The companies that sell precision tools (Starrett, Mititoyo, ect) know about
shipping and do pack their tools appropriately. To the distributor. It is up
to the distributor to get it to you. Your best bet for precision tools is to
buy from a tool supplier such as Rutland Tool, Travers, ect. They deal with
this stuff for a living and do pack appropriately. The woodworking tool
places may not, though I would bet that most do pretty well. In any case, go
to a real tool suplier for precision tools. Not only do they have a better
selection, they often have better prices. When I was first starting out (as
a machinist), I lived in a place that no precision tools were available.
Everything was mail order. I dealt with the big tool suppliers. Never had
anything damaged in shipping.
"Silvan" wrote in message
...
CW wrote:

If there was enough damage to affect the square, there would be obvious
signs. Like a smashed box.

I've always been under the impression that if you drop a precision square
on
the floor one good time, it's probably no longer precise.

If those big dollar squares are packaged the same way that other typical
squares are, with hanging card thingies and something like 10 or 15 to a
carton in a fairly thin box, then I can see them getting abused enough in
transit to get knocked out of whack.

I'm a truck driver. I drive for a private carrier run by a distributor
who
operates its own trucks because common carriers were destroying all of our
merchandise. A lot of it was concealed damage. Box looks fine. Contents
are borked.

I look into the back of Yellow/Overnite/etc. trucks all the time, and see
a
gigantic mess of stuff strewn everywhere with a loose, unsecured pallet
jack slamming around tearing stuff up.

So I'm just curious. I'm not being a smartass. I just wonder if Starret
(?) takes special care to package those things so that they can withstand
the abuse of shipping intact. Some kind of wooden box with egg crate
stuff
in it would probably suffice. Do they come like that?

--
Michael McIntyre ---- Silvan
Linux fanatic, and certified Geek; registered Linux user #243621
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