplier of precision tools and equipment for the machining
industry and found an amazing sale.

http://www.use-enco.com/CGI/INSRIT?PARTPG=INLMKD&PMPXNO=5284468&PMAKA=890-9844

This is a real decent tool for an amazingly low price. If you do not have a micrometer,
you should consider dropping the $25 or so (with shipping) that this costs and
start REALLY knowing what diameter that mold drops, or what diameter that
sizer die sizes too. I frequently see guys saying "my new sizer die from XYZ
company is a piece of junk, it sizes .307 and it says .308 on the side" Is the
die off or is your measuring tool inaccurate???

My bet is a lot of this is due to measuring with a caliper rather than a micrometer.
Calipers are great for LOA and case length and such, but if you are looking for
real accuracy, get a decent quality micrometer and be 10 times as accurate for
about $25-30.

Oh - I have no connection to Enco whatsoever except as a satisfied customer over
a number of years.

Good luck.
Bill

[scrapcan]

Also if interested there is an enco special with 15% off of any purchase until July 16th. use promo code julc15 at checkout

[462]

Free shipping on orders of $25 or more...promo code PFSJUL.

[qajaq59]

Hey guys, Thank You both very much. I owe you one!! Qajaq59

I dropped mine on the garage floor about 2 months ago and wiped it out. And I still haven't gotten around to getting a new one... With the code and shipping it came to $26.12.

[boatswainsmate]

Thanks for the promo code! Got mine for 27.01 shipped!:Fire:

[Edubya]

I think that with the 15% discount that manleyjt mentioned the http://www.use-enco.com/CGI/INPDFF?PMPAGE=336&PARTPG=INLMK32 would be worth getting. It's listed price is $37.98 and would be easier to use for the inexperienced.

EW

[mike in co]

yes the tenths are on vineer(sp) on the thinble...and will take a little instruction on how to use....

to get the last digit, you basically read which LINES line up......


now how accurate is a 25 dollar 4 place mic compared to a 100/200 dollar four place mic.....

its a tool and need to be cared for and calibrated.....



mike in co

[Buckshot]

...............Several weeks back I'd gotten an E-mail from Enco with an address to go to, to answer a questionaire and if I did so they'd send me a code good for 20% off my next purchase. Naturally I did the questionaire. A few weeks later I got another e-mail advisement that they had a huge closeout sale going on, and an address to it, which was their regular Enco Outlet catalog.

So having a few things I needed I decided to cruise their Outlet catalog. They had a 0-3" set of 10th reading friction thimble mics from SPI closed out at $44, down from $110. They came with a certificate of calibraton from NIST. I have a couple nice 0-1" mics and didn't need another of those, but the larger mics I had only read to a thousandth, so I figured what the heck and added the set to my cart.

http://www.use-enco.com/CGI/INSRIT?PMAKA=FB319-3713&PMPANO=0560035&PMKANO=259&PMKBNO=2199&PMPAGE=10&PARTPG=INLMPI

With the 20% discount they came to about $35. When I got them I checked them against my gage blocks (only grade B, but that's a half a tenth) and each one checked 'on' with the blocks used, so I figured that was a darn good deal. The set comes with the adjusting wrenches and standards for the 1-2 and 2-3 mics in a blow moulded case. So if anyone needs a 3 piece set of mics from 0 to 3", this is a pretty good deal I think.

..................Buckshot

[Dutchman]

Buckshot - unavailable.. no more.

6" vernier calipers $2.39. Vernier's are generally more accurate than dial calipers.

http://www.use-enco.com/CGI/INSRIT?PMAKA=FB611-5605&PMPANO=0560056&PMKANO=259&PMKBNO=2199&PMPAGE=10&PARTPG=INLMPI

[MtGun44]

Dutchman - Unfortunately, people are scared of verniers. Sad to say.

Buckshot, now that is a DEAL. Three mics for $35 delivered! Wow. Good to
check on gages, too. It is good to hear that they are "on", too. Too bad it is
gone, but of course, that kind of deal can't last.

Boats - you'll now be sure what you are measuring, and you got a pretty good
price, too.

Bill

[Charlie Two Tracks]

I have one headed my way. Thanks guys.

[mpmarty]

I have a strong dislike for thimble mikes. My Brown and Sharp works but I much prefer my Mituyo digital.

[XWrench3]

i have a couple of digital calipers. they are ok for fast measurements, and comparing things, but i do agree that they are not the most precise things under the sun. same goes for any digital test equipment. digital is fast, easy to read, and as long as close enough is good enough, they are great. but nothing beats real precision test equipment. my dial calipers, read exactly what my micrometer reads. But, the micrometer has 0.0001 (1-10,000ths) graduations on it, which the calipers do not. it takes a little training to use a good micrometer properly as well. i let my neighbor try out my mic once, and it is a good thing that 1) i was standing right there, as he proceeded to use it like a vice! and 2) that my brother is a tool maker, and knows how to repair precision equipment. if you need good accurate equipment, get it, and take good care of it, and what ever you do, NEVER, NEVER, lend it out, or let someone use it!

[MtGun44]

The first link isn't working any more.

Here is a similar mic but slightly more expensive.

http://www.use-enco.com/CGI/INSRIT?PARTPG=INLMKD&PMPXNO=16720828&PMAKA=619-3106

Bill

[qajaq59]

if you need good accurate equipment, get it, and take good care of it, and what ever you do, NEVER, NEVER, lend it out, or let someone use it! When I was young I lived next door to what I would say was the cleverest old man I ever met. He once told me never to lend out your tools or your wife because they never come back in the same condition they left.

[Bill*]

While working at Liberty Mold and Duplicating as an T&D apprentice back in the 70s, a fellow apprentice begged to borrow one of the journeymens good micrometers. He went to his bench, swapped it for a cruddy one, walked back,said thanks, and threw it onto the guys bench. I think he came close to a stroke!!! Well....it was funny at the time:mrgreen:

[qajaq59]

"HMMMM.........It wasn't spos'ta do THAT!" I just wonder if you got that line from someone sitting next to you at the range? LOL

[SciFiJim]

20% off promo code WEBECP