Difference between Lyman and RCBS dial calipers?
- Thread starter 1TwistedGimp
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Wil Terry
Member
CHEAP IS TOO DAMNED EXPENSIVE !!! I will buy the expensive ones ONCE.
The cheap measuring instruments are all over the map and I'll be damned if I'll put up with that. They bought all that cheap junk for the shop where i use to work and NONE would hold to the setting standard. YOU re just fooling yourselves thinking trash is close enough; IT IS NOT !!
You did buy and use a SETTING STANDARD didn't you ??
And so it goes....
The cheap measuring instruments are all over the map and I'll be damned if I'll put up with that. They bought all that cheap junk for the shop where i use to work and NONE would hold to the setting standard. YOU re just fooling yourselves thinking trash is close enough; IT IS NOT !!
You did buy and use a SETTING STANDARD didn't you ??
And so it goes....
Swampman
Old Fart
I use a 20 something year old plastic* RCBS dial caliper.
They may not have the "feel" of an expensive name brand, but they're smooth, accurate and extremely light, so light in fact that I've probably dropped them to the floor 25 times over the years without breaking them.
When measuring bullets they give the same readings as my Starrett micrometers, just not quite as precise. They're much faster to use than the Starretts and are plenty accurate enough to tell me if there's any .311 light ball bullets mixed in with the latest batch of surplus M80 projectiles.
*They're made in Switzerland so they're probably made of "Advanced High Tech Polymer" rather than "plastic" like cheap Chinese models.
They may not have the "feel" of an expensive name brand, but they're smooth, accurate and extremely light, so light in fact that I've probably dropped them to the floor 25 times over the years without breaking them.
When measuring bullets they give the same readings as my Starrett micrometers, just not quite as precise. They're much faster to use than the Starretts and are plenty accurate enough to tell me if there's any .311 light ball bullets mixed in with the latest batch of surplus M80 projectiles.
*They're made in Switzerland so they're probably made of "Advanced High Tech Polymer" rather than "plastic" like cheap Chinese models.
Swampman
Old Fart
Originally posted by:Wil Terry
Soooo.... What brand of CNC lathe do you use to trim your cases?
Can you recommend a good, accurate, six axis milling machine to uniform my primer pockets? I'd like to keep the cost under $50,000 if possible.
Seriously, calipers are generally used to measure case length and occasionally primer pocket depth, we're not assembling missile guidance packages here!
What use is a measuring instrument that's accurate to within .1 Angstroms when the case is going to be trimmed in a machine that costs $49.95?
Also, what's a SETTING STANDARD?
All I learned from Google when I searched it, is that lowering the bar on standardized testing has caused our schools to go to pot and I already knew that...
Soooo.... What brand of CNC lathe do you use to trim your cases?
Can you recommend a good, accurate, six axis milling machine to uniform my primer pockets? I'd like to keep the cost under $50,000 if possible.
Seriously, calipers are generally used to measure case length and occasionally primer pocket depth, we're not assembling missile guidance packages here!
What use is a measuring instrument that's accurate to within .1 Angstroms when the case is going to be trimmed in a machine that costs $49.95?
Also, what's a SETTING STANDARD?
All I learned from Google when I searched it, is that lowering the bar on standardized testing has caused our schools to go to pot and I already knew that...
ranger335v
Member
- Joined
- Dec 3, 2006
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- 3,797
Well said Swampy.
deadeye dick
Member
Pretty soon we will be buying Chinese stuff marked Staret and Mityoutoyo
I purchased a Mitutoyo depth base attachment for my caliper. The box says "Made in China".Pretty soon we will be buying Chinese stuff marked Staret and Mityoutoyo
NapalmMan67
Member
Really .1 Angstroms? Yeah that may be a bit extreme but I wouldn't say a tool with an accuracy of .001 or even .0005 is out of line for reloading. Just my opinion though. Might be getting crazy if you were using a .00005 accuracy unit- but I've known a few BR shooters to be crazy.
Ok then, my point was to the OP his gib screws were loose causing the gib to fall out of the tool. Which would affect accuracy way more than "just a bit". Probably just a quick tune up and would have worked ok- disappointing none the less for any tool out of the box be it $9 or $150.
If people are measuring things 10 times and getting 5 or more different readings, then it could be a couple things- an out of calibration tool or incorrect measuring technique.
I'm thinking a "Setting Standard" is being referred to as a Gage Block, possibly a (or for all those East coast macheenists I dealt with for years a "Jo Block"). Which in itself requires NIST traceability in order to be used for certified calibrations.
As for China made Mitutoyo products- they are multinational company. They have factories all over and items are made in Brazil, Mexico, Germany etc. The way of a global economy.
Merry Christmas everyone.
.
Ok then, my point was to the OP his gib screws were loose causing the gib to fall out of the tool. Which would affect accuracy way more than "just a bit". Probably just a quick tune up and would have worked ok- disappointing none the less for any tool out of the box be it $9 or $150.
If people are measuring things 10 times and getting 5 or more different readings, then it could be a couple things- an out of calibration tool or incorrect measuring technique.
I'm thinking a "Setting Standard" is being referred to as a Gage Block, possibly a (or for all those East coast macheenists I dealt with for years a "Jo Block"). Which in itself requires NIST traceability in order to be used for certified calibrations.
As for China made Mitutoyo products- they are multinational company. They have factories all over and items are made in Brazil, Mexico, Germany etc. The way of a global economy.
Merry Christmas everyone.
.
1911 guy
Member
I'm going to play the middle ground here. I'm both a machinist and a reloader.
As a machinist, I spend serious money on my tools for work. They keep me employed. Heck, I own tools the shop borrows from me once in a while.
As a reloader, I don't want to break the bank on a hobby. But I'm not going to buy cheap crap I have to take time to replace every year or two.
Avoid the gunshop branded tools. Midway, Lyman, etc. They are bottom of the barrel and QC is spotty at best.
Most major tool makers have "budget" lines. Maybe the anvils of a mic are only parallel within .000002" rather than within .000001" so they get branded with the "budget" label. Look for these. Also check pawn shops and e-bay. I've seen some nice tools go for pennies on the dollar when the kids inherit Grandpa's toolbox and have no idea it contains tens of thousands of dollars spent over a lifetime of machining.
As a machinist, I spend serious money on my tools for work. They keep me employed. Heck, I own tools the shop borrows from me once in a while.
As a reloader, I don't want to break the bank on a hobby. But I'm not going to buy cheap crap I have to take time to replace every year or two.
Avoid the gunshop branded tools. Midway, Lyman, etc. They are bottom of the barrel and QC is spotty at best.
Most major tool makers have "budget" lines. Maybe the anvils of a mic are only parallel within .000002" rather than within .000001" so they get branded with the "budget" label. Look for these. Also check pawn shops and e-bay. I've seen some nice tools go for pennies on the dollar when the kids inherit Grandpa's toolbox and have no idea it contains tens of thousands of dollars spent over a lifetime of machining.
scythefwd
Member
I definitely agree with that 1911. One word of advice, the ebay 9 dollar digitals, the HF ones (same thing from the looks of them), seem to be a little flaky under flourescent lights. Had a buddy that couldnt get a consistent reading with them till he shut off the lights. I always used mine in natural light and never experienced any issues till the battery got weak. I've moved to something that cannot be effected reading wise by other electronics in the room, but my ability to read them can be effected.. went all they way back to an inch graded .001 vernier caliper.
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