Talk:Gauge (instrument)

Merge

No. This page was created to separate the engineering specific gauges from the disambiguation page for gauges, which has entries such as - Gauge (porn star), Rail gauge etc. Given some attention this page will become a suitable starting point for engineering gauges and become more than a stub and or list. The template (at the bottom of the page) is also specific to metalworking, which suits this pages contents. — Graibeard 00:55, 18 January 2006 (UTC)

Link to German page "Lehre"

This page is linked to the German WP page "Lehre". The English page states that a gauge can be used to make measurements, and indeed lists several devices that can be used to measure a workpiece in terms of concrete numbers. A "Lehre" is, according to the German page, a reference device that can be used to judge a workpiece in terms of "correct" or "incorrect", possibly in terms of "correct"/ "too short" / "too long", but without measuring concrete numbers (the German article explicitly states this). This means that either the German article, or the English article, or the link between them is wrong, or the English term "gauge" is ambiguous in the sense that it can refer to either type of device.

Could anybody with more knowledge about the subject clarify this?

80.148.8.66 (talk) 11:57, 12 May 2011 (UTC)

Seems like the answer is hidden in the list of examples, with the term "Go-NoGo gauge" being equivalent to "Lehre". So this is probably just an issue of properly refactoring the page.

80.148.8.66 (talk) 12:00, 12 May 2011 (UTC)

Requested moves

The following is a closed discussion of a requested move. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made in a new section on the talk page. Editors desiring to contest the closing decision should consider a move review. No further edits should be made to this section.

The result of the move request was: no consensus to move the pages at this time; no apparent consensus at this point to treat the instrument and the idea of "gauge" as a measurement together in the same article, although as that is a matter of content it is not within the scope of this close. Dekimasuよ! 03:03, 12 November 2014 (UTC)

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• Gauge (instrument) → Gauge
• Gauge → Gauge (disambiguation)

– I propose that the clear primary topic of the word "Gauge" is the set of things used to measure scientific and engineering quantities. The various partial title matches that are redundant to this meaning should also be removed from the disambiguation page. bd2412 T 18:57, 5 November 2014 (UTC)

• Oppose: Several common uses do not fit this definition – e.g., Gauge (bore diameter), Wire gauge, and Track gauge, just to name a few. Often, the term "gauge" seems to refer to the size of something rather than a measurement instrument. There are a lot of different uses, so perhaps the dab page should remain at the base name. —BarrelProof (talk) 20:04, 5 November 2014 (UTC)
  • Aside from Gauge (bore diameter), aren't these all partial title matches? bd2412 T 20:23, 5 November 2014 (UTC)
    • I don't think so. I believe it's common to refer to the gauge of a railway or the gauge of a wire, just as it is to refer to the gauge of a shotgun. —BarrelProof (talk) 20:38, 5 November 2014 (UTC)
      • DePiep makes an interesting point - a gauge can be a device used to measure something, or the measurement itself. Perhaps the better solution would be to move Gauge (instrument) to Gauge (measurement), and add information about subjects for which the measurement itself (whatever the device used) is known as a gauge. bd2412 T 21:26, 5 November 2014 (UTC)
        • Actually, that is not what I tried to say. Really, a track gauge is a definition saying "It be 1435 mm". No gauging instrument in play. Of course when the drawings leave the office for construction, there will be a question about "what precision, when I check the works?" &tc., but that is not part of the track gauge definition. (On second thought, as with calibre it can be called 'normative' I guess, not measured. Over at {{Track gauge}}, I treat track gauges tabular - not still measured). -DePiep (talk) 21:34, 5 November 2014 (UTC)
          • Still, there has to be some measurement performed at some point, or else you wouldn't know that it was 1435 mm (and once you know that, the object that has that "gauge" can itself be used as a device against which other things can be measured). bd2412 T 21:49, 5 November 2014 (UTC)
            • You are more right that I first thought, I struck. As long as we recognise that there are two meanings of the word "gauge", that's ok. On a detail level, I would not call it "gauge (measurement)". Maybe "gauge (definition)" or "gauge (norm/ative)". Still, such an article could be merged into your proposal gauge. That's why I am neutral.

An interesting sidetrack. From WT:MOSNUM and the wonderful SI standard I learned this, just last week. "Temperature" (or T) is a quantity, and "50 °F" is a value of Temperature. "25 °C" is also a value. (A value has a numerical value and a unit). "Track gauge" is a quantity of length (can be written L_{track gauge}), and "1435 mm" is a value, "4 ft 8+1⁄2 in" is a value. Knowing this, I should never use "Track gauge measurement" again when I mean to say "Track gauge value". And this nicely solves our little discussion here: a "gauge (instrument)" does & shows a measurement. And a "track gauge" is a value of length — no 'measurement' mentioned in this one. This too fits in your proposal, provided that you mention this "'gauge' is also use as ..." word usage. -DePiep (talk) 09:33, 6 November 2014 (UTC)

• Neutral. I work with Track gauge a lot, and as BarrelProof says that is a definition, not a measurement (no roundings or precision involved!). A bore is the same? But I do not oppose the move, because I think that topic (gauge as a definition) could be in the article gauge too. -DePiep (talk) 21:21, 5 November 2014 (UTC)
• Oppose per bd2412BarrelProof. I think the category of measuring device and the defined size term (ie. gauge of a gun, gauge of rail tracks) are sufficiently different that they should exist in separate articles. The disambiguation page should remain the primary landing spot -- 67.70.35.44 (talk) 05:51, 6 November 2014 (UTC)

Note: Oppose per bd2412 you wrote, but bd2412 is supporting (nominating) the proposal. However, your 'opposing' argument is absolutely clear. -DePiep (talk) 09:36, 6 November 2014 (UTC)

Sorry, I mean BarrelProof, I copypasted the wrong signature; it's been corrected. -- 67.70.35.44 (talk) 05:07, 7 November 2014 (UTC)

• Support - while this is not the only use it is in my opinion primary. Red Slash 02:09, 9 November 2014 (UTC)

• Oppose per User:BarrelProof. A few other "gauges" are important topics and, together, are at least as important as the instrument. To address User:BD2412's concerns that some of these gauges are partial title matches, I would note that, while WP:NATURAL has given us article titles like track gauge and wire gauge, these are usually referred to as simply "gauge" within the context of their respective subject areas; in short, they are not partial title matches. —  AjaxSmack  02:34, 11 November 2014 (UTC)

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The above discussion is preserved as an archive of a requested move. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made in a new section on this talk page or in a move review. No further edits should be made to this section.

Gauge vs. Gage

Is there a difference between Gauge and Gage? I wonder if the following is true(?):

• Gage≔ To agree on the determination, measure or value. E.g., a group may gage the validity of a determination. The same root as engage (one’s promise to marry or the willingness to enter an agreement) and wage (a security or an item that is deposited in lieu of a loan).

• Gauge≔ A measure and/or measuring instrument, a noun as well as verb — Preceding unsigned comment added by Javaknight3 (talk • contribs) 15:44, 28 November 2014 (UTC)