Working with gauge plate.

[Steve CrowParticipant @stevecrow46066]

Hello everybody, this is my first post on this forum.

I have never worked with gauge plate before and I need to cut a piece of 5mm x 30mm to length. Is this easily done with a hacksaw?

In addition, I need to drill a number of holes in it, including a few at 1mm diameter all the way through (5mm). Should this cause me any problems? I've got an ancient belt driven "Champion No1" pillar drill.

I've worked with silver steel but isn't gauge plate a different beast?

Cheers

Steve

[Steve CrowParticipant @stevecrow46066]

[Steve CrowParticipant @stevecrow46066]

Another thing – gauge plate or ground flat stock? Is one an English description and the other American? Like silver steel and drill rod.

Steve

[Michael Cox 1Participant @michaelcox1]

Hi Steve

Gauge plate cuts and drills easily in the as received appealed condition.

Mike

[not done it yetParticipant @notdoneityet]

Yes, but don't expect it to be so easy unless you have the right quality tools.

I doubt the cheap 'epay' hacksaws, blades or drills would make the job enticing! How fast will your drill run at, what is the run-out at the chuck, and will it hold a 1mm drill bit, per eg

[Flying FiferParticipant @flyingfifer]

Steve.

From your description I take it that the gauge plate is 5mm wide X 30mm long X "?" thick OR is it 5mm thick X 30mm wide X "?" long ???

You may wonder why I ask. Well if you cut it to size you may have difficulty in holding it while you drill the holes!! So you might be better drilling the holes first before you cut it to size. Yes a hacksaw will cut gauge plate (unless someone has hardened it first). I`d mark out the hole positions first give them a good centre punch then drill & deburr and finally cut your piece to length.

[Martin ConnellyParticipant @martinconnelly55370]

Treat it as slightly tougher than mild steel but not as bad as some stainless steel. It is useful raw material at work because the cost of machining a piece of flame cut steel plate or other rough cut method to size and squareness can cost more than buying ground flat stock. If I can produce a jig design that only needs accurate hole drilling and one edge cut accurately it makes a cheap and accurate jig that just needs edges aligning and welding.

Martin

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Welcome to the forum, Steve.

As others have said, take it easy and you won't have any problems working gauge plate in the as-supplied condition. It's tough but fair

Neil

[ronan walshParticipant @ronanwalsh98054]

Gauge plate, or 01 is great material as its so easy to heat treat at home. I needed a tiny cold chisel on friday, got a bit of 01 milled the shape i wanted, got the blowtorch out, hardened and tempered it in no time, job done.

[Martin ConnellyParticipant @martinconnelly55370]

Here is a recently designed and made gauge plate jig. The piece with the 4 holes on a PCD was welded to the long broad plate then the four holes were drilled in accurate positions relative to the top edge. The plate that positions the flange was also accurately drilled. The only requirement then is to position the two drilled plates together and tack at 90 °. Tack remaining plates to secure and then stich weld to complete. There is a 6mm step in one stiffening plate and two small recesses to clear the flange in two side plates as well but these just need to be clearance so no great accuracy needed. For this item speed of production was the most important factor so not having to machine all over was an important point.

Martin

[colin hawesParticipant @colinhawes85982]

It is very important to use sharp tools on gauge plate. If a small drill starts to rub instead of cutting cleanly it is likely to break so don't try to force a drill on if it stops cutting but stop and sharpen/replace it. Gauge plate is quite good to work on but tends to toughen if the tools don't cut cleanly. Colin

[Richard S2Participant @richards2]

To answer your question(s). In my 40 years of my awareness and use of this metal form is that it has been referred to exactly by both of your 2 versions in the UK- Precision Ground Flat Stock and/or Gauge Plate. '01' is possibly a more recent description/label?. Then there is all the other Spec derivatives to further confuse.

For me, it is a pleasure to work with in any size. As previously mentioned, along with the good advice, good quality sharp tools are essential.

Cutting is fine with my Eclipse/Sandvik 24t bi metal 12" Hacksaw blades, Correct speeds/feed pressure for drill sizes and of course as not mentioned yet…..lubrication is essential.

Maybe practice on a piece first to become familiar with it would be beneficial.

Edited By Richard S2 on 14/02/2017 11:52:29

[VicParticipant @vic]

I used Gauge Plate quite a bit years ago and found it wasn't too bad to work with hand tools (saw, file) as long as they were nice and sharp. I did have a problem sawing one piece though as it had a very hard inclusion in the piece.

[Mark BarronParticipant @markbarron78673]

My experience of using ground flat stock is wholly positive. As mentioned, ensure your tools are sharp and take extra care drilling your Ø1mm holes.

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Posted by Richard S2 on 14/02/2017 11:51:02:

To answer your question(s). In my 40 years of my awareness and use of this metal form is that it has been referred to exactly by both of your 2 versions in the UK- Precision Ground Flat Stock and/or Gauge Plate. '01' is possibly a more recent description/label?

O1 is the American designation – 'O' for oil hardening. W1 is drill rod (their chrome-free version of silver steel – water hardening).

Richard Rex's article on steel hardening in MEW 224/225 covered the subject in (theoretical and practical) detail from a USA perspective but his comments applied equally to the UK/European equivalents.

Out of curiosity what do Commonwealth countries call these steels? Does Canada follow the US? Do NZ, SA and Aus use the UK names?

Neil

[duncan webster 1Participant @duncanwebster1]

Posted by Martin Connelly on 14/02/2017 09:19:24:

Here is a recently designed and made gauge plate jig. The piece with the 4 holes on a PCD was welded to the long broad plate then the four holes were drilled in accurate positions relative to the top edge. The plate that positions the flange was also accurately drilled. The only requirement then is to position the two drilled plates together and tack at 90 °. Tack remaining plates to secure and then stich weld to complete. There is a 6mm step in one stiffening plate and two small recesses to clear the flange in two side plates as well but these just need to be clearance so no great accuracy needed. For this item speed of production was the most important factor so not having to machine all over was an important point.

Martin

Welding gauge plate? Hmmm! Obviously you got away with it but the heat affected zone will likely be pot hard and brittle

[Steve CrowParticipant @stevecrow46066]

Thank you for all your advice – It's been very encouraging.

To clarify, the stock piece is 5mm x 30mm x 500mm and I'm going to use just over half of it to make a jig for model making. The remainder will be used to make the top and bottom plates of a 4-way toolpost for my watchmakers lathe.

I only use top quality sawbades and files so no problem there but I do need some new 1mm drill bits. Has anybody any suggestions on drill type, TIN or cobalt coated for example. I normally work with brass and just use HSS Dormer and the like.

[Michael Cox 1Participant @michaelcox1]

A normal HSS Dormer bit should be fine. The important thing when drilling deep holes in tough materials like gauge plate is to peck away at the hole and never allow material to build up in the drill flutes If material clogs the flutes the torque on the drill increase dramatically and it is likely to break.

Mike

[Martin ConnellyParticipant @martinconnelly55370]

You are correct Duncan, hard as it gets but not a problem if you don't plan to do any more machining on it (or drop it). I did not do the welding, it was done by an excellent welder who's job is tig welding stainless usually. As long as he is warned in advance that it is gauge plate he seems to have no problems welding it. If I wanted to I could have it heat treated in an inert gas oven. As stated above this was an urgent job but it has two more occasions in the coming year when it will be used again then if need be a less brittle one could be made at leisure.

Martin

[John RuddParticipant @johnrudd16576]

Posted by Martin Connelly on 14/02/2017 09:19:24:

Here is a recently designed and made gauge plate jig. The piece with the 4 holes on a PCD was welded to the long broad plate then the four holes were drilled in accurate positions relative to the top edge. The plate that positions the flange was also accurately drilled. The only requirement then is to position the two drilled plates together and tack at 90 °. Tack remaining plates to secure and then stich weld to complete. There is a 6mm step in one stiffening plate and two small recesses to clear the flange in two side plates as well but these just need to be clearance so no great accuracy needed. For this item speed of production was the most important factor so not having to machine all over was an important point.

Martin

That looks like the fuel rail on a gas turbine? Correct me if I'm wrong please…

[Tim StevensParticipant @timstevens64731]

Hello

Yesterday, Michael Cox 1 told us all:

Gauge plate cuts and drills easily in the as received appealed condition.

He is correct, of course, but it might help others to know that the as bought condition is 'annealed' ,not 'appealed'. Just in case you want to look it up in Machinery's Handbook.

I expect that this message, which is intended to be helpful, will be deleted. Let's see …

Regards, Tim

[Richard S2Participant @richards2]

Posted by Neil Wyatt on 14/02/2017 12:52:29:

O1 is the American designation – 'O' for oil hardening. W1 is drill rod (their chrome-free version of silver steel – water hardening).

Or there is the remote possibility that it refers to the BSI code for Tool Steel of – BS4659 BO1 Tool Steel ?.

I'm sure there is commonality with British/U.S standards on this type and a multitude of others in our collaborative history.

[Michael Cox 1Participant @michaelcox1]

Posted by Tim Stevens on 14/02/2017 20:49:13:

Hello

Yesterday, Michael Cox 1 told us all:

Gauge plate cuts and drills easily in the as received appealed condition.

He is correct, of course, but it might help others to know that the as bought condition is 'annealed' ,not 'appealed'. Just in case you want to look it up in Machinery's Handbook.

I expect that this message, which is intended to be helpful, will be deleted. Let's see …

Regards, Tim

Sorry for the mis-spelling of annealing. I blame the predictive text on my tablet !!!!!

Mike

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Gauge Plate:

What makes it appealing, is consistent annealing.

[Bill PudneyParticipant @billpudney37759]

During my apprenticeship in the 60s, we made 100s (literally) of small drilling and routing jigs from gauge plate. By hand, with hacksaw and files. With sharp tools it's delightful stuff. I have recently used some small bits of gauge plate for various things and working it was like riding a bike.

Practice on a bit first, it's really not difficult.

Love gauge plate!!

cheers

Bill

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