Surface plate support quick question

Yeah, shop planning would become paramount. Kinda tough to move a plinth like that.

Oh well, I just enjoy metal exercise and hypothetical situations.

That "free" one would not have stayed free when you hauled it!
 
What about upgrading a good plate by using RTV to support it with an old worn out or cheap shop grade plate? Doubling the thickness will halve the deflection, no matter how it is supported.
 
What about upgrading a good plate by using RTV to support it with an old worn out or cheap shop grade plate? Doubling the thickness will halve the deflection, no matter how it is supported.

This is about the only way I see to make the bedding idea (possibly) work. Otherwise the surface plate is being used to try to stiffen an inferior structure. But it would likely create an even bigger problem with the 2 bonded plates acting as bi-metals and each warping the other from thermal changes.
 
Seems you'd need to use a powdered granite epoxy slurry to bond them, and scarify top and bottom. By the time you went through all that you could probably buy a nice, thick Starrett pink:)
 
Most cast iron surface plates come with a 3 point bearing pads. I have 2 surface plates, a 10"x18" no name, and a 24"x36" Challenge. Both have 3 load bearing points built in. Here's some text from the Challenge Precision website concerning their cast iron surface plates:

"Three point surface plates provide a precise reference surface for tool making, layout, or checking the accuracy of other surfaces. The three point bearing pads and rigid ribbed construction permit support by less accurate surfaces without disturbing the surface
accuracy. Wooden cover supplied with each plate."

Here's a link to the Challenge Precision cast iron surface plates:
http://www.challengeprecision.com/products/plates/threepoint.htm

The 24"x36" plate came from our machine shop at work. It weighs 475 lbs. It has spent it's entire 50+ yearlife on an angle iron stand with a 3/4" plywood top. You would have to run into the stand with a fork lift or Mack truck to tip it over
 
Most cast iron surface plates come with a 3 point bearing pads. I have 2 surface plates, a 10"x18" no name, and a 24"x36" Challenge. Both have 3 load bearing points built in. Here's some text from the Challenge Precision website concerning their cast iron surface plates:

"Three point surface plates provide a precise reference surface for tool making, layout, or checking the accuracy of other surfaces. The three point bearing pads and rigid ribbed construction permit support by less accurate surfaces without disturbing the surface
accuracy. Wooden cover supplied with each plate."

Here's a link to the Challenge Precision cast iron surface plates:
http://www.challengeprecision.com/products/plates/threepoint.htm

The 24"x36" plate came from our machine shop at work. It weighs 475 lbs. It has spent it's entire 50+ yearlife on an angle iron stand with a 3/4" plywood top. You would have to run into the stand with a fork lift or Mack truck to tip it over

So do they diamond lap cast iron plates? Or how do they get them to the proper grade? I have a decent understanding of how they do this on granite.

I can't believe they have handles for those huge plates... there is even a handle for the 900+ pound version. Must be machine lifting points?

Paul
 
This is about the only way I see to make the bedding idea (possibly) work. Otherwise the surface plate is being used to try to stiffen an inferior structure. But it would likely create an even bigger problem with the 2 bonded plates acting as bi-metals and each warping the other from thermal changes.
My hovercraft is full of eels.
 
Since 2008, Standridge has been using 3 point instead of 4 point supports (which it did previously) ... Now this has gotten me really interested! I'm going to call Standridge tomorrow and see if I can find out why. If it makes sense, I'll relay the conversation here.
 
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