I use to go to woodworking galleries (I live near the Krenov school in Mendocino county) and look at the beautiful, precise work and wish I were that good. To broaden my skills, I took a machinist course and learned how to work to a tolerance of 0.001”. I then applied that knowledge to woodworking and it really upped my quality. I now have 2 calipers (one dial, one digital) on my bench at all times. I don’t work to 0.001” with wood but I’m a lot more accurate than just measuring with a rule. I like the dial caliper because my eye is much better at determining “close enough”.