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: Measure a hole and the location
: Measure a hole and the location -- smashrc	Post Reply	Top of thread	Engineering Forum

Posted by: jboggs ® 02/04/2011, 08:00:34 Author Profile eMail author Edit

There are many ways to do that, depending on your budget and what kind of tools you have available. Do you have access to a machine shop or someone skilled in those processes? They can help you.

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: : Measure a hole and the location
: : Measure a hole and the location -- jboggs	Post Reply	Top of thread	Engineering Forum

Posted by: RWOLFEJR ® 02/04/2011, 08:47:24 Author Profile eMail author Edit

Don't know how big a hole or how accurate you want to be but when you say very small I think poking various size wires in the hole until you find a good snug fit then measure wire. A set of weld nozzle cleaners offers up a wide range of small wire sizes. They're rough through most of the length but the start or end of the wire is smooth. Should get you close...? Set of small drills would be better yet but a little more money. From there you can measure off the side of the wire to your edges or whatever...? subtract half the diameter and Voila!!

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: : : Measure a hole and the location
: : : Measure a hole and the location -- RWOLFEJR	Post Reply	Top of thread	Engineering Forum

Posted by: smashrc ® 02/04/2011, 11:13:31 Author Profile eMail author Edit

Thank you for the replies. I don't have access to machine shop., I'm on my own. I can spend up to $1500 for the measuring tool. I know CMM machine will get my job done but I see they are like $3000 at least. So, with $1500 what is my best tool? thanks

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: : : : Measure a hole and the location
: : : : Measure a hole and the location -- smashrc	Post Reply	Top of thread	Engineering Forum

Posted by: rwolfejr ® 02/04/2011, 14:44:53 Author Profile eMail author Edit

Again, Don't know what you're measuring or how accurate you need to be. My thumb is an inch wide. A dollar bill is 6" long. Rulers... micrometers... optical comparitors... CMM's. 1) How big is this hole roughly? 2) What's this hole in? 3) How precise do you need to be?

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: : : : : Measure a hole and the location
: : : : : Measure a hole and the location -- rwolfejr	Post Reply	Top of thread	Engineering Forum

Posted by: Kelly Bramble ® 02/04/2011, 14:51:43 Author Profile eMail author Edit

Depending on hole sizes and measurement requirements, check out height gages. Inexpensive and practical.

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: : : : : : Measure a hole and the location
: : : : : : Measure a hole and the location -- Kelly Bramble	Post Reply	Top of thread	Engineering Forum

Posted by: smashrc ® 02/05/2011, 04:41:43 Author Profile eMail author Edit

Thank you for helping. The picture has been removed by admin. Here is the part I'm referring. It needs to be +- 0.05mm. Usually the holes are small holes like a few mm, not larger then 10mm Please advise the best tool for $1500 budget. Thanks so much for helping.

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: : : : : : : Measure a hole and the location
: : : : : : : Measure a hole and the location -- smashrc	Post Reply	Top of thread	Engineering Forum

Posted by: RWOLFEJR ® 02/06/2011, 10:42:08 Author Profile eMail author Edit

Wow... That's a mighty tight tolerance... Where is your base point where all dimensions willl be measured from? How will you handle variations in material thickness? What about variations in the breaks? Are you certain that the part you have in hand is indeed the perfect part to use for these precision measurements? What if it is leaning on the edge of your .002" window and you allow for an additional .002"? My gut feeling is you do not need to hold that close. But I've been wrong before...!! First thing I'd suggest is taking a good look at the application and what is truely critical and what tolerances can be reasonable to expect to hold. It's easy to build a Swiss watch in CAD but it's a different world when it comes to the actual manufacture of a part. You need to work within the envelope of standard machining practices. If you are drilling these holes... no reaming... there goes your tolerance right out the window there. A drill is for poking holes and the size hole you get will vary depending on equipment used and the drill itself. A new 3/8" drill will usually cut about .002 oversized and later cut .375+ after the edges calm down. Machine quill bearings and accuracy of ball screws etc. will play into both your diameter and location tolerance. Are these a standard clearance fit hole with an additional 1/32" clearance? If so you don't need .002 precision. All that to say... Pick your base point where all dimensions need to come off of. Then decide what level of precision you truely need while at the same time taking into account the precision level that can be easily held by standard machining methods. We get customer prints in all the time where they might ask for extremely tight tolerances on a part that doesn't require it. Asking for far better than required just jacks the price of the part up. I always like to know the application before quoting a part. When an engineer with zero machining experience draws up a part it's easy to spot if you know the application of the part and have ever made chips. But that wasn't your question. The easiest... and most likely cheapest... way for you to get the locations of your holes with the precision level you require will be to send it to any tool and die shop in your area and have them measure it for you in their CMM and give you a print. I'd guess you'd be looking at about $200-$300 bucks? You can get really close with the height gage as Kelly mentioned and a granite block and some drill rod and a angle block and some clamps. Good luck, Bob

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