Gage Blocks?

K

Kroll

Active User
H-M Supporter Gold Member
Morning guys, well I'm off since I work for school dist. in main dept so getting some computer time to ask questions. I have a pin gage set that is unknown meaning I'm sure its made over seas. Its the minus size and for someone like me its good enough,but now I am looking into gage blocks. I see that there is different grades I believe from 0 on up,then I come across set that its classified as economy grade. As a home hobbies wannabe what grade or what should I look for? Shopping on ebay there are so many choices,and google also shows so many choices. Mainly shopping on ebay cause I figure I may get lucky and find a good set at good price. But Shars also has set at 94.00 that I believe is their economy grade. Looking for suggestions on entry level grade that is the best it can be,thanks guys for any guidance for links,info,pics
 
The economy grade I believe is known as shop grade, suitable for most tool rooms and definitely suitable for a home shop. Don't waste your money on something you'll use only a few times. I use pin gauges all the time, but very seldom gauge blocks.
 
I was patient and managed to get a Starrett Toolroom B 81 piece gage block set for $150. My pin gages, also Starrett $100. Prices in Canadian funds so $105 and $70 USD respectively. If you hold on about a month until this Corona thing starts really having an impact financially you will likely start to see them show up on eBay, Craig’s list and Kijiji at really good prices. I never use my pin Gages but use the Gage Blocks more often than I expected. Sort of depends on what you are doing in your shop. That said, it is tough to beat the pricing of the “import” sets. My opinion though is that if you can get the “made in North America” stuff for the same price as the import why not do so, especially if there is no rush. Grandfather always told me, “buy cheap, buy twice”. Good luck. Cheers.


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The "economy" grade is generally + or - 50 millionths, and the errors tend to cancel out among blocks. Unless you are doing NASA work, any sine bar angle you set with these will probably be much more accurate than hobby-grade machines can cut. My set --- which I admit sees little use --- is the "B" or economy grade and has answered every need for over 20 years.
 
Kroll said:
Morning guys, well I'm off since I work for school dist. in main dept so getting some computer time to ask questions. I have a pin gage set that is unknown meaning I'm sure its made over seas. Its the minus size and for someone like me its good enough,but now I am looking into gage blocks. I see that there is different grades I believe from 0 on up,then I come across set that its classified as economy grade. As a home hobbies wannabe what grade or what should I look for? Shopping on ebay there are so many choices,and google also shows so many choices. Mainly shopping on ebay cause I figure I may get lucky and find a good set at good price. But Shars also has set at 94.00 that I believe is their economy grade. Looking for suggestions on entry level grade that is the best it can be,thanks guys for any guidance for links,info,pics
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It's nice to have pin gages from .061 to .5, and I prefer vermont,meyer etc. because the marking on the gage is legible enough to actually read.
 
I use a small set of ex-standards lab gauge blocks, only 11 pieces in it, to check calibration on the micrometers and verniers. Then I just use the measuring tools. Two of the micrometers are electronic, as is the iGaging OriginCal caliper.

When a gauge block set is retired from a lab, even in much better than workshop condition, it is because the surfaces will no longer "wring" together in the proper way, so close that it is the Van der Waals atomic forces coming into play. Any pre-loved gauges from eBay are unlikely to wring, but most will stick somewhat if give a squirt of alcohol, and this includes most workshop grades, even if they have gained some tiny scratches.

My "set" is not really usable for stuff like building the right gauge height for a sine bar. That takes the full 88 pieces choices. There are quite a few Coventry and similar Imperial inch sets on eBay. Metric sets are fewer. I agree that few of us need to shell out on the whole set, and I can probably get along without it altogether. I need to get enough skill to make two successive readings on a tenths micrometer come out the same, even when trying it on a gauge block!
 
Must be shipping to GB adds to the cost. They sell here for $85 shipped. One of the pictures on the eBay site shows the limits for the different grades. I don't know what the their grades mean... for my work, if things end up within a couple of tenth's I'm happy. ;)

Ted
 
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