Shop Made Tools

[kyfho]

I little surface gage I made. The only parts I cheated on were the brass knobs (Lowes).

Nice surface gauge and the pic sparked the little light over my head.

For those of us that haven't acquired a surface plate yet, how flat/accurate could one expect a polished marble tile to be? 12" or 18" square, fairly common at Home DepoLowes.

I know I have read about HM's using a piece of glass, but I figure marble tile would be alot less fragile and even if it did break, no sharp nasties to worry about.

Maybe even check with local headstone/tombstone shop to see if they have any cut-offs.

[EVguru]

Maybe even check with local headstone/tombstone shop to see if they have any cut-offs.

Try an upmarket kitchen fitter.

Sink cutouts from Granite work tops!

[PeteF]

For those of us that haven't acquired a surface plate yet, how flat/accurate could one expect a polished marble tile to be? 12" or 18" square, fairly common at Home DepoLowes.

I know I have read about HM's using a piece of glass, but I figure marble tile would be alot less fragile and even if it did break, no sharp nasties to worry about.

Maybe even check with local headstone/tombstone shop to see if they have any cut-offs.

I went through this process as in Australia it's not as easy to buy cheap surface plates as you can in the US. Basically since you're up there I'd suggest not wasting your time with anything else and just order one from somewhere like Enco or similar. I don't think they're that expensive considering, and then at least you know what you're getting.

Pete

[oldtiffie]

Glassed

Originally Posted by kyfho
For those of us that haven't acquired a surface plate yet, how flat/accurate could one expect a polished marble tile to be? 12" or 18" square, fairly common at Home DepoLowes.

I know I have read about HM's using a piece of glass, but I figure marble tile would be alot less fragile and even if it did break, no sharp nasties to worry about.

Maybe even check with local headstone/tombstone shop to see if they have any cut-offs.

There are surface plates and there are marking-out/setting-up tables - the first is very accurate, the latter two a bit less so.

While plain glass will shatter into shards etc. toughened glass will not. Laminated toughened glass is even better. Granite tiles will shatter pretty easily as well.

These may be the "glass" plates referred to - they are "float" glass that is not only very flat but is very tough and durable. It is from "safety" glass as in commercial/shop/office/public area windows and is made for impact resistance. I get mine as off-cuts from my local glazier. He dresses the edges and corners for me so as to reduce the chances of getting cut on sharp edges. I can stand on mine, drop a hammer on them and even drop them onto the slab in the shop - on the "flat" or on the corners - still intact. I just store them on their edges beside the bench.

When I set it on the mill table I normally put strips of masking tape at about 3">4" centres on the mill table first for good support and to stop slipping.

I only need a 400 x 300mm (~ 16 x 12") surface plate which is easily stored away and carried. I usually set that up on the mill table as well. Very handy that mill table - it even gets used for milling occasionally.

[DICKEYBIRD]

For those of us that haven't acquired a surface plate yet, how flat/accurate could one expect a polished marble tile to be? 12" or 18" square, fairly common at Home DepoLowes.

Why not get the real thing?

http://www.use-enco.com/CGI/INSRIT?P...&PARTPG=INLMK3

Should be able to find a free shipping code. I got mine from Enco with free shipping a while back and it's great. Can't beat the price.

[oldtiffie]

Cost vs need vs value

Originally Posted by kyfho
For those of us that haven't acquired a surface plate yet, how flat/accurate could one expect a polished marble tile to be? 12" or 18" square, fairly common at Home DepoLowes.

Why not get the real thing?

http://www.use-enco.com/CGI/INSRIT?P...&PARTPG=INLMK3

Should be able to find a free shipping code. I got mine from Enco with free shipping a while back and it's great. Can't beat the price.

Thanks DB.

I went to the catalogue page at:
http://www.use-enco.com/CGI/INPDFF?P...MITEM=640-0120

and damn soon book-marked it and printed it out.

That has to be the best summary of surface plate accuracy and sizes and slip guage accuracy etc. that I've seen to date.

I have a chart/map/plot/non-NIST certificate with my surface plate and it's fine.

People really should aim for the price for the size and quality they really need as if they down-grade unnecessarily for an unwarranted low price they may well come to regret it.

[mattinker]

Free shipping codes or not

Why not get the real thing?

http://www.use-enco.com/CGI/INSRIT?P...&PARTPG=INLMK3

Should be able to find a free shipping code. I got mine from Enco with free shipping a while back and it's great. Can't beat the price.

You guys don't know how lucky you are! I can't use a free shipping code 'cos they don't do free transatlantic shipping. I make do with a slab of hard polished limestone. I keep my eyes peeled on eBay hoping to pick up a reasonable surface plate locally. Here in France, second hand machines, tools, tooling etc are expensive. I imported my shaper, lathe clarkson T&G and my very beautiful Denbigh pillar drill (camel back) from the UK! So some of us can't easilly get the "real thing", alternatives are interesting to some!

Regards, Matthew

[Black_Moons]

try looking at tool stores to buy one new.. awhile ago I picked one up new at busybee for $60 iirc.

[DICKEYBIRD]

You guys don't know how lucky you are!

I hear you Matt. I do indeed realize and appreciate the bargains available to us here in the US.

Careful research and patiently waiting (man that's hard!) for special deals has enabled me to equip my shop with far more goodies than I ever thought possible when I first got into the machining hobby.

I got a feeling it won't last forever though.

[Peter.]

Tiffie I have one of those surface gauges and although I pretty-much knew what it was I wondered how exactly it's used? I also wonder what are the four sliding pins in the base for?

[Hal]

Pete

I think the pins are used to follow a edge. Just push down and hang over the edge and trace.

Hal

[Peter.]

Thanks Hal - that's what I figured.

[oldtiffie]

Surface guage etc.

Tiffie I have one of those surface gauges and although I pretty-much knew what it was I wondered how exactly it's used? I also wonder what are the four sliding pins in the base for?

Peter.

I rarely use my digital height guage as I can do just about everything with my surface guage. It has a very good fine-feed tilting mast and can get into just about anywhere. I have a range of mast lengths = 8mm silver steel (01) that I make up as required. Same for the scriber = 4mm (need to check) SS/O1

In a previous pic, notice how the mast of the 600mm digital height guage fouls the milling head - which is fully up - on my HF-45 mill.


The pins on the SG are use to track along an edge - handy but not used all that often.

The SG is cheap, hardy/durable, accurate and needs no batteries.

I bought it from:
http://littlemachineshop.com/product...3069&category=

I can put my surface and height guages as well as my 6" rotary table (vertical) as well as angle plates (4", 6", 8"), clamps. slip guages, 1-2-3 and upward blocks, cylindrical squares etc. etc. on the glass plate on the mill table with plenty of room for marking out and setting up or measuring etc.etc.

The glass surface is very hard and using it meant that I only needed a smaller, lighter, cheaper surface plate which does not get abused as it might be if used for marking out or setting up etc.

I can get more glass as required as I pass the glazier several times a week as he is only about 5Km (~ 3 miles) from here.

Float glass surface flatness is in the order of 0.0001"/" ie one tenth per inch and its all that's needed more often than not.

It can be used to put a sheet of "wet and dry" cutting paper (use "wet" with turpentine) for cleaning up or "flattening" a surface. Many small motor shops do just that on cylinder heads.

[HAP]

Peter.

I rarely use my digital height guage as I can do just about everything with my surface guage. It has a very good fine-feed tilting mast and can get into just about anywhere. I have a range of mast lengths = 8mm silver steel (01) that I make up as required. Same for the scriber = 4mm (need to check) SS/O1

In a previous pic, notice how the mast of the 600mm digital height guage fouls the milling head - which is fully up - on my HF-45 mill.


The pins on the SG are use to track along an edge - handy but not used all that often.

The SG is cheap, hardy/durable, accurate and needs no batteries.

I bought it from:
http://littlemachineshop.com/product...3069&category=

I can put my surface and height guages as well as my 6" rotary table (vertical) as well as angle plates (4", 6", 8"), clamps. slip guages, 1-2-3 and upward blocks, cylindrical squares etc. etc. on the glass plate on the mill table with plenty of room for marking out and setting up or measuring etc.etc.

The glass surface is very hard and using it meant that I only needed a smaller, lighter, cheaper surface plate which does not get abused as it might be if used for marking out or setting up etc.

I can get more glass as required as I pass the glazier several times a week as he is only about 5Km (~ 3 miles) from here.

Float glass surface flatness is in the order of 0.0001"/" ie one tenth per inch and its all that's needed more often than not.

It can be used to put a sheet of "wet and dry" cutting paper (use "wet" with turpentine) for cleaning up or "flattening" a surface. Many small motor shops do just that on cylinder heads.

How much for the same size that you have?

HAP

[Arcane]

try looking at tool stores to buy one new.. awhile ago I picked one up new at busybee for $60 iirc.

I just checked...they list one for C$35 on sale.

SURFACE PLATE 12" X 18" X 3"
Item No: B1321
Precision Surface Plate - Black Granite
Harder than steel
Does not nick or burr
Retains accuracy for years
No Ledge
Size: 12'' x 18'' x 3''
Accuracy: + .0001

For that price, it's hard to justify p*ss*ng around with "make-do's" instead of getting the real thing....IF that spec for accuracy is actually true.