Rather than setting calipers to a different diameter for each cut, Galbert calipers allow you to read the diameter in real time while you’re turning. The spring-loaded mechanism pushes against the work piece and moves an indicator on a large, easy-to-read scale.
Made in the USA, the Galbert caliper can measure diameters from 2-3/4″ to 1/2″, or if your plans aren’t in imperial units, you can purchase the calipers with an interchangeable Metric scale. The caliper will set you back $80 before shipping and the Metric scale will set you back another $5.
Galbert Caliper [Peter Galbert Chairmaker]
Galbert Caliper [YouTube]
Galbert Caliper [Woodcraft]
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3 Responses to Galbert Turner’s Caliper
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It’s a clever idea, but I think you’d have to need to turn a lot of identical chair parts to need something like this for $80.
Unless they put calipers to the finished project, most people are not going to notice if something varies a bit from leg to leg. People’s eye catch the relative heights of beads, coves and other features before they’re going to notice that one leg has a section that is 1/16 of an inch narrower than the opposite leg, spindle or whatever.
Maybe another turner might notice.
There were plans for building one of these in Popular Mechanics years ago.
As a professional turner, I have been using this for years. It really speeds up the layout. Much faster than using a dozen calipers.