Measuring Bowl Bottom Thickness

[TimGeorge]

Has anyone come across a tool that would allow for the easy measurement of bowl thickness at the bottom? My digital caliper is useless for this task, so what I do now is measure the depth of the bowl, the height of the bowl, and then subtract. This works okay, but it sure would be nice to just take a quick, precise measurement. How about something like this:

http://www.packardwoodworks.com/Merchan ... lipers-vdc

[taharris]

I would recommend a turners caliper similar to the ones you can see on this link:
http://www.woodcraft.com/Family/2000415 ... ipers.aspx

[KurtHuhn]

I use my index finger and thumb.

[jogilli]

I just spit out my nose.... too funny.. I use my index finger and thumb also..

[bandkbrooks]

Chain reaction nose spit...I use my thumb and finger two.

[RadDavis]

The easiest way to not have to worry about bowl bottom thickness is to know where you have drilled. Then you don't need no fancy calipers, or even a thumb and index finger.

Not that you won't need the thumb and index finger for other things.

Rad

[bandkbrooks]

I have found that the best use is the index finger is for the nose and the thumb is for sticking up your...

[FredS]

The problem with those calipers is that they're not direct reading (there is no scale on them). You have to adjust them to the thickness of the workpiece then in a secondary operation, you measure the calipers with some other instrument (like a scale or tape measure). The problem with measuring the bottom bowl thickness is obvious - you have to open the calipers to get the leg out of the chamber, thereby losing the setting.

[Boekweg]

So are you guys saying if i invent a tool that tells you "Exactly" how much bottom of the bowl you got left, it would sell?

[geigerpipes]

Actually there are tools for that,I got these from the deseaced swedish pipemaker Dura and legend states they where from his master the first Swedish highgrade pipemaker Arne Ljung



The top one is for mesuring Bowl wall thikness and the lower one is for mesuring Shank thikness and they can be quite usefull from time to time especially for delicate pipes

Oh and 5 or 6 years back I was asking on this forum if anyone wanted tools made like these as a Swedish mashinist freind where making some for pipemaker freind Bengt Carlson but not many seemed intrested enough

[TimGeorge]

Cool. Not a big deal, but my thumb and forefinger have once or twice proven themselves unreliable.

There has to be a joke in there somewhere ....

[Boekweg]

Nice! IMO those would come in very handy.