Not as good as Granite

[ltlvt]

I picked this up on Ebay this week. I already have an 18"x6" x2" granite but wanted something wider more like 20x20 or close to it. This old cast-iron one is 14"x16" , It has some minor scratches and a few light dings, but it only cost me around $40 to ship. Whereas a granite of comparable size would cost $250 to ship it to the nearest freight terminal or $350 to my door. Not to mention the cost of the Granite plate. This will work for me for now. If one comes up made of granite in my 50-mile radius I will drive to get it.

 

[twhite]

I like my cast iron plate as I can stick my magnetic bases and magnetic V blocks. You can make very stable setups that way.
I have granite also. Both are very useful.


Cutting oil is my blood.

 

[Jake M]

I really want a cast iron plate, and I don't even know why. I barely have a use for the small granite one that I already have.

What about the cast iron version do you not like as well? Is it size or function?

 

[ddickey]

Let's see the bottom. That should tell you if it is a surface plate or a bench plate.

 

[projectnut]

For some reason I also prefer cast iron surface plates. I have a couple in the shop. The best one being a 24' x 36" Challenge class A. It was originally purchased by the company I worked for. When the machine shop closed, it was sold to one of the now retired employees who now owns a commercial shop. When he moved his machine shop to a new location, he sold it to me for $100.00.

This plate was last calibrated in 2016. When I contacted a service in 2018 to see what it would cost to have it recalibrated, I almost fell over. At the time they were asking in the $1,500.00 to $1,600.00. I can't imagine what it would cost today.

The most amazing part is that the two of us carried the 475 lb. plate out of his shop by hand and loaded it in my truck. When we got to my place, we unloaded it and carried it by hand through the garage, halfway through the house, down the stairs to the shop and set it on its original stand. I don't think that would be possible today. I get tired just thinking about it.

I was going to add a link to the Challenge website, but see they no longer make precision surface equipment. They now only make machinery for the paper industry.

 

[Dabbler]

@ltlvt You can also scrape it in using your current granite plate as a reference. Or at least blue it in t see how they agree. Note that non contact points ca be the fault of either plate!

Nice get, BTW. I have both types, and I'm on the "I like Granite" side - but my cast plate does a good job too!

 

[ltlvt]

Let's see the bottom. That should tell you if it is a surface plate or a bench plate.

how do you tell?

 

[ltlvt]

@ltlvt You can also scrape it in using your current granite plate as a reference. Or at least blue it in t see how they agree. Note that non contact points ca be the fault of either plate!

Nice get, BTW. I have both types, and I'm on the "I like Granite" side - but my cast plate does a good job too!

I would love to have a larger Granite but like I said the shipping is just insane.

 

[Dabbler]

Yeah, Whichita Falls is out there. Perhaps a nearby HM person can figure something out - informal pony express?

 

[ddickey]

how do you tell?

Number of points of contact. 3 points it's a surface plate. Four or more points it's considered a bench plate.