Speechless wrote:

On Fri, 10 Mar 2006 20:16:04 -0700, Trevor Jones
wrote:


Blocks should be cleaned prior to use and lightly oiled when put away.
There are spray cans of gauge block cleaner and preservative available.


Hmmm...reading this thread has me wondering...

My uncle was a machinist at an aircraft factory during WWII. As a kid
growing up after the war, I spent a lot of time in his shop learning
things at the age of 6 or 7 that most don't learn until their collage
years. One of my tasks in his shop was the care and storage of gauge
blocks. The following is what my uncle taught me along with some
questions about the techniques:

Gauge Block Cleaner/Preservative:
Use Sewing Machine Oil. Do not substitute.

Question: Out of all the lubricants available, even 50+ years ago,
why sewing machine oil? HAZMAT info says sewing machine oil is pure
"mineral oil". My observations are that medical grade "mineral oil"
for internal consumption purchased at a pharmacy does not evaporate.
Sewing machine oil does. Are they different?

Cleaner/Preservative Remover:
200 proof Industrial Ethyl Alcohol. Do not substitute. Keep container
tightly closed.

Question: Why not Methyl Hydrate or Isopropyl (rubbing alcohol)?
They are solvents also. These would be much less hassle to get.

Tools:
Camel Hair artist's brush
Surgical grade cotton batten.
Roll of 3" wide surgical gauze
Saucer from kitchen.

Preparation for Use:
- Pour ethyl alcohol into clean saucer from kitchen
- Place gauge block into alcohol
- Use camel hair brush to thoroughly clean off oil from gauge block
- Place gauge block on strip of clean surgical gauze to dry
at room temperature for at least two hours before use.

Preparation for Storage:
- Tear off a 1 inch cube of cotten batten
- Apply 10 drops of sewing machine oil to cotten batten
- Rub gauge block gently but thoroughly with oil soaked cotten
batten until it glistens with oil. Replace cotten batten if it
shows any signs of dirt.
- Place oily gauge block into storage case.

Any comments on the above? I've been doing it this way for years. My
gauge blocks I've inherited from my uncle seem to be in good shape and
and have no problems with wringing. Are gauge blocks now made from
different materials than they were 60+ years ago that now require
different cleaning/preserving techniques? Or, are all these fancy
spray cans of cleaners and preservatives just a manifestation of our
modern society?

The spray cans really represent an easy way to get a product that is
packaged to do exactly what is intended. I figure that what works,
works, and your method seems to be working for you.

Gauge blocks ARE available in different materials these days. Ceramic
and carbide are out there as well as plain old steel. The new materials
are a bit less heat affected and not subject to corrosion, but are more
expensive, too.

Cheers
Trevor Jones