Digital Radius Caliper

[Arcane]

I came across this and I thought some might find it interesting and possibly even useful especially since it will "measure radius of incomplete circle arc". No doubt many already are aware of these but for those who aren't...

http://www.sharpfine.com/Calipers/digital-radius-caliper.html

[fixerdave]

First thought was "cool," then... why digital when the zero function would be useless... always going to zero at closed to get a radius measurement and I can't see any kind or relative radius measurement being useful. So, I followed the link to "dial" and it showed a dial gauge. I was thinking dial caliper... no batteries. But, that showed:



And, of course... it was an "I could make that" kind of thing. Not that I need any more projects.

Calibrate on a flat. With charts to do the math, it would work on inside and outside curves pretty easy.

Then... it was... how often would I need this? Ummm....

Not that that's ever stopped my from buying or making a tool, Probably end up buying the calipers and then trying to find a place to put them.

David....

[JoeLee]

That is pretty interesting. I haven't looked yet, but do any other co's make these??

JL................

[Paul Alciatore]

Verrrrrrrry Interesting! I have never seen anything like that before.

73deg 44 min? I will check the math on my next trip to the library.

[reggie_obe]

I have radius gages, I don't see a need for this tool. Especially in a non-production environment.

[JoeLee]

I have to agree.... all you need to do is measure the dia. and you figure out the radius and most of the time in your head.
Probably just another innovative idea. Someone invented a tool where there isn't a need for one.

JL.............

[RichR]

I have to agree.... all you need to do is measure the dia. and you figure out the radius and most of the time in your head.
Probably just another innovative idea. Someone invented a tool where there isn't a need for one.

JL.............

Yup, that's all you need to do, unless you're dealing with fragment that's too small to provide a diameter to measure. From the website:

Purpose:

1. Radius measuring tool can be used for measuring
arc of incomplete circle ,especially find out the radii
through measuring minor arc.

2. Radius measuring tool can obtain radii of
the workpiece when mapping the workpiece or other object.

3. Radius measurement tool can be applied to
archaeological study,it is help for recovery the relic's radii.

This sounds like it was made for quickly getting the radius of a broken piece out in the field. You metalheads are probably just a secondary market.

[reggie_obe]

Yup, that's all you need to do, unless you're dealing with fragment that's too small to provide a diameter to measure. From the website:


This sounds like it was made for quickly getting the radius of a broken piece out in the field. You metalheads are probably just a secondary market.

Fragment? Use a little math: https://math.stackexchange.com/quest...t-of-a-segment

Trace it onto cardstock with a pencil, scratch a line on a piece of sheet metal with a nail.... Someone traveling out to the field or a remote part of some manufacturing plant, probably wouldn't be taking up space in toolbox with this tool.

If there was big demand for this sort of portable tool, it would have been invented a 100 years ago.
Perhaps it already has, but not a digital version.

[J Tiers]

If most folks were any good at math, they would be voting differently...... Obviously they are not good at math, so why expect people to use formulas etc when thy can buy a tool that does it for them in a fraction of the time?

[boslab]

I think you should be able to do both, think the big problem with maths and trigonometry is not using it, it’s so easy to forget without practice, I was doing some number crunching a while back and couldn’t remember how the hell to add and subtract logarithms, bar 2 etc was floating about in the memory but couldn’t pin down what I was supposed to do, so I decided to get an old math book and start relearning some from first principles, I was shocked at how much was in the forgotten file.
It’s definately a skill you have to practice, like welding, if I don’t do any for a while it looks like crap for half a day, starts to get good just as I finish!
I’m not sure I know how to use that calliper
Mark

[J Tiers]

Should and do are very different in general.

Should Picasso have been a math whiz? People do what they do. And that fact employs a lot of people to do what others do not.

Not everyone hunts for the tribe.... someone needs to chip arrowheads, and others farm......

[old mart]

I had no idea that such a tool existed, and couldn't understand how it worked until I looked at the op's link. It certainly has it's uses, my radius gauges do not extend to the larger sizes that this tool can cope with.

[Mcgyver]

I had no idea that such a tool existed, and couldn't understand how it worked until I looked at the op's link. It certainly has it's uses, my radius gauges do not extend to the larger sizes that this tool can cope with.

Neither had I. It almost could be useful fabrication, you often have to roll things, but its too small except for very small items. Too small for silos and oil tank sheet rolling, waaay to small for big radius stuff (I was in plant last week that was rolling rail, now that was a big radius!). A larger homemade version using a measuring tape style scale, to shoot for say 1/16" accuracy on a 6' or 7' radius might be a useful tool for the fab shop.

[dalee100]

Hi,

I've seen the dial gauge type, but never a caliper version. Size limited only by how long a beam you could make. Pretty slick if you need frequent use of such a tool. I get by just fine with a set or two of radius gauges.