gauge plate

[Alan]

does gauge plate ( Ground flat stock )come in any lengths apart from 13". A colleague of mine has just ordered a meter length of it. Sounds suspect to me

[mbrown]

M Machine Metals, where I buy it from, sell most of their gauge plate in 9" lengths. I thought that was more or less standard but I may be wrong.

Malcolm

[jasonb]

Yes, just like silver steel it come in 1m or 36" lengths but as a lot of people don't need that much it is also supplied in the shorter lengths that most of the hobby suppliers sell.

Take a look at Coventry grinders they sell metriv at 500mm long and 1m on request

www.coventry-grinders.co.uk/product/metric-gauge-plate/

Imperial stocked in 18" or 36" on request, this suits the 9" that the hobby suppliers do as its a 1/4 length

www.coventry-grinders.co.uk/product/imperial-gauge-plate/

[millman]

Gauge plate can be purchased in Metre or three foot lengths and up to twelve inches or 300mm wide, silver steel is also available in the same lengths.

[JonL]

I'm going to sound a bit simple here, but what is the background of Gauge plate? Why is it available in such such strange sizes?

[jasonb]

Length is probably due to what can fit on the grinders but is 1m or 36" strange?

[millman]

John, nothing really strange about the sizes, it’s as Jason says it’s what fits on mag chuck on surface grinder also what can be fairly easily handled for straightening. Gauge plate or ground flat stock is a carbon steel that can be hardened and tempered easily, it was used in tool rooms for making gauges, fixtures and small press tools, it machines easily with sharp cutters including HSS but if cutter is blunt it can work harden, it also drills well with HSS drills but again drill must be sharp and not allowed to rub. It is supplied in an annealed state, flat and to thickness within very tight limits, it is not cheap but is ideal for loco frames as it doesn’t distort when cut, unlike BMS, it is also stiffer than BMS. Most widely used in model engineering for making expansion links it can be left soft or easily hardened with propane torch, just heat until it becomes non magnetic ( test with small magnet on a stick) and quench in oil. It can be ground either in soft or hard state using a aluminium oxide wheel. Ideal for lathe cutting tools, form tools etc, a hundred years ago it was all you had to turn with. HSS didn’t really appear until mid 1930s, just in time for WW2. Hope this gives a background for you and hope that I am not teaching grandma to suck eggs.

[brucevoelkerding]

here in the US it is easy to get the following Flat Ground Stock. Note all the Stock is annealed except the 4140.

low carbon Steel 2 ft max length
A2 Gauge Plate 6 ft max Length
O1 Gauge Plate 6 ft max Length
4140 Rc27 Gauge Plate 6 ft max Length
M2 Gauge Plate 3 ft max Length
D2 Gauge Plate 3 ft max Length
S7 Gauge Plate 3 ft max Length

I used the Low Carbon Flat Ground Steel (it's annealed) for the Main Frames of the 3-1/2" Gauge 0-8-0 (modified Netta). I used 1/8" x 3" Stock and milled 3/32" of the top and bottom to give me a 2-13/16" Frame Height. I roughed out the Axlebox Slots (Top chain drilled, Sides hacksawed) and then milled the Slots to final size. The Top of the Frame is a straight Line, so it was easy to measure any Bow after cutting the Slots. There was no detectable Bow.

Unfortunately, I could not find a Source for the Low Carbon Steel Flat Ground Stock in any Length greater than 2 ft. I was assured by some Suppliers that it just isn't made longer than 2 ft. The 0-8-0 Frames requiredd 25" so I just made short 1" Frame Extension Pieces. Instead of using the "standard" LBSC Drag Beam design, I made a more proper Brag Box which attached firmly to the end of the 24" Stock and allowed bolting on the "dummy" Extensions.

[JonL]

Ok fair enough, thank you

[Alan]

Thanks everybody for your replies. The silver steel has just arrived and properly packaged. I was worried i was going to get a 'cheaper' alternative. His focus can in cost rather than function.

Thanks again

[ettingtonliam]

In my 1958 Buck & Hickman catalogue, silver steel was available in 13", 39" and 78"lengths, and Ground flat oil hardening stock (aka Gauge Plate) in 18", 24" and 36" lengths, up to 12" wide x 1/2" thick, or up to 2" square. It wasn't cheap!

[millman]

If you want a piece of gauge plate 12” wide x 1/2” thick x 36” long at todays prices it will cost you a tad under £400. At that price forget “ measure twice before cutting” I would be measuring about four times and then getting a mate to double check!

[simplyloco]

Oct 20, 2024 21:14:43 GMT Alan said:

does gauge plate ( Ground flat stock )come in any lengths apart from 13". A colleague of mine has just ordered a meter length of it. Sounds suspect to me

I've got loads of guage plate in small/various sizes. What do you need? Just the postage required.
John

[ettingtonliam]

In 1958, a piece 12" wide x 1/2" thick x 18" long was £5-12-0d, so presumably £11-4-0d for 36". One of you clever guys will be able to do a comparison between the 1958 price and the current price.

You could get it up to 1" thick, but only up to 8" wide.