Alignment table from scrap 1" steel plate?
07-21-19, 07:51 AM
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2017
Location: Eastern Shore, MD
Posts: 2,104
Bikes: Road ready: 1993 Koga Miyata City Liner Touring Hybrid, 1989 Centurion Sport DLX, "I Blame GP" Bridgestone CB-1. Projects: Yea, I got a problem....
Mentioned: 24 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 753 Post(s)
Liked 735 Times
in
421 Posts
Alignment table from scrap 1" steel plate?
I was pondering a 1" 8x16' plate down at the scrap yard and ended up talking to a welder who has more of the same and could cut me what ever size I need. Any one here think this is an opportunity? I'm not realy clear on how flat is flat and what the scale of economy is for this kind of project. Related to the question of "flatness" What sort of affordable straight edge can i use to do initial evaluations? Thanks, Woody
07-21-19, 09:59 AM
#2
Randomhead
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Happy Valley, Pennsylvania
Posts: 24,385
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4 Post(s)
Liked 3,686 Times
in
2,509 Posts
I feel like a drywall t square is probably straight enough for this evaluation. OTOH, I have never found one that is square, which seems to be a major failing.
It used to be possible to have something like this blanchard ground for a reasonable price. Not sure how hard it is to find that service nowadays.
It used to be possible to have something like this blanchard ground for a reasonable price. Not sure how hard it is to find that service nowadays.
07-21-19, 12:35 PM
#3
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2017
Location: Eastern Shore, MD
Posts: 2,104
Bikes: Road ready: 1993 Koga Miyata City Liner Touring Hybrid, 1989 Centurion Sport DLX, "I Blame GP" Bridgestone CB-1. Projects: Yea, I got a problem....
Mentioned: 24 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 753 Post(s)
Liked 735 Times
in
421 Posts
I was thinking an 8 ft piece of 80/20 might be a passable straight edge.
07-21-19, 03:04 PM
#4
Randomhead
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Happy Valley, Pennsylvania
Posts: 24,385
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4 Post(s)
Liked 3,686 Times
in
2,509 Posts
Is this thing going to be bigger than 4'? I would be willing to bet that a drywall square is straighter than an extrusion, and you can use the square to transfer fit between bikes.
07-21-19, 03:50 PM
#5
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2017
Location: Eastern Shore, MD
Posts: 2,104
Bikes: Road ready: 1993 Koga Miyata City Liner Touring Hybrid, 1989 Centurion Sport DLX, "I Blame GP" Bridgestone CB-1. Projects: Yea, I got a problem....
Mentioned: 24 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 753 Post(s)
Liked 735 Times
in
421 Posts
Maybe 3x4 if it makes sense. Probably want to check the diagonal so a longer reference would be good. I've set up table saws and other machinery with a shorter machinists straightedge and feeler gauges. I've got a book somewhere, on machinery set up that describes making a gauge out of MDF with adjustable pins, and how to get the pins set at the same depth to a tolerance.
I'm still hoping to snag a milling machine table. A couple big ones got scrapped last year, but it didnt quite register why I needed one of the tables.
I'm still hoping to snag a milling machine table. A couple big ones got scrapped last year, but it didnt quite register why I needed one of the tables.
Last edited by bark_eater; 07-21-19 at 03:57 PM.
07-21-19, 08:01 PM
#6
Randomhead
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Happy Valley, Pennsylvania
Posts: 24,385
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4 Post(s)
Liked 3,686 Times
in
2,509 Posts
I have used my milling machine table for checking alignment, it works well
07-22-19, 12:18 PM
#7
Banned.
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Torrance, CA
Posts: 3,061
Bikes: Homebuilt steel
Mentioned: 18 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2193 Post(s)
Liked 425 Times
in
337 Posts
Why not take it to a machine shop and have one side blanchard ground? My alignment plate was made that way. The machinist guy wasn't too happy with me because he had to do it a couple of times before the piece would stay flat after cutting. 
Likes For Nessism:
07-22-19, 01:24 PM
#8
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Rochester, NY
Posts: 18,053
Bikes: Stewart S&S coupled sport tourer, Stewart Sunday light, Stewart Commuting, Stewart Touring, Co Motion Tandem, Stewart 3-Spd, Stewart Track, Fuji Finest, Mongoose Tomac ATB, GT Bravado ATB, JCP Folder, Stewart 650B ATB
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4194 Post(s)
Liked 3,837 Times
in
2,295 Posts
3'x4' is what I would call a good balance between more then big enough and not too heavy. I use a 2'x3' cast plate (w/webbing) and for most every need I have it works well enough. With no stiffening structure a 1" plate might have some sag so any table I built to house it would also have some sort of leveling screws. Andy
__________________
AndrewRStewart
AndrewRStewart
