If you plan on working with bolts and screws, then you'll want to invest in a thread gage. Then you can measure pitches and confirm fasteners are going to work well for projects. If this is your first time using one of these gages, follow these directions. 

Assess the Fastener First

Since there are different types of thread gages you can use to measure pitches, it's important that you account for the specific type of fastener you're looking to analyze. Then you can select the right corresponding gage and consistently get the best pitch readings possible. 

For instance, if you were looking to measure the pitch of nuts, you would need a plug gage that actually goes inside the nut. Whereas if you're measuring the pitch of bolts, a ring gauge would be more appropriate to use. 

Use Compressed Air For Cleaning

You'll want to get in the habit of cleaning your thread gages because debris and dirt can collect in their grooves. This will certainly happen if you keep thread gages outside of storage containers. Cleaning isn't going to be a labored endeavor though if you just spray compressed air all over the gages. 

You can create a lot of pressure and get inside grooves without straining yourself. Do this before using thread gages and then you can get accurate pitch measurements every time. You'll also keep yourself from damaging fasteners that you're looking to analyze since your gage will be totally clean.

Perform Multiple Assessments

If you've never used thread gages before on various fastener types, then you want to make sure you're getting accurate results on a consistent basis. In that case, you'll want to perform more than one pitch assessment when using this tool.

Whatever reading you got prior, you can make sure it's the same by using the thread gage on a fastener again. If you don't have consistent results, then that's an indication something is off with the gage and it subsequently needs to be professionally calibrated. It may even need to be replaced, depending on the current condition that it's in, but you can leave this assessment up to a professional.

Finding out about the pitches of fasteners won't take long if you just rely on thread gages. As a novice using them for the first time, make sure you use the right gage and in the proper ways to get the best results. 

Contact an industrial equipment supplier to learn more about British thread gages.