Granite Surface Plates

Re: Granite Surface Plates

Ray Thompson - Middletown,IN

>Go for the lowest grade, its far more accurate than anything in woodworking.

Ray

Re: Granite Surface Plates

ThomD

>I think they have had a lot of trouble with those ceramic plates. They were in the catalogue, then out. Now I see they havea cheap one, and one about 70 bucks. Every ceramic sharpener I have had has been bent like a banana, and while they can be flatened, it isn't fun.

I have a granite plate, that I use for sharpening, I think I bought it from Lee Valley. Weighs a ton, and I don't use it that much. I used the Shapton flatening system for about a week, and it seemed fine. For the actual flatening of stones, i just use plate glass, and sandpaper, or the granite block with sandpaper.

Over the years I have just tried to keep it simple, and not get too caught up in hyper accuracy several steps away from the actual project. When I use my water stones I generally rub them together for flatness. Though mostly I use the scary sharp system. I have dozes of stones, but the sandpaper is so agressive, it is hard to put down.

Sorry I don't know anything about grades.

Re: Granite Surface Plates *LINK*

John Meikrantz

>Norton has a new waterstone flattening stone, that I just saw at toolsforworkingwood. I have used a Norton Crystolon stone in the past for flattening. Looks like they took that idea and made a better flattening stone. The price is right, anyway!


Norton flattening stone

Re: Granite Surface Plates

Jack Guzman from Maine

>Woodcraft has a granite slab that is flat enough and pretty cheap.---Jack

Re: Granite Surface Plates *LINK*

Rick Hoppe (Los Angeles)

>Tony, I got my granite plate from Grizzly. They are "B" plates and come with a calibration cirtificate guaranteeing flatness to within .0001 in. That's ONE TENTHOUSANDTHS of an inch! I got the 2"x 9"x 12". Works great for my purposes and cost $19.99. Here's the link:


Grizzly Granite Surface Plates

Enco source for *LINK*

Jim Bodin in CR

>granite surface plates. Do a search for surface plate. 9x12 grade B is about $15.00.


http://www.use-enco.com/CGI/INSRHM

Re: Granite Surface Plates

William Duffield, on the Cohansey

>Do not put the abrasive directly on the surface plate and rub the waterstone on it, or you will quickly ruin it's flatness. You can use the plate as a substrate for paper backed abrasive (sandpaper), which you can either glue in place (with 3M 77 spray adhesive, for example), or with the surface tension of water (assuming you are using wet/dry paper). Religiously, keep the abrasive particles off the flat granite surface if you want it to stay flat enough for other machining purposes. The grade B stone is more than flat enough for any woodworking tools. If I understand the process, the grade A surface plate is only used for calibrating and checking the flatness of grade B surface plates.

But the shipping...

Steve A

>The one problem with getting the wonderfully inexpensive plates from places like Enco or MSC is the shipping... try to catch them when the free shipping special is on... The plate I got from Enco shippng (12x18) was more than the plate. With that in mind, I grabbed one of the 9x12s when I saw it at Woodcraft.

Steve

Re: Granite Surface Plates

Victor Parisian

>Considering all the above, I'm going to take a closer look at that cemetery I pass every day.

I think it might work... Drive up in a somber manner; pick out a likely candidate; kneel in front of the slab; take my tools and lapping compound out (it helps to carry them in a vase along with the fake flowers)then do the lapping. When done replace the tools in the now empty vase, dab your eyes a bit with a handkerchief then drive away very somber like. No worry about lifting the heavy granite plate, no shipping charges etc. ;>)

Victor - conquering one small problem at a time.

Oh Ya almost forgot, got to stop somewhere and steal some more fake flowers...

Reminds me of a story

Ray Thompson - Middletown,IN

>When junior was a teenager he was prone to forget things like birthdays and mother's day, etc. So one mother's day he presented his mother with a bouquet of cut flowers that were just beginning to wilt. She asked him what cemetary he got them from and he proply replied "Anderson Memorial". She still reminds him every mother's day. I'm just glad I'm not in his shoes, kinda helps take the pressure off me.

Ray

Free shipping at Enco

Don Thompson - Cutler Ridge, Florida

>The latest Enco flyer lists free UPS shipping on orders over $50 and under 125 pounds.

A 12x18x3 Toolroom Grade B No Ledge granite plate is $24.95. I guess if one can find something needed for $25.05, this is a good deal.