Slip Gauges

I concur Bob, the sort of thing most of us are turning out the quality of slips is good enough. My set was made up from several old boxes that where lying around unused at work. If I am setting up a sine bar I put a micrometer on the stack as a check anyway.

" If I am setting up a sine bar I put a micrometer on the stack as a check anyway. "

Wonder why so many go to the expense of buying a set of graduated packing strips for home use?

With a mini bottle jack and a mic any height can be set.

Regards Ian

Somethings gone wrong with the price but you used to be able to buy a set of those round slips that bolt together in the US for about $50. Sadly they were imperial only or I would have tried to get hold of a set.

"Wonder why so many go to the expense of buying a set of graduated packing strips for home use?"

Convenience is why. An example? Yesterday, I needed to find the gap between the rear of my dig read head and the base of my milling machine. A .124" slip quickly gave me the answer à la feeler gauge. A bottle gauge and mike would not have been a lot of use for that nor for that matter would a pair of inside calipers as there was not enough room to take a reading.

Owning a set of slips is not owning a tool but a whole box of tools. They are truly universal in their use.

Home use? Mine are only ever used in the workshop!

Until you have used a set you'll never know what you are missing

Rik

The most boring job I had as an apprentice was whilst working in the metrology department, checking slip gauges. It was all done in a temperature controlled room mostly using a comparator. I seem to remember using light waves in some form to check the surface finish, it was back in the 1970's.

I have a set of slips which get a lot of use. They don't all wring together anymore and I have no idea when they were last calibrated. I used them today to set the theoretical position of the piston valves on the valve rods for my current loco build.

Michael

For flatness presumably with the use of these

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Optical_flat

I find slip gauges useful but only for checking calibration or as big feeler gauges and never for packing purposes.

Edited By Martin 100 on 27/02/2016 08:19:49

Edited By Martin 100 on 27/02/2016 08:21:36