Starrett 98-6

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seal killer
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Starrett 98-6

Post by seal killer »

All--

I have the 8" version of this machinist level . . . https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08ZC ... _702864840

I have never been able to calibrate it. The adjustment screw is simply far too coarse. I am tired of screwing with it.

I am thinking about the Starrett 98-6 . . .https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002 ... _702864840

For those of you with experience with this level, can you tell me about the main vial adjustment? And any other comments?

Thanks!

--Bill
You are what you write.
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Bill Shields
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Re: Starrett 98-6

Post by Bill Shields »

Had one for years and never had to adjust
Too many things going on to bother listing them.
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tornitore45
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Re: Starrett 98-6

Post by tornitore45 »

Levels are probably the only instrument that can be adjusted/calibrate with no special tools.
Are you trying to "level" your lathe OR have doubt about whether the bubble is centered on a true horizontal surface and want to achieve such property.
The two task have different solutions.
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Harold_V
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Re: Starrett 98-6

Post by Harold_V »

seal killer wrote: Sat Mar 04, 2023 12:45 pm
For those of you with experience with this level, can you tell me about the main vial adjustment? And any other comments?
I own one, and have for many years. I like it, but you need to understand that the way it's made leads to base distortion. It's a classic example of internal stresses and how they cause change over time. The base can be lapped to restore flatness, but the arched groove that can be used for round surfaces is a different matter. As far as adjusting the level, patience is required.

The 98 series of levels aren't really suited for leveling machine tools. Might be fine for a mill, but for leveling a lathe where one might encounter twist in the bed, not so much. They simply don't offer the high degree of sensitivity that is desirable (if memory serves, the 98 series displays .005" over 12" while a 199 displays .0005" over 12").

That said, it's likely still the best possible alternative to a 199 level, which offers the high degree of sensitivity required. The 199 is not cheap, so it's hard to justify the cost of one unless one is engaged in scraping surfaces and setting up machine tools on a regular basis.

Keep an eye open on eBay for a 199 if you're not in a hurry. I managed to get one for under $200 and it's in exceptional condition. It's old, but so what? So am I. We're now a matched set.

H
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armscor 1
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Re: Starrett 98-6

Post by armscor 1 »

The Level you have is higher resolution than the Starrett 199
0.02mm / Metre or 0.0008" / 39' approx.
The Starrett 199 is 0.0005 / 12"
I have a Starrett 8" 98 and as Harold said it does not have the resolution to level a lathe bed.
I would persevere with the one you have, understand the sensitivity of the instrument, needs a lot of patience to calibrate.
Meanwhile I got a Watts precision 12" block level from my Brother, took me a long time to calibrate, nearly drove me crazy, only had to breathe on it to make it move!
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seal killer
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Re: Starrett 98-6

Post by seal killer »

All--

Thanks for all the advice. I'll stick with what I've got!

--Bill
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Harold_V
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Re: Starrett 98-6

Post by Harold_V »

armscor 1 wrote: Sat Mar 04, 2023 6:36 pm The Level you have is higher resolution than the Starrett 199`
Thanks for the bit of information. I'm not familiar with that level and was (pleasantly) surprised to read of its great level of resolution. That also explains why it might be a bugger to adjust properly. Worth every bit of time it might take, though.

H
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arborist
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Re: Starrett 98-6

Post by arborist »

seal killer wrote: Sat Mar 04, 2023 12:45 pm I have the 8" version of this machinist level . . . The adjustment screw is simply far too coarse.
Is the adjustment screw the red one on the top that looks like a potentiometer screw?

If you are using a screwdriver commensurate with the size of the slot, that might be part of the problem. You cannot rotate it in fine-enough increments as you are too close to the centre, so a small movement of your hand rotates the screw a lot.

A long-armed screwdriver with the blade at 90 degrees to the shaft might help you. Assume the shaft is 12" long. You would be able to swing it through an arc of maybe 1/2", which would translate to a very small angular measurement at the screw.
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