A bore gage is a comparative gage that must be set to a master prior to use. Unfortunately, some people who purchase bore gages for the first time only realize once they receive the product that a setting master purchase should have occurred concurrently. Without a setting master, the gage will not be properly set. With this said, setting a bore gage sometimes ends up being more expensive than the gage itself.
Setting the bore gage
There are many different kinds of masters or gages that are capable of setting the bore gage prior to its first use. No matter what method you choose, bore gage calibration must be the completed prior to using your gage. When it comes to the bore micrometer or pistol grip style bore gages, setting rings are usually used to calibrate the gages. Setting rings are one of the best ways to set a bore gage, but it can be very expensive if you have to purchase multiple setting rings. A cylinder bore gage only has about 0.100” of range before you must change out the posts or washers. For example, just to cover a full inch of travel, approximately 10 setting rings must be purchased. This bore gage calibration standard adds up in cost for the end user.
How to calibrate a bore gage
Due to the cost of setting rings, many companies also use different types of setting masters or micrometers to set the gage. A micrometer is able to be opened up to a nominal size and have the anvils locked in place. The end user can then rock the cylinder bore gage in between the two micrometer anvils to set and calibrate the gage. This practice is used for end users trying to hold an accuracy of about 0.001”. Other companies actually send a part out to a calibration house and use the part itself as the setting master for their bore gage. It really depends on whether you want to be reading the actual diameter or just a deviation away from “0.” Depending on your preferred reading, either of these bore gage calibration procedures is a sensible choice.
Setting master kit for bore gage calibration
Calibration affects the accuracy of your bore gage and quality of your products
No matter what solution you choose, keep in mind that calibrating your bore gage is extremely important and will affect the accuracy of the gage. After completing each calibration, you may utilize a removable sticker, noting the approval date as well as the date of the next required calibration. Staying on top of every bore gage calibration in your workshop, starting before first use, will help protect the quality of the parts you manufacture. When you utilize an accurate calibration standard and implement a regular calibration procedure, you are ensuring the highest precision of each measurement taken with that instrument.