Dial calipers for lumber measurement
Tools
The days of evaluating sawing accuracy with tape measures have faded into history. Most of today’s modern sawing machine centers rely on digital setworks where targets are set to thousandths of inches. Lumber measurement demands the same accuracy. In past years, sawmill personnel expressed sizes using the traditional English system of measurement; e.g., 1 inches. Today, mill personnel express measurement in dicimals; e.g., 1.5 inches.
Several tools can be used to measure lumber sizes accurately. Each is described below.
Dial calipers
Dial calipers once were considered exclusively a tool of machinsts in machine shops. Times have changes. Modern sawmills have become “machine shops�?for word and so require appropriate tools.
To measure in decimals requires using dial or digital calipers.There are two different types of dial calipers. The first set of dial calipers with the “ears�?filed off. Some quality control (QC) personnel prefer to grind off the sharp points (ears) that are used primarily to measure inside dimensions and so are of limited use in measuring lumber. This diagram also shows the serrated rack tends to collect less sawdust than a bottom rack and should stay in calibration longer. Sometimes the latter type of caliper is more confusing to read because there is a zero at top and bottom of the dial. Either will work perfectly will if personnel are properly trained.