One of many hardest handy jobs to complete and master is the work of making iron. There are a few people who is going to master this kind of job and are very good at this. The only reason likely very good at making iron is just not because they process far more talent than you but since they use the right tools necessary to finish the same job. Most people are not aware that the using the right tools will always make the job less complicated and faster than you can ever imagine. One of the best tools make use of is a Carrera Precision CP9806-TF Titanium 0-Inch to 6-Inch Electronic Fractional & Decimal Digital Caliper.
The Carrera Precision CP9806-TF Titanium 0-Inch to 6-Inch Electronic Fractional & Decimal Digital Caliper can be a very powerful tool that permits you to measure metal and metal. One of the biggest challenges those of you that make iron is measuring it in order that they know exactly the right amount that they have to make. This is where this great tool can be purchased in handy and is able to make the job a great deal easier.
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Product Description
From the Manufacturer
The Carrera Precision Titanium Series Professional Digital Caliper is Made to the Highest Quality Standards in the Industry. It has a steel casing, unlike the others on the market with a plastic head. This Machinist Grade Titanium Alloy Digital Caliper will with stand professional usage, unlike the plastic head digital calipers. It has an extra large LCD screen for easy viewing, a durable stainless steel frame, converts to metric or inches in one easy button, and comes with an extra battery ; case.
The Carrera Precision Titanium Series Professional Digital Caliper is Made to the Highest Quality Standards in the Industry. It has a steel casing, unlike the others on the market with a plastic head. This Machinist Grade Titanium Alloy Digital Caliper will with stand professional usage, unlike the plastic head digital calipers. It has an extra large LCD screen for easy viewing, a durable stainless steel frame, converts to metric or inches in one easy button, and comes with an extra battery ; case.
Product Details
- Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
- Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
- ASIN: B003119EDE
- Item model number: CP9806-TF
Technical Details
- Measures inside, outside and depth from 0'' to 6'' + metric conversion ; zero buttons.
- Heavy Duty Titanium Head With Stainless Steel Frame
- Accuracy to 1/1000th of an inch
- Includes Extra Battery and Case
- LCD Display
Customer Reviews
To be honest, I never even knew what a "digital caliper" was until a few weeks ago, when I figured out that I needed one to make some very precise measurements in installing an under-saddle pickup on an acoustic guitar. Once I figured out what it was, I also concluded it would be a nice precision measuring device to add to my tool box.
As near as I can tell from the research I've done on these gizmos since then, digital calipers (that is, a vernier-type caliper with a battery-operated, digital display built into the slide) come in two basic categories: 1) those made in China, and 2) those made elsewhere. This caliper is of the first variety.
The Carrera CP9806 comes in a hard, black plastic case with a black foam bottom liner, cut out in the shape of the caliper to protect it from rattling around inside, and two additional cutouts for storage of spare coin-cell batteries. The lid is fastened to the bottom with a real pin-hinge, not a molded plastic one, so you don't have to worry about the lid breaking off the case. There's a color leaflet in the lid cavity (also lined with black foam) with instructions on how to use the caliper. It's a nice, durable case, that snaps shut with a reassuring "click." A tiny Phillips screwdriver is included, for opening the battery compartment on the face of the slider.
The caliper itself is made of high-grade stainless steel, and feels very heavy and sturdy in your hand. The slider casing is also made of steel, not plastic. The graphic measuring gauge on the face of the rule is set into a recess that runs the length of the rule, and looks like some kind of imprinted polymer, set over a film made of some kind of metal ... probably copper, judging from the cross-section of the material that's exposed at both ends of the rule. It's a very nice graphic display, but you will not use it for making anything but "macro" measurements, because, e.g., why would you bother buying a digital caliper to do a job you could do with a simple ruler? You're going to use the digital display, the jaws, and/or the depth gauge.
The slide is very well-mated with the rule ... no discernible sloppiness or play. I found the slide very smooth and simple to move, either by hand, or using the thumb roller. There are three little buttons on the face of the slide. One to select metric, inches (decimals), or inches (fractions); a second to turn the display on and off, and the third to re-set the display to zero. The digital display turns itself on automatically when you start moving the slide, and gives you a "real time" readout of the measurement, as you move the slide. The digits on the LCD screen are large, crisp and easy to read. It also has an "auto-off" feature that turns the display off after a few minutes of inactivity. That's a life-saver on coin cell batteries, which aren't exactly cheap, especially if you're having to replace them frequently.
The blades of the top jaws face outward, for measuring inner dimensions (e.g., the distance from one inner surface of a box or cavity to the opposite inner surface). The blades of the bottom jaws face one another, for measuring outside dimensions (e.g., the distance from one outer surface of a box or object to the opposite outer surface). The depth gauge (which pops out the end of the rule as you move the slide outward from "zero") measures the depth of holes. All three measuring functions go up to a maximum of 6 inches on this particular model.
The metric increments are to 1/100th of a millimeter (e.g., 1.55 mm) The inch increments are to 5/10,000ths of an inch (e.g., 1.1015", 1.1020", etc.) represented in either decimals or fractions (e.g., to 1/128th of an inch) on the display. I found the last decimal point in the inch increments a bit hard to fix with the thumb roller and lock screw ... the last decimal point flickered between .0000 and .0005. But with a little practice, I was generally able to fix it, and we are literally talking 5/10,000ths of an inch. I didn't attempt to calibrate or verify measurements on this caliper, but others have, and have found them to be accurate.
Some of the criticisms I've noted on the construction of Chinese calipers like this one are valid. For example, there is a very slight bow in the rule that is readily visible if you look closely down the length of the rule. I don't know if this is intended, or if it is just a quirk of the way the caliper is machined and assembled. Probably doesn't affect the accuracy of the measurements, but it is noticeable. Also, the flat, or back side of the blade portions of the bottom jaws do not mate on a perfect plane ... they are just the tiniest bit misaligned. This likewise probably doesn't affect the accuracy of measurements taken between the blades, but it is noticeable. I'm not getting in a twist over that, though, because for 30 measly bucks, what the heck do you want ... I mean, really.
Mine cost only $30 on Amazon, including free shipping (thanks Amazon!). The next lower Carrera model (which I think differed from this one only in that the display didn't include fractions), was $24.99, which would have excluded a free shipping option. I figured if I have to spend an extra $5.00 on shipping for a $25 model, I might as well put the $5.00 into a $30 model and get it shipped for free ...
For mechanical engineers or other people engaged in professions where dead-on-balls accuracy (e.g., variance of less than 5/10,000ths of an inch) is a matter of life or death, you better pay the extra dough for a digital caliper made by Mitutoyo (Japanese) or the Germans, but be prepared to pay 4 or 5 times, or more, than what this one costs.
For the rest of us "mortals," however, if you don't need that level of accuracy (and I most certainly don't), or parts that mate perfectly on a microscopic level, you will be deliriously happy with this device. I'm giving it four stars, taking one away for the irregularities noted above ... which, by the way, one should always expect to see in a mass-produced tool like this. However, in terms of the VALUE you get for your $30 - in basic construction, appearance, materials, performance and features -- this thing deserves SIX stars. If a caliper like the one I've described is a good match for your needs and your budget, then buy with confidence. You'll love it.
Okay, I've received the Carrera CP 9806 digital caliper and have been using it for a week or so. Fine unit! I like the fact that it turns itself on the minute you run the slider and turns itself off automatically if you don't do anything for a while. I turn it off manually the instant I'm done to save battery life. I checked it against my standards and it is right on the money out of the box. The "standards" by the way, are my machinist's gauge blocks, not another measuring device - the gauge blocks are accurate to .0002" which is close enough for anyone not building satellite guidance systems.
My only mildly negative comment is that there is no way to preset the tolerance on the fractions - sometimes it would be nice to have it just read to the nearest 1/32" rather than the 1/128 it reads to. No big deal and I understand it so I wouldn't down-rate the device for that.
The case for it is good and solid and closes properly. The supplied screwdriver is about what you'd expect so use a good one if you have it.
I would suggest that the instruction booklet supplied with it tell the owner exactly how to insert/replace the battery - I had a moment's confusion over which screw to loosen to open the battery cover. Minor point, but it should be addressed. I still give it 5 stars for being a great unit under thirty bucks!
I'm very pleased with it, in short. Great value for the money.