Flat Surface

[COLIN MARTIN 2Participant @colinmartin2]

Hi,

I am in need of more advice! I have been using a sheet of plate glass in my workshop as a flat surface to  lap parts in using emery cloth for about 30 years, but recently a freak accident saw the glass in several pieces! I am looking for a replacement and I was wondering if anyone had a better idea for material than plate glass? Has anyone used acrylic sheet or fibreglass board? Would a piece of thick sheet steel work or is it not flat enough? I am not looking for a surface plate, just something flat enough to give me a decent finish.

 

Thank you,

 

Colin

[larry phelan 1Participant @larryphelan1]

How about a piece of granite worktop from a local kitchen fitter ?

They often have offcuts left over having fitted sinks, hobs ect.

I have one such piece and I find it OK.

[peter1972Participant @peter1972]

I gave someone a 600mm x 600mm piece of granite worktop from my old kitchen to someone via FreeCycle who was going to use it for restoring old tools.

Acrylic sheet would be much too flexible.

 

[bernard towersParticipant @bernardtowers37738]

18mm hdf and seal with sanding sealer

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

300 x 600 Porcelain tile works for me though I suppose that could also break.

Why not just get another piece of glass as that has worked well for you and have the supplier apply a safety film to the back or just get a piece of 6mm laminate glass cut.

[SillyOldDufferModerator @sillyoldduffer]

Hard to beat glass for cheap flatness, though it is bendy.  Made by floating molten glass over molten tin, so close to optical perfection.   I support my glass sheet on a kitchen worktop.

Granite is pretty good too, and it’s much stiffer than glass .  About 0.4mm over 0.1square metre in ordinary grades.  Ground very flat so the people who can afford posh kitchens can’t detect the joins.

Dave

 

[Peter Cook 6Participant @petercook6]

I bought a 20mm granite chopping board from the kitchen department of a local store to use. I suspect it isn’t technically that flat, but it’s flatter than I can detect – which is good enough for me.

[COLIN MARTIN 2Participant @colinmartin2]

Thank you for the suggestions, I am quite drawn to the granite suggestions, and may try a kitchen chopping board.

 

Thanks,

 

Colin

[Martin Dilly 2Participant @martindilly2]

If you’re in the Croydon/Bromley area I have a double glazing unit roughly 2′ x 4′ you’re welcome to.

Also, though not quite what you’re after, an unused light grey kitchen work surface roughly (too lazy to go out to the cold garage to check) 2′ x 5′; would make a handy worktop for building.

[COLIN MARTIN 2Participant @colinmartin2]

Hi Martin,

That is very kind of you, thank you, but I am in Essex, so too far to come. I have bought a granite chopping board, so I will see how it works out. Thank you all for your suggestions and help.

 

Colin

[old martParticipant @oldmart]

A new bit of thick float glass would be easy to get from a glass works, they would likely have bits of shop windows they could cut to your size. Your old bit lasted well, so why bother changing it.

[COLIN MARTIN 2Participant @colinmartin2]

That was my original intention, but believe it or not, a, I cannot find an old fashioned glaciers, and b, the ones that I phoned only made double glazing and did not have any off-cuts! Apparently the off-cuts go out for recycling. Oh for the days when there were glaziers on every high street.

[COLIN MARTIN 2]

On COLIN MARTIN 2 Said:

That was my original intention, but believe it or not, a, I cannot find an old fashioned glaciers, and b, the ones that I phoned only made double glazing and did not have any off-cuts! Apparently the off-cuts go out for recycling. Oh for the days when there were glaziers on every high street.

That was my problem.  I ended up buying a glass cupboard shelf from Ebay.

Rod

[John HaineParticipant @johnhaine32865]

<p style=”text-align: left;”>Hmm, ice surface plate.  Have to keep the workshop very cold.</p>

[HuubParticipant @huub]

I use a piece of a granite kitchen sink. As far as I can measure, it is flat within 0.01 mm . It is only 18 mm thick and I would prefer a thicker plate. 400 x 300 x 50 mm weighs about 16 kg and that is the max I can manage.

A granite tombstone is also usable and some times available for free.

[Huub]

On Huub Said:

A granite tombstone is also usable and some times available for free.

It wont be free but you could buy one in advance, leave the final date blank and use the back side in the workshop.

[Adrian R2Participant @adrianr2]

Haha – that does actually make sense, get some additional value out of it.

Toughened glass can be bought online cut to whatever size you like, and with bevelled and smoothed edges. We got some to use as a splashback for our kitchen hob. More expensive than Rod’s “off the shelf” shelf but more choice.

Edit: On the kitchen theme a web search throws up multiple choices of “worktop savers” in granite and glass at modest prices, perhaps worth a punt?

 

[BazyleParticipant @bazyle]

Having got a chopping board or glass plate it is possible when placed on the workbench that one corner will drop. I believe there is something for professionals to test this but can’t remember the name. Is there a practical design or method for amateurs apart from straight edge and feelers?

As an aside I have a 3ft length of granite worktop but only 6 in wide that is a great plate for assembling loco frames to get them true from the start.

[COLIN MARTIN 2]

On COLIN MARTIN 2 Said:

That was my original intention, but believe it or not, a, I cannot find an old fashioned glaciers, and b, the ones that I phoned only made double glazing and did not have any off-cuts! Apparently the off-cuts go out for recycling. Oh for the days when there were glaziers on every high street.

I have found the same with our local former suppliers of offcut steel and aluminium. They have all decided it is not worth their labour cost to sell small offcuts so they would rather toss hundredweights of good usable offcuts into a recycling skip and get scrap value for it . Shame. All in the name of efficiency. No favours done. And they wonder why modern society has no sense of community.

[MacolmParticipant @macolm]

I would doubt if heat tempered glass (toughened) would be flat enough for a reasonable surface plate, judging by the distortions usually seen in things reflected by the surface. There are other toughening methods used for optical windows that cause little distortion, but probably not low cost or readily available.

Maybe just stick to annealed glass, but contain it in a wooden frame so that the edges are protected.

[BazyleParticipant @bazyle]

What about car side windows? Thin but on a kitchen top backing could be corrected if the error could be measured….

[Bill PhinnParticipant @billphinn90025]

An alternative to granite or marble worktop is a lithostone. Lithostones are used by bookbinders for paring leather on so they have to be pretty flat and durable.

[Nicholas FarrParticipant @nicholasfarr14254]

Hi, Maybe something like this would be ideal.

This is in a 1963 catalogue,

Regards Nick.

[Bill PhinnParticipant @billphinn90025]

I think they’re probably even harder to source than good condition lithostones, Nick.

[COLIN MARTIN 2Participant @colinmartin2]

I have a nice, new granite chopping board, and it looks very good. I haven’t checked with a straight edge but visually it looks to be pretty flat and is probably ok for what I need it for. A plus point is that it sits on rubber feet so it should be a little more stable than my previous glass pane.

 

Cheers,

 

Colin

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