Calipers for Scribing Lines..Good or Bad?

EmilioG

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I've had second thoughts about using my good calipers for scribing lines on steel, blued parts after hearing that this can damage the jaws and cause premature wear. There are caliper jaws made with carbide tips, that I would like to have one day, but til then, I'll keep using my Starrett scribers, surface gages and Mit height gage. I'd like to preserve my calipers.
 
I have some cheap calipers that I use to scribe lines in Dykem. I try not to use my good ones for this purpose, but do on occasion.
 
I've never thought twice about it. I still have the first 6" dial caliper I bought in 1980. Couldn't guess how many lines it has scribed over the years.
 
I have over a half dozen calipers in my shop and only one was bought used - a little 4" Mitutoyo that was in beautiful condition except the rounded nose on it that I couldn't see in the ebay pictures. That's why you were warned about using calipers for marking. However, using them this way is the most convenient way to do a rough layout and I admit I use one of my Starrett dial calipers this way but only scratching through Dykem. None of my other calipers have been mistreated this way.
 
I use my HF calipers for scribing and never look back. I won't do that with my good calipers because I care about them more, but in reality the good calipers never get used at all. If I have something important to measure, I use a different tool than a caliper. I have scribed many hundreds of lines with my HF calipers over about 5 years, even hot rolled steel with the scale on it, and the tips of the jaws, inside and outside, are still sharp and look like new. No remorse here!
 
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I was using my old calipers for scribing layout lines, but after reading about it, I now realize that it's not a good idea.
Just a cautionary note to those who may want to preserve their new, precision calipers.
I was not aware of the possible harm and just want to let others know, that using your calipers this way will cause damage.
If you care about your gages. Caliper scribing can off-set the jaws causing more side play. Calipers are only good to .001" or so,
I don't want to increase this to .002, .003 or more.
 
Like Bob, I have 1 pair of 4" HF calipers that I don't care about & use them for scribing. I haven't noticed any wear either but I don't do it often. I was taught that's it bad practice so I don't do it with any of my other calipers. If I need to scribe anything larger than 4" then I'll use the height gage.
 
It's going to be fairly imprecise since you don't really have a good way to keep them square to the work without introducing cosine error.

Angle plate+height gage or a surface gage is the right way to do it.

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I think It is a bad idea to use your calipers for
Scribing lines even in layout blue .
There is a ton of scribes and surface gage scribes
Made for layout . Deviders , combination square
Sets .
I will vote no to scribing with your calipers
 
The beauty of using the digital calipers is that you can measure the distance, set the measurement, and scribe it, all with the same tool in your hand. It saves lots of time. Yes, there is some minor cosine error, but the work I am talking about is quick and dirty fabrication, git-er-done. I will not lose sleep over pushing my HF calipers too hard (~5 years now, still going strong, edges still sharp, an $8 investment), and I will not sweat a few thou of cosine error on fab work, the center punch is not that accurate, at least not on a quick fab job. When I do fussy work, then I get fussy...
 
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