What affordable material for parallels?

E

ErichKeane

Making scrap at ludicrous speed.
H-M Lifetime Diamond Member
Joined
Aug 3, 2017
Messages
2,419
SO, I need parallels for my shaper. Typically I'd just buy a chinesium set, fix them on my grinder, and call it a day. However, this time I need something like 12"x2"(x 1/2" or 5/8" or something) ones. My vise is 17"x2.5", and I can cover the rails with 12", so I am aiming for those. Cheapest I can find anything like that is $200/pair!

So, I was figuring I can make them at home! I just don't have a good idea on what material to use. I considered 4140ht as I don't have any hardening equipment, but that would be prohibitively expensive (something like $80 each bar in materials!).

Does anyone have suggestions for a material that won't break the bank? Potentially I could ship them somewhere for heat treatment, but no idea where to find a place like that.
 
tell you what I did for my small 4" vise. Buy whatever ground stock was available on discount on Amazon and chop it into the right sized pieces. I'm still missing 7/8" tall, but I have from 1/2" to 1" in eighths. You can get tool steels, but mine is a mix of A2, O1 and A36 mild steel. Ground on all sides, as close as I'm able to measure in height and width.

eg.

Amazon.com: O1 Tool Steel Sheet, Precision Ground, Annealed, 5/16" Thickness, 1/2" Width, 18" Length: Industrial & Scientific

Amazon.com: O1 Tool Steel Sheet, Precision Ground, Annealed, 5/16" Thickness, 1/2" Width, 18" Length: Industrial & Scientific
www.amazon.com

Amazon.com: A36 Steel Sheet, Annealed/Precision Ground, ASTM A36, 3/32" Thickness, 1-1/2" Width, 24" Length : Industrial & Scientific

Amazon.com: A36 Steel Sheet, Annealed/Precision Ground, ASTM A36, 3/32" Thickness, 1-1/2" Width, 24" Length : Industrial & Scientific
www.amazon.com

Amazon.com: A6 Tool Steel Sheet, Annealed/Precision Ground, ASTM A681, 3/16" Thickness, 3/4" Width, 36" Length: Industrial & Scientific

Amazon.com: A6 Tool Steel Sheet, Annealed/Precision Ground, ASTM A681, 3/16" Thickness, 3/4" Width, 36" Length: Industrial & Scientific
www.amazon.com

I don't know if those sizes are useful, they're just examples of how cheap you can find this stuff if you're not super picky. I think I spent 3 or 4 months collecting the different sizes and spent maybe $35? I also have plenty left over for other projects or replacing ones that get dinged up.
 
Unfortunately the drops get difficult to find when you get to 12" long

I have a surface grinder, so I don't need ground, just hard.
 
mattthemuppet2 said:
he doesn't need ground though..
Click to expand...
Yeah, I'm totally ok with even the roughest finish, I have a shaper and a surface grinder :) When I see stuff like that, I can't help but wonder how much of the cost of that is to have it ground :/
 
1" X 2" X 12" is $88 @ KBC 3/4" X 1-1/4" X 12" is $68. Price is per pair. I use their 9" parallels myself, no problem.
 
Chewy said:
1" X 2" X 12" is $88 @ KBC 3/4" X 1-1/4" X 12" is $68. Price is per pair. I use their 9" parallels myself, no problem.
Click to expand...
Hmm, the 1x2 and the 3/4x1 is probably just the ticket... a little sad I can't find any decent material to just make them out of :/ Seems like a waste of good tools :D
 
If it is a one time use, you could use anything. Mill it, and you said you have a surface grinder to get it flat over that length within tenths. 1018 will do fine for limited use. 2' locally of 3/4" X 2" is $22. If it is something you are planning to use over and over again, better off to buy a good set and keep them greased or oiled. By the time you buy 2' of good stuff (retail) and than heat treat it, you will have the price of store bought ones, unless you go for the Suburban pair at $254. Think I have the size you want in 8". Bought it on Ebay for $40. Did not need it at time, but was too good a price to pass up. Used it twice since than. Good Luck.
 
If you have to ask what it costs, likely you can't afford it ---- most all of my extensive collection of parallels were bought off e bay, but many folks think they are made of gold, or at least silver; wait for reasonably priced offerings. For my shaper, I have a pair of 1 1/2 X 3 made of 0-1, unhardened tool steel left over from a job that I worked on about 50 years ago, I managed to smuggle one of the leftovers out of the shop before I left it in 1970, I was surprised to find the other remnant in the same cabinet 35 year later when I returned to buy machinery from the then closed shop ----
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top