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Surface plate reconditioning in Australia

topes

Plastic
Joined
Dec 29, 2018
Hi folks,

I got a Ignyte/Granite surface plate a little while ago. Its got a hairline crack and a few rough spots from what I assume is extensive wear at some point in its life. I figured it would be possible to get this reconditioned but finding someone in Australia (ideally near Melbourne) is proving to be an extremely difficult task.

I'm pretty new to this whole machining thing and I don't really have the tools and materials available to test or recondition the plate myself (it _seems_ simple enough to do with the right tools).

If anyone has any reccomendations for anywhere I could go to get this done it would be most apprecaited!

Thanks!

PS. I hope this is the right spot to post, i'm new! Sorry!
 
This is one of those threads where more information would help. The thing that bothers me most is the "hairline crack". How long and how deep is it and how big (LxBxH) is the plate?

Rather than looking for a place to "recondition" you might get advice from a place that sells granite plates as to your best option.
 
Appreciate the input folks. Thanks heaps.
I've attached (i hope) and image that shows the hairline crack. Its not very deep but I'm no expert. Only the slightly larger chip missing is something you can feel with your fingernail.
When looking from the side, you can't see the crack as having penetrated at all.

Its 60x45cm in size and 5cm thick on a 5cm base (same material).

If the crack is a show-stopper, is it possible to salvage it by cutting it and making two plates and reconditioning those?

Cheers!

surface.jpg
 

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As long as it is flat it is usable. One could fill the crack with anything if a problem.
Still a 18x24 plate only 2” thick is not a very good plate as most decent plates that size ate 3 or 4” thick. So yes, cut it in half or so if it can be cut on a budget...
Good chance your plate is a B grade or less from use. B grade is over .00015 to .0003 error when brand new. A grade .00015 and lower.

Easy to rough check with a surface gauge, a Jo block and a tenth indicator to sweep plate from corners and sides.

Here an A plate for under $100.. (1218 A grade is .0001 flat.
Sorry! Something went wrong!

Grade chart. [page 417-418]
https://www.msi-viking.com/assets/i...ts/Starrett_TruStone_Granite-catalog-2014.pdf
 
I'm not entirely sure how much surface gets removed when reconditioning a plate but shouldn't that 'buff out' the crack given its not deep?

@michiganbuck, I don't think they ship to Australia, but before I go buying another one I'd like to see what I can do with the one i've got. If its really no good then i guess I'll have to suck it up :(
 
Ummm, Michiganbuck, it's a surface plate that's cracked. Sure, you can check it's flat with whatever technique you like, but that would be without any significant load on it. Once you put a part etc with weight on it, the plate will deform. Unpredictably. Kinda blows the whole point of a surface plate, no? To the OP, you either have a scrapper or two plates.

L7
 
Ummm, Michiganbuck, it's a surface plate that's cracked. Sure, you can check it's flat with whatever technique you like, but that would be without any significant load on it. Once you put a part etc with weight on it, the plate will deform. Unpredictably. Kinda blows the whole point of a surface plate, no? To the OP, you either have a scrapper or two plates.

L7

Very likely the plate was cracked from new with a hair line crack.. the weight of heavy parts bowed the thin plate and caused fractures at the crack line.. so likely it is/may be not much worse off now but a piece of junk new and a piece of junk now.. IMHO.

QT: [To the OP, you either have a scrapper or two plates.] Very likely it is out of flat so I would call it a scrapper. Perhaps a grade BB or C grade if there was such a thing. BB might =.006 and C perhaps .012
Yes I saw a 1824 with a .018 hole at the center, the repair guy just laughed finding that plate. Don't know what they used it for, perhaps hammer straighting parts.
 
I don't know of anyone that can recondition surface plates here in Australia.
It's not like the USA, We just don't have the industry to support specialized services like that, and the cost would be prohibitive on a small plate.
If you do find someone please post here, it will be useful for future reference.
 








 
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