Marking Out Plate

[Ghosty]

Hi All,
Just thinking what every one uses for a marking out plate, I live right on the ocean and any thing cast iron would be ruined in 6 months, went to the kitchen joint and got a slab of polished rock, used to have a 2" thick 18" squ, glass plate ground on one side, someone else wanted it more that me.

Cheers

 

[Blogwitch]

I used to use the platten glass out of an old photo copier until I found out that they don't like heavy bits of steel being dropped on them. I almost cried when that happened as it had lasted me for many years.

Some people are now using marble cutting blocks designed for kitchen use and are having good results.

Myself, I invested in a small 12" x 12" cast iron job, but I don't have the sea salt problem that you have.


John

 

[Hopper]

Bit of plate glass about 10-12mm thick with beveled edge all round, scrounged from the local dump shop.

 

[deverett]

I use glass from an old scanner. Mindful of what can happen to glass - John ! - I made up a wooden tray lined with baize for it. It won't prevent shattering into a 1000 pieces, but does give some protection from rough under-surfaces. Hate to admit it, but I learned the hard way with an earlier scanner platen!

Thicker glass as suggested by Hopper would possibly be a better option, but we use what we can get hold of.

Dave
The Emerald Isle

 

[BaronJ]

Hi Guys,

I bought a polished granite floor tile for this purpose. Its only 15 mm thick but flat enough for most purposes. I also have a chunk of a broken granite headstone given to me quite a while back, but I don't use it any more, I can barely pick it up nowadays. Makes a good anvil though.

 

[Dullnote]

I use kitchen marble cutting board, flatter than my skill level needs

 

[JohnBDownunder]

I use a 1.5" or 40mm water resistant laminated kitchen sink cutout from when our kitchen tops were updated recently. It suits my needs and won't shatter with the inevitable dropped steel.
There are two old glass scanner platens patiently awaiting their turn should my expertise improve enough to need em. :hDe:
John B

 

[rodw]

I have sometimes thought of going to a kitchen place looking for a marble kitchen sink cutout.

 

[goldstar31]

From where I sit in the old geyser's home, I wonder whether the news of co-ordinate marking out on the lathe or mill is going to be discovered.

I have a quite ancient and much the same with a much maligned ( or aligned) mill drill and both of these have 'little graduations' which help enormously . I'm keeping my granite headstone only for a future occasion

Idle thoughts of an idle fellow

Norman

 

[goldstar31]

As a sort of follow up, thanks Hopper for jolting my memory, there is an interesting chapter by Tubal Cain in Simple Workshop Devices.
It emphasises the inaccuracies which he found when his students were marking out. At Darlington College, if one must quote.

For those who don't know who Tubal Cain was, he was Tom Walshaw and seemingly wrote screeds on designs of model engines- apart from lecturing. Rather like Prof Dennis Chaddock who made bits for atom bombs and Quorn tool and cutter grinders in his spare time as a lecturer etc at Loughborough.

Makes a change??

N

 

[bazmak]

I picked up a sink cutout of 40mm polished granite works a treat
I also cut off 2 pieces for engine stands in the mill

 

[dkwflight]

Hi

Find a shop that installs granite counter tops.
I bet they will let you have a piece that they cannot use.
Mine is around 1 1/4" thich and shiny .
From the reflections it looks pretty straight.