Thread: Surface plate

Hi everyone,

I was just after a bit of advice on surface plates. I came across these Vertex plates on the net:

http://gamer.com.au/zap/orders/index...51C21041CA87E0

I was wondering if anyone has had any experience with these plates. I'm worried about buying a Chinese plate and taking their word for the accuracy of the plate. I also am not sure about buying a second hand plate as I have no way of telling if it is still within spec.
Is Vertex a brand that I could trust regarding the accuracy? They do their own testing so their results on accuracy could mean anything I suppose.
My other question is regarding the stated accuracy of the plate. They say the surface accuracy is 0.007mm. Does this make it a B grade plate? If so is this plate accurate enough for scraping as this is the most precise work that I will ever need to do.

Thanks

Mark

As a general rule, Vertex as a brand is OK. I have a vertex mill vice and a vertex 8" rotary table. While they are not the best or the bees knees, they are more than adequate for what I need. The two items I have are made in Taiwan.

As for those surface plates, I would assume they would be fine for the work you envisage. The only thing is, they are very expensive. A few months back I placed an order for a surface plate, it's a 1000 x 630 x 150 grade 00 and it cost me about $1300 all up including GST and delivery.

This plate is made in China but I don't see an issue with that as I have purchased through a reputable company in australia and it comes with a calibration certificate. Even if this certificate is a fake (As I assume the ones I got with the vertex RT are) I am confident it will be more than flat enough for my needs.

Simon

Hi,
I have had any experience with a Vertex surface plate, my surface plate that I have is one of these Carbatec ones https://www.carbatec.com.au/granite-surface-plate . I haven't used it a lot but it seems fine, will get a bigger one day. The Vertex plates do seem pricey. Here is a couple of links for you jut for other options with granite and cast iron ones https://mcjing.com.au/categorybrowser.aspx?categoryid=1097 and https://mcjing.com.au/categorybrowser.aspx?categoryid=1098

Those plates are a lot cheaper. Almost too cheap for their stated accuracy.
It seems hard to determine plate accuracy with any certainty due to having to rely on what the vendor/manufacturer says.

It would be nice to have 3 of those cast iron plates and scrape them off against each other using the 3 plate method. Not feasible but would be a good exercise in scraping