HSS Lathe Blanks for set-up blocks?

[Spokerider]

What do you think?
Can they be used as such? Are they ground true enough?
Looking for affordable parallels / set up blocks for a micro mill.
Authentic set up blocks are unobtainum locally in my area......but I can get HSS lathe blanks.

Thanks.

 

[francist]

I use them often for setting up in the vise or as spacers when setting up in the lathe chuck (don’t run the lathe with them in the chuck, just for setting off the part when tightening the jaws). They’re not all the same so I’ll pick and choose a pair that are kind of close to being matched. And I don’t expect ultra-high precision from them — for that I have parallels.

For what it’s worth, Little Machine Shop seems to have a bunch more small and short parallel offerings than before. Some as short as an inch and a half for pretty reasonable cost.

-frank

 

[mikey]

I use blanks sometimes when I need to use only one. As Frank said, they are not ground the same but you can mike a pair and get close.

 

[Spokerider]

I guess I'll pick some HSS blanks up for rough set ups, when accuracy isn't warranted. And........keep looking for parallels.

Thanks for the thots gents.

 

[benmychree]

and if you know someone with a surface grinder, you could get them trued up in pairs, or just buy some "silver steel" and make your own, no need to harden them for light work.

 

[Bob Korves]

Just be aware that they were not made for precision dimensions, though they may be because of how they were machined, especially if they came together from the same source. Measure them with calipers or micrometer for thickness, compare them by holding them together in pairs, using all sides and looking for light through any gaps. Use the best matches. That will be good enough for most work that is not high precision. They make good 'poor man' spacers. A decent test is worth a lot of opinions...

 

[T Bredehoft]

A decent test is worth a lot of opinions.

How true. We should all heed this.