Challenge: Need Designing Tool Genius to re-engineer a register caliper to measure wood turning wall

[WeekendMiniaturist]

Referencing a previous post where Bill H was asking if anyone was out here in miniature world.... topic was "testing".... I asked how to measure the wall of a miniature turning.

Here is the tool that Meezer Mama had indicated works, but it is of course no longer available, even when this response was posted and we are about 2 years later and I still have not figured this out.   I don't have a light small enough to get inside of my vase turning.

https://www.leevalley.com/en-us/shop/tools/hand-tools/marking-and-measuring/calipers/72597-lee-valley-register-caliper?item=50N0203

Here is a page from a print catalog from 1897 of Register calipers... looks very familiar eh?

However, what I really need is to re-design the Moe Diamond Weight Guage, it is " springy "  (I know bad description), but if I redesigned the end I could and it could go inside of the turning I could measure the thickness of a miniature turning!!!

So, what do you think?

 

 

[WeekendMiniaturist]

I have a pair just like this, but made in Chicago USA, and the jaws definitely will not fit in my turning.

 

[WeekendMiniaturist]

I've attached a photo of the Lee Valley Register Calipers.  I think these are too large to get inside of a miniature wood turning.

[MeezerMama]

You're right.  I own these calipers and they are too large to get inside unless it's something continually expanding, like a bowl.   The other issue is precision.   At the thickness we want to turn miniatures, the gauge on these is too rough to get a good reading.  I guess you could clamp it down on a feeler gauge and then keep turning until it slides over your item, but again only if it's "open faced".

[WeekendMiniaturist]

If you find someone with the Moe Diamond Weight gauge, it has a really nice feel to it.  I think I will put it on my copier tomorrow and try to redraw it.  The problem with reducing the two tips, is that I think it makes the opposite measuring side much wider, so I think it needs to be a scissor..., with equal jaws so you can mirror the measurement with the part you can see.

This tool seems reasonably sensitive and it has a nice feel to it with the spring.  I think I will buy another pair and take them apart to see how the spring part is made.

 

 

[WeekendMiniaturist]

Getting closer.  

I think this design works, the opposite end would allow you to visually see the turning wall, but I think the bent points  should be opposite pointing in.  I think this one is easy enough to machine in brass.