Laser Cut Paper Calipers with Imperial and Metric Vernier

thingiverse

This is a remix of thing 26258. It's a fantastic design, and the inches vernier has been properly aligned now. The original intent was for it to be cut from acrylic and bolted together, but I've found it works wonderfully if it is cut from paper and double-sided taped together. As a result, you end up with an incredibly thin set of calipers that can be slipped into a binder or folder while still providing accuracy down to a few hundred microns. Instructions The SVG, DXF, and XPS should all produce identical results. If you're using Inkscape, the SVG is ideal. For other CAD software, the DXF file works well. The XPS format is suitable if you have access to a Full Spectrum Laser. Cut along the red lines and the black ones too. I've found good success with cardstock and manila folders. Anything standard A4 or even 8"x10" should be fine. Use double-sided tape in this way to keep everything together securely. The long main section can probably get by with just a couple of strips in the center, but it's best to use tape all the way to the edge of the point at the mouth of the calipers for optimal results. Clean any excess tape from the edge using an X-acto knife or a similar tool. To affix the middle section of the metric vernier side to the back panel, place a strip of tape flush with the edge near the mouth and another one flush with the edge towards the slide. Use the slide as a guide for positioning both the tape strips on the inches vernier side. Continue by putting more tape along the mouth to attach the metric vernier top face securely. Then apply some extra tape to the middle section of the inches vernier piece, slide it into place and attach the inches vernier top face with your eyes peeled for accurate spacing thanks to that nifty slide guide thingy! Be cautious not to overtighten anything. Keep in mind the paragraphs provided won't fully make sense if you read them on the first go round; it's better to have a little extra materials handy for potential issues or adjustments as things get tight enough. Careful precision and time can produce results of 15 minutes per piece; those are decent stats but assembly takes up about 20 minutes once you have it mastered – not so great I know, but laser-cut versions made of acrylic would do the job just fine although they probably wouldn't slide into a standard notebook quite like your new, makeshift rulers! A bit later on compare what was created against the correct ruler or any high accuracy ruler as that way the best possible measure is verified – it makes checking whether cutting and sticking everything perfectly into place works pretty darn effectively for getting you those hundred-thousandths to work.