Big Messer Posted August 30 Posted August 30 I use the glass from a dead scanner as a surface plate for assemblies or to sand parts flat. 2
johnyrotten Posted August 30 Posted August 30 Mine came from a refrigerator that gave up the ghost. 1/4 inch thick tempered glass. 1
Straightliner59 Posted August 30 Posted August 30 I have a slab of polished granite. That sucker's heavy! 2
johnyrotten Posted August 30 Posted August 30 43 minutes ago, Straightliner59 said: I have a slab of polished granite. That sucker's heavy! You have a real surface plate. 2
Straightliner59 Posted August 30 Posted August 30 2 hours ago, johnyrotten said: You have a real surface plate. Yep. A friend gave it to me, many years ago. It can be seen in many of my WIP photos. 1
Bainford Posted August 30 Posted August 30 (edited) 4 hours ago, Straightliner59 said: I have a slab of polished granite. That sucker's heavy! I have one as well. Over kill, but very handy. I walked into a discount tool shop and there was a pallet of them for $30 each, so I walked out with two. (Well, it took two trips 😉) I gave one to a buddy, the other is next to my model bench. Edited August 30 by Bainford 1
johnyrotten Posted August 30 Posted August 30 We have a small (10x12 ish) cast iron one at work, came from a lot of machine tools my boss bought at auction. Maybe I should ask what he wants for it 3
Big Messer Posted August 30 Author Posted August 30 28 minutes ago, Straightliner59 said: F'r instance... Nice wheels. Where they came from? 1
Ace-Garageguy Posted August 30 Posted August 30 Kindof a shame more people building real cars don't think something flat and level and stout might be nice to use. It may be hard to believe, but I've seen more than a few twisted and wonky and out-of-square rod and custom chassis. The high-dollar (not-Art Morrison) chassis under the '66 Chevelle I'm finishing had a 1 7/8" twist at the ends of the rear rails, and a 1" twist at the front, and the front rails are offset more than 1" to one side relative to the centerline. We fixed the rear after the chassis builder screamed he built it perfectly on a jig...total lie (his "jig is cardboard and jackstands)...but I had to just fudge the front because by the time I was brought in to fix things, the build was too far along to cut and paste the front rails. The center of the frame is relatively flat, but it's not square. How some of these clowns stay in business I'll never know, but it's part of the reason a lot of folks believe that custom-built cars never handle and perform as well as factory stuff. 5 1
johnyrotten Posted August 30 Posted August 30 16 minutes ago, Ace-Garageguy said: Kindof a shame more people building real cars don't think something flat and level and stout might be nice to use. I first learned of them in an issue of hotrod, Kurt Urbans sleeper nova. The company that built that car, Wheel to Wheel I believe, actually had one large enough for a chassis. Probably some left over military surplus item. Not that you can't get something square and straight without one, It makes things a world more consistent and repeatable. As far out as that frame you described is,he must be drunk,have vertigo, and work in the dark. 1
Big Messer Posted August 30 Author Posted August 30 1 hour ago, Ace-Garageguy said: The high-dollar (not-Art Morrison) chassis under the '66 Chevelle I'm finishing had a 1 7/8" twist at the ends of the rear rails, and a 1" twist at the front, and the front rails are offset more than 1" to one side relative to the centerline. We fixed the rear after the chassis builder screamed he built it perfectly on a jig...total lie (his "jig is cardboard and jackstands)...but I had to just fudge the front because by the time I was brought in to fix things, the build was too far along to cut and paste the front rails. The center of the frame is relatively flat, but it's not square. How some of these clowns stay in business I'll never know, but it's part of the reason a lot of folks believe that custom-built cars never handle and perform as well as factory stuff. High dollar is not the same as high quality, unfortunately... 3 1
Bugatti Fan Posted August 30 Posted August 30 I have a small surface plate that I made at technical college when I was an apprentice back in the sixties. I don't use it for my model making as it is a pain to keep degreasing the hand scraped surface and grease it up again after use. So, I use a flat thick glass lens from a halogen security lamp that I had to replace some years ago. 1
Bainford Posted August 30 Posted August 30 2 hours ago, Ace-Garageguy said: Kindof a shame more people building real cars don't think something flat and level and stout might be nice to use. It may be hard to believe, but I've seen more than a few twisted and wonky and out-of-square rod and custom chassis. The high-dollar (not-Art Morrison) chassis under the '66 Chevelle I'm finishing had a 1 7/8" twist at the ends of the rear rails, and a 1" twist at the front, and the front rails are offset more than 1" to one side relative to the centerline. We fixed the rear after the chassis builder screamed he built it perfectly on a jig...total lie (his "jig is cardboard and jackstands)...but I had to just fudge the front because by the time I was brought in to fix things, the build was too far along to cut and paste the front rails. The center of the frame is relatively flat, but it's not square. How some of these clowns stay in business I'll never know, but it's part of the reason a lot of folks believe that custom-built cars never handle and perform as well as factory stuff. I remember reading an article on Zeeker Chassis Pads back in my early teens. At an early age it instilled the importance of building things square & true. Not that I would have doubted it, but the technical discussion was very enlightening. During moments of whimsy, to this day I refer to my granite surface plate as the little Zeeker 2
Straightliner59 Posted August 30 Posted August 30 4 minutes ago, johnyrotten said: We have a small (10x12 ish) cast iron one at work, came from a lot of machine tools my boss bought at auction. Maybe I should ask what he wants for it I think that's what size mine is. When I'm not using it for actual construction, I put finished parts/assemblies on it. 2
Straightliner59 Posted August 30 Posted August 30 5 hours ago, Big Messer said: Nice wheels. Where they came from? The best answer I have, is from my parts box! I didn't even remember having them.
Shark Posted August 30 Posted August 30 Another benefit from working on a glass surface is if you spill paint or super glue or whatever, clean up is certainly easier. I've been using an old window pane (thick glass) for over 30 years. 3
Straightliner59 Posted August 30 Posted August 30 6 hours ago, Big Messer said: Nice wheels. Where they came from? Looking more closely at them, I am going to guess that they are from a Fujimi tire and wheels set from the late '80s to early '90s. The tires are Centuratos. 1
Ace-Garageguy Posted August 30 Posted August 30 4 hours ago, johnyrotten said: Not that you can't get something square and straight without one, It makes things a world more consistent and repeatable... Many years ago when I was building a full scale body buck for something, I made a set of interlocking lowboy 3/4" plywood tables as straight and square as I could get them, bolted them together, leveled them, then made a sliding "bridge" to take dimensions from to keep everything reasonably symmetrical. They worked just dandy, well within 1/8 of an inch everywhere, and they didn't crawl around as the shop was air conditioned. Plus or minus 1/16" probably isn't close enough for an F1 car, but it's close enough for me on a street ride. I have a fairly heavy fabricated 2-axle steel trailer I'm figgering on leveling, then decking with two layers of 3/4" ply when I start on the hot rod frame...which may end up getting built in the carport here, as the AZ deal is pretty much fubar. 1
Big Messer Posted August 30 Author Posted August 30 58 minutes ago, Ace-Garageguy said: a sliding "bridge" to take dimensions from to keep everything reasonably symmetrical. This is basically how prototype cars are developed when doing the clay mockups. 1
Ace-Garageguy Posted August 30 Posted August 30 (edited) 1 hour ago, Big Messer said: This is basically how prototype cars are developed when doing the clay mockups. Yup, which is where I got the idea. This is what I was building. https://contest.techbriefs.com/2010/entries/transportation/871-solo-urban-commuter-vehicle The bridge isn't in the frame, as this was still during the roughing-in phase. BUT...if you look close, you can just make out the dimensioned tape on the surface of the table, to this side of the shell. 1/10 scale wind tunnel model... Edited August 30 by Ace-Garageguy 1
Rick L Posted September 1 Posted September 1 If you ask nice, any granite countertop installer could supply you a one inch thick cutoff for free. 1
oldcarfan Posted September 1 Posted September 1 I have a couple of tempered glass panes from an old jalousie window. I mostly use them for old Esci kits that have separate frame rails these days but they also come in handy for cutting tape into strips. 2
Muncie Posted September 1 Posted September 1 Tile and countertop shops usually have remnants, cutouts and scraps - very inexpensive. Not as flat or precision as something a machine shop would use but close enough. My workbench surface plate is an old Freightliner lower passenger door window... It has rounded edges and It's a lot lighter than granite, smaller, easier to handle - It's thick enough and some kind of safety glass so it will take a little abuse, but I have to be careful with the glass because sometimes I work in bare feet. 2
Beans Posted September 2 Posted September 2 On 8/30/2025 at 5:04 AM, Straightliner59 said: I have a slab of polished granite. That sucker's heavy! Same. Mine came from doing a lot of leather work. Which I will occasionally do from time to time.
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