1-2-3 Block Recommendations?

[Winegrower]

I use these blocks way more than I ever thought I would. So much so I now have three sets, one with holes. Never have used the holes.

 

[P. Waller]

B&S set $80.00
Not worth making them for that little money
http://www.penntoolco.com/brown-sha...MI08jKo4_N3gIVywOGCh3m8Al6EAYYBiABEgLn4_D_BwE

 

[KBeitz]

I was thinking about drilling the holes out to body size as well. The tapped holes in my cheap set are 3/8" x 16tpi. The untapped holes measure around 0.350" (not 5/16" as others have noted) So the holes are only about 0.025" undersized. 1

So KBletz, how difficult were they to drill? Did you destroy any drill bits?

I'm cheap... I use cement bits to drill anything thats hard.
When you buy them new they are not sharp. Put and edge
on them before you try. They also will catch and break if
you'r not careful.

 

[rwm]

The cheap ones are plenty accurate. They are $12.00 a set from CDOC. They won't bolt together but I've never needed that as I have angle plates.
I'd be happy with 123's with no holes but they are more money, seems backwards.
I'm usually using them as spacers on the surface grinder, and I keep one with the lathe and use it to square the tool post off the lathe spindle, and even off the chuck face at times...they are way more accurate than needed for that.

CDOC is the Colorado Dept of Corrections. I have no plans to be in a position to use their blocks....
Robert

 

[rgray]

CDOC is the Colorado Dept of Corrections.

Ooopps just the one finger typing or a little dyslexia. CDOC just rolls of the tongue so much nicer than CDCO. But If you want machine tools CDCO may be the preferable website.

 

[hman]

Ooopps just the one finger typing or a little dyslexia. CDOC just rolls of the tongue so much nicer than CDCO.

C'mon now ... you weren't typing with your tongue, were you ?

 

[Bob Korves]

I'm cheap... I use cement bits to drill anything thats hard.
When you buy them new they are not sharp. Put and edge
on them before you try. They also will catch and break if
you'r not careful.

Has anybody checked them before and after drilling to see how much the geometry moved? My guess is that the case hardened drilled blocks might be susceptible to that. If not, I might try it, and I do have a surface grinder if it goes bad, though then my grinder and my skills will be the real issues...

 

[Cadillac]

I agree the blocks will move. Problem is they are never oversized so any grinding will make them just set up blocks. Which I can’t tell you if I ever used them as a gauge block other than parallels.

 

[Bob Korves]

If the blocks were .996 x 1.995 x 2.997, it would make no difference to me at all. If they were ever used where dimensions actually matter, then the actual numbers could be used, just makes the math slightly busier. The bigger issue is whether I could keep them accurately square and parallel to within a few tenths overall and with closely true 90 degree corners and parallel faces. Not as easy as it might sound...