Tool for measuring pivot to spindle distance?

I think I am confusing folks, or I am confused myself, lol, I know what the spindle to pivot distance is supposed to be, just looking for a tool that will give me a reasonably accurate measurement.

I have a Teres turntable with the original acrylic armboard; my Moerch DP-6 (with a 12" armtube) is already mounted in the armboard. The arm board is loose because the hex screw was not tightened down. The tone arm manufacturer says the spindle to pivot distance should be set at 294.1mm (11 9/16".) I am assuming, perhaps incorrectly, that I need to move the armboard until the spindle to pivot distance matches, or gets very close to, the manufacturer's recommendations, then I can tighten down the screw to keep the armboard in place and go on to align the cartridge with a protractor.

Am I going about this wrong? Doesn't the mounting distance need to be basically correct and the armboard secured in the right place before you use the protractor to align the cartridge? Or do you align the cartridge with the protractor and once the null points are correct, that means the tonearm pivot to spindle distance is automatically correct and you tighten down the arm board then?

I have been looking at that Neiko caliper, too, Banquo. I would think that it would be accurate enough for use in turntable set up - and the price certainly works for me!

I am assuming, perhaps incorrectly, that I need to move the armboard until the spindle to pivot distance matches, or gets very close to, the manufacturer's recommendations, then I can tighten down the screw to keep the armboard in place and go on to align the cartridge with a protractor.

Correct. The tonearm must be mounted with the correct S2P distance before the cartridge is mounted using an arc protractor specified for 294.1mm S2P distance.

Also, when using the caliper to measure the S2P distance, take the arm wand off and measure to base pivot point. This will eliminate the possibility of damage, plus you will create a more level measuring distance (if the spindle point and pivot point are not level, your measured S2P distance will be slightly off)

Sorry, Mofi and Lewm - for some reason didn't see your posts when I wrote my last one. Mofi has the situation correctly described, and, no, I can't blame him for the unsecured state of the armboard. :-D

Mofimadness has a Dennesen protractor/Soundtraktor, too, Lewm, and I would love to have one, but, they don't seem to come up for sale/auction very often anymore, and the Nerve Audio protractors, which appear to be a copy of the Dennesen Soundtracktor, is almost $200, so out of my reach.

So, I need to get a good metric ruler or an acceptable pair of digital calipers; I may go the Harbor Freight route; their Pittsburgh calipers get decent reviews.

Holly

Dear Oakris, You wrote, "I think I am confusing folks, or I am confused myself, lol, I know what the spindle to pivot distance is supposed to be, just looking for a tool that will give me a reasonably accurate measurement."

I realized that not everyone was responding to your actual question, and I understand the problem. Which is why I posted about how I use the Dennesen protractor to set P2S (that's the standard abbreviation in these parts for "pivot to spindle"). It works. What I then pointed out is that the Dennesen is really a protractor for aligning a cartridge. So after you've mounted your tonearm at the exact correct P2S distance, then you can use it again, as Mr Dennesen intended.

My last post was written before your last post got posted.
Scour the for sale sections of this and other audio websites and even eBay, and I think you should be able to find a Dennesen or a Dennesen copy for under $100, with some patience.

Truthfully, if we accept on faith that the P2S should be within +/-1mm of exactly correct (even better than that, according to some), I don't know how you will achieve the goal with calipers. If no Dennesen, you might consider taking a stiff sheet of paper or a very thin sheet of plastic. Then take a very accurate metric ruler and measure out the desired P2S. Then carefully punch a hole the size of your spindle, centered on one of the end marks. Then punch a much smaller hole centered on the other mark. You should do fine with that. No calipers needed, only a good metric ruler.