I broke my Starrett, any advice?

[Jeff Monson]

I finally found a great deal on a Starrett no. 199 level on Ebay a couple weeks ago. Last night I was going to level the
top on my tablesaw.....well you guessed it, I somehow knocked it off the saw and the bubble broke when it hit the floor.
I emailed Starret, the response I got was they can repair it, but it will cost $310.00. I only paid $155.00 for the level.
Anyone have experience with this level?? I can buy another one for less than $300.00, so is there another option here??

[Mel Fulks]

Sorry it's gone ,but you will find another good deal. Starrete has the bigger problem.

[Steve Milito]

You got a great deal, it's an $800 level. I would want to know it they were going to completely recondition it and certify that it within specs for the $300.

[Peter Quinn]

Sounds like you now have a $150 straight edge. Or a big bill.

[Myk Rian]

I repaired these for 20+ years. Let's see if I can remember the steps.

You remove the top cover. I believe the vial is held in a mount with one end fixed with a screw, the other has a screw adjustment.
Remove the mounting, then pull the end caps off. The vial is held in with plaster of paris. Dig it all out, and mix up some new.
You'll have to put some in one end, put the vial in, then fill the other end. After it sets, remount the whole mounting.
There should be a piece of heavy stock paper behind the vial. That's so you can read it.

To calibrate it, find a FAIRLY level surface. Doesn't have to be perfect, just close.
Place the level on it and let the temperatures stabilize. With a pencil, trace around the ends of the level.
Note the reading of the bubble, and turn the level 180º in the pencil marks. Check the reading.
If it reads the same error as before, you're done. If not, adjust out 1/2 of the error and do it all over again.
When it reads the same in both directions, you're done.

[Greg R Bradley]

I finally found a great deal on a Starrett no. 199 level on Ebay a couple weeks ago. Last night I was going to level the
top on my tablesaw.....well you guessed it, I somehow knocked it off the saw and the bubble broke when it hit the floor.
I emailed Starret, the response I got was they can repair it, but it will cost $310.00. I only paid $155.00 for the level.
Anyone have experience with this level?? I can buy another one for less than $300.00, so is there another option here??

We used $350 levels to level machinery - some costing $500K each and up to 30' long. Those $350 levels were accurate to 0.005" per foot. We used a $1000 Master Level, accurate to 0.0005" per foot, to check the $350 levels. We did use the Master Levels for checking level of Mitutoyo Stato-Apex measuring systems that were accurate to 0.0000008". The Master Levels are so sensitive that you need to let the temperature stabilize so that the heat from your hands stops affecting the flatness of the bottom surface.

You bought a $800-1000 level for next to nothing. It is going to be expensive to repair. It is only cheap to buy a used one because the US has chased all our manufacturing out of the country. I would grab another while you can.

[Mark Bolton]

I know this will go over like a lead balloon but you got a phenomenal deal on an 800.00 level that is now toast unless you opt to try to repair it yourself or fork the $$$ over to starret. But I have to ask, good lord, why? I mean an 800 dollar 15" level for a piece of woodworking equipment? I know it all comes down to whatever floats your boat. I think the slider in my shop saw an 80" stabila jamb level when it first hit the shop floor. After that it has seen a shop made straight edge for tweaks and that's it.

I can kind of see the $150 price tag as a bit of a lure as its such a deal but...

I would attempt an in house repair with whatever starret opts to pork you for a replacement vial and put the remainder into another level, highly accurate, but more reasonably taylored to woodworking. At least you can take it upstairs and hang a picture with it too.

Again, a great deal, but seems a little over the top. But if the cash is there, I guess you go for it.

[Jeff Monson]

I repaired these for 20+ years. Let's see if I can remember the steps.

You remove the top cover. I believe the vial is held in a mount with one end fixed with a screw, the other has a screw adjustment.
Remove the mounting, then pull the end caps off. The vial is held in with plaster of paris. Dig it all out, and mix up some new.
You'll have to put some in one end, put the vial in, then fill the other end. After it sets, remount the whole mounting.
There should be a piece of heavy stock paper behind the vial. That's so you can read it.

To calibrate it, find a FAIRLY level surface. Doesn't have to be perfect, just close.
Place the level on it and let the temperatures stabilize. With a pencil, trace around the ends of the level.
Note the reading of the bubble, and turn the level 180º in the pencil marks. Check the reading.
If it reads the same error as before, you're done. If not, adjust out 1/2 of the error and do it all over again.
When it reads the same in both directions, you're done.

Thanks Myk, I will contact Starrett and see if they will sell me a vial. Thats great info.

[Myk Rian]

But I have to ask, good lord, why? I mean an 800 dollar 15" level for a piece of woodworking equipment?

Ever consider he does more than wood working?

[Myk Rian]

Thanks Myk, I will contact Starrett and see if they will sell me a vial. Thats great info.

You can get them at Grainger, and maybe McMaster Carr. Probably Amazon or E-bay also.
Or, buy a string level and use the one out of that.

[Joe Jensen]

But I have to ask, good lord, why? I mean an 800 dollar 15" level for a piece of woodworking equipment? I know it all comes down to whatever floats your boat.

The master level isn't used to "level" machines, but rather to check surfaces for flatness. I found it indespensible for getting the cast iron top of my Felder Slider truely flat which made getting the slider adusted to between .003" and .005" above the table in all positions not only possible but not that difficult. When I rebuilt my 12" jointer I spent hours trying to get the tables coplaner with a precision straight edge from Bridge City Tools. When I used the precison master level I found that both tables had twists and they were not coplaner. It was pretty easy to quickly dial them into perfect alignment. Was this necessary, no. But I did want the slider adjusted close to the cast to for shaping and I don't think I could get there any other way.

[Jeff Monson]

You can get them at Grainger, and maybe McMaster Carr. Probably Amazon or E-bay also.
Or, buy a string level and use the one out of that.

Myk, the vial is quite a bit longer than any I have seen before. I will ck out Grainger and Mcmaster, I have not seen any that long on a string level?

[Greg R Bradley]

That comment about the string vial level does not make sense to me. Since Myk said he used to repair them, he has to know that a string level compares to that vial assembly mostly by the name. Maybe he meant that a vial like that would be good enough to repair a level that had been dropped and may not be straight anymore. If you have to flatten the bottom of that unit, it will not be the same as it was originally but it might be good enough for your uses.

Depending on your use, it could be that a new 98-12 for about $200 could be as good as a used 199. Joe Jensen's info on setting up a sliding table saw is out of my experience. I wonder if a $200 machinist level would be all you would need for even that job.

[Thomas Hotchkin]

Myk, the vial is quite a bit longer than any I have seen before. I will ck out Grainger and Mcmaster, I have not seen any that long on a string level?

Jeff
FYI Older Dave White transits have a long leveling vial. Some transit repair shops may have replacement. Good luck. Tom

[Mel Fulks]

Sure,it's used for leveling machines. Even by those reccomending against it. Didn't know too good is not good. Can a master Mason use it?