Posted by Andrew Johnston on 06/12/2018 20:26:24:
Posted by Pete Rimmer on 06/12/2018 19:38:17:
Granite plates shouldn't sag if they are supported on their airy points.
That's not correct. When supported at the Airy points a beam will sag, but the sag is minimised while keeping the ends parallel (zero angular deflection) , which is important for a length reference. For a surface plate where a length measurement isn't important the support points for minimum overall sag are slightly closer together than Airy points.
Andrew
To amplify Andrew's points, two things:-
1) The working face of a granite surface plate or table that is supported at the same locations (wherever they are) that it was last lapped on will not 'sag' other than when it has a load placed on it or where the surface is worn.
2) The implication, that others have raised, that a granite plate might take a permanent set due to improper storage/mounting etc. is bollocks.
3) The correct support points for minimum deviation from flat are the Bessel points, not the Airy points. The latter give parallel ends, which are important in end-to-end length gauges. Both are defined for two dimensional beams, not for three dimensional objects.
OK. Three things. 