best price on starrett 36" straightedge

it can be hard to find good prices on such items. ebay can be good but I just checked

There's an outfit called J & L: Industrial that sells them...I paid $105 for mine a few months ago. But you HAVE to wait for one of their "Buy 5 items, get 25% off" sale. By the straightedge and little items and you're on your way. Or sometimes they put all precision measuring instruments on sale for 25% off.

Without that sale, they're expensive.

Their site is

For the record, it's a tool I wouldn't be without. It's only defect is that it isn't five feet long... :-)

I did not say cheap. I just said not starrett. Knight-Toolworks

thanks.. I had heard about that site.. so I'll keep my eyes open.

I have the Lee Valley alum>

How much of a difference does it actually make? Assuming you don't bang it around, will the aluminum one go out of whack with just regular use?

Chris

Mine isn't either... :)

dave

yeah... I know.. I've contemplated this for too long.

The 1st SL I got from LV had noticeable twist. They sent a 2nd. It's as true as my jointer bed ;-) (a Jet 6").

The problem I see is most everyth>nospam snipped-for-privacy@mesanetworks.net wrote:

Steve is correct. Check out the Mititoyo brand as well. Also Lufkin. Even a General will be within .005 ... probably no more than a couple thou out.

There are also techniques for verifying & correcting straightness by either direct measurement or by comparing them to two other reference edges.

It's how the old-timers made their own straight edges and flats.

Bill

...until the first time you drop it.

that is one nice thing about the LV.. it's hollowed out slightly.. makes a nice grip.. whereas the Starret appears to be a solid chunk. The piont about dropping is well taken..

If 0.005 is all you want, just buy some precision ground flat stock of a thickness and width sufficient to give you the warm fuzzies. You can even get Starrett's version of it. :)

There is even a pre-hardened version...

er

| sale is on now... | | should I get beveled or not? | | I need a cheap telescoping guage set.. but what other inexpensive 3 | items would be good "filler"

How about a pair of magnetic bases to hold a featherboard?

-- Morris Dovey DeSoto Solar DeSoto, Iowa USA

sale is on now...

should I get beveled or not?

I need a cheap telescoping guage set.. but what other inexpensive 3 items would be good "filler"

I could use a 12" 4R or similar rule.. but the options are staggering.. on their website..

I got the Starrett 6" hook rule...it lives in my hands.

Alright.. I got the Starrett 36" nonbevel nongraduated edge. Nice piece of steel. I need to go lay if across the jointer bed and see if it's straight ;-)

In defense of the Lee Valley 38" aluminum flavor.. 1st I got it for $35 at a WW show.. so no shipping. The Starret was $106 + shipping; call it $10 since most of the weight was the Starret (used the 25% off deal at JLindustrial).

So.. $35 vs $116 (though I see the LV is now about $40).

The Starret is a 7/32" wide, the LV 7/16". 7/32" is tough to sit upright w/o support. I might end up fitting up some wooden "training wheels" to prevent it from tipping over and tumbling off whatever I'm leveling. If I leave the "outriggers" a tad shy of the reference edge, they won't effect the measurement, but they will be in the way.

The Starret is steel, LV aluminum (though LV has a steel 24" one available, but I really wanted 36" +).

The Starret is a "block" of steel, somewhat hard to grap ahold of; the LV is hollowed out in the center; easier to grab and hang onto.

The Starret is solid; the LV has a hole to hang it up.

If my 1st go-around w/ the LV would have been good (my 1st one had detectable twist in it), I probably would have never questioned it's accuracy.

The LV has a lot more "useability features", the Starret, hopefully.. is more accurate and a once in a LT purchase.

For general use, where the risk of damaging is inherent, and accuracy is so-so, the LV would be my choice. Since I now have the Starret, I'll have to make sure I don't use it for any of those cases ;-)