LS STARRETT CO (and not a vise)

[RTM]

I’m not sure what to make of this caliper I found at a garage sale yesterday. It is marked “YANKEE” and PATENTED JUNE 2, 1885. The date was hard to make out until I cleaned it up. I assumed with the Yankee name that it was made by North Bros but the Patent was assigned to Starrett.

I was just educated on this a few months ago, about the Yankee attachments to the face of the legs, vs threading thru the cross section of the legs, which I think is the Fay method.
But he holds both patents, weird.

Fay

Catalogue No. 17 of the Fine Mechanical Tools Manufactured by the L. S. Starrett Company : L. S. Starrett Co. : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

194 p., illus., 20.3 cm, trade catalog

archive.org

Yankee lighter and less expensive, feeding off the frugalness?

Catalogue No. 17 of the Fine Mechanical Tools Manufactured by the L. S. Starrett Company : L. S. Starrett Co. : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

194 p., illus., 20.3 cm, trade catalog

archive.org

 

[d42jeep]

Thanks. Very interesting reading. Mine have the solid adjusting bolt rather than the adjusting nut. No mention of Starrett whatsoever. They appear to have had a hard life but still function just fine.
-Don

 

[d42jeep]

Another from the same sale came out of the evaporust today. I tried to minimize the previous owner’s
markings.
-Don

 

[humber2]

Two weeks ago I was at a Michigan flea market holding up this mike to the seller.

It’s $10 but if you have the right change you can have it for $5 was the reply.

 

[leg17]

I’m not sure what to make of this caliper I found at a garage sale yesterday. It is marked “YANKEE” and PATENTED JUNE 2, 1885. The date was hard to make out until I cleaned it up. I assumed with the Yankee name that it was made by North Bros but the Patent was assigned to Starrett.
-Don

I believe that these were originally inside calipers that have had the legs re-shaped for what I can't imagine. Possibly they were the only ones available and the need was for outside calipers.

 

[RTM]

Mine have the solid adjusting bolt rather than the adjusting nut.

Heck that's the first I've ever seen with a bolt instead of the outboard nut. Cheaper than those with a spring nut. Can't collapse them to remove after taking an inside measurement. And as Leg noted, only available as an inside, #81. Cancelled between the 1919 and 1927 catalogs.

 

[d42jeep]

I believe that these were originally inside calipers that have had the legs re-shaped for what I can't imagine. Possibly they were the only ones available and the need was for outside calipers.

Based on all the rough markings on both legs, I think that it’s very likely that you are correct. The third caliper at the sale, a Brown & Sharpe, was an outside caliper as well.
The Brown & Sharpe caliper from the same garage sale.

-Don

 

[Beerhippie]

Just a couple of punches:





L: Starrett 18-A, no COO. I don't recall when I didn't have this punch. R: The L.S.Starrett Co. Athol, Mass. USA. fixed punch. I think I picked that one up last spring.

I tend to use them together, with the skinny tip of the automatic making it easy to see my marks, and the hammer-driven punch easily finds the divot from the auto, while making it large enough for hand-drilling.

 

[WisJim]

No. 80 thread calipers that I picked up a few weeks ago. They'll go in Evaporust when I get home in a few weeks.

 

[Patrickm82]

I picked up this beautiful 98-4 4” machinist level at an estate sale this weekend. My whole lot was $10 so this was pretty much free!! It had very lite surface rust that cleaned up with 4/0 wool and wd-40

 

[Oregon rock crusher]

I picked up a pair of Starrett 257 surface gauges at a coastal shop yesterday. The one with the shorter, 12" spindle, is fully useable but has an owners mark and has been wiped or cleaned to the point of loosing most of the case hardening colors the base originally sported. The other one with the taller, 18" spindle, is in really nice condition. Both are complete and the scribes still very sharp. I need to look at a few more modern catalogs to find dates. They show up in my 20's to 30's catalogs and have features, extendable pins in the base, designed with locomotive maintenance in mind. Ed.

 

[Beerhippie]

A new one today:





L.S. Starrett No. 237 depth gauge.

With the color-case-hardened head, it's a little bit of measuring bling.

 

[RTM]

A new one today:





L.S. Starrett No. 237 depth gauge.
urements
With the color-case-hardened head, it's a little bit of measuring bling.

Those are my favorite shop measurement tool. Got 5 friends hooked on them. I think I still own at least three from various labels.

 

[Beerhippie]

Those are my favorite shop measurement tool. Got 5 friends hooked on them. I think I still own at least three from various labels.

I hadn't had it for a full 24 hours before putting it to use centering the half-nut of this DP vise:



The half-nut is only screwed down at the jaw end, so getting it aligned properly is critical and fiddly. The depth gauge was just what the doctor ordered!

 

[-TH-]

I've got a couple of 144" rules and a 72" rule that I had picked up 20+ years ago from a factory that was closing down cause I thought they were cool. Until recently they were tucked away in my garage collecting dust (and rust, sadly) until I pulled them out and noticed they were both Starrett. Graduations are 64ths 32nds 16ths and 8ths.

Does anyone know when they started making the 144"? I know the really early catalogs (pre 1940's) only show them going up to 72". I have seen a catalog in the 70's showing them like the newer one I have, but I think the one with the logo on it might be older than that.

 

[Eric Brown]

Three Starrett metal spirit levels. 4 3/8", 9" and a 10" adjustable. All have groove on bottom.

 

[Eric Brown]

Here are a couple of Athol Machine metal spirit levels. 9" and 18". The 18" has been nickel plated. Both have a groove on the bottom.

About Athol Machine Company:

Athol Machine Company is the grand-daddy of tool manufacturing in Athol. This is the company that was formed in the spring of 1868 to produce L S Starrett's invention of the meat chopper, and other inventions that may arise in the future. Same company that started making vises c1873.

Starrett got in a dispute with the other owners, left the company c1877, and following his invention of the combination square right around that time he went independent, establishing what is today's L S Starrett Company in 1880. Then as he brought out other tools, especially measuring tools, calipers, etc., Athol Machine started copying some as well as developing their own unique items. Starrett sued, eventually won, and 25 years after he started his own business he bought out what remained of Athol Machine, put money into it, expanded the vise production by a great amount in a new factory he built for them on that same spot, and in 1921 it became known as Athol Machine and Foundry. Starrett still controlled the business.

Athol Machine lasted until about 1965 - the main building still stands, but badly deteriorated.

 

[Eric Brown]

Here are a couple of Athol Machine metal spirit levels. 9" and 18". The 18" has been nickel plated. Both have a groove on the bottom.

About Athol Machine Company:

Athol Machine Company is the grand-daddy of tool manufacturing in Athol. This is the company that was formed in the spring of 1868 to produce L S Starrett's invention of the meat chopper, and other inventions that may arise in the future. Same company that started making vises c1873.

Starrett got in a dispute with the other owners, left the company c1877, and following his invention of the combination square right around that time he went independent, establishing what is today's L S Starrett Company in 1880. Then as he brought out other tools, especially measuring tools, calipers, etc., Athol Machine started copying some as well as developing their own unique items. Starrett sued, eventually won, and 25 years after he started his own business he bought out what remained of Athol Machine, put money into it, expanded the vise production by a great amount in a new factory he built for them on that same spot, and in 1921 it became known as Athol Machine and Foundry. Starrett still controlled the business.

Athol Machine lasted until about 1965 - the main building still stands, but badly deteriorated.

For more levels go to: https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/threads/levels-spirit-and-others.545689/

 

[genog]

I'd been looking for a big pair of Cannonball Calipers or whatever they're called...
Hey!
Finally found them this weekend.......

 

[Old Radar]

The big ones look user modified--heated and bent inward. Do they have a model number?

 

[-TH-]

I've got a couple of 144" rules and a 72" rule that I had picked up 20+ years ago from a factory that was closing down cause I thought they were cool. Until recently they were tucked away in my garage collecting dust (and rust, sadly) until I pulled them out and noticed they were both Starrett. Graduations are 64ths 32nds 16ths and 8ths.

Does anyone know when they started making the 144"? I know the really early catalogs (pre 1940's) only show them going up to 72". I have seen a catalog in the 70's showing them like the newer one I have, but I think the one with the logo on it might be older than that.

Adding on to my previous post, I starting cleaning the older one (pictured above) and found some engravings on one end. Don't know what the numbers mean but I can only guess that the USAAF is for United States Army Air Forces, which was only called that from 1941-1947. After that it became USAF.

 

[NORTON'S SHOP]

I picked up this beautiful 98-4 4” machinist level at an estate sale this weekend. My whole lot was $10 so this was pretty much free!! It had very lite surface rust that cleaned up with 4/0 wool and wd-40

You ****!

 

[Eric Brown]

Early Starrett combination blade protractors. The earliest was the #10 patented Aug 7, 1883 (282583. My example is not marked. Then came the #12. The examples I have are marked with the Aug 7, 1883 date, but look more like a merger of that patent and the Dec 4, 1885 (289463). From the Aug 7th patent they used the blade clamping mechanism. The body has the Dec 7th shape.

The first two #12 pictures show front and back of serial #6. It has a checkered body. Not marked Starrett, it only has the Aug. 7, 1883 date. Also there are two marks, top and bottom, for the scale alignment. The next pictures show two heads, serial numbers #254 and # 897. They are the same except for the serial numbers. Starrett also started putting "The L.S.S. Co. Athol Mass U.S.A." in the scale area. These bodies are smooth.

Last picture shows the difference between the screws that clamp rotation. The #6 used a knurled screw with a washer and no spring. The other use a knurled screw with a recess and a spring, washer.

The earlier #12's did not have a level. By the 1885 catalog they offered a separate level that fits in the rule location. The 1885 catalog also stated they would come with the protractor. This level was not patented by Starrett. Around this time there was a lawsuit between Starrett and Athol Machine. Included in the lawsuit were Mr.'s Newcomb and Bellows. Bellows did have a patent #295100 (Mar 11, 1884) that did have a similar level but 90 degrees from what Starrett offered. Maybe Starrett saw this design and changed it for his own use?

Extra info in the PDFs.

 

[Eric Brown]

Just picked up a nice Starrett 588 Tap and Drill reference. Cleaned up nicely.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

I snagged this edition of Catalog No. 26 - the faded one on the left, at the flea market this morning. I've had the mint example to its right for several years. Copyright 1939. I see a No. 22, No. 24 and No. 25 on IA/ITCL. I don't see this edition. I will be sending this newly found one in a box of several others to @Mark Stansbury for scanning and uploading.

 

[genog]

The big ones look user modified--heated and bent inward. Do they have a model number?

Can't find one.....
I'll look again.

Can't find a model number on this one either

 

[RTM]

Can't find one.....
I'll look again.

Can't find a model number on this one either

I use the 1930 era catalogs to get names and numbers starts at p 266 or so.

Starrett Tools 50th Anniversary : Catalog No. 25 : L. S. Starrett Co. : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

388 p., illus., 18.7 cm, trade catalog

archive.org

 

[Etchase]

Some recent eBay acquisitions.

 

[genog]

Some recent eBay acquisitions.

Niiice!

 

[Eric Brown]

A little history of some early makers leading up to Starrett. Long read but worth it.

 

[d42jeep]

A couple of Starrett squares at the top of the picture plus some other brands.
-Don

 

[d42jeep]

Double post

 

[d42jeep]

I found this inside micrometer set at a Tahoe yard sale yesterday. The seller stated that it belonged to his machinist father.
-Don

 

[RoninB4]

I found this inside micrometer set at a Tahoe yard sale yesterday. The seller stated that it belonged to his machinist father.

-I have the same set, bought new in the early 80's.

 

[searman]

Not 100% sure this is vintage, but the estate sale where I scored it looked a little like a time capsule. It was only $10 and I didn't see the box or any paperwork on it.

 

[searman]

Totally forgot about these Starrett items in my possession. I know these are vintage because they came from my grandfather's tools.

 

[INSP380]

Just put a new lens in and reclocked my Pops No.120A calipers. Cleaned the dial, track and lubed. Checked the calibration & they’re good to go. Cleaned up his case as well, now you can see the color and the Starrett… lol. Pops retired after 50 years & still uses these…I’d say he’s gotten his $ out of them.

Steve

 

[d42jeep]

I grabbed this rusty treasure on Saturday. I was surprised to see Starrett when I cleaned off the rust.
-Don

 

[leg17]

Starrett T-handle tap wrenches are well thought of in machinist circles.

 

[INSP380]

Starrett T-handle tap wrenches are well thought of in machinist circles.

The “normal” 91’s are like jewelry as well.

Steve