Hi,

I need a hard flat surface about 6" x 12+" for tuning my wooden
planes.
Heavy glass is commonly used but I haven't found a source (just
outside
Boston). Japan Woodworker sells a granite block for this purpose but
at $100 seems too expensive.

Can someone suggest an alternative material or source? One
possibility
is a granite scrap from a countertop but it might not be flat enough.
(How flat is flat enough?)

Thanks,
Gary

On Feb 4, 4:47 pm, "abby" wrote:
Hi,

I need a hard flat surface about 6" x 12+" for tuning my wooden
planes.
Heavy glass is commonly used but I haven't found a source (just
outside
Boston). Japan Woodworker sells a granite block for this purpose but
at $100 seems too expensive.

Can someone suggest an alternative material or source? One
possibility
is a granite scrap from a countertop but it might not be flat enough.
(How flat is flat enough?)

Thanks,
Gary

Check Grizzly. They have a 2" thick 9x12 for 20 bucks plus shipping.
They offer a 3" thick for the same money, but shipping costs are the
biggest expense anyway. I got a 2" thick one some years ago, but can't
recall what the shipping cost was.

"Charlie Self" wrote in message
...
On Feb 4, 4:47 pm, "abby" wrote:
Hi,

I need a hard flat surface about 6" x 12+" for tuning my wooden
planes.
Heavy glass is commonly used but I haven't found a source (just
outside
Boston). Japan Woodworker sells a granite block for this purpose but
at $100 seems too expensive.

Can someone suggest an alternative material or source? One
possibility
is a granite scrap from a countertop but it might not be flat enough.
(How flat is flat enough?)

Thanks,
Gary

Check Grizzly. They have a 2" thick 9x12 for 20 bucks plus shipping.
They offer a 3" thick for the same money, but shipping costs are the
biggest expense anyway. I got a 2" thick one some years ago, but can't
recall what the shipping cost was.

dining room table tops at yard sales. you can get 1/2" to 3/4" tops 4'x4'
for maybe $20. just tell them you don't want the 4 chairs that go along with
them.

regards,
charlie
http://glassartists.org/chaniarts

abby wrote:
Hi,

I need a hard flat surface about 6" x 12+" for tuning my wooden planes.
Heavy glass is commonly used but I haven't found a source (just outside
Boston). Japan Woodworker sells a granite block for this purpose but
at $100 seems too expensive.

Can someone suggest an alternative material or source? One possibility
is a granite scrap from a countertop but it might not be flat enough.
(How flat is flat enough?)

Thanks,
Gary


Grizzly Tools

http://grizzly.com/products/9-x-12-G...-2-Thick/G9649

--
Jack Novak
Buffalo, NY - USA

Mon, Feb 4, 2008, 4:47pm (abby) doth mumbleth:
Hi,
I need a hard flat surface about 6" x 12+" for tuning my wooden planes.
Heavy glass is commonly used but I haven't found a source (just outside
Boston). snip

You telling us they don't have glass places around there? I got
thee pieces from a local glass place just the other day, one for a
light box, two for Scary Sharp (TM), and I live just outside a small
town.



JOAT - who does not welcome thread question e-mails..

10 Out Of 10 Terrorists Prefer Hillary For President - Bumper Sticker

I don't have a problem with a woman president - except for Hillary.

J T wrote:
Mon, Feb 4, 2008, 4:47pm (abby) doth mumbleth:
Hi,
I need a hard flat surface about 6" x 12+" for tuning my wooden planes.
Heavy glass is commonly used but I haven't found a source (just outside
Boston). snip

You telling us they don't have glass places around there? I got
thee pieces from a local glass place just the other day, one for a
light box, two for Scary Sharp (TM), and I live just outside a small
town.



JOAT - who does not welcome thread question e-mails..

10 Out Of 10 Terrorists Prefer Hillary For President - Bumper Sticker

I don't have a problem with a woman president - except for Hillary.


I did the same. I didn't use heavy
glass, per se, but backed it with a
piece of plywood. Mounted the the whole
thing in a frame, and it's very solid
and very safe.

--
Tanus

This is not really a sig.

http://www.home.mycybernet.net/~waugh/shop/

On Feb 4, 9:47 pm, "abby" wrote:
Hi,

I need a hard flat surface about 6" x 12+" for tuning my wooden
planes.
Heavy glass is commonly used but I haven't found a source (just
outside
Boston). Japan Woodworker sells a granite block for this purpose but
at $100 seems too expensive.

Can someone suggest an alternative material or source? One
possibility
is a granite scrap from a countertop but it might not be flat enough.
(How flat is flat enough?)




For tuning your wooden planes I would be astonished
if a 12" x 12" , or larger granite or marble tile bought at
home depot were not flat enough.

I'd seal a piece of mdf with shellac and then stick the
tile on top with mastic or silicone rubber.

--

FF

"abby" writes:
Hi,

I need a hard flat surface about 6" x 12+" for tuning my wooden
planes.
Heavy glass is commonly used but I haven't found a source (just
outside
Boston). Japan Woodworker sells a granite block for this purpose but
at $100 seems too expensive.

Can someone suggest an alternative material or source? One
possibility
is a granite scrap from a countertop but it might not be flat enough.
(How flat is flat enough?)


Do you have a cabinet saw? Shaper? Any quality stationary tool
with a cast-iron top will likely be flat enough.

scott

abby wrote:
Hi,

I need a hard flat surface about 6" x 12+" for tuning my wooden
planes.
Heavy glass is commonly used but I haven't found a source (just
outside
Boston). Japan Woodworker sells a granite block for this purpose but
at $100 seems too expensive.

Can someone suggest an alternative material or source? One
possibility
is a granite scrap from a countertop but it might not be flat enough.
(How flat is flat enough?)

Thanks,
Gary

I got a couple of granite slabs from my son.....one of which is 2ft by
3ft( I like the size).....seems flat enough to me as my chisels and plane
irons have a strong affinity for shaving hair....I'd think a simple 12 inch
by 12 inch granite tile would do nearly as well. Maybe a counter person
will wade in on how flat is flat enough....Rod

On Feb 4, 7:08*pm, "Rod & Betty Jo" wrote:
abby wrote:
Hi,

I need a hard flat surface about 6" x 12+" for tuning my wooden
planes.
Heavy glass is commonly used but I haven't found a source (just
outside
Boston). *Japan Woodworker sells a granite block for this purpose but
at $100 seems too expensive.

Can someone suggest an alternative material or source? *One
possibility
is a granite scrap from a countertop but it might not be flat enough.
(How flat is flat enough?)

Thanks,
Gary

I got a couple of granite slabs from my son.....one of which is 2ft by
3ft( I like the size).....seems flat enough to me as my chisels and plane
irons have a strong affinity for shaving hair....I'd think a simple 12 inch
by 12 inch granite tile would do nearly as well. *Maybe a counter person
will wade in on how flat is flat enough....Rod- Hide quoted text -

I saved a few pieces of granite tile from a bathroom I did and they
were not very flat. Probably ok for putting edges on blades, but
definitely not flat enough for lapping plane bottoms, IMO. Some tiles
might be ok, but not the ones I had.

JP

snippage about surface plates

I saved a few pieces of granite tile from a bathroom I did and they
were not very flat. Probably ok for putting edges on blades, but
definitely not flat enough for lapping plane bottoms, IMO. Some tiles
might be ok, but not the ones I had.

JP

If you have 3 of said plates, get some loose silicon carbide abrasive powder
and lap them together and they will be flatter than any woodworkers needs
anything.

Mix the abrasive with light oil...I use cheap olive oil or vegetable
oil...until you have a thin paste. Label the plates A, B and C or 1, 2 and 3
or whatever it takes.

Smear a coating of paste on plate A, place plate B on top of it and move
around in a figure 8. The pattern shouldn't be big...no more than 1/4 of the
plate size and smaller than that is better.

Turn plate B 1/4 turn and continue until both plates have been cleaned up
some...about half the surface...you should be able to see where it's cutting
and where it hasn't. Oh...be sure to keep the plates wet with the paste.

Clean off the plates, saving as much of the paste as possible.

Now put plate B down, cover with paste and lap plate C on it, using the same
pattern.

Clean.

Now plate C goes down and plate A goes on top. Continue.

Yes, you are seeing a pattern develop here and it should continue until all
the plates have a uniform surface on them.

Store 2 of the plates somewhere safe...if you ever need to touch up your
working plate, it'll go LOTS faster having those two plate rather than
starting over.

Mike

sink cutout from granite countertop job

On Feb 4, 4:47 pm, "abby" wrote:
Hi,

I need a hard flat surface about 6" x 12+" for tuning my wooden
planes.
Heavy glass is commonly used but I haven't found a source (just
outside
Boston). Japan Woodworker sells a granite block for this purpose but
at $100 seems too expensive.

Can someone suggest an alternative material or source? One
possibility
is a granite scrap from a countertop but it might not be flat enough.
(How flat is flat enough?)

Thanks,
Gary

The simplest way to describe how flat those black granite surface
plates are is to call them PERFECTLY flat at least for woodworking
purposes. the Black Granite Surface plates that are imported by
companies like Grizzly Enco or others are usually flat to within
0.0001 across the entire face

yes that was ONE TEN THOUSANDTH of an inch. and thats usually the
"cheap" part grade they call them grade B plates

almost all tiles and machine tables are flat to within at least the
hundredths of an inch.

the natural makeup of wooden plane will have more natural error in it
due to the nature of the wood fibres than any solid well maintained
cast iron machine table, or pane of glass, or tile, or surface plate.

"abby" wrote in news:%JLpj.27$ZJ4.20
@newsfe02.lga:

Hi,

I need a hard flat surface about 6" x 12+" for tuning my wooden
planes.
Heavy glass is commonly used but I haven't found a source (just
outside
Boston). Japan Woodworker sells a granite block for this purpose but
at $100 seems too expensive.

Can someone suggest an alternative material or source? One
possibility
is a granite scrap from a countertop but it might not be flat enough.
(How flat is flat enough?)

Thanks,
Gary


I went by stone fabricator, the guys that make the granite countertops
and asked if they had a few pieces of scraps I could buy, they sent me
out back and said pick out what I needed, I was able to find a 20X16"
piece that was as flat as I could measure, it was win win for both of
us...

abby wrote:
Hi,

I need a hard flat surface about 6" x 12+" for tuning my wooden
planes.
Heavy glass is commonly used but I haven't found a source (just
outside
Boston). Japan Woodworker sells a granite block for this purpose
but
at $100 seems too expensive.

Can someone suggest an alternative material or source? One
possibility
is a granite scrap from a countertop but it might not be flat
enough.
(How flat is flat enough?)

If you can't find a source closer, Ed Steben Glass in Hartford should
be able to fix you up.

Look in the phone book under "plate glass" and if it's not there then
just "glass" and find a "plate glass" supplier. They should be able
to cut you a piece whatever size you need for a reasonable price.


--
--
--John
to email, dial "usenet" and validate
(was jclarke at eye bee em dot net)

On Mon, 4 Feb 2008 16:47:09 -0500, "abby"
wrote:

Hi,

I need a hard flat surface about 6" x 12+" for tuning my wooden
planes.
Heavy glass is commonly used but I haven't found a source (just
outside
Boston). Japan Woodworker sells a granite block for this purpose but
at $100 seems too expensive.

Can someone suggest an alternative material or source? One
possibility
is a granite scrap from a countertop but it might not be flat enough.
(How flat is flat enough?)

Thanks,
Gary


http://www.wttool.com/product-exec/p...m_source=froog

Starret has bigger ones, too. Shipping 's a bitch, though.

-Zz

How about a polished marble tile for about three bucks?

Bob

"Zz Yzx" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 4 Feb 2008 16:47:09 -0500, "abby"
wrote:

Hi,

I need a hard flat surface about 6" x 12+" for tuning my wooden
planes.
Heavy glass is commonly used but I haven't found a source (just
outside
Boston). Japan Woodworker sells a granite block for this purpose but
at $100 seems too expensive.

Can someone suggest an alternative material or source? One
possibility
is a granite scrap from a countertop but it might not be flat enough.
(How flat is flat enough?)

Thanks,
Gary


http://www.wttool.com/product-exec/p...m_source=froog

Starret has bigger ones, too. Shipping 's a bitch, though.

-Zz

"Bob Meyer" wrote:

How about a polished marble tile for about three bucks?


Yeah, but would it meet ISO and ASTM Standards for 'Flat'? )

On Feb 6, 12:03 am, Lobby Dosser
wrote:
"Bob Meyer" wrote:
How about a polished marble tile for about three bucks?

Yeah, but would it meet ISO and ASTM Standards for 'Flat'? )

Does a wooden plane ever come close to "flat" for more than a few
minutes or a few percent of humidity or a few degrees of temperature?

The OP was talking about truing a wooden plane after all

Brent
Ottawa Canada

Brent wrote:

On Feb 6, 12:03 am, Lobby Dosser
wrote:
"Bob Meyer" wrote:
How about a polished marble tile for about three bucks?

Yeah, but would it meet ISO and ASTM Standards for 'Flat'? )

Does a wooden plane ever come close to "flat" for more than a few
minutes or a few percent of humidity or a few degrees of temperature?

The OP was talking about truing a wooden plane after all

Oh dear, perhaps you missed my smiley?

On Feb 4, 4:47 pm, "abby" wrote:
Hi,

I need a hard flat surface about 6" x 12+" for tuning my wooden
planes.
Heavy glass is commonly used but I haven't found a source (just
outside
Boston). Japan Woodworker sells a granite block for this purpose but
at $100 seems too expensive.

Can someone suggest an alternative material or source? One
possibility
is a granite scrap from a countertop but it might not be flat enough.
(How flat is flat enough?)

Thanks,
Gary

No surface plate needed. Use Whitworth's self-generating gage
technique. Build three planes and use each to flatten the other
two.
The *sharper* and finer you set the irons, the flatter you'll shave
the
soles.

Whitworth claimed his cast iron surface plates -- which
coincidentally,
he called "planes" -- were within 1 millionth of an inch of true
flat. Three #5's should true every bit as flat just as easily using
machinist's blue and a scraper, valve lapping compound, whatever.

On Feb 4, 4:47 pm, "abby" wrote:
Hi,

I need a hard flat surface about 6" x 12+" for tuning my wooden planes.
Heavy glass is commonly used but I haven't found a source (just outside
Boston). Japan Woodworker sells a granite block for this purpose but
at $100 seems too expensive.


Alternatively any company that deals with shopfront glass should be able
to sell you a chunk with the edges ground smooth for not much money. Or,
in fact, almost any glazier should sell it - if you can't find thick
plate glass then get two thin sheets and superglue them together.