Starrett combination square - worth the price

[Unisaw A100]

I try and not use my Builders Square too much. I'm too afeared I'll use up all its magic.

And in the end its somewhat of a quality of life issue. It just makes the quality of my life that much nicer and judging by the early onset of curmudgeoness I need all the nice I can get.

By the way, Woodcraft sells a 4-piece import that has the same heft as a Starrett I wouldn't hesitate to test drive one and the full set costs the same as the 2-piece Starrett. Also, almost any industrial supply house (MSC/Reid,etc.) all offer off shore squares at a lesser cost than a Starrett. They are worth consideration.

UA100

[Doug Miller]

Oh, please. MDF sheets "absolutely square"? You *must* be joking.

-- Regards, Doug Miller (alphageek-at-milmac-dot-com)

[Donnie Vazquez]

I don't know about Johnson but fairly recently, (6 mo. - 1 yr.) one of the magazines did a comparison of adjustable squares and the Stanley received a good review. I have one and it's been fine. I have had some crappy ones in the past but this Stanley is square, and a hell of a lot cheaper than the Starret.

[DarylRos]

1. It's not probably the best square around. It IS the best sqaure around.
2. Your engineer's square (I have one as well) is probably accurate enough for any woodworking, as it is with mine.
3. The Starrett is accurate based on the latest standards of measurment and accuaracy. All other squares are tested by comparign to a Starret. Really.

I had a crappy try square years ago. I've had the Starret for over a decade, and it is still perfect. It not only measures square, inside and out (as well as 45), the rule is a Starrett, the easiest to read, and is also accurate.

The slide mechanism is perfect, even after years of use. Not misuse. You get on, besides the cost, you don't want to misuse it. I have Norris planes, Knight planes, Two Cherries Chisels, a MiniMax bandsaw, a Unisaw. The Starret is my favorite tool.

[CW]

They compare favorably with Moore and Wright, Brown and Sharp, Mititoyo, ect, ect.

Totally false. I don't know where this rumor ever got started but the only place I've heard it is on this group. About time some set the record strait.

[John McCoy]

"Bill Rittner" wrote in news:euCdb.2778$N94.2577@lakeread02:

Of course, that's only as accurate as the straightness of the edge of the "straight" board you're using. You may be measuring the curve of the edge of the board (times 2, of course). Which then begs the question "how do I test an edge for straightness" :-)

John

[Bob Davis]

I am very pleased with the opinions and thoughts offered in response to my original query. I thought it was pretty balanced. One reader sent me a link to a website that had a very good tutorial on the various heads offered with Starrett tools. That was educational. I did not even know you could get a protractor head.

So I've decided to

1) stalk ebay and see if I can find a starrett at some savings 2) if 1) fails, go buy a Stanley 3) Buy a forged steel starrett with all the heads when I make the purchase of a good jointer and planer for my shop.

I'd prefer to start with number 3, but its kind of expensive. Until I get milling tools, I think the accuracy of a starrett will be academic for me.

Bob

[B a r r y B u r k e J r .]

In the meantime, the Fine Woodworking web site has an article on tuning combi squares. This could come in handy with any square.

However, it won't put the beautiful markings and precision feel of a Starrett, B&S, or other high-end model into the cheaper tool.

Have fun, Barry

[B a r r y B u r k e J r .]

I actually have a *gasp* Craftsman combo square that's accurate, but I still prefer my Starretts.

It goes beyond square, the Starrett rule is much easier to read, the mechanism works better, the blade edges are truly parallel, and the ends of the blade are truly square with the edges.

I use the Craftsman outdoors, on construction type stuff, and it's the one I loan out.

Barry

[Nova]

With a Starrett straight edge.

-- Jack Novak Buffalo, NY - USA

[Bannerstone]

Truthfully Bob, you can do fine woodwork with either. I used a cheap stanley as child for my tool pouch, its been dropped plenty, its still around somewhere and plenty useable for carpentry work. Now of course I've used Starrett and Millers Falls machinist quality Comb. squares here in the shop and its really hard to go back once you've used really nicely made tools. It took me a good long while combing the flea markets and the bay for a good deal and I'm glad I waited because I fould some very good deals and acquired quite a lot of Starret tools that are useful for woodworking. And your odds of getting a quality used tool are really pretty good when you're buying high end stuff like Starrett.

My advice, keep an inexpensive square for outside the shop, not necessarily a comb square, tri squares, machinist's squares and aluminum framing squares are very handy too and affordable. Then keep your eye out for a machinist quality square at a good price.

David

P.S. As you grow older and your eyesight changes you'll appreciate the readability of the Starrett scales. :)

[Bob Davis]

Now that's disgusting. :-) I need to have my wife do my shopping. She found a painting appraised at $8000. The little store didn't know what they had and asked $300 for the painting with the frame. She offered $200 for the painting without the frame and bought it. Now we have to carry insurance on the thing.

Speaking of insurance, I better go check my home owners policy and see what it says about a shop full of expensive tools -- getting there one saw blade at a time.

[Dr. Rev. Chuck, M.D. P.A.]

For the real hardcore:

[Steve Knight]

On Mon, 29 Sep 2003 18:39:36 -0700, "Dr. Rev. Chuck, M.D. P.A."

of O-1. what a pain in the rear.

[David Hall]

This thread made me go look at my combo square set to see what it is. These are fairly old tools that were my dad's that I got after he died. It appears that the protractor head and the center finder head is a Starrett as it says " L.S. Starrett Co. Athol Mass U.S.A. No. 12". The rule in it has no name. The Center Finder head has no markings, but appears to be a Starrett only because it looks the same as the Protractor head and has the same tightening knob. It has a nicely marked Union Tool Company rule that has been broken off at about 9". The square head has no markings, but looks like the Starrett protractor head but has a different shaped adjuster knob. It has no scratch awl and never did , there being no place for it. This one has a "Universal No. 65" 12" rule from the Lufkin Rule Company. All I know is that the square seems square (by the board test), the center finder seems to find the center, and the protractor head seems dead on at any angle that I can test with something decent (i.e. 45 and 30 degrees. That old Starrett protrator head moves very smoothly and is clearly well made. I will say that the Union Tool rule seems to fit best in all of them sliding more smoothly than the others, too bad it was broken at some point. I probably should get a Starrett rule for them some day.

Dave Hall