The Other Measuring Tools

[Highpower]

From the General Tools website:

Quote:Over the years, General grew its product line and expanded into new market segments like digital test and measurement tools. After three generations of leadership by Abe’s family, the company was acquired by High Road Capital Partners in 2014.

That's about the same time they started going off shore IIRC. I have older General tools that have held up just fine. I tried buying some of their 'later' stuff and got worthless junk so I quit buying anything General.

Randy since your micrometer is stamped SEARS shouldn't they be the ones to get the credit for selling you a good tool?
(j/k)

Regarding the little universal protractor, if I could have found one made by an American company I would have likely bought one. As it is - mine is also made in China. If you have no other options it's simply buy, or buy not as Yoda would say. I buy quality American tools when I can afford it. If I can't afford it I have to lower my expectations along with the price tag for imported tools - or - simply do without. I've gotten pretty good with that last one.

[randyc]

Highpower, you're absolutely right Sears should get some - actually ALL - of the credit.  In the days when I bought that micrometer, my first (small) toolbox was gradually filled with Craftsman tools, purchased as money became available.  A huge (for me) investment was a Craftsman 3/8 variable speed drill.  I'd never seen a variable speed drill and I had to have it, regardless of the price (which was quite reasonable).

   

No plastic in this beat-up old beauty - fifty years old this year and works perfectly (note the tape around the power cord, LOL) !  I have EVERY one of those original Craftsman tools today - EVERY one !  I haven't bought any Craftsman tools in many decades - no need - but I've sure heard a lot of complaints about this generation of :Craftsman" tools.  During a walk through the power tools in Sears, I saw a few items that looked suspiciously like Grizzly and Harbor Freight products.

Probably just a coincidence.

Naturally Sears makes/made nothing themselves but the organization had it's s--t together in the day.  The purchasing department picked reputable manufacturers, the quality assurance department insured that the manufacturers maintained their quality standards, the prices were right and the no-questions-asked return policy on the hand tools - what's not to love ?

Because I hate to change router bits, I buy every Craftsman router I can find at garage sales.  All of them are decades old, all of them work.  My Craftsman table saw, given to me by a friend some thirty years ago, was made in 1953 and other than replacing the belt ....  

But that was then.



P.S.  In a previous post, I wrote that I'd lost most of my "hand tools" from that period.  I should qualify that the hand tools to which I referred were the ones that came with the Atlas lathe:  tap wrench, die stock, four or five spring calipers, pressure oiler, collection of cutting tools, taps, dies, drills etcetera.  All of which came in two cigar boxes, LOL, the ones that were made of wood.  All accompanied the lathe when I sold it.

[Highpower]

Yes indeed. I have a large all metal Sears 1/2" drill as well that a plumber was kind enough to clue me in on one day. It has a section of 1/2" black iron pipe screwed into the top of it for holding onto it like a jack hammer. Has a shovel handle on the back to carry it around. High gear reduction, low speed and TONS of torque. It has almost wrapped me up a couple of times.
Bought it many years ago and still going strong today.

I also still have 90-95% of the Craftsman tool set that my parents bought me for Christmas when I was (14?) years old. This was one of the big sets with a ton of tools that covered all the bases. Made a living with those tools until I was in my 20's. By then I was bringing home a bigger paycheck and starting to buy higher end tools like Snap-On. But the Craftsman tools still stayed in my every day toolbox for many more years. These days they have more 'patina' on them but still work as well as the day they were placed under the tree. I remember being able to exchange them at any Sears store with no questions asked in the rare event something broke or just plain wore out. Those days disappeared years ago as well. Sad.

The 5-10% of those original tools I'm missing now apparently grew legs and walked away on their own over the years. Normally during lunch hours for some odd reason.

[randyc]

(03-21-2018, 08:51 PM)Highpower Wrote: ......The 5-10% of those original tools I'm missing now apparently grew legs and walked away on their own over the years. Normally during lunch hours for some odd reason.  

I'm guessing that they went out for lunch and had too many beers -

[f350ca]

I guess Im further from China, mine just arrived.


For the money I must say Im impressed. It agreed perfectly with my Chinese angle blocks, actually not sure thats a good thing. HUM
And used it today, needed to measure an angle on a part I made some time ago. Almost paid for itself already.

[Hawkeye]

They must be coming from east to west. Mine still isn't here.

[Downwindtracker2]

I think the Universal protractor was invented in Russia. I picked up a couple, they looked like good quality tools and they were cheap. I gave one to my son and he used it work , where it was handy. he said. Ours are were made in Russia. I've heard them called Russian protractors.

One of the most handy tools I had in my tool box was a Two Axe brand 75mm firm joint calipers. They are both inside and outside. They have also served as telescoping gauges. I once used them to set the governor on steam turbine used to generate electricity in a pulp mill. I was helping the Tosbiba tech. I picked them up at a machine shop supplier for 99cents. I wish I had bought half a dozen instead of two.

[TomG]

The patent for the universal bevel protractor was filed in 1945 by Trevz Otto of Philadelphia, PA. I'm pretty sure Brown & Sharpe was one of the first to manufacture one because I used to own one that was made by them in the 40's.

Tom

[Downwindtracker2]

You certainly could be right, Tom. My understanding was they were invented in the late twenties or early thirties, though I wouldn't bet a dime on it. And certainly at my age that iron trap memory has sprung a few leaks. I don't think patients from USSR were much honoured, or vise versa .So we both could be right. I did make a mistake, mine is a Dawson brand. Chinese no doubt. I guess I should known, it came in a nice wooden box. Russians can't make those.

[TomG]

(12-01-2018, 05:20 PM)Downwindtracker2 Wrote: You certainly could be right, Tom. My understanding was they were invented in the late twenties or early thirties, though I wouldn't bet a dime on it. And certainly at my age that iron trap memory has sprung a few leaks. I don't think patients from USSR were much honoured, or vise versa .So we both could be right. I did make a mistake, mine is a Dawson brand. Chinese no doubt. I guess I should known, it came in a nice  wooden box. Russians can't make those.

That's what a basic patent search turned up, but like you say that's only for the U.S. The B&S one I had was in a leatherette box with purple velvet lining. Seems kind of weird for B&S, but it was cool just the same. They must have been proud of it.

Tom