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not boat related - help identifying a machine screw size


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16 hours ago, blackrose said:

Buy yourself a cheap vernier caliper. Its a lot easier and more accurate for measuring something like that than a tape measure and takes the guesswork out.

 

I bought this from Lidl for about a tenner and despite the price it's actually pretty good.

 

 

 

IMG_20210721_175808.jpg

 

I seem to remember a similar suggestion being made two days ago

 

image.png.75d836c58e074868a757657280072523.png

 

 

 

 

 

Edited by David Schweizer
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3 minutes ago, David Schweizer said:

 I suspect that reference is lost on most people ( me included)

the product of a not always gainfully employed youth... in a Cheech & Chong album, Sister Mary Elephant brought Sergeant Stadanko to her out of control class to talk about drugs.  Stadanko held up some marijuana and was surprised at the depth of knowledge demonstrated by the class as they all speculated on the precise strain of marijuana in his hand.  The level of knowledge demonstrated on this thread made me think of that skit.

 

On an almost related note, the fictional character was based on a real life Canadian police officer:  https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/film/rcmp-officer-abe-snidanko-inspired-cheech-and-chong-character/article35979489/  

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10 hours ago, David Schweizer said:

 

I have two digital Verniers, one is a cheap Aldi/Lidl purchase, the other is a really good (expensive) Moore and Wright one. I always leave the battery in, and it usually lasts several years. I would suggest that either the vernier is faulty, or you are using poor quality  batteries.

I have to take mine out or they go flat, bought on ebay

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On 20/07/2021 at 17:00, David Mack said:

Or might be M5 (5mm diameter) with a thread pitch of (I think) 0.8mm.

 

Assuming of course that it is a metric thread.

 X 20mm.  Thread length on pan head screws is measured from the bottom of the head.

 

We have a winner... they were 20mm M5.  Thanks all.  As always I am humbled by both the expertise and the willingness to share it.  [There were other correct answers, DM was first].

 

If anyone needs info on 1970s Canadian professional ice hockey players..... sorry, that is all I have got. 

Edited by Wittenham
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On 22/07/2021 at 14:22, Wittenham said:

 

that would be more efficient, but it is more fun to be the Sergeant Stadanko of machine screws.

 

It wasn’t until i read further down that that made sense, i did wonder how smoking weed that makes you turn into a lizard would help with screw sizes :D 

(seen many of the films in my youth, not heard any of the albums)

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On 22/07/2021 at 10:09, David Schweizer said:

 

I have two digital Verniers, one is a cheap Aldi/Lidl purchase, the other is a really good (expensive) Moore and Wright one. I always leave the battery in, and it usually lasts several years. I would suggest that either the vernier is faulty, or you are using poor quality  batteries.

The Aldi/maplin/chinese ones are notorious for killing batteries....ine does exactly the same if you leave the battery in...many others have found the same whatever brand of battery  you use...maybe you have been lucky but it will catch you out at some point.

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1 hour ago, frangar said:

The Aldi/maplin/chinese ones are notorious for killing batteries....ine does exactly the same if you leave the battery in...many others have found the same whatever brand of battery  you use...maybe you have been lucky but it will catch you out at some point.

 

The cheap vernier is Workzone brand, which I believe is Aldi, I have had it for more than ten years, during which time it has three or four batteries, so I have either been lucky or you have been unlucky. Just one thing ocurs to me, do you always turn it off when not using it? I realize that they automatically turn off after a period of non-use, but maybe leaving it on to do this drains the battery.

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8 hours ago, David Schweizer said:

 

The cheap vernier is Workzone brand, which I believe is Aldi, I have had it for more than ten years, during which time it has three or four batteries, so I have either been lucky or you have been unlucky. Just one thing ocurs to me, do you always turn it off when not using it? I realize that they automatically turn off after a period of non-use, but maybe leaving it on to do this drains the battery.

I think you’ve been lucky. There seems to be many names on what’s the same basic design. 
 

I always turn it off..I do wonder if the case design puts pressure on the power switch so it turns on in the case. 
 

Given that it’s not a long or difficult job to remove the battery nor is it a tool most people will use every day plus LR44 batteries are readily available it’s easy enough to remove the battery after use and keep a couple of spares handy in the case. Saves a lot of frustration! 

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The batteries in both my cheapo digital verniers last for ages depending upon quality of batteries. You can't expect much from a pack of 50 assorted cells for a pound from Poundland. The power supply for my quality vernier has lasted for years 👍

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On 22/07/2021 at 10:09, David Schweizer said:

 

I have two digital Verniers, one is a cheap Aldi/Lidl purchase, the other is a really good (expensive) Moore and Wright one. I always leave the battery in, and it usually lasts several years. I would suggest that either the vernier is faulty, or you are using poor quality  batteries.

Generally the batteries do last a long time in both my vernier callipers BUT the latest one is a type that switches itself on when the vernier is opened by only a fraction of a mm. I have also just experimented with it, to compare with the much older version which dos not switch itself on when the vernier is opened, and I found that the slightest vibration that might occur putting the calliper back in the box or even a slight shake as you put the box away switched it back on. Perhaps that is the cause which can be eliminated by tightening the calliper locking screw before putting it away.

One other thought, but I have no knowledge of this, but with the type that switches itself on by opening the calliper could the system be slightly live at all times to detect calliper movement in order to switch the display on, hence the shorter battery life (bit like keyless car fob system)?

Roger

Edited by Albion
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I also have a set,  Mitutoyo (IIRC), and the manual insists that it should use SR44, not LR44 batteries. With an SR mine lasts well with occasional use and not removing the battery (2 - 3 years).

I tried an LR44 once - it worked ok when I fitted it but showed low battery next time I came to use it.

 

http://www.truetex.com/buttons.htm

 

springy

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56 minutes ago, Albion said:

Generally the batteries do last a long time in both my vernier callipers BUT the latest one is a type that switches itself on when the vernier is opened by only a fraction of a mm. I have also just experimented with it, to compare with the much older version which dos not switch itself on when the vernier is opened, and I found that the slightest vibration that might occur putting the calliper back in the box or even a slight shake as you put the box away switched it back on. Perhaps that is the cause which can be eliminated by tightening the calliper locking screw before putting it away.

One other thought, but I have no knowledge of this, but with the type that switches itself on by opening the calliper could the system be slightly live at all times to detect calliper movement in order to switch the display on, hence the shorter battery life (bit like keyless car fob system)?

Roger

 

Both my Verniers have to be switched on/off manually and stay off even when the jaws are opened. I use them so frequently that the Workzone one is hardly ever in it's case, which accounts for it's scruffy appearance. The Moore an Wright is treated with more respect and always returned to it's case.

 

 

16 minutes ago, springy said:

I also have a set,  Mitutoyo (IIRC), and the manual insists that it should use SR44, not LR44 batteries. With an SR mine lasts well with occasional use and not removing the battery (2 - 3 years).

I tried an LR44 once - it worked ok when I fitted it but showed low battery next time I came to use it.

 

http://www.truetex.com/buttons.htm

 

springy

 

My cheap Workzone vernier has an SR44 fitted, but the Moore and Wright uses a bigger CR2032 battery.

 

 

Edited by David Schweizer
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1 hour ago, springy said:

I also have a set,  Mitutoyo (IIRC), and the manual insists that it should use SR44, not LR44 batteries. With an SR mine lasts well with occasional use and not removing the battery (2 - 3 years).

I tried an LR44 once - it worked ok when I fitted it but showed low battery next time I came to use it.

 

http://www.truetex.com/buttons.htm

 

springy

That link is interesting because it seems to confirm my suspicion that switching a calliper off only blanks the display and that the device is still live and still using the battery to a lesser extent.

Edited to add: Just checked my callipers and the better quality one does say use an SR44 but the cheaper one says LR44 so your info is spot on by the look of it.

Roger

Edited by Albion
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On 22/07/2021 at 20:16, ditchcrawler said:

I have to take mine out or they go flat, bought on ebay

 

I bought some from Aldi, (Workzone?), and kept having to put a new battery in, every time I came to use them, (even though I rarely used them, and always turned them off). I have been taking the battery out after use for a few years now, and havent had to change the battery since I started doing that.

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31 minutes ago, jonathanA said:

My old fashioned manual caliper neither needs batteries nor uses them. Of course it doesn't have a nice digital display.....

So does mine, however it only reads in Thou of an inch so not much use if I want metric😁

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