Precision ground flat stones - UK supplier?

[BiffoBear]

Anyone know of a supplier in the UK of precision ground flat stones?
Quite a few US suppliers on ebay etc but after postage and import duties, the prices are a bit steep!

 

[BiffoBear]

Or can anyone recommend a UK based machinist who could carry out the grinding if I supplied the stones myself.

 

[Old.bodger]

How precise? I have a granite kitchen ‘board’ from Lakeland, that is very useful and I can detect no error with a good quality straight edge, no light under the straight edge and no space for a feeler gauge. Depends on your purpose / need.

 

[Daniel2]

I have an offcut of tombstone which I use as a surface plate.
What sort of precision are you looking for ?

 

[BiffoBear]

Not sure I can give an exact figure of how precise but the linked video shows the sort of applications. Probably overkill for the 'hobby' work that I do but I have quite a good collection of measuring equipment and machinery and I'm looking to add stones to my inventory.

 

[Sideways]

I don't know but watching with interest.
These are sharpening stones precision diamond ground. Used as a pair to keep each other flat they allow burrs and dinks to be removed from precision ground surfaces without affecting the flatness of the ground surface. A specialist item for machinists. Not a woodworking tool.

 

[BiffoBear]

A specialist item for machinists. Not a woodworking tool.

'Precisely' why I posted my question in the 'General Metalworking' forum.

 

[TFrench]

I got my mine from a chap based in France on Instagram. (Luke Rickert) really nice guy and the stones are great. Found myself testing all sorts of surfaces and being amazed at just how "unflat" things are. They've been really handy, so much so that I wish I'd bought two sets so I could have some at my home workshop and work. I think Spencer Webb whose video you posted is happy to ship international. A lot of people wouldn't want to grind stones because of the abrasive in the coolant. I know Spencer has invested a lot on his filtration system.

 

[Peri]

Might not be very useful to you, but you might find it interesting - 3 plate method for creating flat surfaces.

I know that was one method they used to use to create surface plates, back in the day.

 

[BiffoBear]

I got my mine from a chap based in France on Instagram. (Luke Rickert)........

@TFrench Thanks for the suggestion, I'll check him out.

 

[BiffoBear]

Thanks for the link @Peri an interesting article

 

[Craywater]

Might not be very useful to you, but you might find it interesting - 3 plate method for creating flat surfaces.

I know that was one method they used to use to create surface plates, back in the day.

3 plate method was part of my trade test as an apprentice toolmaker in the 60s

 

[Old Grizzly]

I have a whole pile of redundant granite grave stones from a local ornamental mason, only stipulation was I had to grind or chisel off any inscription. These are about 20 - 24 x 30 - 36 inches and make great 'flat' surfaces, though exactly how flat, I cannot say. They are flat enough for my purposes. A diamond blade in the grinder and you can cut whatever size you want, keep one for measurement and another for flat lapping and sharpening.
Dave

 

[Sideways]

This is the article that got me interested in these

 

[ash ash ash]

Or can anyone recommend a UK based machinist who could carry out the grinding if I supplied the stones myself.

Hi, I am currently looking for some myself and wondering if you found anyone UK-based, or that would supply to the UK for a reasonable price.
I searched for Luke Rickert and found an engineer in Norway (not France - maybe he moved), but I cannot see any mention of stones.

 

[Sachakins]

https://www.polishingjewellery.co.uk/product/india-oil-stones-bench-combination/

 

[Sideways]

not even close

Even polishing grade japanese waterstones and best arkansas stones aren't a substitute.
The precision ground flatness is important.

Also,
They are an abrasive stone. They are not a hard lapping plate used with some other abrasive..

 

[Inspector]

Are these the kind of stones you are looking for?

https://www.chronos.ltd.uk/product/sct-granite-surface-plate-400-x-400-x-60-mm/
https://www.rutlands.com/products/granite-surface-plate
Pete

 

[ash ash ash]

The two places I know of are Stefan Gotteswinter (won’t post to UK) : Precision Benchstones – Stefan Gotteswinter
and Kinetic Precision (he’ll post but expensive and it would be better to get from somone more local I think): PFG Stones - precision ground flat stones for toolmakers, machinists, technicians, every toolbox. — Kinetic Precision

Anyone with any confusion about what we are looking for will find good information following both those links.

 

[David Lloyd]

I've got an ancient cast iron surface plate that was abused and is just about ok for "that's good enough" jobs, but if I need some precision I lay a thick piece of mirror on the plate with a layer of oil between them to cushion the mirror. Good quality plate glass will do the job as well.
I was a Quality Control Engineer for many years in the early 70's and undertook the inspection of tooling made by the toolmakers before the tools were passed for production for M.O.D. work and I had a 6 x 3 feet granite surface to work with, the toolroom foreman used a mirror on his cast iron plate and the work was always spot on.