Granite Surface plate certification / lapping companies in North America / world

Richard King · Sep 4, 2018

This subject was started in another confusing titled thread I suggest we close that one and start a new one so people Googling or searching Practical Machinist Archives will click on it. Thank You in advance Charles (Forum Moderator) for moving the pertinent info from the other thread here. Thanks Richard King

Richard King · Sep 4, 2018

Here is a couple of web-sites and companies who make and resurface Granite surface plates and inspection equipment.
Standard metrology products, accessories, surface plate calibration products, covers, cleaners, cases I have sent granite Straight Edges to them to lap and certify.
Precision Products | Rock of Ages

dcsipo · Sep 4, 2018

Thanks, Richard,

If I could ask, it would be nice to list if the company does lapping, certification, on-site or only mail-in services. It would be nice if the service area could be listed in case the website is not very informative.

For example, Starrett does surface plate calibration and reconditioning, but does not list service area nor any other details.

dee
;-D

Richard King · Sep 4, 2018

I'll give them a call and ask them to email me and I will cut and paste it here. :-) I wanted get the show on the road. What did you find out there in Maryland?

ewlsey · Sep 4, 2018

I use Fox Valley Metrology. They have locations in Minneapolis, Milwaukee, and St Louis. They calibrate and lap. The calibration cost is pretty reasonable ($500 for my 3x4' plate). The lapping cost is very spendy.

gmach10 · Sep 4, 2018

One of my coworkers recently purchased 2 granite surface plates. Why 2? Because the cost of shipping 2 was about even to shipping 1! Then with my left handed sense of humor I thought of something. How many trades are there where you or your widow can take one of your "Tools of the Trade" and have the stock for your Head Stone? Seriously, the wife has a garage full of stuff and is short on cash. So she takes your granite surface plate to the engraver and presto you have a Head Stone. It would be a solemn tribute to the machinist. Just saying.

thermite · Sep 4, 2018

gmach10 said:
One of my coworkers recently purchased 2 granite surface plates. Why 2? Because the cost of shipping 2 was about even to shipping 1! Then with my left handed sense of humor I thought of something. How many trades are there where you or your widow can take one of your "Tools of the Trade" and have the stock for your Head Stone? Seriously, the wife has a garage full of stuff and is short on cash. So she takes your granite surface plate to the engraver and presto you have a Head Stone. It would be a solemn tribute to the machinist. Just saying.

Ahead of you. I bought a "Herman". Heir to monument making that even his competitor, Starrett acknowledged:

Of interest, the granite surface plate was first fashioned because of a desperate situation during the Second World War. An owner of a monument and metal working shop in Dayton, Ohio, Mr. Wallace Herman, required a flat table for checking parts, but the military was using all the metal for artillery. Thankfully, Herman deduced that granite could be used, just like metal, for a flat surface and he manufactured the first granite plate from a piece of black stone. The original stone worked, and the technologies have evolved and improved to the very precise granite surface plates that are available today.

World cometh full-circle, but the reality is it predates even the Iron Age, let alone WII.

The Ancients had stone nearly as good, rather a lot of it now in museums or otherwise still to be seen in situ.

Richard King · Sep 4, 2018

Back to a serious note. One can't talk about granite surface plates without reading this article.
Quality Digest Magazine

and on one of there sections in the article.
Quality Digest Magazine

mister honey · Sep 5, 2018

From the Cincinnati Precision Instruments website:

Certification and lapping of granite surface plates.
Precision Gages and Other Measuring Tool Sales | Cincinnati, Ohio

I've not used the lapping service from CPI, but I've found them to friendly & helpful folks, although spendy.

Mike

Joe Miranda · Sep 5, 2018

Here is who we use:

ballen · Sep 5, 2018

Could one of the members in Germany recommend a reasonably-priced surface plate calibration/lapping service in the north (Kreis Hannover) area? Preferably one that comes to your location and does the work there in a few hours.

thermite · Sep 5, 2018

ballen said:
Could one of the members in Germany recommend a reasonably-priced surface plate calibration/lapping service in the north (Kreis Hannover) area?

Dang me.. Read that too fast. Thought you wrote "North Korea" for a coupla milliseconds!

Poland is close enough in travel time, could be lower-cost? Baltics too? yah?

lienjohn · Sep 5, 2018

I talked with Master Gage & Tool in Danville, VA. I got their name from a nearby state-of-the-art CNC shop that uses them. They gave me what I thought was a reasonable quote. Under $500 to come to my shop to calibrate my 36x48 plate to Grade A. $150 of that cost was travel. I'm two hours away. Haven't done it yet. They are probably five hours away from DC. I don't know how far afield they go. Can't hurt to give them a call I suppose.

Website: Master Gage & Tool Co. | Metrology Services | Specialty Tooling
112 Maplewood Street
Danville, VA 24540

John

thermite · Sep 5, 2018

lienjohn said:
I talked with Master Gage & Tool in Danville, VA. I got their name from a nearby state-of-the-art CNC shop that uses them. They gave me what I thought was a reasonable quote. Under $500 to come to my shop to calibrate my 36x48 plate to Grade A. $150 of that cost was travel. I'm two hours away. Haven't done it yet. They are probably five hours away from DC. I don't know how far afield they go. Can't hurt to give them a call I suppose.

Website: Master Gage & Tool Co. | Metrology Services | Specialty Tooling
112 Maplewood Street
Danville, VA 24540

John

Thanks for that.

MASCHRATUR · Sep 5, 2018

ballen said:
Could one of the members in Germany recommend a reasonably-priced surface plate calibration/lapping service in the north (Kreis Hannover) area? Preferably one that comes to your location and does the work there in a few hours.

HF - Mess & Kalibrierservice - Vorstellung

regards, Franz

Hbjj · Sep 6, 2018

A current quote from a local calibration company to bring my 2x3 up to A grade

Screenshot_20180906-045622_Hancom Office Editor.jpg

Richard King · Sep 6, 2018

I spoke to Starrett on the phone and they are busy organizing their Booth at IMTS and will write a letter to us when they have a chance describing their services. They told me they do small plates 24" x 24" you send them as they figure UPS is cheaper then travel time. But if you have several small ones and bigger ones they will send out one of their service techs. They were surprised we were discussing this and handcraping online. They said they plan on joining Practical Machinist too answer questions directly. I will visit their booth at IMTS show next week and ask them a lot of questions too. :-) Rich

dalmatiangirl61 · Sep 6, 2018

Speaking of surface plates (and tombstones), I have 3 Collins micro-flat plates, forget what grade, two 36x48 and one 36x36. 20 years ago when I moved from a 4800 sq ft shop to a 1200 sq ft shop, not everything fit, and the surface plates went outside (forgive me, it was only supposed to be for a year or less). So is it worth getting one of them re-calibrated, or does 20 years in the weather warp them so bad that I should get something else? Not sure I need 3 tombstones, 2 should hold me down just fine.

Any recommendations on calibration services in central Tx and NE Nevada?

thermite · Sep 6, 2018

dalmatiangirl61 said:
does 20 years in the weather warp them so bad that I should get something else?

20 years? Nah.

ISTR the "rock cycle" for granite is a billion years or so... byproduct of plate tectonics and subduction. Even the cool-down time of a pluton is in the millions of years.

Well above my pay current grade, anyway.

All About Granite and its Geology

Collins Microflats are serious-righteous plates.

jkopel · Sep 7, 2018

@Hbjj Can you tell us the name of that company?
I (and a few others in WA) have been looking for a decent lapping/calibration service.
Thanks!

Granite Surface plate certification / lapping companies in North America / world

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