Starrett has fallen (a bit) from grace

I was joking. From a previous post I made I got the sense that Black and Decker was sacred to a member here and not to be disparaged. I am disheartened by the decline of the old line manufacturers in the USA. Personal opinion, of course.
 
Kevin J said:
I was joking. From a previous post I made I got the sense that Black and Decker was sacred to a member here and not to be disparaged. I am disheartened by the decline of the old line manufacturers in the USA. Personal opinion, of course.
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Understood, with no sarc font available we end up following a mystery. I agree regarding the demise of America's tool and tooling industry and it's so typical of folks who refuse to ask for direction(s). The machine tool, heavy machine tools and the tooling that went with them was one of the first things that began the undermining of our economy. That aside, I still have a 3/8" B&D drill that I bought in 1970. One of the first brands to come out with a drill with forward and reverse.
 
Ulma Doctor said:
asking a last word to compete with a DTI, is like asking a VW bug to beat a top fuel dragster in the 1/4 mile- they were made for different functions.
a functioning last word is generally accurate enough for 90% of what work hobby machinists' will ever need
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Great thread! Lots of good, reasonable opinions here- and good respect for what Starrett was and is today. Ulma Doctor, given that I bought a Last Word (thinking it was top brass, lol) and have found it to be sticky, and requires a lot of pressure to move, can you elaborate on how it is not intended to compete with a DTI? I was under the impression that it was in fact a DTI. What purpose would you use a Last Word for where a standard dial indicator is not appropriate, but a DTI is overkill? While I'm not disagreeing with you (Lord knows I don't have the experience to do so) I am caught up a bit on what you're implying the proper use case is for the Last Word.
 
wildo said:
I was under the impression that it was in fact a DTI.
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Me too but as a novice I can step aside in regards to what is or isn't "last word" in indicators. The one thing I can buy into, or against in regards to the indicator Starrett refers to as **last word** would be the lack of graduations. If I need to measure pressure at 2,000 psig, I don't want a gauge that is maxed out at 2,500. I prefer something that will measure 3,000-4,000. I think Starrett's use of "Last Word" when it comes to this indicator, falls squarely into the marketing arena.

http://www.starrett.com/metrology/p...n-Hand-Tools/Precision-Measuring-Tools/711fsz

Edit; Really bad marketing if you use a term or phrase meant as a benchmark and don't deliver.
 
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Yes, I as well have been perplexed by the precision (or lack thereof) of the Last Word indicator.
 
Perhaps the Last Word indicator is not the best choice for ultra precision inspection work, but it can be quite handy for shop floor use where a standard dial indicator will not physically fit into the area to be tested. I assume that a more sophisticated indicator of the same type would do the same, but I assume at a increased cost. As far as sticking, that is what the adjustment screw at the pivot point is for; if it sticks, perhaps a tiny bit of loosening of that screw and a tiny drop of oil would help; the screw is under the ball formed on the back end of the contact tip, swivel the hold down spring off the ball, remove the tip and there is the screw. I do have a B&S indicator that is similar in appearance, but rarely use it; on advantage of the Starrett indicator is that the contact tips are removable and replaceable with contact tips of different diameters.
 
The Last Word is an older design that hasn't ever been updated. It has a spiral jewel instead of a sector gear. It's fine if you keep it clean and don't subject it to shocks, but it's definitely much more delicate than an Interapid.

I think the 196 works on a similar principle, and is also easily damaged. The newer back plunger models seem to be much more rugged (and about twice the price).

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk
 
The back plunger is a good design, I use mine as required, but all too often the Last Word is used because of its small size and its ability to fit in small places.
 
If you think Starrett has fallen, take a look at some Brown and Sharpe small hand tools. They say USA made but the workmanship is so crude that it's hard to believe.
 
You really cannot compare B&S with Starrett; B&S is no longer in business; I suspect that presently most of the new B&S stuff being hawked on such as e bay is selling off old stock. What I miss with Starrett tools is the high polished finishes, now replaced with vibratory finishing. I agree with the crudity of some of the B&S things seen for sale.
 
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