There are a few ways in which to use Mitutoyo calipers to measure in a machine-shop or engineering setting. By knowing the correct way to read the calipers, you can measure outer diameters, inner diameters and holes with accuracy and speed. By making sure to zero your calipers before any measurement, you can assure that your efforts result in the most accurate measurements possible.

Zero the calipers to get an accurate measurement. To do so, close the calipers and hold them up to a light source to check for gaps. Clean the blades and close them again if there are gaps. Unscrew the retaining screw located on the top of the dial. Turn the dial bezel until the indicating marker is on the zero spot. Open and close the calipers a few times to make sure it continuously goes to zero. Re-tighten the screw.

Hold the Mitutoyo calipers in your right hand and open the jaws using the thumb wheel, located to the right of the dial. Hold the part to be measured in your left hand.

Place the part in between the jaws of the calipers and slowly close the jaws so that the blades touch each side to be measured. Use the numbers to the left of the pointer on the slide of the calipers for the first part of the measurement, which indicates inches and hundredths of an inch. For example, if the pointer on the slide is to the right of the big 1 and just past the smaller three, then the first part of the measurement is 1.3 inches. Append the number indicated on the dial, so if it is at 50, which is an actual reading of .050 inch, then the total measurement would be 1.350 inches.

Use the Mitutoyo calipers to measure an inner diameter. Close the calipers and place the smaller blades that point upwards inside of a tube or other space that needs to be measured from the inside. Slowly open the calipers until the small blades touch each side of the inner space. Read the measurement in the same manner as indicated in Step 3.

Use the calipers to measure hole depth. Open the calipers to past the presumed depth of the hole. Lower the thin stick-like metal rod sticking out of the back end of the calipers into the hole until it touches the bottom. Press down on the calipers so that the back end touches the top of the hole. Read the calipers as in Step 3.