Bore Gauges

Not sure if this is the right place to ask, since this is the technical thread why the hell not!

Does anyone have a preference on a dial or digital bore gauges?

My wife is letting me use some amazon gift cards from our baby shower. woohoo what a women!
I was leaning towards https://www.amazon.com/Fowler-Warra...raduation/dp/B000XQ2T1E?ie=UTF8&tag=top505-20

Would a digital gauge be more accurate?

There is a mm version but i thought i would get more use with inches. I plan on restoring another 69 camaro.

 

Accuracy has nothing to do with the method of displaying the information; it's all about the machining and polishing work done at manufacture.
I prefer dial gauges from a purely sentimental standpoint (my father was a machinist and I learned with his tools). The key thing to look at is the accuracy, resolution and repeatability given by the manufacturer in the tool's specifications. You don't need anything with a particularly high resolution (look at the tolerances given for what you are working on to determine the resoultion that you will need), but you do want something with good repeatability (can measure the same part several times and arrive at the same (or nearly the same) measurement each time).

Since you're a hobbiest (I am too BTW), you will benefit from buying measuring tools with digital readouts so you don't intriduce accuracy errors from being unfamilliar with reading analog readouts. The other advantage of having a digital readout is being able to swich from metric to SAE with the push of a button.

 

+1 digital
Nothing worse than reading analogue .... wrong.... ack.

 

Dial.
There is something comforting about seeing the needle sweep as the gauge is modulated left/ right and up/ down.

 

how many times will you use a bore gauge? you'll have much more use from a set of telescoping gauges and a outside mic.
if you can't measure the piston the bore is irrelevant

 

Myself being a machinist, I prefer dial gauges over digital. I like to feel and see the dial moving. Fowler is an economy brand, which is good enough for occasional use. You can spend a fortune on a high end dial bore set, but it will be only as accurate to the micrometer you are using to set it with. Totally agree with Polock, telescoping gauges and a quality micrometer is probably all you need. There is a technique to using telescoping gauges to be consistent ..

 

And you don't need to buy new. Retired machinists sell tools all the time.

 

She's plural? I'm not sure whether that's a good thing or not.....

 

Thanks for the advice guys, I already have a 2-3" micrometer that is pretty accurate. Telescoping gauges were my original plan, especially since they are so cheap. After spending yesterday watching YouTube video on how to use them triple checking each measurement and seeing how they can still be off. I decided to go with the bore gauge. I want to eliminate as much user error as i can from this. Minus having someone else do this.

At first I wanted the analog gauge, I love analog... but after reading some of the features of digital i decided to jump on it. It might be something i use once or twice right now but i do plan on doing more of this work as time goes on.

This is the one i decided on.

You haven't meant her other personalities....

 

forgot the link https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00OF7FB12/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

Looks nice, I have only used Sunnen dial bore gauges and they use a mastering fixture, or you can use them as a transfer type gauge . . . . Is there a master for the digital One?


Know thy weaknesses, on of my biggest is using telescoping gauges