Ressurecting an Antique

Doc Mark

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I was watching Sam's Jewelry Making Video today and saw him use his Starrett Dividers. This reminded me that I wanted to get a set since everyone seems to agree that they are the best made. My old ones from a drafting set was too flexible for a lot of work I've been doing recently.

Then, for some reason, I remembered my fathers' old tool box that I inherited decades ago. Sure enough there was an old, rusted set of calipers, but they were for inside measurement, not straight legged. After rubbing them a bit with a course eraser I found that they were made by the Starrett Co.! So I figured what the hell and spent 90 mins. bead blasting the rust off and reshaping them to suit my purposes. So now I've got another tangible link to my old man who instilled in me a love of tools, and I'll think of him every time I use these dividers. View attachment 30941 View attachment 30940
 

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mvangle

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Aren't tools great! I have my Grandfather's toolbox and tools he used as a Packard Mechanic when he was young. I played with them when I was a kid, Long Long Ago. I love to just handle them every once in a while and remember lying on my back with "Pappy" in the dirt of his garage working on his 53 Pontiac Chief, 57 Chevrolet, and 63 Chevrolet. I can still smell the interior of the Pontiac and see the Indian Chief emblems. I to have my Dad's Starrett dividers. They are a bit big but they are on my bench. Good Memories. I hope my grandsons will have similar memories of their "Pappy"
 

Ron Spokovich

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I probably have enough stuff laying around to open a one-room museum. Much of it was received as 'tokens' from ancient Machinists, and much was nearly worn out 50 years ago. But, a lot is worth cleaning up. Your old insides/dividers appear to have the wrong nut on them, which was often the case when the original sliding collar became lost, through cleaning, as the ball on the end screws off. But, they look great, and these things will last another hundred years. Lots of treasures still remain out there. I need to start a 'treasure hunt', on premises, and most likely I'll forget where I even got the stuff.
 

glstrcowboy

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Be careful posting stuff like that! Someone will be offended at how you have RUINED priceless antiques and destroyed all the original patina. Not everyone understands that tools were made to be modified. They look good, wish I had thought to do that before I bought new ones.
 

don hicks

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There is no doubt that Starrett makes great quality tools that last for generations . I recently picked up two pair on Ebay for $23.00. Couldn't tell what size they were by the photos, however when they arrived they were about 3" long. Not as shiny as new ones but they are rigid and the tips are sharp, perfect for the engraving bench. Should still be around when my grand children start engraving.
I have been working on my tool addiction for 40 odd years and haven't found a cure yet.
Cheers
Don
 

mitch

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Mark-

you may end up wanting to have those tips case-hardened or heat-treated some way. i've done the same trick with a pair of round leg Starretts (left one leg long for scribing from the edge of a part) and the durability of the point on the sharpened leg left much to be desired.
 

Ron Spokovich

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Just thought of something to lengthen the tip life of those dividers. One, I have a small General compass with what looks like replaceable points resembling phonograph needles, crimped in the tubular ends. Have to find them. Carbide rod is available for such ventures. Second, an old timer modified a pair of dividers for me by brazing or silver soldering a carbide fragment on each leg, and I ground down the ends much like the dividers shown in the posting. Unfortunately, they were dropped onto a wooden floor, and the carbide snapped off at the joint. Carbide was available all over the shop, as back then we used mostly braze-on carbides, and breakage was common. Today, I think you can find a lot of scrap in some shop. Brazing probably produces the most adhesion, with silver soldering being no slouch, either. Modify some of those older tools, as I don't think anyone will mind. . .they would've done the same thing, as many did. When your working with castings and scale on material, you need all the help you can get. Those tools should last a few lifetimes.
 

rmgreen

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I use "hard-n-tuff" from "Brownells", this case hardens steel. Easy and fast. Follow the directions. Long skinny tips break off as they are made too bridle by this process. Make a quicker taper on the point and this problem is eliminated. Stone the tip afterwards. Many uses for all quick in shop hardening needs. You do need a torch that can heat the object to red heat.
 

monk

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send them to me. i'll make sure they're ok to use . i'll "proof test" them for you at no charge !
 
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