straight edge

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daver828

New User
David
Wondering what most of you use regularly as a straight edge. Thinking of buying either a Starrett or one of the Veritas ones. But wondering if that money is better spent on something less. Veritas has the aluminum ones that are certainly reasonable, but wondering about accuracy long term. Highland Hardware in Atlanta told me that they use Starrett tools to judge the other tools by. So ..........

Any thoughts?
 

BillPappas

New User
Bill
I have 2 of the Veritas...24" steel and the 50" aluminum. The aluminum is more than adequate for wood working in my opinion and it is the one I grab first because it is longer and light weight. I have had it for few years and am not concerned about it lasting many more years.

You can't go wrong with Veritas or Starrett.

Regards,

Bill
 
T

toolferone

I also have the Veritas 50" aluminum and I think it is a good value and a great product. I use it to check al kinds of things. With care it should last a lifetime.
 

Travis Porter

Travis
Corporate Member
I do not have a precision straight edge, but when I have needed one, I have been fortunate enought to be able to borrow one. As others have said, Starrett is the cream of the crop. Personally, I would want a steel one if I were going precision. Other companies make them as well, Pinnacle (carried by Woodcraft) is one that comes to mind.

For general use, I have a 24" Starrett blade I got when the Raleigh Woodcraft was closing. I use it in my combo square and love it. I also have some general long rulers like a sheetrock T square, a couple of aluminum and steel rules, and a 4 ft plastic one. For real long stuff I used to use a 8 ft piece of 1/2" thick steel, but I really don't use it anymore. I end up using the edge of a piece of plywood when I need something long now a days.
 

mkepke

Mark
Senior User
Dave - I'm cheap, so I use a 4' piece of precision milled phenolic. I thought it was from McMaster-Carr, but I can't find it in their catalog now..I bought mine a couple years ago.

-Mark
 

Mike Davis

Mike
Corporate Member
I have a 6 foot long Starrett that I got used. It must be 40 years old, has a few rust stains, but is dead on accurate. If I had to pay for a new one I probably wouldn't have it unless I had a business that depended on it.

If you really need to know if something is right get a Starrett.
 

Kicbak

New User
Wes
I needed a T square for getting cuts right when I sold my TS and got a festool saw. I ended up going to the borg and used a small square to find a drywall T-square that was actually 90 degrees. I took about 15 minutes and I went though a bunch but I did get a good one and they are like $15 or $20.

Wes
 

willarda

New User
Bill Anderson
Go tp Lowes and buy some of the 1 1/4" X 1/4" aluminum bar stock. That stuff is amazingly straight. I bought two long pieces and made a set of 5 straightedges from 12" to 48". I drilled hang holes in each, polished the surfaces and they work great. If you are unsure as to how straight the stock is, lay a piece on the floor, draw a pencil line along one edge, then flip the stock over to bring the opposite edge up to the pencil line. Any deviation from straight will show up as a 2X gap between the pencil line and the second edge of the stock. You will save a lot of money doing this. Maybe if you are a patternmaker machinist, this will not be good enough, but for woodworkers, the tolerances will be just fine.

Wondering what most of you use regularly as a straight edge. Thinking of buying either a Starrett or one of the Veritas ones. But wondering if that money is better spent on something less. Veritas has the aluminum ones that are certainly reasonable, but wondering about accuracy long term. Highland Hardware in Atlanta told me that they use Starrett tools to judge the other tools by. So ..........

Any thoughts?
 

JimD

Jim
Senior User
I use my 3 foot stainless steel rule from Lee Valley or a scrap piece of aluminum from an old table saw that is 4 feet or a little more long.

Jim
 

toolman

Administrator
Chad
Well I have a 12" and a 24" Starrett blades at work, My dad had them when I started in the Tool & Die trade in 1973, the blades was made in the 60's. At my shop at home I have a HF 24" steel blade, a 36" and a 60" aluminum blades form the BORG. The cheap ones work just as good as the High $$$$$$$ Starrett ones.

If you have all the tools you need, buy Starrett blades if you need more tools buy and cheater ones!!! I tell my employee at the machine shop the same thing. :tool:
 

wayne

New User
wayne
I use an eight foot aluminum level that I've had about 25 years. It's straight enough for wood.
 

cptully

New User
Chris
I hate measuring from the cut line to the edge of the base on my circular saw, so (being too cheap to cough up the dough for Festool :gar-La;) I bought a sheet of hardboard and an 8 foot piece of 1/4 x 1 aluminum bar. After screwing the bar to the hard board a quick cut with the circular saw gave me the perfect no measure guide bar. Straight enough for everything I've tried so far and the edge of the guide just sits on the cut line!

Chris
 
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