Surface plate

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neanderman
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Surface plate

Post by neanderman »

I got a debit card from my credit card rewards program, so I decided to buy a surface plate. So, now I'm looking for suggestions as to how best to set it up for use? I will eventually make a protective cover for it, but first I need a place to park it!

Thought, pictures, etc., welcomed!
Ed

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Bill Shields
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Re: Surface plate

Post by Bill Shields »

Ok...so how big is it and what does it weigh?
Too many things going on to bother listing them.
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neanderman
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Re: Surface plate

Post by neanderman »

:D Oh, details might help.

12" x 9" x 3". Not sure of the weight. Less than 70 lbs, i suspect as it shipped UPS.
Ed

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Bill Shields
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Re: Surface plate

Post by Bill Shields »

Mine lives on my workbench with a plywood cover over it.

99% of the time it is elevated work space
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neanderman
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Re: Surface plate

Post by neanderman »

Yeah, I expect that will be the case here. Finding flat places to set things is always a challenge.
Ed

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RSG
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Re: Surface plate

Post by RSG »

Bill Shields wrote: Thu Jun 24, 2021 8:44 pm 99% of the time it is elevated work space
:D Same here!

Ya, a cover is a must! Not hard to damage them when they sit out on the bench.
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ctwo
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Re: Surface plate

Post by ctwo »

I thought a cover would be framed and blocked at the corners to keep the wood from touching.
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earlgo
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Re: Surface plate

Post by earlgo »

When I worked at a shop that had just bought a surface plate, the shop supervisor asked the maintenance man to make a plywood cover, but he said it needed to be a peaked roof style so no one could set anything on it, ever. It worked and all anyone had to do to use it was take off the cover instead of unload it.
I (wish I had) followed suit when I got mine. :roll:
surface plate?
surface plate?
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mklotz
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Re: Surface plate

Post by mklotz »

I have a surface plate of the same dimensions. I built a box/carrier for it myself so perhaps some of the considerations I had while building it may help you to decide what you wish to do.

I built a "tray" for the base of the box. Made of 3/4" plywood, the sides only rise to about half the height of the plate. This allows objects on the plate to extend out over the side - an important issue with a plate this small. The end walls of this tray are fitted with two heavy duty handles bolted, not screwed, to the wood. I don't have room for a permanent location so the plate gets moved around a lot. It's heavy and awkward to move so I wanted handles I could grip with my entire hand for a steady hold and lift.

The top of this box is similar in design to the bottom. In place its side walls nearly touch the side walls of the base. The heavy top provides good protection for the plate. (I live in earthquake country so the possibility of a hammer falling off the wall onto the top is not necessarily remote.) The top is secured to the bottom with only light latches - it will never be lifted with the top so a heavy duty connection isn't required. The inside surface of the top, which rests on the plate, is fitted with a soft towel glued in place to protect the surface of the plate.

Bonus, unrequested info:

I visited a Los Angeles firm that specializes in making granite forms and surface plates of huge dimension. They told me that they use orange hand cleaner to clean their plates. It contains some lanolin so it lubricates the surface to make things slide more easily.
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Wolfgang
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Re: Surface plate

Post by Wolfgang »

Thanks for the tip for surface plate cleaner, Marvin! Need to get some.
My 12" x 18" x 4" Granite plate also lives on my work bench. The cover I made from an OLD cupboard door: double sided masonite with a space in between. Three felt pads keep the quasi-wood off the granite. Wolfgang
LouStule
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Re: Surface plate

Post by LouStule »

neanderman wrote: Thu Jun 24, 2021 7:20 pm I got a debit card from my credit card rewards program, so I decided to buy a surface plate. So, now I'm looking for suggestions as to how best to set it up for use? I will eventually make a protective cover for it, but first I need a place to park it!

Thought, pictures, etc., welcomed!
Where do you get something like that and what range should I expect to pay? Thanks.
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NP317
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Re: Surface plate

Post by NP317 »

For example:
https://www.grizzly.com/search?q=surface+plates

(unless you are referring to the bank card...)

RussN
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