LS STARRETT CO (and not a vise)

[Toolmaker65]

Nice find Lugz. That's one I think that I don't have

 

[Dennis Leigh Henry]

I've got a ton of LSS, and B&S, Lufkin, and other US manufacturers.. looks like I'll be busy today/later getting pictures posted.. lol...

 

[Straightgrain]

I only have a few things, all of which I bought at a yard or estate sale except the 18-C Automatic Center Punch, which I bought online.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Nice find Lugz. That's one I think that I don't have

Thanks. You see it's U.S.S. right?

I have a fairly large collection of WWII tools-related manuals. A lot of them have interesting graphics, many of them humorous, including my avatar. War Department Technical Manual TM 9-867, Maintenance and Care of Hand Tools, April 1945, features a typical "Sad Sack" type GI making all kinds of mistakes with tools. I was going through it for a different reason this morning and ran into this one...

 

[Socket Pounder]

Just a few things

 

[royce]

Here is some protractors, I'm partial to the top three as they have adjustable 90 degree stops.

Royce

 

[dr_clyde]

Here is some protractors, I'm partial to the top three as they have adjustable 90 degree stops.

Royce

Ohh, those are cool. I need to get me one or two of those.

 

[royce]

Ohh, those are cool. I need to get me one or two of those.

The one second from the top gets the most use, it feels best in the hand.
The third one down is good for framing, one setting gets both the horizontal and plumb cut.
Neither one are too common, so nab it if you see one.

Royce

 

[pfaustus]

Next time I am in Western MASS I need to try to stop by to see the old factory - remnants are still there from what I read. I was next to Athol couple of weeks ago, but did not have time...

Leaving aside that Athol is in Worcester county, which is not Western Mass. I sorta collect tools from that part of the world, and keep an eye out for cheap Goodell Pratt, Union, Millers Falls, Starrett, etc tools at the fleas.

I used to have to go to Athol regularly when I lived in Franklin county. The big old redbrick factory is still there and operating. It's just outside of the downtown and easy to find. My understanding (probably 20 years old now) is that there are no tours as such, but if you reach out to them in advance nicely, their PR guys will sometimes show you around.

Starrett has been basically keeping Athol alive for a generation now. It is an old mill town with just one mill left. Unless it has changed, the downtown store fronts are basically a collection of social service agencies. There were rumors a while ago of a move to the Carolinas, which would have just cratered the place.

You can guess what the rest of the inhabitants of the Commonweath jokingly call the residents of Athol.

 

[d42jeep]

While I was looking for my Goodell-Pratt feeler, I found a few more Starrett tools. Check out the patent date on the larger 6” rule.
-Don

 

[Dennis Leigh Henry]

Some of mine...

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More soon....

 

[Stuart in MN]

I used to have a nice little 0 - 1" Starrett micrometer, I bought it nearly 50 years ago at a yard sale (for 50 cents) and it was pretty old then. Unfortunately, it got stolen 20 years ago or so, which still makes me mad.

 

[Shelbylex]

Pfaustus, thank you for correction. I saw the sign getting off Rt2 going to Amherst and assumed it was Western Mass.
... would not want to be born in that town.
... I remember in UMASS some of our guys kept removing M from official caps...

 

[leg17]

.....
You can guess what the rest of the inhabitants of the Commonweath jokingly call the residents of Athol.

Uh, let me gueth.

 

[Dennis Leigh Henry]

More of mine...

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Still more to share....

 

[d42jeep]

Here are a couple more early sliding squares that I dug out today. One is marked the LSS company with a logo.
-Don

 

[Dennis Leigh Henry]

More...

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[Cooter Brown]

More...

Wow!! The best of American toolmaking, right there.

 

[davethorik]

You have some very nice stuff, Dennis...

 

[bmwrd0]

I have some Starrett:











(My grandfather was a machinist during WWII and I have picked up more on my own. I also have a lot of Lufkin, Brown and Sharp, and other machinist tools.)

 

[Dennis Leigh Henry]

and more....

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Thanks for the comments Cooter and Dave.

Ditto re B&S, Lufkin, etc. don't get me started on that too....

 

[Dennis Leigh Henry]

….and more.....

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Middle 3 are starrett on this one, upper large one is B&S, and lower small one is Moore

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[davethorik]

Here is a large set I just recently got. 18"

 

[Dennis Leigh Henry]

Here is a large set I just recently got. 18"

I've got a large set of dividers and another set of the clam shaped od calipers like that one somewhere around here.. will see where they're stashed....

 

[davethorik]

Here are the 2 Starrett indicators I have.

No. 711-D-10 Last Word in .0001"

No. 650B5 back plunger, bare, w/ deep hole attachment. This thing is the big brother of the no. 196 back plunger indicator. Very good units, although this is perhaps 6 years old now, bought it off Amazon when price randomly dropped to like $90 from normal $300+, so not vintage, sorry...the glass bezel on the 711-D-10 makes up for it! Lol

 

[d42jeep]

Here are a few items from the toolbox at my summer home.
-Don

 

[scooternut]

What a shame and waste here. I'll do my best to rescue them to serviceable condition. I don't need more mics, but hate to see them trashed.



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[Dennis Leigh Henry]

What a shame and waste here. I'll do my best to rescue them to serviceable condition. I don't need more mics, but hate to see them trashed.



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Worth saving.....

 

[scooternut]

All cleaned up, such nice tools.



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[MShaw]

Here's my Starrett. Most of my machinist tools are Brown & Sharpe with a sprinkling of Lufkin.

 

[Dennis Leigh Henry]

All cleaned up, such nice tools.



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Very nice...

 

[Dennis Leigh Henry]

A couple more...

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[MShaw]

watch that M1 oil. When I used it years ago it dried to a hard wax coating that was nearly impossible to remove.

 

[Dennis Leigh Henry]

watch that M1 oil. When I used it years ago it dried to a hard wax coating that was nearly impossible to remove.

Yes... agree. Need to use it sparingly. Not as bad as WD40 that dries to a hard varnish like consistency.....

 

[Provincial]

Speaking of oil drying to a hard deposit, I picked up this Starrett micrometer at a local antique farm equipment swap meet from one of the $1.00 tables. It was stuck solid, but I took a chance. I soaked it with Kroil for a couple of days and gently applied torque to the thimble. It started turning and I was able to polish the shaft as more became exposed. Then I unscrewed it and polished the rest. I ran a brass brush through the bearing surface in the frame, but didn't work on the threads. A cleaning and lube with light oil and it works like new. The zero adjustment works properly, too!

6/30/18: added photo of gently freeing up the spindle using dead soft aluminum and vise grips.

 

[davethorik]

Here is my favorite Starrett find. I believe this came as part of a gage block repair kit, however I got it as shown. It shows a Triskett Rd. Cleveland OH address, as Starrett acquired Webber at some point.

The paper label is peeling and there is printed writing underneath, presumably the original mfr, however you can't quite make it out and I don't want to purposely peel it.

 

[Toolmaker65]

Cool little piece there Dave [emoji106]. I agree with not peeling the label off - the appearance of the stone and the box looks like some Norton hard Arkansas stones I have. Too bad there isn't a way to find out without destroying it [emoji34].

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[MShaw]

That stone was used to dress damage to size blocks. If it is like the one I made it is lapped flat so that it will not damage the surface of the size block but must be used sparingly so as not to change the actual size of the block.

 

[davethorik]

It is very flat, and very hard. I use it mostly for things like dressing damaged caliper jaws, stoning depth mic bases, and fine stoning on ground parts. I exercise the utmost care every time I grab it as I know it will break if dropped on the concrete.

 

[Motochick]

I have a few things to share.