Use Calipers
Calipers can measure a distance or length much more accurately than a ruler or tape measure. To get the most out of calipers, it helps to use them correctly.
Steps
- If using digital calipers, turn them on.
- Select inches or millimeters, according to your preference.
- Close the caliper jaws gently but completely. Zero the calipers.
- Place the large jaws of the calipers around the outside of an object to measure its thickness.
- Use the small jaws on the back side of the calipers to measure an internal feature.
- Use the extension of the tip on the bottom of the calipers to measure the depth of an internal feature, such as a hole or counterbore.
- Measure a step by placing the tops of the two sliding halves against the upper and lower surfaces.
Tips
- With digital calipers, you can measure the difference between two objects as follows.
- Measure the first object.
- With the jaws open to this measurement, zero the calipers.
- Measure the second object. The reading shown will be the difference between the two dimensions.
- Make sure that you are measuring the right thing, and that you are holding the calipers straight.
- Your calipers are a delicate instrument. Always handle them gently and store them in their case. Turn them off before storing them, so that the batteries don't run out.
Warnings
- The machined points on a caliper may be fairly sharp. Handle them accordingly.
