LAmachinist
Plastic
- Joined
- Jun 19, 2020
- Location
- NM, USA
Today I bought a 'lot' of machine tool parts and pieces, endmills, etc for quite a bargain price. Included were TWO 111 piece rectangular metric Webber Starrett Croblox (chromium carbide) gage block sets (model number RC111MA) . They appear unused to me, with each box still containing the paper and parchment presumably used during shipping as well as the blank ("this block not ordered") pieces in the wear block slots. All of the pieces are present and original (no substitutions, no lost pieces). Blocks appear perfect (not a scratch on them) and they wring together. They are however from the mid-1970s.
I called Webber and the sets are grade 3 - a grade toleranced using standards that are outdated. They said they would be somewhere between an AS-1 and 0 grade, and if there were to calibrate and any blocks failed (I would be shocked) they would replace them with a grade 0.
1) Now I have never used gage blocks but they have been on my wish list for use with a sine plate, use on the surface plate, etc. As a fairly serious hobby machinist / machine rebuilder, but novice when it comes to gage blocks, are these a good set to hang on to? Or is a 111 piece set overkill for all but the serious precision grinding, inspection, etc type of shop? If I keep one, would you recommend ponying up the ~$400 for calibration?
2) The material Croblox appears high-end, and I notice a slightly more accurate modern grade 0 set with 112 pieces retails new, in theory, for something on the order of 10K. Is the premium placed on Croblox (compared to steel) really justified?
3) Even if I keep one, I certainly wont need two sets, so can anyone advise on whether it makes more sense to re-sell as is, or to pay to have Weber recertify both sets before selling the one? Is there even a market for a gage block set toleranced using the old standard?
I would appreciate any advice on the quality of these gage block sets, and I will try to keep my tool gloat to a minimum.
Thank you,
Tom
I called Webber and the sets are grade 3 - a grade toleranced using standards that are outdated. They said they would be somewhere between an AS-1 and 0 grade, and if there were to calibrate and any blocks failed (I would be shocked) they would replace them with a grade 0.
1) Now I have never used gage blocks but they have been on my wish list for use with a sine plate, use on the surface plate, etc. As a fairly serious hobby machinist / machine rebuilder, but novice when it comes to gage blocks, are these a good set to hang on to? Or is a 111 piece set overkill for all but the serious precision grinding, inspection, etc type of shop? If I keep one, would you recommend ponying up the ~$400 for calibration?
2) The material Croblox appears high-end, and I notice a slightly more accurate modern grade 0 set with 112 pieces retails new, in theory, for something on the order of 10K. Is the premium placed on Croblox (compared to steel) really justified?
3) Even if I keep one, I certainly wont need two sets, so can anyone advise on whether it makes more sense to re-sell as is, or to pay to have Weber recertify both sets before selling the one? Is there even a market for a gage block set toleranced using the old standard?
I would appreciate any advice on the quality of these gage block sets, and I will try to keep my tool gloat to a minimum.
Thank you,
Tom