Author Topic: Laping my granite surface plate part 2  (Read 2802 times)

Offline mattinker

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Laping my granite surface plate part 2
« on: May 05, 2020, 05:02:34 PM »
This is the final video on lapping my granite surface plate. I have been very surprised at how easy this is! I would like to encourage anyone that is hesitating to have a go!

Offline awemawson

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Re: Laping my granite surface plate part 2
« Reply #1 on: May 05, 2020, 05:22:37 PM »
Excellent Matthew - great to see the end product - it seems ages ago that you were mapping it here on the course  :thumbup:
Andrew Mawson
East Sussex

Offline mattinker

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Re: Laping my granite surface plate part 2
« Reply #2 on: May 05, 2020, 05:59:07 PM »
Thanks Andrew, yes, it was two years ago last December! It took me a year to get back to it! and over a year to edit it!

I'm very pleased with the result, Duncan reconed it was a B plate when he measured it, it's a lot better now!

Cheers, Matthew

Offline WeldingRod

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Re: Laping my granite surface plate part 2
« Reply #3 on: May 05, 2020, 07:31:24 PM »
Impressive!

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Offline mattinker

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Re: Laping my granite surface plate part 2
« Reply #4 on: May 05, 2020, 09:08:17 PM »
Thank you!

Offline hermetic

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Re: Laping my granite surface plate part 2
« Reply #5 on: May 06, 2020, 07:47:09 AM »
Thanks Matt, enjoyed that! I thought when I saw one of the big youtube stars have a surface plate lapped that it didn't actually look that difficult! You have confirmed my suspicions. It would seem to be mot impossible to make your own surface plate from a slab of granite worktop and a lap. Stability would be a problem because of the reduced thickness, but horses for courses! I use a piece of 1/2" plate glass, and find it to be a lot more accurate than I am!
Phil
Man who says it cannot be done should not disturb man doing it! https://www.youtube.com/user/philhermetic/videos?

Offline edward

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Re: Laping my granite surface plate part 2
« Reply #6 on: May 06, 2020, 07:56:32 AM »
Excellent stuff Matt

I'll admit that I use the sink cutout from my parents granite worktop and its proved OK of the kind of stuff I am doing. Its actually flatter than the 'good' bit of the bed on my 104 year old lathe!

Offline mattinker

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Re: Laping my granite surface plate part 2
« Reply #7 on: May 06, 2020, 08:51:35 AM »
Excellent stuff Matt

I'll admit that I use the sink cutout from my parents granite worktop and its proved OK of the kind of stuff I am doing. Its actually flatter than the 'good' bit of the bed on my 104 year old lathe!

Edward, Glad you enjoyed it!

Offline mattinker

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Re: Laping my granite surface plate part 2
« Reply #8 on: May 06, 2020, 08:55:00 AM »
Thanks Matt, enjoyed that! I thought when I saw one of the big youtube stars have a surface plate lapped that it didn't actually look that difficult! You have confirmed my suspicions. It would seem to be mot impossible to make your own surface plate from a slab of granite worktop and a lap. Stability would be a problem because of the reduced thickness, but horses for courses! I use a piece of 1/2" plate glass, and find it to be a lot more accurate than I am!
Phil
Thanks Phil, how about several layers of granite counter top epoxied together? Should go a long way towards solveing the stability problem! You could also do the same with plate glass!

Matthew

Offline WeldingRod

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Re: Laping my granite surface plate part 2
« Reply #9 on: May 07, 2020, 01:46:11 PM »
If you laid up your slabs with air channel through it you could come up with an improvement!  The issue is not creeping over time, it's getting the whole thing to an even temperature.  Having air passages and a small fan would help a LOT.

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