Quality Dial Bore Gauge (2024)

Check this gage out. We have several in our shop. They repeat wonderfully, are very durable, cover a wide measuring range and calibrate year to year for the last several. The original investment seems a little steep but well worth it in my experience.

MSC Item Detail

095 : Standard Gage

My bore gages from Standard Gage, Poughkeepsie, NY. Probably older than me and the best bore gage I have ever used.
John

In the future, be aware that for engine cylinder bores there's a Starrett bore gauge made specifically for that purpose, and it works GREAT. I've seen a number of them on Ebay going for cheap money.

The No.452 has been around a long time and has features for that specific application which no other bore gauge has. I have a PDF of the page from their catalog but not sure how I'd get it here.

If you go to Starrett's website, it's on Page 180 of the Catalog 32.

Had you set a max on what you're willing to spend? This one has no bids yet. Set your mind on what you'd be will to pay, and snipe it.

STARRETT IMPROVED CYLINDER GAGE NO.452-B IN BOX - eBay (item 350371469639 end time Jul-07-10 15:50:32 PDT)

What size range, tolerance, and what is the application? If this is for a customer with incoming quality checks, how are they checking them?

If this is for personal use and sanity check, disregard.

donie said:

My favorite is the Standard bore gage.
I have a few Sunnen and many Federal, they are really good.
One thing about the Sunnen and Federal gages I have is, once set to size, they have considerable more range.
The Standard gages indicator will only rotate around 3 or so times ".030". So, when setting, you have to load the gage with at least one hand rotation, that gives pretty limited measuring range as you are working a bore to size.
The larger Federal gages have considerable range once set, 1/4" or so.
Its like this, if you are working out a bore on the lathe, you set the Standard bore gage loaded at 1 turn of the dial for final size, this gives your bore only .020" undersize before you can insert the gage.

Click to expand...

I have never considered the Standard's range a limitation, anyone can read a telescope gage to within a thousandth or so, no? Also, when I set my Standards, I do it so the indicator comes up about a half turn to zero (low limit). Lastly, the small bore gages only read .002 either side of zero.
Maybe because I used Standards for so long, I just don't care much for the others.
For the larger sizes, up to, I think, about six inches, Standard made a setting fixture, using jo blocks for size, it's a nice piece of kit, and they do surface on the used market every so often. I haven't had an opportunity to try the set fixture against a ring, so I reserve comment WRT accuracy.

Yes, the Standard gages work very well, there are times when more range is handy, sorting out parts with considerable variation.
I found the Standard gages nearly bomb proof. If there is a problem, they are easy to work on, including the indicator.
The setting master is very handy, I have rings "hundreds of pounds of them", but, when a size comes up that I do not have a ring for, I use the setting master.
There is some little things when using the setting master, the feel of how the gage blocks slide out, and, how you hold the gage.
Using a ring to test the setting master when you first get used to it, solves those problems.
The setting master works for gages #2 and up.

Standard Setting Master and #3 dial bore gage.
StabdardSettingMaster.jpg picture by donsmonarch10ee - Photobucket

machinistrrt said:

the small bore gages only read .002 either side of zero.

Click to expand...

Not sure I understand this comment.

To which gage(s) are you referring?

Thanks.

- Leigh

Standard bore gages,

The small one at top reads +- .0025" on the dial, has only around .010" total travel. need about half of that for loading.
Standard Co Bore gages picture by donsmonarch10ee - Photobucket

The smaller one in the photo is too small for adjusting in the master setting fixture.

Some other brands that work well for me.

Older Federal, this one 4" to 11", these things cant be killed. Around 1/2" usable range on this one.
http://s170.photobucket.com/albums/u265/donsmonarch10ee/?action=view&current=boregage002.jpg

These are nice, Mahr
http://s170.photobucket.com/albums/u265/donsmonarch10ee/?action=view&current=boregage001.jpg

Some here have said good things about Boice gages, I just have never came across any.

PixMan said:

Had you set a max on what you're willing to spend? This one has no bids yet. Set your mind on what you'd be will to pay, and snipe it.

STARRETT IMPROVED CYLINDER GAGE NO.452-B IN BOX - eBay (item 350371469639 end time Jul-07-10 15:50:32 PDT)

Click to expand...

Thanks pixman, I will keep my eye on that auction. How long has the starrett 452 gauge been around? The one in the pic looks to be at least 50 years old. If I were to buy one right now I could justify spending $75-$150, which I believe is realistic for a decent used gauge. I have never used a dial bore gauge before, and I'm not in a rush to but the first one I can afford. I want to take the time to learn the differences between the different brands. With that said, what makes the starrett no. 452 model specific to engine bore measuring?

Thank you eveyone for your input, I'm getting exactly the informtion I was hoping for. The links to pictures and ads is almost making it too easy for me

The real Leigh said:

Not sure I understand this comment.

To which gage(s) are you referring?

Thanks.

- Leigh

Click to expand...

Standard # 0, 1, and I think 1A. The indicator scale is plus or minus .0025, though the gage has a bit more travel.

Donie likes to put the indicator more in the middle of travel than I do, is it preference or did Standard recommend this?

WRT the Mahr small hole split probe gages, they ARE nice, I've a set of those as well, they are hard to beat. I think they run from .05 or so to about .75 so a set takes me from very small to some overlap with my Standards.

Another specialty boregage is the Davis Omnigage. It's taylor made for close tolerance pilot bores and similar situations too shallow for a conventional bore gage. I won't give mine up for anything, it's that useful. By the way, I believe it's still available new.

David Martin said:

I do have one more question, why does everyone like the sunnen gauges? Sunnen seemed to be the most common gauge talked about in other threads. Thanks

Click to expand...

I have a set of the Sunnen gauges. Think my range runs from .054"
through 8".
Some features of their system:
Gauge is set of a master setting fixture using large format micrometer.(Starrett) No ring gauges are required. Master setting gauge comes with a master ring gauge for calibration.
The range stated above is achieved with two master setting fixtures...one from "0" to 2" and one from 2" up to 6" .
Setting fixtures supports and holds the gauge for ease of setting.
Dials are made by Federal i believe.
All wear points are easily field replaceable...measuring contacts use a hardened ball set into a carrier and it is supplied with extra balls and a cute little tool to snap out the old one and fit new.
The centralizer contacts can be rotated to present a fresh contact face or easily removed and replaced.

Gauges are designed to compliment Sunnen's line of honing equipment and as such made to survive use in the harsh environment of the hone with its grit loaded oil.

Setting and direct reading to a tenth...

All gauges available in a variety of lengths , with or without retraction mechanism....

Smaller bore gauges have a very nice small micrometer quick setting tool to rough set the gauge before setting in the master fixture....Makes it so quick and easy.

Larger gauges have a nice tension adjustment with an indicator to show the relative tension on the contact points....nice for measuring Babbitt....can turn the force down when using vertical...

Parts are a simple phone call away...Sunnen service is very good!
Oh and it is made right here in the US.

Makes a good companion to the Sunnen Hone...Lots of folks like me running the hones to precision fit holes, so the company is already on the radar...and buying the gauges form them is easy. (note i did not say cheap).

Bought my gauges I think about 25 years ago..still working perfectly. Purchased as part of a package when i bought my MBB 1660 hone.
Made good sense then and now.

Cheers Ross