Gage pins

[Batmanacw]

How common is it for a hobby machinist to have and use gage pins?

I've really taken a liking to using them to measure small holes. Especially where there isn't much room to use other methods. Two pins fitting tightly into holes makes measuring center to center much easier.

So far I've got 0.011" to 0.832". I'm hoping to afford the M6 and M7 sets to get to 1" in the next few months.

 

[NCjeeper]

Mine go from .061 to 1 inch. I bought a nice cabinet from Shars to store them all in. I use them often.

 

[woodchucker]

I use them, not too frequently, but I like having them. Mine is a small set, and my Starrett ball gauge would not fit in the holes these gauges cover..
So they are useful.

 

[Inferno]

I have .060 to 1"
I used one. One time.

 

[Cadillac]

Have a full set up to 1” and I use them all the time.

 

[twhite]

.061 to .625. I feel so inadequate


Cutting oil is my blood.

 

[682bear]

Mine only go up to ½", but by holding two pins together, I can measure up to 0.999".

Anything bigger, I use snap guages...

-Bear

 

[twhite]

Mine only go up to ½", but by holding two pins together, I can measure up to 0.999".

Anything bigger, I use snap guages...

-Bear

Here is a handy site for figuring out diameters using 3 pins.

Hole Calc - Measure Bores with Three Pins

Hole calc provides calculators to help machinists, craftspeople, engineers and designers measure any bore diameter using three gage pins.

holecalc.com

Cutting oil is my blood.

 

[Parlo]

I sometimes use these tapered pins for measuring hole diameters.
For hole centres I use a dti and mill dro, calculate the hypotenuse from x & y readings.

 

[dbb-the-bruce]

Full set from tiny (.001?) to .250
Tool sale set with some missing for larger sizes between .25 and .5

I use them all the time, particularly the smaller ones (under .25). They are invaluable for checking holes bored with my desktop CNC and on my lathe. Also very useful for other stuff that's hard to check with calipers or a micrometer.

One trick I often do is use them to set caliper 0 and then the calipers show the difference to my target.

I work with small stuff that I want to be as precise as I can reasonably get it and I'm often checking stuff in progress. Hence I find them very useful.