Starrett 8 or 12
- Thread starter GoldCrown
- Start date
The 8" will do everything that the 12" will do its just that the 12" is a little nicer IMO because you cover a little more area. Do not be afraid to look at used levels if you can find one, pretty easy to check calibration, just set on a flat surface. read it, spin it 180 degrees on the same spot and see if it reads the same. They have little screws to adjust them if need be.
No offence but that like saying a 6" will do the same thing as a 36". I'm blowing it out of proportion but it holds up, kinda...lol
Can you use an 8 to level a table..?..., definitely. Will it have you chasing your tail a little more...?..., yes as well.
So it boils down to cost vs effort. An 8" will be adversely effected by slate inconsistencies more than the 12". That's not necessarily a good thing.
Personally, I'd buy the 12. However my tool purchase decisions are being weighed against ease of resale these days. Eventually I'll be dead and my kids will need to auction off my collection. Figured I'd make it a bit easier on them.
I cant argue with that but if your slate is so inconsistent that only a 12" will work and not an 8" it sounds like you might need new slate.
If spending is not a concern the 12" is the 1 to buy (I guess). I personally would not do anything other than minor leg adjustments. If the table ever goes way off I'm having an experienced mechanic handle it. Thanks for the replies... both make sense.
I have a 98-8 and it does great. Got it second hand on ebay. There are a couple 98-8's on ebay now for $160ish.
If I told all of my customers that, I'd be out of business. All slates have inconsistencies.
If buying a single level, 12" is the way to go. It covers just enough span to not have you pulling your hair out, yet not too far of a span that you miss valleys in the slate.
Zoro has the best price. And you can usually find coupon codes to reduce it even more.
It's not too much more to purchase direct from Starrett
I have no clue about leveling a table. I'm still looking for someone to level my Paragon.
From the sticky in this forum, "Finished Instructions for Installing and Leveling 3-Piece Slates"...
Post #22:
Yes, it was a Starrett level. If you're looking to buy one, the 8 inch is around $115.00. Harbor Freight carries them I believe.
Glen
Post #24
We are talking in two different strings Glen, so I am going to ask this in both. Are you saying that the 8 inch is better suited for a pool table than any of the longer Starretts?
Post #25
Yes, the longer the level, the more it averages the reading of the slate, meaning the less transparent the highs and lows of the slate, or the hills and valleys if you will. Too long, and the level works like a bridge over a swayback slate, or rocks on a high spot.
Glen
I downloaded the instructions that Mike posted in the last entry of the sticky, Post #84. The font is way too small to easily read and the pictures are not great. So, I'm slowly but surely going through the document, enlarging the font, correcting grammar and misspellings, trying to enhance each picture in Photoshop, etc. Hopefully, when finished, the result will be a more usable document.
If you are using the level for machining, then definitely go with Starett.
But you don't have to pay the top dollar if all you are using it for is pool tables.
This is what I have and it does the job perfectly!
Nakkaa 12 Inch Master Precision Level with Wooden Box Accuracy 0.0002"/10" for Checking the Straightness Parallelism The Surface of Machine Tools Equipment https://a.co/d/1PgLV3P
But you don't have to pay the top dollar if all you are using it for is pool tables.
This is what I have and it does the job perfectly!
Nakkaa 12 Inch Master Precision Level with Wooden Box Accuracy 0.0002"/10" for Checking the Straightness Parallelism The Surface of Machine Tools Equipment https://a.co/d/1PgLV3P
Thanks for your post. Best to confirm when I get a level with pictures and video . Are you planning to vacation in S. Florida. You’re hired!! I’m not 100% happy with the cloth and would redo that. The bed is ok.. I cannot stand the v cuts showing in the pocket and puffing. As for slates having inconsistencies that is understandable.
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Its sen
It's very sensitive. Just leaning on the pool table moves the bubble. And that was a Gold Crown. It will do well on a pool table. Just realize it will read differently in different spots on the slate. Mark the slate with a pencil so it can be returned to the same spot every time.
Seriously, as good as most people play pool, you can just go ahead and eyeball it.
Eyeball it. My glasses are thicker than the Hubble. I’d say level is something that’s not eyeballed. To stay on track either will most likely suit my purposes… and I’m getting great advice from Ask a Mechanic
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Marking the slate. I read you but I’ll never get to that stage. I’d have a pro do it. But thanks and understood.
For the sake of conversation I want to have a level to spot check… or to adjust the leg pedestal’s. I’m only looking for 8-12 suggestions/recommendations here.
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