Starrett 12" Square

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hi,    thinking about getting a Starreet square. I am tired of the cheap ones and want to get the real thing. Any particular model that is better than others???  Reviewed some on E-Bay that haven't been too expensive but thought i would ask the  PROS. Where else has decent prices? THANKS< BOB
Reply:Layout work for machining, or welding?"Any day above ground is a good day"http://www.farmersamm.com/
Reply:hi, mostly for welding with limited machine work., THANKS
Reply:I think a Starrett would be really nice if you can find a good price.I have a set of machinist's squares for layout when I set up a piece to machine.  They're OK I guess.  I got them from Wholesale Tool at a fraction of what the Starrett would cost.  You might also check out Grizzly, or Enco.For welding I still use an old Stanley square.  I usually toss it down where I'm working, and sometimes get spatter on it, or step on it.  I would be afraid to have a good square in my environment.  I usually have tools scattered everywhere.  On top of that, I use a garden hose with a pistol nozzle to wet down the area to keep from settin' everything on fire.  My tools get wet pretty regular.The only good layout tool I use for welding is a bevel made by General Hardware (I think that's the right name).  It's a good US made instrument, and it only leaves the toolbox for layout, then it goes right back in the box."Any day above ground is a good day"http://www.farmersamm.com/
Reply:Personally I wouldn't even consider using a square that expensive in a welding environment because it's going to get dinged rather quickly. I have some machinest squares and they are used strictly for machine layout. Just get a good carpenter's square for the welding work and it will last almost forever with minimal care. If you are going to be working with pipe, get two. A combination square with one end of the blade sawed off at a 45 degree angle and one corner cut off on the square end to clear tacks is really handy too.
Reply:You can't even see the numbers on my old square anymore.  Rust, scratches, you name it.Keep only one other try square in the box.  It's beat up too.  Use it to compare height on stuff.  Another old Stanley."Any day above ground is a good day"http://www.farmersamm.com/
Reply:buy a good mitutoyo off off ebay, or even one of the quality enco imports for welding.  a starret is nice, but the new ones are not as nice as the vintage ones you can get off of ebay. heads are important , blades can be replaced .a square is just like a welder. the harder the head the betterinsert thoughtful quote from someone else2000 Thermal Arc 300GTSW 3.5 hours1946 Monarch 20 x 54 Lathe1998 Supermax 10x54 Mill2004 Haco Atlantic 1/2" Capacity Lasernot mine but i get to play with it
Reply:Anyway, it's easier to produce on-spec work if your square has a little flex to it.
Reply:Lots of excuses for not buying quality stuff...... all BS of course. Quality work requires quality tooling. My box has several Starrett rules, heads, verniers, mics..... why buy crap several times when you can buy quality once and be done with it. Sure some of the rules are dinged, scratched, heck one has a GTAW arc mark on it (happened in 1980) I still use it all the time as the tri-square that lives on the welding bench.   But all this is just MHO Later
Reply:I have some real quality Starrett stuff but it doesn't even come out of the tool box for welding projects. I don't even know what brand my favourite square is.
Reply:Originally Posted by Fat BastardLots of excuses for not buying quality stuff...
Reply:For welding I still use an old Stanley square. I usually toss it down where I'm working, and sometimes get spatter on it, or step on it. I would be afraid to have a good square in my environment
Reply:Originally Posted by 6010You have one now. We make the Stanley squares where I work. I don't know what happens to them in shipping, but they are perfect when they leave our plant.
Reply:I use a Starrett combination square, I wouldn't trade it for 20 squares from Lowes. The top 3 must-have tools for my work are a 25' tape measure, combination square, and an ultra-fine sharpie. Without those I'd be completely helpless. I went through a half-dozen cheaper combo squares before I finally bought a Starrett. After awhile the lock nuts that tighten the blade down won't stay tight, a couple of them just plain broke.I suppose if you are just strictly welding it wouldn't be such a big deal. When you are fabricating one-off items from start to finish, you need good layout tools. If I can't be precise with the layout and fitting, then the last thing I need to do is weld it all together.  The Starrett combination squares are well worth the cost new, and you can usually get a really good deal on like-new used squares on E-bay.Last edited by Joe H; 09-06-2008 at 06:19 PM.Miller EconotigCutmaster 38Yes ma'am, that IS a screwdriver in my pocket!
Reply:Originally Posted by 6010You have one now. We make the Stanley squares where I work. I don't know what happens to them in shipping, but they are perfect when they leave our plant.
Reply:OK, do you get a employee discount ???? I will take two !!! I didn't know that stanley squares were still made in the USA. Are these the combination or the 2' framing?
Reply:Originally Posted by 6010...I bought 8 because I usually loose about 6 when I build a house...
Reply:i use a 2' framing square and when work is done  i love to throw it across theyard so my dog can  fetch it back..
Reply:Originally Posted by OldtimerPersonally I wouldn't even consider using a square that expensive in a welding environment because it's going to get dinged rather quickly. .
Reply:as the old saying goes you get what you pay for