1-2-3 blocks

[rmatel]

This may be a really dumb question, but why do some 1-2-3 blocks have threaded holes?

[BrianH]

So you can screw them together, dumy!
(Just kidding, really!)

Actually, they're for lots of stuff. You can screw a part to the block, then mount it in a vise, on a mag chuck, whatever.
You can also screw a piece of tooling plate to the block, then mount parts to it...

The main idea, I think, was to screw the two block together to make an angle block.

[Rotate]

My 1-2-3 block has 3/8 - 16 threaded holes, but only 1 on each side. All other holes are not tapped. I've found it useful when I have to bold the block down to the bed so that it can hold the work.

Albert

[Thrud]

BrianH

When I told B & S that I was using them for fixturing they said I was nuts...

I bought Brown & Sharpe's "Ultra Precision 1-2-3 block set". Crap. Nice box though. Holes not tapped properly, holes misaligned by 1/16". Did I say it had a nice blow molded plastic box? You can buy $10 Chinese blocks that are better made - but they don't have a nice box! I bitched to B&S about it and they sent me a free top of the line 6" caliper - still have not used it.

Nicest block I have seen for under $100(Can) are the Japanese made ERON - almost as good as Starretts, but only because the Starrett's have a nice box and the ERON is cardboard.

I see you can now buy cheesy blocks with TiN coating - just like import drill sets!

[BrianH]

Thrud-

Sounds like you got your blocks from the same fu.....friends that sold me my parallels...Bull & Shi...anyway...

Yeah, pretty box. And they say "ultra precision" on them....wow! I figured I got the best parallels out there. Till a coworker showed me his chinese parallels in a "black" molded box. I figured I spent an extra $60 for my parallels to say "Brown and Sharp Ultra Precision".

I use chinese 1-2-3 blocks. I sure couldn't make them for $19!

[Thrud]

BrianH:
...and when they are that cheap you can "eat" the odd one or have permanent jigs made with them.

By the way, I told B&S they had real nerve even printing "Precision" on them never mind the additional insult of "Ultra" thrown in. He tried to tell me it was no big deal. I told him Starrett or Mitutoyo would never even put their name on crap like that. "That's true..." he finally confessed.

You can say what you want, but I know if I buy something that says "Starrett" on it - it is definately not crap (overpriced ...maybe)!

Caveat Emptor

[SGW]

At this point, of course, Brown & Sharpe is basically just a trademark. The Brown & Sharpe Company of Providence, RI, disappeared years ago.

L.S. Starrett Co., on the other hand, is still in Athol, MA, still run by a Starrett, and still has a real apprentice program for its toolmakers. They haven't "sold out."

[metal mite]

rmatel,
Those holes are to attract chips, which are guaranteed to fall out at the worst moment spoiling the job.
I use some solid 1 X 1.5 X 3 blocks that came with a Pratt & Whitney Jig bore now scraped out.
mite

[Thrud]

SGW:
It is still no excuse for sub-import quality by someone milking the B&S reputation and trying to pass it off as good merchandise "Made In the USA". But I am not bitter - if not wiser for the experience.

[bspooh]

Brown&Sharpe focuses their efforts solely on the CMM market....I have used a lot of B&S stuff...(Calipers, sine bars, test indicators and mics.) I have a 0 to 6 set of brown&sharpe Mic's...I love them...I never had anything "inferior" from B&S...Maybe i just got lucky, but I also havent bought anything from B&S since about 1994....so maybe they have gone to crap since then...I dont' know.....

But I agree with thrud..You can't go wrong with Starrett....except the price...but you do get what you pay for.....

brent

[Thrud]

Brent

B&S CMM's are all made either by Leica, Zeiss, or Tesa (good European stuff) - some of it is marked as such some are private labelled B&S. Some of Fowler's stuff is from the same companies it seems.

[abn]

What's CMM?

[Dave Burnett]

Coordinate Measuring Machine. Used for precise measuring and lay out of parts.

[msrm]

Before I buy anything marked "precision
I look at several catalogs to see what names
are attached to the item. A lot of Fowler,
BS and Precise Brand from Penn Tool all looks
the same in appearance. Also the 123 Blocks
are slightly oversized (.0001 -.0003) to
lap to final more accurate size. Suburban
brand makes a decent set of 123 blocks that
are reasonable in price. I work in the
toolroom at Baldor Electric Co. We all use
the cheap import 123 and use the Moore 123
only for setups on the Jig Grinders. No
commercial advertisement implied.

[Ragarsed Raglan]

Any comments on PEC tools (since 1960) from Calif. I belive the PEC name stands for Precision Engineering Corp.

I bought an angle protractor from a local J&L's wash-out stall; nice tool, easy to use and with a vernier reading down to 5mins of angle. But the big downer was the box, stunk of condemned Chinese sh*t house door wood with those poor hinges and clasps that neither hinge nor clasp! Are PEC a front for non US imported equipment??

Ragarse