General # 13 drill gauge

The General Tool drill gauge has apparently been discontinued, unfortunately.

MRH: See the shopping list, above.

Analog Mitutoyo

As I don't use my caliper every day, I bought a cheaper analog model some years ago. I choose a Mitutoyo 530–122, for less than 40 € at the time. Cheaper than the digital version, but still a great improvement over my old cheap caliper.

#15 General Tool Gauge

The # 15 gauge is for drill sizes 1 to 60. #13 was for drill sizes 61 to 80.

I don't know of another that fits that description.

And, I do have a digital caliper plus one of the HO scale analog ones, and this article showed me some new ways to use my tools. 

Maybe a bunch of emails from MRH readers might persuade General Tools to manufacture this gauge again.  I would already have ordered one after reading the article if the gauge had been available anywhere I could find. 

MRH: Dang, you're right. We found a different gauge that's 61-80 and posted it instead.

Caliper Availability

Dial and even vernier calipers are still readily available from most of the major manufacturers including Mitutoyo and Starrett. (Note: At the time of this comment the Starrett web site was down.) I have several digital calipers, but I still keep simple,"no battery needed" dial and vernier caliper in my tool boxes. In model railroading one rarely needs to measure to 0.0005" (0.127 mm) or even 0.001" (0.0254 mm), so the mechanical calipers, which are accurate to 0.001" will meet most users needs.

Drill gauge

  I have a round drill index with plastic dome that works great for checking drill sizes. It was made long ago by V F Rogers ,Denver Colorado. At one time they were a train/hobby shop staple. My old Helios dial caliper also works fine.....DaveB  

...

Ever since I mixed up my drill bits and had my digital calipers on hand, I used them as my index.  Much easier, no index needed.  Saves a tool space.

Pittsburg tools

I have a digital caliper from Pittsburg tools.......A.K.A. Harbour freight.......under 40 dollars.

...

I buy the cheapos for no more than $10 a piece off ebay, mostly metal (Stainless Steel); I stay away from the plastic version.

61-80 Drill Gauge from Penn Tool

Another option is this gauge, manufactured in the USA for $15.95.

https://www.penntoolco.com/pec-drill-5054-gage-number-size-drills-61-to-80-dg-13/?matchtype=&network=g&device=c&keyword=&campaign=744568461&adgroup=pla-52387127272&gclid=Cj0KCQjw-Mr0BRDyARIsAKEFbeekqNJjpznkK03z8QvT_15_wKRFAyhgQ3iolsf4VwasSAnMxmVDDwkaAmujEALw_wcB

MRH: The only problem with this vendor is they require a minimum order of $25 and then add shipping on top of that. You’ll spend almost $30 if all you really want is the gauge. (frowny face)

One Question.

First of all, thank you Lloyd for bringing this to our attention! 

I have been mulling over the thought of organizing my small drill bits for a while now.  My dad, a machinist, handed me a micrometer one day and suggested I measure some drill bits.  He made drill bits and drill bit holders in the 1950s and I am never without> #60 drill bits.  I have always measured the bits at the base.  The Penn Tool Gauge says the holes are to Federal specifications. When I drill a hole that has to be fairly accurate, first I look in my Drilldex and find it is not there...  I then go to my pin vices and see what looks reasonable, then finally I get out the dial caliper and start measuring.  I guess it's not surprising to people that it is always the last one I measure.

I enjoyed the discussion and thanks for the recommendation!  Guess I forgot the question......

Nick

Drill stand

Nick:

I needed a small drill bit this morning and got exasperated at having to sort though my collection. So I decided that the time had come to sort them out. I took a piece of hardwood flooring and used the drills themselves to drill the holes to hold them. Quite a coincidence seeing your post just now!

Buyer beware when buying off

Buyer beware when buying off Amazon or EvilBay as the have some China copy's that are junk.

Read the reviews and you will see for yourself.

I contacted the company in the link below to order mine for the same price as Amazon and also got free freight.

I ask them about the 39.99 calipers that have the same part number and even have made in Japan marked on them and he stated they were fakes .

Here the link: https://www.msi-viking.com/Mitutoyo_500-196-30_6-Inch_Absolute_Digital_Caliper

Hope this helps someone from getting ripped...................?

T.C.

  I use digital caliper from

I use digital caliper from years, first in a professional use and for my model use.

They are easy to use and give you precise measurements.

Lot of us  use them to trace parallel line on a piece of plastic or to repeat a measurement.

For this purpose I use a "marking gauge".

This one is metric and has less than 0.1mm error; much enough for our model use.

I use it a lot for my work ( I'm an crafstman in wrought iron) to make repetitive measurement, but I have found it extremly useful and precise for our little train and scratchbuilding project.

This tool allow you to repeat measurement and  to trace perfectly aligned line but also to be sure when starting from one edge to make parallel line without any error; the tool has a precision error of 0.1 mm; beleive me, there are more errors in a wedding !

I use it intensively for my scratchbuilding project to duplicate the plan on the plastic card.

By example if a line is at 8mm from the edge, you can draw a second at 13mm just by putting the marking rule at 13mm and so for the next one; you have precisely 5 mm between these lines.

My plan include such measurement from one edge so it's fast and easy to duplicate it on the plastic card.

It's important to keep in mind the tickness of the pencil; I use a mechanical pencil with a mine of 0.5mm but when i put a measure on the marking rule, I don't put perfectly the measure but just Under the tickness of the marker on the rule.

This give the perfect measurement and the draw line is precisely where you need to cut the hole.

Interesting, Marc

Marc, I've done some drafting. I was interested in your tool, which is new to me. But when I look for "marking gauge", I get a tool with a spike for scribing a scratch mark in wood or metal. Your tools looks different.
Also, does it make small adjustments with that screw?
Best regards,
Douglas

except that it is currently

except that it is currently unavailable.  I bought the Penn Tool gauges (two of them) and now i will have a spare.

@CM-NS-fan

Marc, I've done some drafting. I was interested in your tool, which is new to me. But when I look for "marking gauge", I get a tool with a spike for scribing a scratch mark in wood or metal. Your tools looks different.
Also, does it make small adjustments with that screw?
Best regards,
Douglas

Hi Douglas,

Yes the "screw" lock the rule  on the graduation, this one is very precise around 0.1mm; the screw work like the one on the older non digital caliper, you adjust the length and with the screw you lock the tool to this length.

The rule is enclosed in a sort of rail, the rule is perfectly square with the edge of the board you use, so it's important to be sure this edge is square too if you use it like me to drawn on Evergreen engraved plastic plate

Don't buy one in wood, these are designed for carpenter and aren't very precise; this one is designed for iron work were tolerances is 1mm maximum; with his precision around 0.1mm it's far enough for sure.

This one come from Europe, it's exist in different length rule, from 1/2', 1' and 1.5'; the precision is equal.

I don't know where you can found such in USA but I know they exist with inch graduation and I have seen them here in Québec but metric one in a specialized  shop for iron work where you find all the stuff needed for this kind of work; may be this can help.

Marking gauge

I found some that look like Marc’s on amazon and ebay by googling “steel marking gauge” and switching to the images view - there are several fairly close to the top.

Thanks, Marc

@Marc: thank you. Penn Tools is for serious professionals, I see!

"when I look for "marking

  A regular carpenters "combination" ruler/square/45 degree tool will do the same job. Just lock the ruler protruding from the 90 degree face at the desired distance then place a pencil (or knife blade if you want to mark styrene or other soft material) in the center groove and start scribing....DaveB  

My dial calipers are just as

My dial calipers are just as accurate as the digital ones and were less expensive. No battery required.

Dial calipers...

Yes, dial calipers can be just as accurate, or potentially even more accurate...

... but for those with less-than-ideal eyesight, digital is a LOT easier to read.

Vernier

Real men use Vernier calipers, no dial or digital display.

...

I prefer a 0.5 second readout that can switch between inches and metric in 0.5 seconds.

Make your dial calipers do that

And I will add switching between digital and fractional inches too. Make your dial calipers do that.

And we're talking about moving our trains to batteries? We can go back to the good old days with our layout too by just pushing them around with our hands -- and just think -- no more track cleaning required! (wink and ornery grin)