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Thread: Granite Surface Plate
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19th October 2011, 08:44 PM #1Senior Member
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Granite Surface Plate
Hi All,
I have been looking for a granite surface plate around Brisbane to no avail. Anyone got an idea of where I might find one?
Don't suggest Carba-Tec, they're waiting on a shipment from OS with no ETA
Cheers
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22nd October 2011, 07:53 PM #2Senior Member
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- Oct 2011
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Pretty damn rare these surface plates then huh?
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22nd October 2011, 08:38 PM #3
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24th October 2011, 09:07 PM #4
No real suggestions but I bought one from Carba-Tec. I did have to wait about 2 months for it to come into stock but for its price, its an amazing level of flatness. They come with a lab report on the surface deviations. They aren't what you would call a high turnover item and as a result will be hard to find in stock anywhere, but keep persevering! Best of luck with your search.
Tom.
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24th October 2011, 09:44 PM #5
Ditto - got mine from Carbatec Sydney, and I think it took them 4 weeks to get it in for me.
Worth the wait, very happy with it. Considering the weight of the thing, I don't think you'll be buying one from anywhere interstate.....
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27th October 2011, 06:44 AM #6Senior Member
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Yeah I was kinda resigning myself to waiting for CarbaTec. Only another few weeks or a month
Thanks for the responses though.
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28th October 2011, 10:42 AM #7Hewer of wood
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Have you rung C-tec and pushed them to look?
IME their stock database not infrequently doesn't reflect what's actually in stock.Cheers, Ern
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28th October 2011, 11:10 AM #8
Ern - I think that's being kind to them......
In my experience the relationship between Carbatec's computer and the real world is tenuous at best. I like to regard their stock in mathematical terms.....i.e. real and imaginary parts.
"Yeah, the computer says we've got (4 + 3i) of those"
Or, for the movie buffs (with apologies to the trekkies out there....)
"Store Trek III: The Search For Stock"
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28th October 2011, 11:32 AM #9Hewer of wood
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LOL.
That's why I ring and order by phone these days. I want the item to be in front of the counter jumper before paying.
Another option for Tools4Me might be a flat steel plate or kanna. Not sure where you source one of those outside Japan but mech engineers must use flat steel reference plates ... ?Cheers, Ern
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28th October 2011, 05:42 PM #10
You know, I'd really like to test one of these guaranteed flat boys against an offcut from a kitchen bench (of which I have several - I carted 10 of the bastards through 8 house moves before I found a use for one). For flat sanding I use a piece of 750x500 black heavy mother and it works a treat.
I don't bother with them for plane blades or chisel sharpening - Nicholson smooth file is good for that.
What?
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28th October 2011, 05:54 PM #11
Yeah, my granite surface plate is hopeless - it has a bloody great dip in the middle that is almost 2 microns deep........
I can almost see it with the naked eye
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28th October 2011, 08:38 PM #12
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28th October 2011, 09:52 PM #13
If you want something "fairly" flat, I'd say 10mm float glass (just by the very way it is made) would be much flatter than a lump of granite benchtop which has been ground flat.
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28th October 2011, 09:56 PM #14
The float glass is expendable - I use it with loose coarse silicon carbide grit to flatten sharpening stones. Once it gets a bit worn, throw it out and grab a new piece.
The granite surface plate is a reference for checking/measuring flatness in conjuction with a dial gauge and feelers - I wouldn't dream of grinding anything on it.
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28th October 2011, 11:49 PM #15
Was in CTec in Adelaide this morning and saw that they have a granite plate sitting there in stock. Might be able to phone an order in at the $25 expense to have it shipped.
The Adelaide store has a lot of stock as clearance items too. Oval turning gadget at $1000 off and cheap vermec faceplates and things. Picked up a cheap 1200 king with a chip out of a corner for half price. Doesn't bother me as it will be my GP knife stone. But enough off topic ravings.
Tom.