Unknown/odd caliper

[WesPete66]

I recently acquired this caliper made by Lufkin Tools. Now calipers are quite common, but never seen one quite like this one.
The short "leg" is fixed to the left arm (as seen in the pics). It has a threaded adjustment screw, but the adjuster only functions to about .875" open at the tips. At 1" opening the adjuster comes unthreaded. With such a relatively large frame it makes me wonder what its intended purpose was. Does anybody know what it is meant for?
Thanks!

 

[GeneT45]

If you open the calipers farther can you use the adjuster for fine tuning the position?

GsT

 

[WesPete66]

If you open the calipers farther can you use the adjuster for fine tuning the position?

GsT

No. Once it unthreads you can pull it open, but with no adjustment.

Hmmm... I wonders now.. If I slightly loosen the main pivot, maybe one pulls it to a general position & then uses the fine adjuster.

 

[Jim F]

No. Once it unthreads you can pull it open, but with no adjustment.

Hmmm... I wonders now.. If I slightly loosen the main pivot, maybe one pulls it to a general position & then uses the fine adjuster.

Yep.

 

[davidpbest]

That’s for wood lathe duplication work. I have one also.

 

[WesPete66]

Yep. A little penetrating earl and the pivot loosened up. Pull it to the basic opening then use the fine adjust...
Guess I'm a little gun shy. Broken a thing or two by getting rammy before knowing how something works! HA

 

[benmychree]

It is nothing more or less than a firm joint caliper with a fine adjust feature.

 

[pontiac428]

I don't know why it's just for wood work. Neat old calipers and dividers never see the drawer in my shop, they live at the lathe. Makes it possible to quickly work to rough dimensions, then finish to as many decimal places as required with a slower and more precise measuring tool. Maybe this is why I don't need, want, or even get excited about DRO on the lathe, and singularly see it as frivolous. I can certainly afford DRO on the lathe, it just doesn't make sense for me. I have been using calipers from day one, maybe that's why. They are great tools, fundamental, and somehow overlooked as archaea among this crowd.

 

[benmychree]

I don't know why it's just for wood work. Neat old calipers and dividers never see the drawer in my shop, they live at the lathe. Makes it possible to quickly work to rough dimensions, then finish to as many decimal places as required with a slower and more precise measuring tool. Maybe this is why I don't need, want, or even get excited about DRO on the lathe, and singularly see it as frivolous. I can certainly afford DRO on the lathe, it just doesn't make sense for me. I have been using calipers from day one, maybe that's why. They are great tools, fundamental, and somehow overlooked as archaea among this crowd.

I quite agree with all you say, and there is nothing about the caliper that restricts it to only wood work. All one has to do is view several of the Pakistani videos to realize that calipers are capable (given good eyesight, a good sense of feel and an accurate steel rule) are capable of doing accurate work, easily within a few thousandths with nominal sizes, especially with the measurement of difficult to reach features where other measuring tools will not fit. I personally seldom use calipers in metal working, but use them frequently on the wood lathe.

 

[turnitupper]

I don't know why it's just for wood work. Neat old calipers and dividers never see the drawer in my shop, they live at the lathe. Makes it possible to quickly work to rough dimensions, then finish to as many decimal places as required with a slower and more precise measuring tool. Maybe this is why I don't need, want, or even get excited about DRO on the lathe, and singularly see it as frivolous. I can certainly afford DRO on the lathe, it just doesn't make sense for me. I have been using calipers from day one, maybe that's why. They are great tools, fundamental, and somehow overlooked as archaea among this crowd.

Overlooked as ARCHAEA ? Please explain.
John.