Cost to lap and or calibrate granite surface plates?

Spud · Jun 2, 2022

(in the MidWest Area) What are some typical costs to:
Lap a granite surface plate to A grade ?
Cost only to calibrate it

Plate dimenions: 36" x 24" x 5"

I can take the plate to the calibration lab or lapper.

Would it be less expensive to just buy a new one?

TGTool · Jun 2, 2022

My nearest outfit quoted $100 to calibrate a couple years ago. They didn't do lapping, but just tell you what you've got now.

sneebot · Jun 3, 2022

We had a 30x36" or so plate lapped (A) and calibrated for ~$400 in Massachusetts, so far cheaper than buying a new name brand plate.

Spud · Jun 3, 2022

sneebot said:
We had a 30x36" or so plate lapped (A) and calibrated for ~$400 in Massachusetts, so far cheaper than buying a new name brand plate.

I assume the personnel came to your shop to do the work?

Other than Starret, Mitutoyo, Rahn and Standridge what brands would you go with?
What do you think of Shars?

lucky7 · Jun 3, 2022

Are there granite lapping and cert-ing companies in western Canada?

sneebot · Jun 3, 2022

Spud said:
I assume the personnel came to your shop to do the work?

Other than Starret, Mitutoyo, Rahn and Standridge what brands would you go with?
What do you think of Shars?

Yes, they came to the shop.

neanderthal mach · Jun 4, 2022

Not to throw Spuds thread OT, but I'd be interested if anyone can also answer Lucky7's question as well. I've run a few searches using every search term I can think of about a company in the greater Vancouver area that can do lapping and recertifications. So far no luck at all.

p-moon · Jun 4, 2022

I have had the plates lapped in the shop on a couple of occasions years ago, do not remember the cost, but if it hadn't been really worth it, I would never have done it again. Believe I used a company/guy out of the Chicgo region, http://www.lasertomlis.com/

lucky7 · Jun 5, 2022

neanderthal mach said:
Not to throw Spuds thread OT, but I'd be interested if anyone can also answer Lucky7's question as well. I've run a few searches using every search term I can think of about a company in the greater Vancouver area that can do lapping and recertifications. So far no luck at all.

When Collector had has shop in Port Coquitlam he shipped his huge chunk of granite to, I think, Standridge in California for re lap and cert. That was six plus years ago so hoping there’s now someone who does the rounds of shops in Western Canada…

I could send to MSP area (close to my side of 49th) but don’t think my plate is worn enough to justify shipping yet.

neanderthal mach · Jun 5, 2022

Thanks, when I ran my first search about 8 months ago I thought for sure there would be at least a few easy to find places that could do the work that should be within the GVRD. And your post plus Spuds cost question fell into line with my own as well. No were certainly not a manufacturing hub in this area, but so far at least it seems there isn't any company on the west coast of Canada who can do it. Buying even a brand new Starrett plate isn't hard to find through KBC or a few others, but that's not the route I really wanted.

jccaclimber · Jun 5, 2022

neanderthal mach said:
Thanks, when I ran my first search about 8 months ago I thought for sure there would be at least a few easy to find places that could do the work that should be within the GVRD. And your post plus Spuds cost question fell into line with my own as well. No were certainly not a manufacturing hub in this area, but so far at least it seems there isn't any company on the west coast of Canada who can do it. Buying even a brand new Starrett plate isn't hard to find through KBC or a few others, but that's not the route I really wanted.

Know anyone at a large automotive factory? They'll likely have someone, and they'll have them in once or twice a year.
The last place I worked we ended up calling Standridge or someone. Their response was that they had someone in every 3-4 months and would put us on the list. I don't recall it working out (we didn't end up on their schedule), but it wasn't a major priority of ours either.

neanderthal mach · Jun 6, 2022

Well I can't think of any automotive factory's here in B.C. There is some or enough high tech that one would think re-lapping and re-certifications of surface plates wouldn't be all that uncommon. I dunno, maybe those company's either ship there's out, or for any real large plates pay to have a couple of techs fly into Vancouver and do them.

Since I'm down at the mostly hobbyist level and 3+ hrs from Vancouver I fully expected to have to move the plate to anyone who could do the work. That now seems unlikely. In a way this isn't exactly unexpected there seems to be no company set up to do this in B.C. Mitutoyo as just one example has a single repair facility in all of Canada 3000 + miles away in Ontario.

Mcgyver · Jun 6, 2022

Spud said:
What do you think of Shars?

I'd prefer the kitchen counter

jccaclimber · Jun 6, 2022

Mcgyver said:
I'd prefer the kitchen counter

I was going to say that I think they have a name with 5 letters and a capital S at the beginning. You do have a point though, kitchen counters have multiple options in terms of color.

Being a bit more direct, I know someone who bought a set of Shars R8 collets and found that none of them met their stated runout accuracy. If they can’t hit their own specs on something dumb like an R8 collet I don’t think I’d trust them for something more particular like a granite table. I suppose you could use one as a chunk of rock and plan to get it certified/lapped before use, but at that point I don’t see the benefit.

MCritchley · Jun 6, 2022

Spud said:
(in the MidWest Area) What are some typical costs to:
Lap a granite surface plate to A grade ?
Cost only to calibrate it

Plate dimenions: 36" x 24" x 5"

I can take the plate to the calibration lab or lapper.

Would it be less expensive to just buy a new one?

Spud,
There is a place right down the road from you that will inspect and lap to AA for like $200. It was Precision Metrology before Trescal bought them. Their lobby has an amazing taxidermy collection of local birds.

I had two plates done as an individual and paid with a credit card. I hauled my plates over to their shop.

They were easy to find, if you type “surface plate calibration Milwaukee”
Into google you will find their contact info.

Spud · Jun 6, 2022

MCritchley said:
Spud,
There is a place right down the road from you that will inspect and lap to AA for like $200. It was Precision Metrology before Trescal bought them. Their lobby has an amazing taxidermy collection of local birds.

I had two plates done as an individual and paid with a credit card. I hauled my plates over to their shop.

They were easy to find, if you type “surface plate calibration Milwaukee”
Into google you will find their contact info.

I think I had them lap and claibrate my Pratt and Whitney Supermicrometer way back in 2005. Did they used to have a cabinet of model locomotives in the lobby?

I will give them a call. Is the $200 recent (within the last 3 or 4 years) ?

MCritchley · Jun 8, 2022

I think it was about 3 years ago.
Please report back!

newtonsapple · Jun 16, 2022

sneebot said:
We had a 30x36" or so plate lapped (A) and calibrated for ~$400 in Massachusetts, so far cheaper than buying a new name brand plate.

Who did you have do this? I've got a 24x36x6 plate I can get for free. A grade A plate for $400 would be acceptable.

sneebot · Jun 16, 2022

newtonsapple said:
Who did you have do this? I've got a 24x36x6 plate I can get for free. A grade A plate for $400 would be acceptable.

Diamond Technical Services in Grafton

newtonsapple · Jun 16, 2022

sneebot said:
Diamond Technical Services in Grafton

Great thanks.

I just looked and the local calibration provider I use had recommended Flatness Specialist out of Walpole, NH.

This is another one I had on my list was: www.tac-granite.com/

Cost to lap and or calibrate granite surface plates?

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