Machinist tool scores...post 'em up!

[davethorik]

Lots of neat tool score threads here but I didn't see one dedicated to machinist tools. I am a cnc/manual machinist by trade and collecting machinist tools can be a fun pastime. I try to use most of them at work so I don't feel guilty about buying tools I don't use. Here are some of my scores from this past summer, which has been really good for tool hunting.

Pic 1- Starrett no. 123-6 master vernier calipers, 6", like new. I got these for $5 off C/L
Pic 2- Starrett Nos. 91B & 91D tap handles. I got these at a gun show for $40
Pic 3- Pratt & Whitney no. C-2504R 24" chrome clad combination square rule. $5 at a yard sale
Pic 4- Starrett/Webber gage block stone (Arkansas stone) $1 at a gun show
Pic 5- Lufkin no. 6801D 1-1/2" to 32" tubular i.d. micrometer set. $50 at tag sale
Pic 6- Starrett C636ME-1000 meter long steel rule in inches/mm $2 at pawn shop
Pic 7- Lufkin no. 683 "Multi-Mike" and Mitutoyo no. 146-104 groove micrometers. Bought the pair off C/L for $60 made the $ back selling the Mitutoyo to a coworker, so the Lufkin was free.

Let's see some of yours!

 

[small]

You did very very well on those. I can't say I have done as well, ever. Good eye, most people these days don't even know what those tools are for.

 

[metaldad]

Didn't know that lufkin was into 'fine' measurement devices.

 

[Tamper84]

Oh yes. I didn't realize that myself until I got in on the hobby machining game. Lufkin and Starrett are side by side. At least with the older stuff.

Chris

 

[WWIIjeep]

Didn't know that lufkin was into 'fine' measurement devices.

As Tamper84 said, Lufkin used to be right alongside Starrett (and Brown & Sharpe too). All that changed after Cooper Industries bought Lufkin in the late 1960s, and now that Lufkin is part of Apex Tool Group, so you have to be about "grandpa" age, or even great-grandpa age, to remember when Lufkin meant precision.

 

[A_Pmech]

I could have used that groove mic last week.

I keep meaning to snag one off ebay...

 

[hofferwood]

1/2 off last day of an Estate sale= $9.00

I GOT LUCKY

 

[hofferwood]

$15.00 first day of the same sale.
2" indexable face mill.

Garage sale up the road $3.00

 

[justanengineer]

Ive got quite a few scores on machinist tooling, but my favorite is this Sjorgen collet chuck that I snagged off the top of a pile of tires at the very beginning of a shop auction a few years ago. Apparently the auction "help" thought it was some kind of a wheel, and since nobody is interested in used tires, I believe I paid $5. At the same auction, I bought an old B&S 8" mill vise for ~$10 bc the "help" was using it for a doorstop. Just goes to show you, when youre at an auction you need to look EVERY-FREAKIN-WHERE.

 

[nine4gmc]

My best score this year was probably this B&S 750-C v-block that I got for FREE with the purchase of a $9 drill press vise

 

[WNYflyer]

As Tamper84 said, Lufkin used to be right alongside Starrett (and Brown & Sharpe too). All that changed after Cooper Industries bought Lufkin in the late 1960s, and now that Lufkin is part of Apex Tool Group, so you have to be about "grandpa" age, or even great-grandpa age, to remember when Lufkin meant precision.

Yep I would figure Great-Grandpa now. I am 51 and any machinist tools my uncle or I have came from my grandfather. Most are Lufkin and Brown&Sharpe with a few Starrett tools also. Within reason I pick up old Lufkin precision tools simple because they are not made anymore. Starrett I can pick up anytime thus no thrill in finding those. Of course this is coming from someone who needs machinist tools on rare occasions.

 

[davethorik]

$450. A couple of tool boxes aren't in the pics.

Nice! A lot of people try to sell full tool boxes around here and routinely want $2k for a lot of rusty junk. Looks like you done good!

here are a few more of mine:

#1- Brown & Sharpe no. 7743 magnetic surface gage in good shape. $20 at the gun show
#2- Starrett no. 220XFL-1 multi anvil micrometer, NIB, $40 from guy who bought and never used and needed $.
#3- Starrett no. 650B5 back plunger dial indicator w/ deep hole attachment. Amazon randomly had this on sale for $98 NIB.
#4- Starrett no. 223RL paper gage micrometer, looks new, 0-11/32" range, $30 off C/L
#5- pair of Lufkin no. 910B 1-1/4" parallel clamps, in orig box, nice color case hardening, my mom got these for $5 at a yard sale out of state.
#6- Scherr-Tumico no. 375-24 vernier calipers, 24", in wood box, $70 at pawn shop.
#7- Starrett no. 13A 4" double square, $10 off C/L.

 

[davethorik]

As Tamper84 said, Lufkin used to be right alongside Starrett (and Brown & Sharpe too). All that changed after Cooper Industries bought Lufkin in the late 1960s, and now that Lufkin is part of Apex Tool Group, so you have to be about "grandpa" age, or even great-grandpa age, to remember when Lufkin meant precision.

yes. the old Lufkin stuff is solid and reliable as long as it hasn't been totally destroyed over the years. You can't get parts for Lufkin tools but a lot of the time, Starrett parts will interchange. I am partial to the Lufkin stuff as you can often get it for relatively inexpensive prices compared to Starrett.

Here are 2 more pics. The first is a Lufkin no. 2-B20-100-5 dial indicator. I got this indicator for doing some work for someone. It didn't have a crystal but I put one from an old junker Starrett on it to keep debris out, hence the yellowed color. The case of this indicator is made of chrome plated brass and this is one hefty chunk of metal. It is also accurate.

The next, are 2 examples of Lufkin 0-1" micrometers with carbide faces and tenths verniers. I got these for $10 each on ebay. They are both calibrated, however they have wear and the friction thimble on the lower mic no longer works. The upper mic has a really neat ratchet cap.

ps 94, nice b & s v-block! Those still bring good money.

 

[Tim-Bob]

My best buys are incorrectly described Ebay ads that I luck onto.

Living in a small town precludes many good garage or estate sales. The ones that do happen are usually horribly overpriced. "But I paid $*** for this 42 years ago and it only been in 3 floods, 5 hurricanes, 2 earthquakes, and thrown out of a tenth story window every other weekend! It still worth at least 75% of that!!!"

 

[Pudge87]

I scored a Blake Co-Ax for $20 and a Brown & Sharpe square/12" scale for $4 at the same pawn shop. The co-ax seemed to had been sitting for a while, but looked brand new. After a little lube, she works like new.

 

[lynnbilodeau]

About 15 years ago, I bought a bunch of stuff at an estate sale auction. Very nice Craftsman table saw from the 50's and a giant box of unknown. Paid $50 for the table saw, and still use it regularly. Belt drive, and cuts very smoothly. Came with two fences, and two mitre gauges along with a home made vacuuming system that still works.

Paid $15 for the giant box of unknown stuff. No one had even bothered to open it. I got there late, and had not looked inside. Just said "misc. old tools". I was the first and only bidder. Turned out there was a set of 7 Blue Point ball peen hammers from tiny to huge (dated to the 50's), as new, probably 40 different high quality files all shapes and sizes, with a really nice home made holder, Starret micrometers from 1 to 4 inch, Lufkin 0 to one mic, along with one "no name" 0 to one mic., Starrett standards from 1 to 4 inches, three dial indicators, and a set of snap gauges from.125 to 6 inch, again with a nice wooden home made holder. Also a whole bunch of little piddly stuff, old pocket knives, thread gauges, steel shim assortment, two propane bottles, torch attachment....

I was pretty happy to say the least. Also some wierd tool made by Eclipse, in Sheffield, England. Will post elsewhere about that.

 

[Cryptic1911]

FREE

FREE

FREE

FREE

FREE

 

[davethorik]

free is definitely the way to go! nicely done.

I only have one free score as far as machinist tools go (that I can remember).
This was owned by my friend's grandfather, I saved it from the trash can.

12" brown and sharpe No. 4 hook rule with end measurements. It is pretty rusty but for the price I can't complain.

 

[beatcad]

I wish I had pix, but the are split up in different boxes right now.
a few months ago I found an older gerstner chest on CL in MD(just over an hour away) I called and told the lady id skip churchand be there 1st thing sun morning. she wanted $180 for the chest and it was worth that for the chest alone, but it was full of macinists tools and another cardboard box full(mostly starrett). I got to her place and started talkin and she also had 2 nice drafting compass sets. id seen them on CL weeks earlier for $40 but didn't want to drive that far for 'em.
she said I could have it all for 200 clams! I about hurt myself reaching for my wallet that fast.

 

[davethorik]

Few more I have gotten recently...

#1-4: Starrett #170 Dial Sheet Gage. Starrett still sells this brand new today, but the dovetailed wood box gives this ones age away. I would say 30's or 40's. I got it for $20. edit: it looks rusty in the one pic but it appears this tool was coated in some sort of rustproofing wax, it wiped off with a soft clean rag.

#5: Lufkin #701 0-6" vernier calipers. Made in Switzerland. These are supposed to have a nice fitted wood case, but mine no longer have it. They are by far the smoothest caliper of any kind I have ever used, vernier or dial. They have a depth stem like newer dial calipers. $15

#6: Lufkin #515G graduated base depth micrometer, 0-3" with ratchet cap in box. I have never seen a set like this before, the base is satin chromed and centerline is zero, graduated out to 2.400" either side of zero in 50ths of an inch. I got this set so cheap the couple of people I did tell got mad This one does have 2 patent #'s, one on the depth mic itself 2,212,910 and one on the adjusting spanner 1,422,308.

#7: already posted this in another thread but scored this Starrett #199 master precision 15" level for $60, the bottom needs re-lapped but I think it will be solid after that.