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what straight edge options are available?

TorontoBuilder

Sapientia et Doctrina Stabilitas
I'm soon going to be needing a decent grade of straight edge with a 2" or wider base in order to do some machine scraping.

I can never find ones for sale. So what are my options?

For anything up to 23" I have a surface grinder that I can use to establish a baseline accuracy to start from. If someone guided me thru the repeated set-up process I could likely grind longer straight edges to within a reasonable level.

So I suppose I can go though the painful process of buying rectangular durabar for 12", 18" or even 24" straight edges.

I've seen people use steel beams, I've seen a fellow tig weld up a straight edge using cold rolled, but who recommended hot rolled if trying it. I dont tig weld... but I can get plate water jet cut easily.

Is there a secret dark web site that is selling all the straight edges?

Is Coreprint in Hamilton still around? I think I reached out to them before but dont have any email record of it.
 
Try this place in Surrey

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I'm soon going to be needing a decent grade of straight edge with a 2" or wider base in order to do some machine scraping.

I can never find ones for sale. So what are my options?

For anything up to 23" I have a surface grinder that I can use to establish a baseline accuracy to start from. If someone guided me thru the repeated set-up process I could likely grind longer straight edges to within a reasonable level.

So I suppose I can go though the painful process of buying rectangular durabar for 12", 18" or even 24" straight edges.

I've seen people use steel beams, I've seen a fellow tig weld up a straight edge using cold rolled, but who recommended hot rolled if trying it. I dont tig weld... but I can get plate water jet cut easily.

Is there a secret dark web site that is selling all the straight edges?

Is Coreprint in Hamilton still around? I think I reached out to them before but dont have any email record of it.
I think Kieths are 12" max. I looked around a bit last week and there were a couple people offering them. I'll see if I can find the sites again.
 
I think I have a Coreprint 24.25" x 3.25" x 1.25"
Bought it from them years ago to teach myself scraping but never got around to it, so I took it to a machinist and told him I would like it machined or ground down for a 5 thou accuracy over to 2 ft, he said no problem and charged me $200. As you might be able to make out from the numbers, it is not even close, I tested it on my granite flat.

So it certainly is a candidate for scraping.
 

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I think I have a Coreprint 24.25" x 3.25" x 1.25"
Bought it from them years ago to teach myself scraping but never got around to it, so I took it to a machinist and told him I would like it machined or ground down for a 5 thou accuracy over to 2 ft, he said no problem and charged me $200. As you might be able to make out from the numbers, it is not even close, I tested it on my granite flat.

So it certainly is a candidate for scraping.
sadly they dont have more.
 
I believe Martin Models will sell either castings or 'finished' straight edges.


The above page seems to be finished products (ie painted). It doesn't say anything about accuracy or how they were trued.

Under "PDF order forms", the listing for "Machinist/Scraping Projects" shows the prices just for the castings.

I bought a couple of castings from them recently. The casting seem fine but I haven't machined anything as of yet. Quick service.

HTH

Craig
 
Beat me to Martin Models.
Also Denis Foster and Small Tools Inc., don't know anything about these guys but there seems to b favorable comment on the interweb.
 
Beat me to Martin Models.
Also Denis Foster and Small Tools Inc., don't know anything about these guys but there seems to b favorable comment on the interweb.

I sent Denis a message via practical machinist. I don't see any straight edge products on small tools inc

Richard King says he can't even compete with Martin Models pricing, and I must say I can believe it.
 
I sent Denis a message via practical machinist. I don't see any straight edge products on small tools inc

Richard King says he can't even compete with Martin Models pricing, and I must say I can believe it.
Denis sells his featherweight SE on ebay. Soon will have a website
 
Suburban Tool has them. Wow are they expensive.

Sounds like a business opportunity for a younger fellow. Prolly not a huge market for them but the setup and production costs should not be horrible. Finding customers and building a reputation in such a small niche market would be a huge challenge though.
 
@TorontoBuilder - Accusize sells a 24" precision straight edge. It isn't as wide as you want, but maybe for the money difference you could make it work?
 
I bought three from Martin Models a year or so ago. Not real computer savvy, but he packaged and shipped them in such a way to minimize shipping costs. Still waiting to find time to machine them though.
 
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