Turning Calipers 6" or 8"?

I would say it depends on your lathe and what you turn. If you have a 12" lathe then 6" would be the maximum needed and probably not that give the foot can't be measured. On the other hand if you have a 16"+ inch lathe or do deep hollow forms the 8" may be better.
 
I'd say it depends what you're turning and what you want to measure. I use calipers to mark a bowl bottom before I make a tenon, but for wall thickness, I just use my fingers, especially on anything 12" or less in diameter. My fingers can measure as accurately as I can cut. ;) (In other words, neither is exact, but both are plenty good enough.) I've got a set of Sorby calipers for measuring the inside of hollow forms, but they're not nearly as useful (or accurate) as I had hoped they would be. (I rely on the laser on my hollowing rig instead.)

In a nutshell, calipers aren't much help to me. A set of three would likely gather dust in my shop, with the exception of whichever one I used for marking tenons. (Mine have blunt rounded ends. I set them to the appropriate size for whatever chuck jaws I'm using, and then hold them carefully against the spinning wood to scribe a line. Then I cut my tenon to that line.)
 
At the moment I only have a Delta Midi, so what, 10" maximum diameter? I will be getting my shopsmith up north by the time the snow melts, which will get me a little larger potential workpiece size. I truly don't know whether or not I even Need them, but I've seen them used on the web here and there so they've been on my 'someday' tool list. Thanks guys, I think I'll be watching for a 'deal' at woodcraft or what not later in the year.
 
I should add that if you're turning boxes or spindle stuff, calipers can indeed be very useful. I tend to think in terms of larger bowls and hollow forms, and forget there's a lot of other turned stuff out there. :doh:
 
I kinda agree with Vaughn, I have a set of calipers for measuring the wall thickness of a bowl, not sure where they are right now... I have a set of 6" that I use to measure length, diameter and such that I use regularly... but I really don't do much measuring ... I feel the wall thickness of a bowl with my fingers to determine it's thickness...I use a stick or tape measure to check the depth of a bowl or hollow form... I don't measure the tenon on the bottom of a bowl.... just turn it and measure by eye...looks close and if in doubt check it against the jaws of my chuck. Most of the measurements I to take are with a tape measure and lately with an old folding ruler that I keep in the cabinet drawer under the lathe.
 
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