# 123 Blocks



## Omnimill (Sep 27, 2010)

I bought what I thought was a bargain at a recent model engineering show - a boxed and still wrapped pair of Moore and Wright 123 blocks at £10. Trouble is they have imperial threads, 5/16" something or other! I needed to use these the other day so I had to drill out one of the holes to pass some 8mm studding through. Although quite hard they couldn't resist the 8mm glass drill I have, but I was wondering how hard these things are? If possible I'd like to replace the 5/16" threads with M10 ones if possible.

Vic.


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## Omnimill (Sep 28, 2010)

Gosh, 169 views and no comments. Anyone got any ideas for me, or am I left with just drilling out the 5/16" tapped holes? oh:

Vic.


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## krv3000 (Sep 28, 2010)

HI well my 123 blocks I made when serving my time and had to be hardend then ground to size. but as for yours i wood not attempt to tap them as you had to drill them out with the glass drill you had they. will be just as hard as the tap you cud av a go at softening them back up by heating them up and letting them cool dawn slowly


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## Blogwitch (Sep 28, 2010)

I'll talk to you Vic.

I have two sets of those blocks, and yes they do have a weird thread in them, not the normal metric. Both of mine are the same, one cheapo set, and the other an expensive one. Both measure up exactly the same, so I think it is just a matter of charging you double the money for a name.

As you most probably already know, they won't bolt together because the unthreaded holes are made a smidgin too small for the bolts to go thru. I tried to open them out with diamond coated drills, to no avail, both sets are hard as glass. I haven't tried anything else as yet, but I will do in the future, otherwise it is off to my mate with them, and get them spark eroded out.

BTW, the expensive set did come with four cap screws of the correct thread and length to fix them together, but because they don't go thru the plain holes, they are no use to man nor beast. I complained to MSC about it, and they told me to keep them and refunded my money. So they weren't that expensive after all. Maybe they know something we don't.

Bogs


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## Omnimill (Sep 28, 2010)

Thanks for that guys, sounds like I'll just drill the other holes out to 8mm as I need them and bolt right through.

Vic.


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## Lew Hartswick (Sep 28, 2010)

It seems to me the obvious solution is just use inch bolts if they are taped inch.
  ...lew...


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## Blogwitch (Sep 28, 2010)

Lew,

The problem is that even though some of the holes are already tapped, the remainder of the holes in the blocks are not large enough to pass a threaded bolt thru.

John S described the problem many moons ago.

When the far east started to make and supply them, they made a big faux pas, and didn't make the holes the right size. So like all far eastern stuff, millions of sets have been made and sold with this problem.

One day, the penny will drop, and they will realise their mistake and put it right, but until then, you are stuck with blocks that won't bolt together, so really they are just odd shaped parallels, rather than being a bolt together angle plate, or t plate or anything else your brain can come up with.

Bogs


Bogs


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## tel (Sep 28, 2010)

It's a pretty universal problem - mine are exactly the same.


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## deverett (Sep 29, 2010)

My 2-4-6 blocks have a problem in that the holes are too big for my threading tackle. I made up inserts with an M10 thread for use with M10 cap screws:



			
				steamdave  said:
			
		

> I have a set of 2-4-6 blocks that I mainly use for mounting items that need to have faces machined perpendicular to each other.
> 
> Some of the holes in the blocks are plain, the others are tapped 5/8", bigger than any threading tackle I have, and also a thread system I don't use.
> 
> ...



Dave
The Emerald Isle


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## Blogwitch (Sep 29, 2010)

Nice 'fix' there Dave.

Something to think about.


Bogs


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## Omnimill (Sep 29, 2010)

Lew Hartswick  said:
			
		

> It seems to me the obvious solution is just use inch bolts if they are taped inch.
> ...lew...



I only use metric fasteners Lew and I'm not about to start buying Imperial stuff - even if I could get them easily 

Vic.


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## boatmadman (Sep 29, 2010)

stupid noobie question coming......

what are these blocks used for?

 ;D

Ian


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## TroyO (Sep 29, 2010)

They are kind of like Lego's... being 1x2x3 inches and having tapped holes and clear holes (In theory.. apparently the clear holes don't always clear the bolts, LOL) you can mix and match and bolt things to them to hold stuff for machining, or to support stuff or angle stuff or... about a bazzilion other things. Stack the sides to hit about any even inch increment... need 4 inches? Stack them on the 2" side... need 3? Stack a 2" side on a 1" side, etc.

Useful bits to have on hand.


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## techonehundred (Sep 29, 2010)

Only in a Crazy mixed up mind of a Machinist would exist the notion of wanting a 1" x 2" x 3" block tapped with metric Threads. :big:


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## Blogwitch (Sep 30, 2010)

Tech,

One day they will come.

25 - 50 - 75 blocks, and you can be sure they will have metric threads.

In fact, I am very surprised it hasn't happened well before now.


Bogs


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## Omnimill (Sep 30, 2010)

techonehundred  said:
			
		

> Only in a Crazy mixed up mind of a Machinist would exist the notion of wanting a 1" x 2" x 3" block tapped with metric Threads. :big:



Thats me :big:

Vic.


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## doubletop (Sep 30, 2010)

Bogstandard  said:
			
		

> One day they will come.
> 
> 25 - 50 - 75 blocks, and you can be sure they will have metric threads.
> 
> ...




Having never come across 1-2-3 blocks until this thread popped up, and now seeing them everywhere, it did cross my mind "are there metric versions"? Obviously not if John hasn't seen them. I do have a Vertex catalogue, I may just go and have a look........

Pete


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## Lew Hartswick (Sep 30, 2010)

Bogstandard  said:
			
		

> Tech,
> 
> One day they will come.
> 
> ...


Should make em cheeper too, less material.
  ...lew...


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## dsquire (Sep 30, 2010)

Hi guys

OK, enough talk. Who is going to be the first one to make a pair of 25mm x 50mm x 75mm blocks and using metric threads? :big:

Cheers 

Don


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## mklotz (Sep 30, 2010)

I made a pair of half-size 1-2-3 blocks, i.e., 0.5-1-1.5, and they've turned out to be very handy, used by themselves or in combination with the 1-2-3 blocks.

If you're going to set up to make blocks, consider making a half-size set while you're at it.


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## GailInNM (Sep 30, 2010)

Victor machine has 25-50-75 blocks.
http://www.victornet.com/subdepartments/1-2-3-Blocks-Sine-Bars-Planer-Gage/270.html
Gail in NM


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## Blogwitch (Sep 30, 2010)

Gail,

I am just awaiting a delivery from Victors, if I had known that they did metric ones, I would have ordered some at the same time. Postage is the killer from them to the UK.

I wonder if they suffer from the same problem as the Imperial ones? None thru fitting screws.


Bogs


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## GailInNM (Oct 1, 2010)

Bogs,
The main thing is that if Victor, a USA dealer, has them then other dealers should have them available also. The USA market being rather limited, it would not make sense for them to have them made up special.

 I have not looked around as most of my tooling is imperial. If I had a 25-50-75 set I am sure they would get stored in the same general location as my 1-2-3 blocks. I can only imagine the results of a midnight madness mix up with one of each in a setup. ???
Gail in NM


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## Blogwitch (Oct 1, 2010)

Gail,

I keep an eye on all the regular suppliers in the UK, and have never come across them. 

Maybe someone like J&L will have them, but you are going to pay way over the top.

Victor have very reasonable prices indeed, and the quality is good as well, it is just that they won't use the cheapo methods of postage, which is such a shame.

One day I will find some, it is not as though my workshop will fall down around me just because I haven't got any.


Bogs


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## Cromaglious (Nov 19, 2017)

I really need to make some, i have a hf X2 44991, not the most rigid of machines.  Really need to get a 2" vice for it, and a 3" if I can find one cheap enough. My 4" is a bit big, though thats going on a friend's rf-31. 



mklotz said:


> I made a pair of half-size 1-2-3 blocks, i.e., 0.5-1-1.5, and they've turned out to be very handy, used by themselves or in combination with the 1-2-3 blocks.
> 
> If you're going to set up to make blocks, consider making a half-size set while you're at it.


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## Cromaglious (Nov 19, 2017)

GailInNM said:


> Bogs,
> ..... If I had a 25-50-75 set I am sure they would get stored in the same general location as my 1-2-3 blocks. I can only imagine the results of a midnight madness mix up with one of each in a setup. ???
> Gail in NM



Hence a set of 20-40-60 blocks would make much more sense. 
 Hmm, I'd use 6mm-1.00 threads, since I always have one 10mm combination wrench near the mill. 8mm-1.25 has a 13mm hex, so that's a contender as well.


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