Pin Gauge Set

[TCLouis]

I was sitting here all smug, fat and happy until I got an email from GriZZley informing me that the Pin Gauge set I ordered was back ordered and may arrive in May 09.

DANG . . . DOUBLE DANG I had plans

[MtGun44]

Buy it from Enco.

http://www.use-enco.com/CGI/INSRIT?PARTPG=INSRAR2&PMAKA=616-8131&PMPXNO=951510

Bill

[Buckshot]

The ENCO free shipping code is Code WEBF99. But it's for orders over $99. Buy a good mic, too :-)

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

[RayinNH]

Enco free shipping code for orders over $25. is WB9FP, good until 2/28...Ray

[John D]

I got the same e-mail from grizzley. They said they were expecting them in Sept. 09

I got my set from Enco. Was a bit cheaper too.

[jhrosier]

I just ordered a set from enco for 50.57 & SH.
There is a15% off code for web orders : WBNR9

Jack

[PatMarlin]

I lucked out and got the Grizz sets before they ran out. Was cheaper than Enco too.

Wish I had the 15% when I bought my DRO. At least I got the free shipping.

Those pin gages are slick as a cat's butt. Specially for working with our gascheck dies sets. I need a good depth mic, but don't want to pay for one.

[218bee]

I want a set and was wondering which you recommend...plus or minus. I know they are imported but am having trouble searching their inventory as you have to select a manufacturer and stuff. But which is best for us the PLUS or the MINUS??

[218bee]

PS thank you so much for the codes for shipping. I wonder if we should have a thread on this site for whenever we get such codes we could pass them along. I ocassionally get them from Cabelas or Seabear where I order Salmon for Christmas gifts. This way we could all benefit

[PatMarlin]

I'm far from the seasoned one here, but I purchased the minus set. Better to be on the minus side of a measurement and work up to, then being over with what I'm doing.

I think if your work included extreme precision shaft fits, etc., you would want both plus and minus sizes.

[TCLouis]

Buckshot

I have the mics already. I was ripped off when I bought them in some small N. Georgia pawn shop. 0-1" and 1-2" for 55 bucks and some off brand too. I never heard of at them before, Starrett, drat hate when I get taken like that.

Order with Enco going out tonight if I can remember all those codes. Maybe if I can add them all together, I can get them to pay me to take them.

I have to get this 357 issue with cast figured out and throats is part of it I think.

Oh the mics were LNIB also.


Love this site . . .

Pin Gauges on order!

Thanks to all for the Enco order info

[Buckshot]

...............A Minus set is the way to go!

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

[leftiye]

They're available on fleabeay nice and cheep. Check seller 800w or 800watt.

[Beerd]

The ENCO free shipping code is Code WEBF99. But it's for orders over $99. Buy a good mic, too :-)

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

electronic or mechanical?
whats a good brand/price?
..

[218bee]

For a mic I like mechanical... can't beat Starret but Mititoyo is good too.

[TCLouis]

The pin gauges came in today.
I had some hopes that they would reveal some flaw(s) that would explain lack of precision in a couple of revolvers. No secrets revealed.

Dang I had hopes this would reveal some differences in dimensions that would explain the groups that have been observed.


Thanks to all for the info.
I was certainly impressed with ENCO and their SERVICE.


I don't do fleabay or paypal, no use supporting anti gun folks.

[Powderpacker]

Thanks for the heads-up on ENCO, guys - and the discount codes . The free shipping code was worth a bit more than the 15% off code for me (their web site wouldn't let me use both) . I ordered the set and it was delivered the next day ! Free overnight delivery of an item that was on sale and weighs 22 lbs. Can't beat that for customer service .

[leftiye]

TC, Now whatcha need is some field gauges to see if the chambers line up with the barrel maybe. Have you checked the barrel to chamber mouth sizes?

[Willbird]

Well the way it was explained to me is that it takes .0002 for a pin to fit in a hole, IE if a .4988 pin goes in the hole is actually probably .500. But in a practical sense if I could only get + pins instead of minus I would gladly buy them...for measuring revolver throats honestly there is no functional difference.

Bill

[Crass Whackwords]

it was explained to me is that it takes .0002 for a pin to fit in a hole, IE if a .4988 pin goes in the hole is actually probably .500.

I think you meant 0.4998" ?

In practice, the things we are measuring are not perfectly smooth or uniform, and some clearance is required to pass a pin gage easily (without using force and damaging things). I dunno about you guys, but I'm not going to hammer hardened pin gages into my guns.

To play devil's advocate, if a 0.4998" pin goes in a hole, but a 0.5008" doesn't go, that tells us the hole is at least 0.5000" but perhaps as big as 0.5010" or even a little bigger.

The nice thing about pin gages is that they are simple to use. As PatMarlin pointed out, they also come in handy for measuring depths of chambers and such.

A comparison of measurement techniques here. measuring revolver cylinders (http://www.mountainmolds.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=86) Pin gages did not fare well compared to less expensive methods.

[McLintock]

I saw this thread during the week, ordered a set and got them in on thursday, pretty good time frame I'd say. I'd been wanting to make a bushing out of a Ruger Blackhawk barrel shank, so I could pilot a .44 Special chamber reamer with a .389" pilot. I had to ream the .357 chambers to .389, with the bushing installed in the frame in place of the barrel, and the .389 reamer piloting through the bushing. I pulled out the pin gauge that fit the I.D. of the barrel, chucked it in my drill press and set up the barrel shank so the pin gauge moved freely through the barrel. Then I substituted a carbide reamer for the pin gauge and reamed it. Worked really slick; I'd made two other bushings and they were always a little off. Also found out my drill press vice was a little lop sided, which I shimmed to level for the reaming. Wish I'd gotten a set of these things a long time ago.
McLintock

[Willbird]

I think you meant 0.4998" ?

In practice, the things we are measuring are not perfectly smooth or uniform, and some clearance is required to pass a pin gage easily (without using force and damaging things). I dunno about you guys, but I'm not going to hammer hardened pin gages into my guns.

To play devil's advocate, if a 0.4998" pin goes in a hole, but a 0.5008" doesn't go, that tells us the hole is at least 0.5000" but perhaps as big as 0.5010" or even a little bigger.

The nice thing about pin gages is that they are simple to use. As PatMarlin pointed out, they also come in handy for measuring depths of chambers and such.

A comparison of measurement techniques here. measuring revolver cylinders (http://www.mountainmolds.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=86) Pin gages did not fare well compared to less expensive methods.


I used to use pin gauges every day, plus and minus, and whole and half thousance. They give an accurate measurement of what will FIT into a hole, and what will be a press fit in a hole.

Yes I did misstype and did mean .4998

The functional difference between a set of pins in .001 increments is not dependent upon exactly what size they are, in the end up have found that the hole is "bigger than this one but smaller than that one. If you are seeking a press fit with a nromal dowel pin a set of whole thousance minus pins might offer the most utility, but if you were stuck with 1/2 thousance plus pins you could still do the job quite well.


If you have all 4 kinds you can narrow it down to "bigger than .5002(a .500+ pin) and smaller than .5003(a .5005- pin)" You CAN actually produce a hole that will pass that level of inspection, and if your print dimension is .500 to .5005 than you are sure your part is good. Also most other measuring methods fall flat on their face if the .500" hole is only .150" or .200" deep :-).

Bill

[Willbird]

Also the things you can do with gage pins and gage blocks is only limited by your imagination.

Consider we have a part with 2 holes on it, or a bolt pattern of 6 holes even, and we desire to drill a cross hole at 73 degrees from a baseline from one hole to another. We can place gage pins in the holes and using trigonometry calculate what size gage block stack to place under one pin to align the part at that angle. Then we place the part in a milling machine vise with the pins aligning it, one pin has our calculated stack of gage pins between it and the reference surface we have indicated in flat.............and we get our 73 degree angle.

Bill

[John Boy]

Also the things you can do with gage pins and gage blocks is only limited by your imagination.
* See how accurate your micrometer or calipers are
* For trajectory program ( height of front sight) ... put a plug in the bore, measure from top of sight to bottom of plug and then subtract half the diameter of the plug = sight height to center of bore