Starrett 12" machinist level - $200 - Goderich, On

[Susquatch]

Any opinions?

I'd call that the patina of a life well lived and give it the love it deserves. It's probably way better just as it is than most modern levels.

 

[skippyelwell]

Damn, I thought I might have a good project in the offing.
The two Bakelite protective shoulders are chipped so I'll keep myself happy by making some new ones.

 

[Lucky7]

It is a purdy level!

Up there with my personal favorite- Japanese Riken.

 

[Mcgyver]

What lucky said ....hard to gauge from photos but if they are are deep/large enough to affect the performance, you could take a hard arkansas stone to it to remove any burrs around the scratches. A proper hard Arkansas stone cuts so slowly you won't affect the geometry but any small proud areas beside the indentation will be get polished away.

Nice level btw

 

[6.5 Fan]

I pulled my Starrett precision level out of its box last evening, *^%$#^&*^$###^* rust on half of the base. Not sure on how to best attack it, will hit it with some fluid film for now. Not sure why this tool got rust as i don't have a problem with anything else in the basement.

 

[Susquatch]

Not sure why this tool got rust as i don't have a problem with anything else in the basement.

It was inside a box.

When you last opened the box, you got some air in there that had higher than usual humidity. Maybe say only 60%. When winter arrived, the box got cold and that raised the humidity inside the box to 100%.

To put some hard numbers on an example, if the temperature and humidity when you closed the box was 70°F at a very dry 60% relative humidity, you would reach the dew point inside the box at just 55°F.

On the other hand, if you western guys didn't use boxes, the air would not have been trapped and the overall humidity would probably go down or at least stay below the dew point. That's why closed containers are usually bad.

You can either
1. put dessicant in the container
2. Use a VCI packet,
3. Or, keep the temperature up.

Hopefully, it's just surface rust that can be cleaned off without affecting the accuracy of the level.

 

[slow-poke]

I never throw out those small desiccant packages that they include in every other shipment. I keep at least one in each drawer of my toolboxes, put the fresh one in and then throw out the old one.

 

[Susquatch]

I never throw out those small desiccant packages that they include in every other shipment. I keep at least one in each drawer of my toolboxes, put the fresh one in and then throw out the old one.

Prolly not enough in Ottawa. It's not like the arm pit down here, but still pretty bad.

You can stick those packets in a toaster oven to rejuvenate the dessicant. I spread them out on a baking pan for 2hrs at 300F, and then put them in a big sealed canning jar for later use.

Best is to combine them with ZeRust VCI Cartridges.

 

[Susquatch]

The Starrett level has arrived at its new home.

@Chicken lights swung by here on his way through and dropped it off. He also got to see the last of the straggler bees.

A HUGE BIG SHOUT OUT to @Chicken lights for picking it up for me and to @Dan Dubeau for posting about it.

HAPPY HAPPY old man here!

 

[Dan Dubeau]

Glad you picked it up. Always happy to help others spend their money .

 

[Perry]

I found a tired out 6" Moore and Wright. Slight bit of corrosion on the machined surfaces. .....And no box.

There is a STL file for a case for the Starrett 6" online but the M&W is a few millimeters too big for it.

Starrett no 98 machinist level case by flashboiler

Starrett no 98 case. Bought a level on ebay, no box so I made one. Hinge prints in place. Latch snaps on and M3x6 flathead and M3 nut keep it from sliding too far.I printed mine on a Bambu A1, .2 layer and support on build plate only as shownEnjoy!

www.thingiverse.com

Soooo......here is my version...I basically copied the one above ....first attempt with a print in place hinge. Worked out fine. Probably could have tightened up the tolerance on the hinge a little more.

 

[MashingMetal]

I have all the sizes up to 18”
Well worth it!

 

[Dabbler]

I have a 6" and a 22" Moore and Wright - I love them.

 

[Susquatch]

So I took the time to calibrate it today. Perfect just the way it arrived. Not only that but the sensitivity is exactly as advertised. One graduation on the dial is 0.005 thou over 12". Nice. It will work quite well with my 8" Master. Very happy.

 

[Lucky7]

I have a 6" and a 22" Moore and Wright - I love them.

If you get the chance could you show a pic of the 22” Moore and Wright?

 

[Dabbler]

pic of the 22” Moore and Wright?

Finger fumble I didn't catch. I have a 6" and 12" Moore and Wright. Very sorry. Fuzzy brain these days.

 

[MashingMetal]

Finger fumble I didn't catch. I have a 6" and 12" Moore and Wright. Very sorry. Fuzzy brain these days.

The longer ones are in the cast builders levels. I think I have fuzzy brain too, no idea where they are in the shop.

 

[Susquatch]

I think I have fuzzy brain too, no idea where they are in the shop.

That's too funny.

When I went to put mine away, I could not find my other ones either. In the end, I found them in a drawer. No wonder they were lost. I have to stop doing that. They belong in a pile on a surface someplace.

Worse, the new one is too big to fit in that same drawer. So everything has to move. A surface pile is sounding better and better.

 

[Dabbler]

hey belong in a pile on a surface someplace.