But on the first day that I used it I went back to the same spot on my Explorer and re-took a reading and it was always the exact same measurement. I never checked it from one day to the next to see if the measurement would remain the same. I did re-calibrate it each time I took it out of the toolbox. I found that once you calibrate it, it held cal throughout the day. Would you rather suffer with a little bit of a scratch remaining after a modest sanding and polishing job, or would you prefer to have to pay for a repaint because you absolutely HAD to get every bit of that scratch out?ĭo you have to recalibrate it every time you use it? Or is it a one time deal? How long do you think the batteries will last? Thanks!That was something that I should have mentioned. As an example, I might be willing to attempt wet sanding my repainted door, a little less comfortable trying it on my hood, but absolutely NOT on my roof. It could help prevent you from ruining your finish. In conclusion, this cheapo gauge is absolutely worth the money. As has been used in many legal disclaimers "YOUR RESULTS MAY VARY". I would advise anyone read this tutorial on paint thicknessīefore ANY sanding projects. This amount of removal is consistent with published, allowable limits for clearcoat removal of 25% of average thickness. If all the published reports about clearcoat thickness have been accurate the with a total of 9 microns being removed (from this test hood). Then just for the fun of it I used a finishing foam pad and Menzerna Nano and NO change in thickness could be measured. The I hit it with the wool pad and compound, only another micron was removed. The post sanding measurements were 119 down to 107. Same process with the 2500 except it took around two hundred strokes before I was satisfied. All the shiny texture was gone and the hood was ready for the 2500 grit to remove the "heavy" scratching from the 1500. 127 down to 114 microns.Īfter sanding for appx one hundred strokes, back and forth with 1500 grit paper and water. I got readings that were very consistent.
I started by taking ten measurements at various places on the hood. I got out my test hood, sandpaper, spray bottle of water, rubber sanding blocks, Makita rotary, heavy wool pad, and Meguiars #84 cutting compound and went to work. I tested several other cars with similar results. Just goes to show you how thin the paint build is on factory paint. I know that the door was re-skinned so I know that it has only new paint on it.
#Depth gauge harbor freight drivers#
I got reading of 112 microns on the hood, 83 on the roof, and 221 on the new paint on the repaired drivers door. The first car I tested it on was my 1992 Ford Explorer. And you use the up and down buttons to make the meter read exactly what is printed on the test strip. Then you take another reading of the metal plate but with the test strip between the gauge and the plate. You take a reading of a round metal disc that is provided with the gauge, then zero the gauge with the up and down buttons. The metric is in microns and if much more useful since it reads in thousandths of a millimeter, a much smaller measurement.īefore using the gauge you must calibrate it. The inch readings are in thousands of an inch and tenths of a thousandth. And a button to toggle between inch and metric. Up and down buttons for changing the calibration. On the side it has a backlight button, cal (or calibrate) button. It has a trigger for on-off and take a reading. It looks like a generic remote reading temp gauge, with different setting buttons. I ordered it online since it was not carried in my local Harbor Freight store. It's worth the money and works great for way less money.
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