Leather Gauge in Ounces?

[MtlBiker]

1 hour ago, Hardrada said:

I was beaten to it!

That's what I use as mental reference. In metric: 1 oz = 0.4 mm.

I too measure with digital calipers because the plastic/wooden gauges are more like a ballpark reference than anything—no precision. And when you're skiving you don't want "more or less"—you want/need precision! Specially since some projects, such as watch bands, need to be pared down to exact thickness.

RML has Calati gauges: https://www.rmleathersupply.com/products/calati-25mm-premium-thickness-gauge-made-in-italy?_pos=1&_sid=6a602fece&_ss=r

Alas, they too report thickness in mm only, but since they're marked for tenths, it's a cinch to convert to ounces.

That's a beautiful gauge!  Still comes to over $100 cdn by the time exchange and shipping are added.  If I had money to spare, I'd consider it, but for now I decided to order the Tandy one which here in Canada is just over $50.  I'm hoping that it's worth the price compared with the $20-30 gauges on Amazon.  But there's no way I could justify $100 or more for this.  If it was my business, my livelihood, maybe.  But as a serious hobbyist, and beginner at that, even the $50 was pushing it.

I would have been happy with a gauge reading in metric only, IF I could be assured of accuracy.  And I didn't have confidence in the cheap gauges and then I started thinking it would be cool to have an accurate gauge that was indexed in ounces, which prompted my question.

Best regards...

 

[Hardrada]

6 hours ago, MtlBiker said:

That's a beautiful gauge!  Still comes to over $100 cdn by the time exchange and shipping are added.  If I had money to spare, I'd consider it, but for now I decided to order the Tandy one which here in Canada is just over $50.  I'm hoping that it's worth the price compared with the $20-30 gauges on Amazon.  But there's no way I could justify $100 or more for this.  If it was my business, my livelihood, maybe.  But as a serious hobbyist, and beginner at that, even the $50 was pushing it.

I would have been happy with a gauge reading in metric only, IF I could be assured of accuracy.  And I didn't have confidence in the cheap gauges and then I started thinking it would be cool to have an accurate gauge that was indexed in ounces, which prompted my question.

Best regards...

 

Let us know how that Tandy gauge performs!

[chrisash]

Does accuracy really matter

You buy leather at a approximate thickness be it in ounces or MM , but you skive down to the required thickness based on the original,. there is no set thickness per item its just what you feel happy with, if you want to reduce by 50% just measure the original and reduce to its half the original, for instance if you buy 2mm thick veg tan and want to reduce a part of it that any guide will show you how much you have taken off, its the feel of the leather not the precise measurement. Different temper requires different thickness

Any gauge will show the original size and the new size it makes no difference if measured in Ounces, MM or any other scale

[toxo]

Why worry about ounces? Sooner or later the whole world will convert to the far superior digital and metric system.

[Doc Reaper]

6 minutes ago, toxo said:

Why worry about ounces? Sooner or later the whole world will convert to the far superior digital and metric system.

The old world still has much to teach you asshopper 

[jcuk]

On 1/29/2022 at 8:36 PM, MtlBiker said:

I've been using a typical caliper to measure the thickness of leather and it reads in inches or mm.  Is there a pocket gauge that reads in ounces?  I've been searching on Amazon and it seem all measure in mm or inches.  Surely there's an accurate gauge that reads in ounces?

Thanks

 

Just a thought why don't you print out a leather conversion chart fold it up put it in your pocket next to the gauge are already using.

Hope this helps

JCUK

[MtlBiker]

2 hours ago, chrisash said:

Does accuracy really matter

You buy leather at a approximate thickness be it in ounces or MM , but you skive down to the required thickness based on the original,. there is no set thickness per item its just what you feel happy with, if you want to reduce by 50% just measure the original and reduce to its half the original, for instance if you buy 2mm thick veg tan and want to reduce a part of it that any guide will show you how much you have taken off, its the feel of the leather not the precise measurement. Different temper requires different thickness

Any gauge will show the original size and the new size it makes no difference if measured in Ounces, MM or any other scale

I know you're right about that, but some flaw in my head makes me really want accuracy in my "gadgets".  I on the other hand, may not be that accurate in things I do.    When I got my cylinder arm machine, brand new, I was bummed out that the stitch length setting wasn't accurate, and more importantly that the reverse stitch didn't exactly match the forward stitch.  After attempts to readjust, it is better, but does it really matter than 4mm is really only 3mm?  But it sure bugged me.

For thinning leather again you're right... half is half, regardless of whether that's 1mm or 1.5 or even 2.  But I know I will be comparing the new gauge with my digital vernier caliper(s) when I get it.  (I do have two of those calipers and they are bang on the same.)

Cheers!

 

[MtlBiker]

1 hour ago, jcuk said:

Just a thought why don't you print out a leather conversion chart fold it up put it in your pocket next to the gauge are already using.

Hope this helps

JCUK

The conversion chart isn't the issue... that's easy!  But the gauge I have is a vernier caliper and it really doesn't fit in a pocket.  (Is that a gun in your pocket, or a ...?)  In any case, I've ordered the gauge that Tandy sells.  Should have it in a couple of days.

 

[tsunkasapa]

2 hours ago, toxo said:

Why worry about ounces? Sooner or later the whole world will convert to the far superior digital and metric system.

I put up with the "far superior digital and metric system" while I was stationed in Germany years ago. When I rotated back to the States I dumped it as a bad memory.

I haven't done anything in metric since, and never will.

[toxo]

4 hours ago, tsunkasapa said:

I put up with the "far superior digital and metric system" while I was stationed in Germany years ago. When I rotated back to the States I dumped it as a bad memory.

I haven't done anything in metric since, and never will.

You are of course entitled to your opinion but be sure of why you hold that opinion. It certainly can't be because the imperial system (The American one at that) is easier than dividing/ multiplying everything by ten!!!  Remember a dollar is 100 cents.

[toxo]

On 1/29/2022 at 8:36 PM, MtlBiker said:

I've been using a typical caliper to measure the thickness of leather and it reads in inches or mm.  Is there a pocket gauge that reads in ounces?  I've been searching on Amazon and it seem all measure in mm or inches.  Surely there's an accurate gauge that reads in ounces?

Thanks

 

Why not just cut a circle out of a sticky label and carefully draw the lines and annotate in ounces.

[tsunkasapa]

I've spent 45 years dealing with 1/32, 1/16, 1/8 etc. The dirt guys do things in tenths of a foot or inch. I don't play their game either.

[toxo]

1 minute ago, tsunkasapa said:

I've spent 45 years dealing with 1/32, 1/16, 1/8 etc. The dirt guys do things in tenths of a foot or inch. I don't play their game either.

Me too. In a previous life I was a fabricator/welder and when the metric system came in over here we all had a moan but there's no denying that once you get over it, it's much easier.

[chrisash]

4 hours ago, tsunkasapa said:

I put up with the "far superior digital and metric system" while I was stationed in Germany years ago. When I rotated back to the States I dumped it as a bad memory.

I haven't done anything in metric since, and never will.

I guess you have no 9mm or 7.62mm guns then, You only have to look at life to see the vast number of standards that are well past their sell by date,  thread in a measure of weight, nuts and bolts in various different threads, sewing needles that are impossible to compare, maybe metric has some advantages

[tsunkasapa]

No, I'll stick with what I know.

2 minutes ago, chrisash said:

I guess you have no 9mm or 7.62mm guns then, You only have to look at life to see the vast number of standards that are well past their sell by date,  thread in a measure of weight, nuts and bolts in various different threads, sewing needles that are impossible to compare, maybe metric has some advantages

I have a .308 , a .223, .357, .45 etc

[Hardrada]

7 hours ago, toxo said:

Why worry about ounces? Sooner or later the whole world will convert to the far superior digital and metric system.

Really.

Silly me: after growing up with metric, for the last couple of years I've been actively converting to Imperial and analog.

[Sheilajeanne]

I keep this chart on the side of my computer. It makes it very easy to convert:

 

https://tandyleather.ca/pages/leather-buying-guide