Gage Blocks

ddickey

H-M Supporter - Gold Member
H-M Supporter Gold Member
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Apr 21, 2016
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Any suggestions for a set of gage blocks for general shop use?
 
For having around just to check tools and use comparatively, a 36 piece grade B Chinese set can be had cheap, used ones even cheaper. That is what I am using until I can find the right 81 piece set of a higher grade at a really good price. The 81 piece sets are much easier to make up stacks with than the 36 piece sets, and the higher grades will wring together properly -- and would be traceable to NIST. All of this is really overkill for a home shop that does not do precision work for commercial customers, but hey, it's fun!
 
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For general shop use, the 36 piece round spacer block sets are handy. I use them to set the end stop on my lathe.

I save the good gage blocks for checking instruments and surface plate work.

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I'm probably a shabby hobby guy because I can't work to 50 millionths of an inch so I rarely use blocks. I have them but I don't use them in the shop because then I can't use them for metrology purposes, which is why I bought them in the first place.

If you need USER blocks, I would buy a cheap import set or a used set and just use them. No point in spending big money on blocks that you're afraid to scratch. Just confirm the size of the block before you trust it, then use the heck out of them.
 
I'm probably a shabby hobby guy because I can't work to 50 millionths of an inch so I rarely use blocks. I have them but I don't use them in the shop because then I can't use them for metrology purposes, which is why I bought them in the first place.

If you need USER blocks, I would buy a cheap import set or a used set and just use them. No point in spending big money on blocks that you're afraid to scratch. Just confirm the size of the block before you trust it, then use the heck out of them.

I agree and have a set of these I picked up for $10 used that I use for "rough" shop use. I try to keep my new set in good shape for tool calibration, etc..

Here's link to a set similar to the used set I have:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/SHARS-36-P...h=item460e94fc31:g:EEIAAOSwbehbvQ1t:rk:1:pf:0

Ted
 
I have two sets, a DoAll set of rectangular blocks 81 piece, A+ grade (+4 -2) and a Brown &Sharpe accessory set for them and a set of Pratt&Whitney Hoke blocks with accessories and a set of P&W 1" - 4"; I like the Hoke blocks best for most things, as they do not have to wrung together; they are 1" square, and have a hole through the middle that is countersunk for a flat head screw, you just stack them up and with a connecting rod and flat head screws, they are held in the stack. I do not much use them in the shop, just for calibration.
 
Jo Blocks and Accuracy. If you work in a shop that supplies Jo (or by any other name) blocks, They must by law be calibrated every six months.
How far out do you suppose the rejects are? I have a set given me over 20 years ago that was made up of rejects, I guess its a 36 pc set, or there abouts. I've never been able to detect why they were rejected, never been callibrated, I use them whenever I want to set stops on my turret lathe.
For what I do they are close enough. I would support anyone who wanted to get the cheapest set they could find.
 
Jo blocks are totally optional in a home shop, but they really are a good arbiter when your mic gives you one reading, your calipers give another reading, and neither match the travel shown on your DRO. Then it is nice to have blocks, even if you don't trust them beyond .0001" (which is actually pretty damned accurate), for something you can trust implicitly, will solve the discrepancy, and will get you back to work.

"Man with one watch knows what time it is..." :)
 
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Was lucky to pick up an import set (more than good enough for my purpose) at a good price and I've watched the videos and played with them for some various stacks. So a question has come to mind.

The smallest "tenths" blocks are 0.1001 through 0.1009. What is the procedure for creating a stack that is less than 1/10 of an inch?

Thanks,
 
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