Digital Calipers

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27 May 2015 at 22:03 #58055
David Marks 2
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@davidmarks2
In the current Special Edition of Model Boats is an excellent article by Richard Simpson entitled a Boat Modeller's Toolkit. In it Richard advocated the use of digital calipers as opposed to the traditional vernier type. For anyone with one of the German supermarkets near them…..my one is Lidl (previously Netto) they sell these every three months or so (advertised in their `flyers)'. I have two and find them of excellent quality and value i.e £10 for one of 150mm/6in capacity. You can flick from imperial to metric, and the units have a zeroing facility and automatic turn-off. Batteries……available from Component Shop. Bering a former apprentice tool/gauge maker I possess a good range of micrometers and vernier calipers but rarely use them as my £10 digital calipers are excellent.
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27 May 2015 at 22:03 #7011
David Marks 2
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@davidmarks2
27 May 2015 at 22:25 #58056
Dodgy Geezer 1
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@dodgygeezer1
Just don't leave them out in the shed.

I did a few years ago – no one told me that dormice had a 'thing' for yellow. Now I have to turn it on with a biro….

Edited By Dodgy Geezer on 27/05/2015 22:26:24
27 May 2015 at 22:40 #58058
David Marks 2
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@davidmarks2
Perhaps they thought it was two bits of cheese! Should have put it back into its case
28 May 2015 at 12:25 #58070
Ray Wood 3
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@raywood3
Yes they are excellent I've been using them for 25 years, my first one cost £85 in 1990, now Aldi (my favourite) also stocks they every now and then for around £10. Happy Days
28 May 2015 at 18:39 #58080
Ralph Pinch
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@ralphpinch41762
Yes they are good value for money but to be honest I still pick up my old Dial calipers, suppose its just what you are used to.
28 May 2015 at 22:20 #58085
Dodgy Geezer 1
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@dodgygeezer1
They do them in carbon fibre at £3 on Ebay – going up to £6 if you want them made out of steel. At those prices the most expensive thing might be the battery…
29 May 2015 at 07:54 #58087
David Marks 2
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@davidmarks2
Of my two digital calipers, the newest has the brand name `POWERFIX' and is currently on Ebay at £9:80 (buy it now) with free P&P.
29 May 2015 at 11:34 #58090
Dodgy Geezer 1
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@dodgygeezer1
Of my two digital calipers, the newest has the brand name `POWERFIX' and is currently on Ebay at £9:80 (buy it now) with free P&P.

Ah – you've gone for the expensive option…!
30 May 2015 at 10:05 #58114
ashley needham
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@ashleyneedham69188
I have a nice imperial dial caliper, and a cheap and nasty metric one…and guess which one gets the most use??? I keep on saying I need something better and really must make the effort and splash out (even £10 for the expensive option)

Ashley
30 May 2015 at 22:55 #58134
David Marks 2
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@davidmarks2
Ashley – These digital calipers are a big step forward from the old fashioned vernier types that I had to use at the commencement of my apprenticeship in the mid 60's. The items dated back to the 1930s and the vernier scale was so small that you had to use an eyeglass.

My advice is never to buy cheap tools particularly measuring equipment.
21 August 2015 at 16:37 #59817
David Marks 2
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@davidmarks2
Further to my posting back in the Spring, the digital calipers are now back in stock at Lidl (as from 20 August) at £9:99 each. The manufacturing name is Powerfix which would appear to be a Lidl trade name. The items are in my opinion very well engineered and excellent value for money. They also have digital multimeters for sale at the same price (£9:99) and again these look very robust and good value for money.
25 August 2015 at 12:13 #59892
Dodgy Geezer 1
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@dodgygeezer1
"…They also have digital multimeters for sale at the same price (£9:99) and again these look very robust and good value for money."

There is a 'standard design' multimeter readily available from China, usually marked with the number '830'. Mine has proven robust and reliable for many years now. I see that you can get them off Ebay at a low price of £2.25p, which includes postage from an address in the UK.

I can't see how shops are going to compete…
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