Official Luthiers Forum!

How much use do granite surface plates have in the small shop?

At $41.99 + $10 shipping, this 18x6x2 granite surface plate seems like a good deal. It wouldn't be long enough to flatten the sole of a #7 jointer plane, but how many times in my life am I going to need to do that?

At $25 + shipping, this 9x12x2 has a smaller footprint, but would be limited to flattening block planes and whetstones.

How many of you have surface plates? What size? How do you put them to use?

The woodcraft one used to be cheaper - I think a larger plate for $30.00 -
I have a counter cut off plate that is finished on 5 sides. It was made as a cutting board - it is pretty nice and "flat enough" for my purposes. I have coarse sandpaper glued to it to do some quick sanding and shaping. I do not use it much as I do not sand much - but then again I also have two other stationary sanding machines, small finish sander, and ROS. But it is nice to have a flat surface like it in the shop.
Looking at my list I am thinking I should sell one of my stationary sanders.

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It's this new idea from recent decades that everyone gets a participation award. - MUX

In my shop lots of use and I am always finding new uses. Get the larges one you can afford and have space for.

Fred

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Fred Tellier
http://www.fetellierguitars.com
Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/pages/FE-Tellier-Guitars/163451547003866

I have a piece of 3/8" plate glass, 12 X 30 or so. was an old store fixture shelf. Went through a stack of them with my straightedge and feelers and found one that is good to .002". Qualifies for tool room grade I believe. I am always using it for something.

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Brian

You never know what you are capable of until you actually try.

https://www.howardguitarsdelaware.com/

I've got 3 or 4 large ones that I use for inspection tables in the machine shop. I'm interested to hear how they could be used in guitar making though! I did use one to true the sole of my block plane, but other than that I'm at a loss on what they could be used for.

I use mine to flatten neck blanks and fret boards prior to gluing, I use it to level frets too, nuts, saddles, joining small pieces of wood, etc. I use my 30x 4 inch block all the time.

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http://www.CostaGuitars.com
PMoMC

Any time you have a surface in the shop you can call "truly flat" it's a good thing.

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I read Emerson on the can. A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds...true...but a consistent reading of Emerson has its uses nevertheless.

StuMusic

I'm an old tool & die maker, so I find plenty of uses for both my surface plates.
Zlurgh said it best - you want it flat, get a surface plate.
Pink granite is the most expensive and resistant to wear.
Black will work well for luthier work, and it's cheaper.

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"Act your age, not your shoe size" - Prince

I used my big one (with 2 people) to flatten my jointer table.

I keep 3 grits of psa sandpaper on my big one. I use it to flatten necks. I put my fingerboards on one when checking to see if they are flat. I sometimes use them for joint prep for edge joining problem pieces, or small pieces like bookmatched headplate veneers. Anything that needs to be sanded flat or checked for flatness.

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http://www.chassonguitars.com

Great ideas. I've never thought of using it to flatten fretboards and neck blanks. Hmmmm I need more sandpaper

I can't believe you did an entire table kent!

I always need more sandpaper.

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Mike

The only thing nescessary for evil to thrive is for good men to do nothing.

I am also a past tool maker and have one. I use it for many jobs in my shop.

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John Hall
blues creek guitars
Authorized CF Martin Repair
Co President of ASIA
You Don't know what you don't know until you know it

I have the 12" one and I use it all the time. I always have 80 and 120 stuck to it. I'm planning to get the bigger one if I can make room for it. Did I mention I use it ALL the time?

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Pat

I have the 9"x 12"x2" one and use it all the time. I just flattened my sharpening stone on it yesterday. I use it for sharpening, and basically as a sanding surface. I’ve used it for nut and saddle shaping and scarf joint\headstock leveling. Stick some sandpaper to it and sand away. Dead flat. It makes one hefty sanding block if you have a need for that sort of thing. I'd love to have a larger one.

Grizzly sells them and has some good prices but shipping is up there. I'd like to have a section of a workbench with one of these as the top. I need to move closer to a Grizzly store or work Grizzly into the route on a family vacation.

Definitely. This 18x24x3 would be awesome to build into a bench station.

Sound like I need to put one on the list!

I've never had a true surface plate. You don't really need one for Guitar making but then again if you have the space and the money. A decent straight edge is adequate.

Just out of curiosity, Kent, how big is your "big one" ? My big one is 60"' x 36", my medium one is 36" x 18" and my small one is 12" x12". They all have PSA strips of varying grits attached.

The big one is simply awesome for flattening plane soles, among other things. WIth it, you can have a warped #7 or #8 jointer flattened and ready to go in around 10 minutes, starting off with 36 grit and finishing with 150.

My little 9x12 plate is one of the most used tools in my shop. It gets used every day. And when I need something bigger, say for adhering fingerboards to for radiusing, I use my Ridgid granite-topped tablesaw. While probably not milled to the same tolerances, it's still a big honkin' milled-flat surface. Plus I can set drinks on it without it rusting...

Ken

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Mountain Song Guitars www.mountainsongguitars.com

I have an 18x24x3 plate, and it's one of those things I'd hate to do without when I need it. I used to use my jointer table or other things when I needed something flat, but they don't like water so much and water is a great lubricant for sharpening.

It's great for clamping things to in order to keep a glue-up flat, as a weight for pressing down on stuff (laminating), for sharpening tools with wet/dry paper, for sanding edges flat, as a real straight-edge reference...and sometimes I even use it for measurements (intended purpose). It's also great for 'debouncing' things when you need to hammer in pins, knock out bearings, etc; usually the workpiece will bounce a little on a table, even an iron one, but granite kills vibrations. It's like a dead blow table.

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Bob Garrish
Former Canonized Purveyor of Fine CNC Luthier Services

It's 18" x 24". I used to be able to lift it myself. Now I'm nervous with 2 people. 60" x 36" must require a small crane.

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http://www.chassonguitars.com

I bought one several years ago (on sale) and have never regretted it. Mine is about 17 1/2" X 12 1/2" X 3" Like others here, I stick several grades of PSA paper to the "finished" face & use it for many truing & jointing tasks.
I checked the unfinished face with my best straightedge & it is also very flat. This block is big enough to fit a standard fingerboard diagonally. I stick my fingerboards down to the back side to plane & sand the arch. The block is so heavy, it never budges, while I'm planing.
It's bit of a luxury item, that you CAN do without... But why would you want to?

LOL! Bob, I thought I was the only one who used the weight of my surface plate as a clamping aid. Gravity is a great thing, eh?

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"Act your age, not your shoe size" - Prince

get the biggest one you can afford and pick it up yourself if you can. they are heavy and you will get reamed on shipping costs!

You're correct Kent, it did require a small crane.

I bought it on Ebay around four years ago, I was prepared to go to £500 GBP. and was fortunate enough to get it for £70 GBP. Carriage was another £70 GBP.

I welded up a stand, with wheels underneath, and 6 no. 1" threaded adjusters on top to fit the underside of the plate, and borrowed an engine hoist and straps from my friendly garage mechanic to lift the plate from the wooden pallet on which it got delivered onto the fabricated metal stand. Then it was wheeled into my shop by me and two other helpers. The whole operation was a bit scary ( the plate weighs 700 kilos ) but it all went off without any major mishaps.

The plate has paid for itself many thousand times over ...

Score! Nice one Murray.

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The name catgut is confusing. There are two explanations for the mix up.

Catgut is an abbreviation of the word cattle gut. Gut strings are made from sheep or goat intestines, in the past even from horse, mule or donkey intestines.

Otherwise it could be from the word kitgut or kitstring. Kit meant fiddle, not kitten.