Starrett and other tool manufacturer wood boxes

[Ian Owen NZParticipant @ianowennz]

Instead of derailing the thread about the Starrett No221 micrometer that Graeme Seed started I thought i would start a new thread because Clive asked a question that I think would be quite a valuable thread and deserving of a thread with multiple contributions, I’m sure many on here have more experience with identifying wood types than I do.

 

I posted these photos of a Starrett 906M micrometer set, this set is still in the Starrett red cardboard box so hasn’t been discoloured by dirt and grime, I need to take a photo of the top of the box and post it.

Clive asked what the wood is and to tell the truth with my lack of knowledge about different woods I have to say I do not know.

Like Clive, I also have many original Starrett carboard boxes and I would like to replace these with wood boxes also. and put the cardboard boxes away for safe keeping as the carboard box starts to rip and degrade if used quite often.

It seems Starrett has used many types of wood for it’s precision instrument boxes over the years, red/white oak, birch, I think pine and some woods I think were stained to look like other more expensive woods.

Looking at picture of the latest boxes I think they may be either plywood, laminated mdf or just coloured mdf, not the sort of box I would buy.

There are many fine tool makes have used wood boxes, and probably different woods also, I have many Mitutoyo boxes, including some early ones with the sliding top lid, but most Mitutoyo boxes are made of Mahogony, what other woods have manufacturers used?

Moore & Wright seem to have used a soft wood and painted it with their black/silver finish

 

So some questions

What wood/s did Starrett use for it’s wood boxes?

What wood/s did others use that were suitable for the storage of fine tools?

What finishes did they use?

Does anyone know how to replicate the Moore & Wright black/silver finish?

 

Finding NIB instrument boxes isn’t easy and the number of lightly used isn’t easy to find either, so the ability/information to enable owners to tidy/restore some original boxes or make new boxes would be very helpful for some.

I have a few well used Moore & Wright wood boxes/stands that could do with some attention ie a 0-6″ micrometer stand with micrometers and standards

 

I will post some other pics of wood boxes from other manufacturers

 

Hopefully we can get some valuable input from the members here

 

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

Starret looks like beech

B&S Sapele

 

[renardiere7Participant @renardiere7]

Agree with the above, Beech and Sapele.  I can remember many years ago buying some Lime from the sawmill for carving. The foreman told me that the main reason they kept large stocks of Lime was to supply a local precision instrument maker who used it to make their storage and transport cases. They liked it as it was relatively soft and easy to create complex recesses to take the instruments. Apparently Tulip wood was another favourite for case making and indeed I bought large quantities of this timber from them for furniture, mostly carcass work as it was lovely, easy to work with wide, knot free boards easily available imported directly in from the States.

I think as long as you avoid the timbers with heavy tannin concentrations, Oak etc., which will stain in contact with iron/steel and cause the same to rust, pretty much anything could be used.

[larry phelan 1Participant @larryphelan1]

I doubt if any of them used Oak.

[DiogenesParticipant @diogenes]

Yes agree.

The split / fracture on the M&W box suggests Beech for the sides, the flat panel has a knot plugged? is it ply? could be from anywhere in the world – the general impression is one of ‘institutional (i.e. indifferent) quality’.

I wouldn’t know where to begin with the Mitutoyo box – except it looks like a hardwood – do they grow Zelkova commercially in Asia?

[bernard towersParticipant @bernardtowers37738]

I have used all sorts of timber in the past except oak but always give a liberal coating of cellulose sanding sealer inside and out before final finish. One thing to look out for is when you glue felt linings in be careful of glues some of which emit gases for sometime afterwards putting rust marks on tools (dont ask me how I know)!!!

[renardiere7Participant @renardiere7]

Zelkova serrata is grown commercially for timber. The Japanese are huge consumers of quality hardwoods and I know that Z serrata (Japanese Elm?) is prized for furniture and interior decor.

[noel shelleyParticipant @noelshelley55608]

I’m with Jason et al on beech and sapele, ash and elm possibly oak I doubt. Noel.

[Ian Owen NZParticipant @ianowennz]

Another person said the B&S box is Honduras Mahogony.

 

I’m picking Moore & Wright used some cheap wood for their boxes and micrometer stands, which is why they painted them the black/silver finish.

I would like to refinish/restore a couple of Moore & Wright items, a micrometer stand 0-6″ being one.

So knowing how they achieved that black/silver finish would be great.

 

Thanks

Ian

 

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

Yep they like a little bit of Zelkova in Japan, this guy saws some nice slabs though I doubt such large butts come from commercial plantations

[bernard towers]

On bernard towers Said:

I have used all sorts of timber in the past except oak …

That’s it in a nutshell!  Like as not, Instrument boxes have always been made from whatever is to hand at the right price.  Almost anything provided it’s strong enough and doesn’t warp or cause corrosion.  Different rules if a box has to look pretty, the wood should take paint or polish nicely, and/or have an attractive grain.   Or be veneered (a common trick).

More about avoiding unsuitable woods than choosing the best.  Bad means knots and splits, expensive exotics, or corrosive!  About half the 200 species of Oak are acidic – bad for metal tools.  Wood being a natural material,  might mean a high reject rate.   The same wood can vary wildly depending on where it was grown, how old it is, and how it was seasoned – inspection required.   Balsa is too soft and weak.   Walnut, Mahogany and Ebony are too expensive for anything other than presentation cases.

In the middle, any of the furniture woods are a reasonable bet:  Beech, Elm, Birch, Maple etc.  Pine and similar softwood boxes are probably most common but they pick up dings.

Last thing I worry about in my workshop is what the boxes are made of.  My purpose is to protect the tool, not to impress anyone.  Quite a few cases are plastic!   It works well, but keep an eye on foam interiors, some of which decompose.   Steel is OK except it seems to encourage condensation.   Vapour paper helps considerably.

Collecting tools and enjoying pride of ownership is a different game.    If money isn’t a problem, I suggest Brazilian Rosewood…

Dave

[Dave HalfordParticipant @davehalford22513]

I believe that the quality of the outside of the box likely reflects what’s inside, which makes the M&W box junk or possibly just fake, I would like to think it’s not the original box.

One side is short grained so it splits chunks off easily and about as strong as a carrot stick. The ply lid is about as cheap as you can get it.

Back in the day bread boards and rolling pins were made out of Sycamore for the antiseptic nature of the wood, now it’s Beech for some reason.

Carpenters folding rules were made from Boxwood as I suspect were boxes were, I have an small Eclipse magnetic chuck that still lives in it’s box which looks exactly the same as the rule.

 

[Mark EasingwoodParticipant @markeasingwood33578]

Yes the boxes are Sapele and Beech.

Tulipwood is the cheapest, Beech is a bit cheaper than Sapele. Tulipwood and Beech are easier than Sapele to work with.

Boxwood is expensive, not easily sourced, and only available in small sections.

I haven’t seen any Sycamore rolling pins, but it was widely used for Butcher’s chopping blocks, due to it’s anti bacterial properties, as stated by Dave Halford. The replacement plastic chopping blocks were found to harbour Listeria etc in the knife cuts, even after cleaning! Probably better to eat the odd bit of wood dust in your Sunday joint than a bit of plastic dust!!

I have a very nice Mitutoyo precision level, (bought on ebay), expensive when new, but the box is made from……..MDF, yes, of all the choices they chose MDF.

Mark.

[Clive FosterParticipant @clivefoster55965]

Ian

Thanks for starting a more appropriate thread.

I’d heard sapele mentioned as a wood common used by Starrett for the nice carved from solid boxes. But I’d not associated that as being used as a commercial wood until 1970 or later. I’m sure some of my nice ones are older.

No all plywood Starrett although my long depth vernier has a plywood lid.

All my M&W are the black built-up ones with finger joints. Beyond my woodworking (non)skills for sure.

Not thought of beech, no boxwood for sure.

Plastic boxes only seem good for 20 years or so before they start distorting or the foam disintegrates.

Clive

[old martParticipant @oldmart]

My Mitutoyo 12″/300mm digital heavy duty caliper is in a wooden box that looks like cedar to me. A good choice because of it’s natural oil content.

[Mark EasingwoodParticipant @markeasingwood33578]

Ah but which Cedar? These are three that I know of.

Brazilian Cedar, actually a type of Mahogany I believe, used for windows, joinery and cabinet making.

Western Red Cedar, available as Canadian or British grown, used for beehives, greenhouses, cladding etc.

Cedar of Lebanon, good for drawer sides, it repels moths.

Mark.

 

[Ian Owen NZParticipant @ianowennz]

The M&W box is the box the 1-2″ micrometer, standard, spanner and paperwork came in and I have seen M&W micrometers for sale in the same style of boxes.

The red label on the lid has the words “thread” “scre” pity the rest of it wasn’t present.

 

Here is another Starrett box

This is a solid wood box of unknown vintage, what do you think this wood is?

[Mark EasingwoodParticipant @markeasingwood33578]

 

Oak, can’t tell which type of Oak tho’

Mark.

[Mark Easingwood]

On Mark Easingwood Said:

 

Oak, can’t tell which type of Oak tho’

Mark.

Thanks Mark for the confirmation, I’m told it’s possibly red oak.

I have attached some better pics of the wood used in the 906M set

 

Here is a Starrett 665 set once again from an era when Oak was used

The Oak cases maybe from an earlier time period as they have the stick on Starrett naming, where the 906M set has Starrett stenciled directly onto the wood

 

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