1st, Lee Valley has already impressed me w/ their customer service,
and I have every confidence they will make it right.

I got their 38" aluminum straight edge a few weeks ago. When I placed
it on several supposed flat surfaces - in and out feed of jointer, and
TS, it seemed like there was some small amount of twist in it. Since
I moved it around and the twist was alway apparent and alway across
the same diagonal, I've assumed it to be in the straightedge and not
the surfaces. Only on the jointer do I feel I can make that
statement, my Delta contractors saw table is anything but flat! But
on the jointer, I could rock the straight edge back and forth just
slightly.. maybe 2-4 thous.

I sent them an email.. and w/i an hour I was told a new one was being
shipped. Wow!

The specs on the straight edge says 3 thous. across the lenght of 38".
That may indeed be the case, but the twist was kind of annoying. I
just about ordered the 24" steel one instead, but really wanted the
extra length.

Just wondering if anyone else has seen this, or if I'm way too picky.

Thanks,
K


PS. any Delta reps reading this? Is the contractors saw (about 8
years old now) suppose to be out of flat by .010 to .020? The front
right edge has always been dipped down. Finally w/ the Lee Valley
edge I can measure it.

wrote:

1st, Lee Valley has already impressed me w/ their customer service,
and I have every confidence they will make it right.

I got their 38" aluminum straight edge a few weeks ago. When I placed
it on several supposed flat surfaces - in and out feed of jointer, and
TS, it seemed like there was some small amount of twist in it. Since
I moved it around and the twist was alway apparent and alway across
the same diagonal, I've assumed it to be in the straightedge and not
the surfaces. Only on the jointer do I feel I can make that
statement, my Delta contractors saw table is anything but flat! But
on the jointer, I could rock the straight edge back and forth just
slightly.. maybe 2-4 thous.

I sent them an email.. and w/i an hour I was told a new one was being
shipped. Wow!

The specs on the straight edge says 3 thous. across the lenght of 38".
That may indeed be the case, but the twist was kind of annoying. I
just about ordered the 24" steel one instead, but really wanted the
extra length.

Just wondering if anyone else has seen this, or if I'm way too picky.

Thanks,
K


PS. any Delta reps reading this? Is the contractors saw (about 8
years old now) suppose to be out of flat by .010 to .020? The front
right edge has always been dipped down. Finally w/ the Lee Valley
edge I can measure it.

No you aren't too picky. I've had more than a few quality control
issues with LV products, but I keep buying there, knowing they'll
eventually make it right. I'm hoping that if I get the steel
straightedge it will live up to the hype. If not, it's going back.

Dave

On Thu, 08 Dec 2005 16:28:52 -0700,
wrote:

I got their 38" aluminum straight edge a few weeks ago.

IMHO, you can't use an aluminium straightedge that long to measure to
that level of accuracy anyway. Even if it survives shipping, just
storing it in the typical workshop isn't going to keep it perfectly
straight.

I have an aluminium straightedge like that, but I only use it for
sewing. My machinery testing straightedge is deep box-section cast iron.

I'm sure the Lee Valley straight edge is good, but I don't know. For
me personally when it comes to things that measure precision is
important. I'm pretty anal about that kind of stuff and don't skimp on
price there. The LV AL straight edge may be fine and it's tempting to
get being that it's only $34.50. At nearly quadruple the price of the
LV straight edge (about $140) you can get a nice 36" steel Starrett
non-beveled straight edge. It's pricey but with an edge straightness
of .0002" per foot and parallelism at .0004" per foot you know you can
trust and rely on it! *AND* it's steel...meaning you won't have to
worry about dinging it up. That's important especially in the rough
environment of a woodworking shop. Can you honestly say you'll *never*
drop or bump the AL straight edge?

Layne

On Thu, 08 Dec 2005 16:28:52 -0700,
wrote:

1st, Lee Valley has already impressed me w/ their customer service,
and I have every confidence they will make it right.

I got their 38" aluminum straight edge a few weeks ago. When I placed
it on several supposed flat surfaces - in and out feed of jointer, and
TS, it seemed like there was some small amount of twist in it. Since
I moved it around and the twist was alway apparent and alway across
the same diagonal, I've assumed it to be in the straightedge and not
the surfaces. Only on the jointer do I feel I can make that
statement, my Delta contractors saw table is anything but flat! But
on the jointer, I could rock the straight edge back and forth just
slightly.. maybe 2-4 thous.

I sent them an email.. and w/i an hour I was told a new one was being
shipped. Wow!

The specs on the straight edge says 3 thous. across the lenght of 38".
That may indeed be the case, but the twist was kind of annoying. I
just about ordered the 24" steel one instead, but really wanted the
extra length.

Just wondering if anyone else has seen this, or if I'm way too picky.

Thanks,
K


PS. any Delta reps reading this? Is the contractors saw (about 8
years old now) suppose to be out of flat by .010 to .020? The front
right edge has always been dipped down. Finally w/ the Lee Valley
edge I can measure it.

Layne wrote:
At nearly quadruple the price of the
LV straight edge (about $140) you can get a nice 36" steel Starrett
non-beveled straight edge. It's pricey but with an edge straightness
of .0002" per foot and parallelism at .0004" per foot you know you can
trust and rely on it! *AND* it's steel...meaning you won't have to
worry about dinging it up.

Got that exact straight edge myself, the #380-36, although I waited for
one of the 25% off sales at J & L Industrial and got it for about $105
plus shipping. They have those sales all the time...get on their
mailing list and they'll send you the e-mails.

And you're right...it's everything and a bag of chips. A whole box of
bags of chips. It's one of the tools I couldn't be without...as a
newbie, it was quite a time getting my machinery set-up in the first
place...without that straight edge it would have been that much worse.

Having something I can rely on, and I mean _always freakin' rely on_,
is a nice comfort.

I talked to one manufacturer who sensed I was a newbie, thought I
didn't know what I was talking about when I said their table top wasn't
flat enough.

Them: "How do you know? What did you use to determine it isn't flat
enough?"

Me: "My 36" Starrett says it isn't, so it isn't."

Them: "Let me get your address, I'll send you a new one."

Rest assured, if you drop the steel straitedge, you WILL damage it. Probably
as much as the aluminum one. They are heavy.

"Layne" wrote in message
...
I'm sure the Lee Valley straight edge is good, but I don't know. For
me personally when it comes to things that measure precision is
important. I'm pretty anal about that kind of stuff and don't skimp on
price there. The LV AL straight edge may be fine and it's tempting to
get being that it's only $34.50. At nearly quadruple the price of the
LV straight edge (about $140) you can get a nice 36" steel Starrett
non-beveled straight edge. It's pricey but with an edge straightness
of .0002" per foot and parallelism at .0004" per foot you know you can
trust and rely on it! *AND* it's steel...meaning you won't have to
worry about dinging it up. That's important especially in the rough
environment of a woodworking shop. Can you honestly say you'll *never*
drop or bump the AL straight edge?

Layne

On Thu, 08 Dec 2005 16:28:52 -0700,
wrote:

1st, Lee Valley has already impressed me w/ their customer service,
and I have every confidence they will make it right.

I got their 38" aluminum straight edge a few weeks ago. When I placed
it on several supposed flat surfaces - in and out feed of jointer, and
TS, it seemed like there was some small amount of twist in it. Since
I moved it around and the twist was alway apparent and alway across
the same diagonal, I've assumed it to be in the straightedge and not
the surfaces. Only on the jointer do I feel I can make that
statement, my Delta contractors saw table is anything but flat! But
on the jointer, I could rock the straight edge back and forth just
slightly.. maybe 2-4 thous.

I sent them an email.. and w/i an hour I was told a new one was being
shipped. Wow!

The specs on the straight edge says 3 thous. across the lenght of 38".
That may indeed be the case, but the twist was kind of annoying. I
just about ordered the 24" steel one instead, but really wanted the
extra length.

Just wondering if anyone else has seen this, or if I'm way too picky.

Thanks,
K


PS. any Delta reps reading this? Is the contractors saw (about 8
years old now) suppose to be out of flat by .010 to .020? The front
right edge has always been dipped down. Finally w/ the Lee Valley
edge I can measure it.

I thought about that long and hard. I about went with the Lee 24"
steel at $38. Probably plenty accurate for WW, but when I put the 24"
down on a jointer, I knew I'd be wishing I had the extra 12".

Maybe I should have dropped another $100 and got the Starret. I guess
if I'm not happy w/ the Lee, they will probably accept a return. I
know Robin used to watch these threads.

I can probably be careful enough w/ the aluminum one to keep it in
mostly good condition, but I know, it's hard. All the stuff we want
to measure flatness are iron.. and iron is going to ding Al, so that
maybe says it all.

On 8 Dec 2005 18:34:11 -0800, wrote:


Layne wrote:
At nearly quadruple the price of the
LV straight edge (about $140) you can get a nice 36" steel Starrett
non-beveled straight edge. It's pricey but with an edge straightness
of .0002" per foot and parallelism at .0004" per foot you know you can
trust and rely on it! *AND* it's steel...meaning you won't have to
worry about dinging it up.

Got that exact straight edge myself, the #380-36, although I waited for
one of the 25% off sales at J & L Industrial and got it for about $105
plus shipping. They have those sales all the time...get on their
mailing list and they'll send you the e-mails.

And you're right...it's everything and a bag of chips. A whole box of
bags of chips. It's one of the tools I couldn't be without...as a
newbie, it was quite a time getting my machinery set-up in the first
place...without that straight edge it would have been that much worse.

Having something I can rely on, and I mean _always freakin' rely on_,
is a nice comfort.

I talked to one manufacturer who sensed I was a newbie, thought I
didn't know what I was talking about when I said their table top wasn't
flat enough.

Them: "How do you know? What did you use to determine it isn't flat
enough?"

Me: "My 36" Starrett says it isn't, so it isn't."

Them: "Let me get your address, I'll send you a new one."

Yeah, I figure if I drop, it comes down to where does it land. Al
will have some give, and may handle a non-edge drop OK. Mostly I'll
need to be careful with the machined edge running it across the cast
iron tops and beds. Tapping it on an edge will surely ding it. It
comes in a hard cardboard tube. That will probably be my storage
case. I thought about making a edge protector out of wood, but that
tube is pretty solid and gives protection all around it. I think my
biggest risk of damage is tapping it on the edge of a jointer or TS
bed.

I did notice, that over that 38", perpendicular to the reference edge,
that Al bends pretty easily. Sighting down along the ref. edge, it's
easy to deflect it 1/4" to 1/2". But the straightness should come
along the ref. edge and not perpendicular to it.

We'll see. If the new one has no twist, I'll probably be happy
enough.


On Fri, 09 Dec 2005 04:29:34 GMT, "CW" wrote:

Rest assured, if you drop the steel straitedge, you WILL damage it. Probably
as much as the aluminum one. They are heavy.

"Layne" wrote in message
.. .
I'm sure the Lee Valley straight edge is good, but I don't know. For
me personally when it comes to things that measure precision is
important. I'm pretty anal about that kind of stuff and don't skimp on
price there. The LV AL straight edge may be fine and it's tempting to
get being that it's only $34.50. At nearly quadruple the price of the
LV straight edge (about $140) you can get a nice 36" steel Starrett
non-beveled straight edge. It's pricey but with an edge straightness
of .0002" per foot and parallelism at .0004" per foot you know you can
trust and rely on it! *AND* it's steel...meaning you won't have to
worry about dinging it up. That's important especially in the rough
environment of a woodworking shop. Can you honestly say you'll *never*
drop or bump the AL straight edge?

Layne

On Thu, 08 Dec 2005 16:28:52 -0700,
wrote:

1st, Lee Valley has already impressed me w/ their customer service,
and I have every confidence they will make it right.

I got their 38" aluminum straight edge a few weeks ago. When I placed
it on several supposed flat surfaces - in and out feed of jointer, and
TS, it seemed like there was some small amount of twist in it. Since
I moved it around and the twist was alway apparent and alway across
the same diagonal, I've assumed it to be in the straightedge and not
the surfaces. Only on the jointer do I feel I can make that
statement, my Delta contractors saw table is anything but flat! But
on the jointer, I could rock the straight edge back and forth just
slightly.. maybe 2-4 thous.

I sent them an email.. and w/i an hour I was told a new one was being
shipped. Wow!

The specs on the straight edge says 3 thous. across the lenght of 38".
That may indeed be the case, but the twist was kind of annoying. I
just about ordered the 24" steel one instead, but really wanted the
extra length.

Just wondering if anyone else has seen this, or if I'm way too picky.

Thanks,
K


PS. any Delta reps reading this? Is the contractors saw (about 8
years old now) suppose to be out of flat by .010 to .020? The front
right edge has always been dipped down. Finally w/ the Lee Valley
edge I can measure it.

Hi,

I'm certainly not saying that a steel straight edge is indestructable,
but pound for pound aluminum is still softer than steel and is easier
to ding. Also, aluminum is much less flexible and more prone to twist
or bend out of shape when dropped or mishandled.

An example: I have two friends who both rode road racing bicycles. One
had an all aluminum Trek frame and fork. The other had a steel Italian
Masi frame and fork. Both were in separate accidents in which they
broadsided cars going over 25 to 30 mph (the bicycles were travelling
at that rate of speed).

I advised both of them to have their frames checked for alignment.
Both the aluminum and steel frames didn't lose their alignment.
However, the aluminum fork had absorbed the force of the impact and
was totally bent out of shape saving the frame from damage. You really
should have seen that fork! The forward curvature was totally gone and
it was bent to the side! The steel bike was saved from damage but
also, the steel fork *survived* the impact as well and retained it's
shape.

Can't say either friend was in better shape! The Masi rider suffered a
bruised shoulder from hitting the car's windshield pillar. And the
Trek rider went airborn flying over the car's hood and got major road
rash when he landed... *ouch*

Layne

On Fri, 09 Dec 2005 04:29:34 GMT, "CW" wrote:

Rest assured, if you drop the steel straitedge, you WILL damage it. Probably
as much as the aluminum one. They are heavy.

"Layne" wrote in message
...
Hi,

I'm certainly not saying that a steel straight edge is indestructable,
but pound for pound aluminum is still softer than steel and is easier
to ding. Also, aluminum is much less flexible and more prone to twist
or bend out of shape when dropped or mishandled.

Don't drop or mishandle it. I would go for the steel myself but I wouldn't
expect to be able to beat it up.

Hi,

Just browsing through my new Iturra bandsaw catalog again (great
catalog, btw) and noticed toward the back that he sells steel striaght
edges. A 1/4" thick x 1 3/4" inch wide x 36" long straight edge goes
for $54. He doesn't list the tolerances, but I'm sure if Iturra is
selling it should be pretty good. A quick call to him should answer
the tolerances question.

Layne
PS, usual disclaimers apply.

Can you post the catalog or number to call? I searched Google.. and
no luck.

On Sun, 11 Dec 2005 23:05:33 GMT, Layne wrote:

Hi,

Just browsing through my new Iturra bandsaw catalog again (great
catalog, btw) and noticed toward the back that he sells steel striaght
edges. A 1/4" thick x 1 3/4" inch wide x 36" long straight edge goes
for $54. He doesn't list the tolerances, but I'm sure if Iturra is
selling it should be pretty good. A quick call to him should answer
the tolerances question.

Layne
PS, usual disclaimers apply.

anyone hear of these..

http://www.shoprutlandtool.com/webap...=1&cat=Rutland