Ultimate digital caliper for modelers.

It DOES separate the MEN from the boys, doesn't it?

A screw gauge and thread guage come to mind. OTOH, a lot of people can take a quick look from six feet away and tell what it is.

The hardware shop assistants get grumpy when you open their non-resealable screw packets! :-(

According to David Nebenzahl :

Indeed -- and the only one which I know of which used old telephone company crossbar switches for running the scale time clock, as well as handling all the switching.

I've sort of considered setting the "Followup-To: " header to restrict the cross posting somewhat. Yes -- I will. rec.crafts.metalworking and rec.models.railroad seem to work. Others can switch to there to follow the discussion if they care.

Enjoy, DoN.

Why not take a look at where the hardware shop is located? If in the US, I would consider the British gauges unlikely. In the UK, the US gauges are fairly unlikely, as well as the British ones (somewhat more likely than the US ones -- but these days, expect metric screws in the UK. Specialty hardware shops might be different, but for the general versions, expect what is natural for the locale. :-)

Enjoy, DoN.

I know exactly where my local hardware shop is located. I live here. Hardware shops here stock metric and/or UK gauge and/or US guage. Without carrying charts of gauges I can't tell what diameter a "gauge" screw is, and even if I do there usually isn't anything on the pack to say whose "gauge" they match. That's fine if I want to screw a "whatsit" to the kitchen wall where "about right" is close enough, but if I want to do precision work (such as the bogie bolster example) I'm stuffed.

Regards, Greg.P.

Greg Procter spake thus:

Maybe you should consider moving here (the US); in most hardware stores, we have exactly *one* set of screw threads, good old "imperial" (for lack of a better term). The metric stuff is all safely segregated in its own section where it can't hurt anyone.

Why such a chaotic situation there, what with all those different gauge systems mixed up?

I get grumpy when the drooling slope foreheaded cretins they hire try and tell me there no such thing as a 2-56 screw.

Eric

Greg Procter wrote:

"The hardware shop assistants get grumpy when you open their non- resealable screw packets!" :-(

That's a terrible thing to say, but enough of that or I'll start getting the hate-mail again.

Have you any idea how many UK imperial thread types there were/are??? Don't worry, no one else does either! The US has quite a few, and Metric has at least two for each given diameter.

I blame the Chinese! They keep making what the rest of the world's customers want and little New Zealand chain shop buyers buy whatever is currently available. What with modern business practices and all, the business owners hire the cheapest no-knowledge staff who buy whatever is on offer. As the US is probably the Chinese biggest english language customers (UK second), the NZ buyers get offered the english language packets currently in their warehouse, so .... Well, that's my guess. The other week I bought a packet - the only things I could read were the length and diameter, everything else was in a language I didn't even recognise.

I wanted some aluminium tube - 19mm or 3/4" - I didn't care which. "Good afternoon sir, what can I get for you?" "Aluminium tube please." "What diameter?" "3/4"" "Sorry sir, we only stock metric!" "OK, 19mm" "How long a piece do you want?" "2 metres." "Sorry sir, it only comes in 6' lengths!"

My children invite their friends to come to the hardware shop with me - they reckon it's great entertainment!

ROFLMAO!!!!!!!!!!!

Gunner, "Liberalism is a philosophy of consolation for Western civilization as it commits suicide"

- James Burnham

commits suicide"

There was the time just after we went metric - I wanted 6mm _or_ 1/4" bolts and wingnuts. The shop had 6mm bolts and 1/4" wingnuts. No 1/4" bolts or 6mm wingnuts. "when are you going to get 6mm wingnuts?" "Not until we sell out of the 1/4" stock." "but but ..."

It's a good question. Off the top of my head:

BSW - Whitworth, the original standard BSF - British Standard Fine BSP - Pipe threads BSC - or CEI, Cycle threads BA - British Association

The US has UNC - Unified Coarse UNF - Unified Fine

and there are others I'm not familiar with

Prior to WW2 there were a slew of different metric threads, the ISO produced one standard in 1949 or thereabouts the M metric threads. However, these come in Coarse and Fine versions too.

The US also has NPT - National Pipe Thread

fl@liner

That's not a hardware store. Real hardware stores buy hardware in bulk.

Aren't those "Packets" marked with the size? That is what the gauges are for, to identify what you need before you go looking for hardware. Then you TRY to buy it, if you can wake someone up to run the register.

Sure, but I was after two (2) screws to serve as bogie kingpins.

I think you missed the point(s) - British and US wire and screw "gauges" are different. I wanted screws to fit a specific sized tube - I.D. unknown until I bought it. The screws are marked by gauge - whose gauge was not stated on the packet. The metric screws on sale didn't include a suitable size so I was forced into the archaic measurements department.

Ahhrrrgggg! I never go back to shops where I've previously given up and left my intended purchases on the counter!

Regards, Greg.P.

No, I know they are different, but a few inexpensive tools will save you a lot of time by letting you know what you need, before you start looking.

I'm trying to use up what I can of the hundreds of pounds of surplus and salvaged hardware, rather than buy more. About 100 pounds is sorted by diameter, thread and length in 50 drawer cabinets, while the rest is in large coffee cans, waiting to be sorted.

The starting point was the tubing which I had to buy first on the same trip. The internal diameter set the perameters for the screws. I can only buy whatever is available.

Salvé

Dear All, When learning to use a capstan lathe as well as various type of engineering gear (back in the 70´s)the old boy teaching me told me to buy a) a flexible six inch engineering rule and b) a Zeus book, the Zeus book is a plasticised booklet which contains information on threads (not this one.....) screws bolts etc and I (assuming you can still buy it in the U:K: and elsewhere) suggest you zoom down to your ironmongers (hardware shop) and demand one instantly :) The Zeus book or its equivalents are so damned useful for working out what type of thread you want to use BW Whitworth cycle , metric etc that I dont see how a model maker working in metal can do without one, every time I'm in the U.K. I have to buy one as "friends " keep borrowing mine...... Beowulf