This video is seen all over the world. Many people are doing there best to learn how to machine in difficult environments, that is in places where the work needs to be done but where they do not have access to generations of knowledge. Adam is filling that gap. Thank you Adam.
Thanks for the video, I never knew water could have an impact on the dimensional stability of granite. Anyway, I like it how you mix things up, jobs are sure interesting to watch, but since there are enough hobbyists or people unfamiliar to the trade watching the videos, going over some basics every now and then is definitely nice. Being a hobbyist myself I noticed that you can teach yourself a lot, but you can never be sure if you missed some important info, so getting insight from professionals like you is really appreciated. I think you're an excellent shop teacher, I never had myself wondering what you mean during any of your explanations.
I am the king of using any available flat surface but my 36" surface plate is kept covered at all times by a wood case and cover and a sign that says, "TOUCHING THIS MAY CAUSE IRREPARABLE BODILY HARM"
I really enjoyed this! I've seen lots of videos on care & maintenance of surface plates, but this was one of the best yet. The best advice, keep wiping always wiping and wipe again. That's what we learned at GE also. You can never wipe it too much. Even on AAA cast iron plates, wiping is the key to everything. Never be afraid that you're wiping too much or ruining the finish because if you think you're wiping too much, wipe it one more time to be sure.
When I was a pattern inspector for a forge shop, our pink pearl AA surface plate had a plywood cover to protect the surface from inadvertent damage. You never know when someone walking by might accidentally drop something onto the surface plate because their arms were too full. Perhaps not likely at your shop, but why take the risk?
Cut a piece of plywood to cover the top and band it with 1 x 4" clear pine. Eventually something will fall on it and chip it and then you will throw yourself into a thrashing machine. That cover they give you is more for dust. Now's a good time for some electronic height gauges and even some laser tools. Ultrasound is another thing for inspection and you can be an area inspection business. People get investment castings and then want them ultrasound or xray inspected so they don't spend time machining a casting w/ gas pockets... Laser equipment can also help the process of inspection and give you more information.
Adam, thanks for the instructional video. I don't have room in my small shop for a nice large plate like yours but I did buy a 24" by 18" grade A plate a few months ago, and I can already see the improvement in my work as I learn how to do precision metrology. Seeing how to correctly care for my plate and keeping it accurate is a real win. Please continue with these instructional videos as I always learn something from them.
I was really looking forward to some great content coming out of the new shop with all of the new equipment. Never really expected a dusting tutorial though. I was hoping to follow along your journey on learning the new CNC equipment but haven't really seen those since they were installed. I even messaged trying to throw some CNC mill work your way and never received a response. You are far too skilled a machinist to be doing dusting videos. I know you have to pay your bills and you have obligations to all these companies that provided equipment, but most of us came here to learn from you. I hope this doesn't become yet another channel destroyed by sponsorships and free stuff although it appears to be heading that direction. You seem like a great guy and are definitely a very skilled machinist. You need to take back your channel.
Can't really blame him. This same issue catches all the bigger YT channels. They start making that YT money, and forget everything that got 'em there. I think I am unsubbing. I have tried to give him the benefit of the doubt but... Where are the videos of him learning CNC? Ok then.
Dont watch these videos just watch the machining ones, i see where this channel has gone as a long time subscriber. I also cant say i wouldnt have gone the same route if it were me. No way i could say no to some of these tools/machines. And the $ that comes with it. But i dont watch as often as i used to. Part of the game i guess, cant knock a man for trying to better his situation.
I have watched this channel for years and I have loved it but it’s time to get some real content. Go back to machining that’s what made this channel what it is. That’s what viewers want.
I've been watching his channel for years and I have no problem with diverifying his content to cover more things involved in a well-equipped machine shop and his progress from when he was just starting out as a content creator.
People don't realize a fingerprint can stop your surface gage, height gage, etc. from sliding freely. I'm OCD about a clean piece of granite and ILMMFM when I see a drink spot, oil spot, or skid mark on the most important tool in a QC Dept. Nice video. I thought I was alone. lol Congrats on the new Rock.
Awesome investment. Like so many other things in your shop, this is built to last generations. Gramps would be jealous. Lovin' the passion, and insistence on proper treatment this absolutely badass *epic* precision instrument. The technical know-how goes without saying. Looking forward to some vids using that massive slab. It is a thing of beauty.
I just got my first surface plate Adam (24"x18"), and your video hit the spot. Don't have a dedicated cover yet, but I'll procure one next. Thanks a lot for the advice. Ciao, Marco.
Lot of haters here, but I, for one, love metrology content. As for the, "I can't possibly afford a Starret surface plate" comments, in my experience, second-hand surface plates are available quite inexpensively at auction, provided, of course, that you have the wherewithal to move them. The biggest I can manage in my home shop is a Starret pink granite 18x24x4, but that's because of size and weight, not cost.
Yes, in the uk they are dirt cheap at auction, the depreciation on them things is huge. Every shop or hobbyshop needs a surface plate, and maybe a 2 ft square one is plenty sufficient. I wonder if the cost ( to the 2nd user) goes down per square footage for the larger ones as the need vs wherewithal to handle them ratio diminishes.
Don't think I've ever seen abom actually use this plate since he bought it 10 months ago !. He just doesn't have enough work coming into his workshop to warrant the size of the shop and amount of machines he has.
Just the right thing I need after a long day of work, an Abom video to relax to and enjoy! keep these videos coming Adam, you are one awesome youtuber and machinist!
I've spent a good deal of years in factories and I have always been gravely disappointed to see the condition and treatment of most surface plates. I think, maybe, I've seen one or two that could have been partially cared for. Most are at least desks and *many* are outright work benches. 😔
I was taught to slide parts onto the surface plate, from the edge. It helps making gentle contact and reduces debris that might be trapped if you set your part down. Probably more important for heavy work.
I did the same. Also, the only thing of metal that was ever left on my plate was my Trimos height gage unless I was cleaning the plate. I did make an exception for my ceramic standards as they do not rust.
Yes as soon as I get around to spending $10k+ on a granite surface or have one given to me like you did, I’ll refer back to this video (Ad for Starret)
Please always allow 30-45 minutes after cleaning for the block to re-stabilize, the amount of wiping with clothe to remove the cleaner will cause differentials in surface temperature, I only use 90+% ISO on my surface plate as the "waterless" is not really waterless, and the spray cleaner is a lot of water, also the pastes have been shown to build up over time if not completely removed using additional spirits, this can lead to excessive dust as well as "sticky" spots which will lead to wear, of note if using Spirits/ISO to clean a block additional time may be required for re-stabilization as Spirits/ISO can cause what they are calling surface super cooling due to its quick vaporizations. The reason I was always told to keep water away from blocks was that water will cause oxidation of the material itself which will alter the block over time while spirits/ISO evaporates quickly enough that little to no oxidation can occur. I don't know about the towels you are using but Kimtech lint free wipes work great and keep the dust in the air down as the you aren't introducing more into you room, This may all be beyond what you are accomplishing with the block as I am using my block in the 3-5 millionths range so take it as you will. BIG NOTE: please make sure any computer exhaust fans or really any exhaust fans are filtered and pointed away from the block, localized temperature swings will throw the whole block out of specification and filtering exhausts will cut down on the amount of particles in the air
Very nice, but it seems like you’re buying stuff just to buy stuff, and you don’t have any real work you’re doing anymore. I’m happy for you, but I miss that you used to have actual jobs to do.
What temperature and humidity are the plates certified for? I wonder how slight temperature and/or humidity changes impact the measurements. At those 5-digit certification numbers, I cant help but think that even 2-3F degrees would make a measurable difference.
Plates will be certified (upon manufacture) at 68 degrees F (20 degrees C ) ± 1 degree and below 55% RH for a a proper ISO 17025 master lab grade certification. Now, when you have it re-certified on location that all depends on your environmental controls. My lab in the automotive industry ( R.I.P. TRW ) was speced at 68 F ±2 degrees F and
The Starrett granite surface plate cleaner safety data sheet shows 96% water, alcohol, propanol... The paste cleaner msds shows 40-60% water, 20-40% mineral spirits, acid, glycol, gum, fragrance, etc. The waterless one is 25-50% white spirit, cleaners, fragrance, no indication for the other 25-50% of the product. Don't eat snacks before using your plate and the associated tools and accessories...
A repeatometer is a form of spherometer. Apart from local defects it measures variations in curvature. An autocollimator doesnt measure flatness directly. It measures variations in slope which are combined (integrated) to provide flatness estimates.
Would a hepa air filter be a good idea in your inspection room? At least running when the cover is on to keep the total dust content in the room as low as possible.
18:25 looks like some kind of anomaly in the center diagonal direction towards the window? It seems to me 'hand wiping' is an opportunity to induce natural skin oils to the surface!
By reading the comments for this weeks submission I’m getting the sense that viewers have become frustrated and almost betrayed by the lack of real old school machining which is what brought them to this channel in the first place. It might be that they see all the expensive machines. It might be that they see all the vacations you get to take that they never can. It could be that they know they will never be able to afford all the vises, granite plates, dial indicators and other accessories that fill out the shop or it could even be that they can’t afford one single Reelcraft hose reel but you made a video where you bought ten of them and made a video showing the whole process. I think it has to do more with new tools in general that sit unused when people across America are having trouble feeding their families. I think it’s all the above. We should all remember that life isn’t fair and sometimes certain people win the lottery while other people lose their lives because of careless behavior. We might want to remember that Adam came from a family of hard workers and when we started watching his channel, he was using old beat up tools but I don’t remember anyone saying he sure had it rough. Just let him enjoy what he’s got and be happy he’s even there for us to escape every week for 30 - 60 minutes knowing we would be doing the same thing, and will if we ever win the lottery.
Maybe their qualms is that a once hardworking Adam from a family of that ilk chose the route of RUclips and promotional dollars to build a studio shop which has as clients the landlord and viewers which provide him with occasional machining jobs. Not the driving force behind a machining business growing organically to become a behemoth out there in the real industrial world.
Not a machinist but i still found this interesting. If dust is a concern it seems like a soft mirofiber car detailing cloth would be a good choice rather than a hand or regular rag. Woofgangs "chinchilla" microfiber is extremely extremely soft and will pull dirt away from the surface and trap it to avoid scratching. I use those chinchilla ones to clean camera lenses they are so soft. They are also lint free after you wash them once with microfiber cleaner. Almost any kind of paper towel will leave a little bit of lint. If you need something more disposable Griots makes some nice semi-disposable ones.
You’d be surprised what a hand will do on flat surfaces like this that microfibers won’t. I thought the same thing before I started doing this sort of stuff. Sometimes your hand is the best thing. After that you go to kimwipes. Machinists know plenty about lint 😉
Adam, Maybe invest in a HEPA filter for the office to help with the airborne particulate problem. As for all the naysayers.. 25min yapping about a rock, no machining, etc. Bah.. I'll keep watching.
A standard air filter doesn't really do anything because the volume of air moved is far too low. Air handling is something that has to be considered at the onset and in rooms like this you'd want a laminar drown draft through the floor or baseboards. Something like that could have been done above the office but not in it.
It is best to keep the sun off it as well. The sun will heat it up unevenly causing expansion throwing off measurements keeping it in a cool dark room is the best, with stabile temperature and humidity..
Would be interesting to see the difference in a typical measurement on a machined item at the higher end of the precision at which he measures, done one day on a 'sun drenched for hours' table and then repeated on another day on the table having had it covered overnight beforehand.
Don’t breathe on it either, especially if you’ve been eating garlic. Bad breath will get into pores of your surface plate and you’ll never get it out. Gives the plate a terrible oder and may even affect the accuracy. A N-95 mask will help.
Dings on cast iron will displace the surface and it won’t be flat anymore. Granite will chip, but maintain flatness. Heavy and precision industries learned this advantage when metals were in short supply in WWII… and they’ve been using this ever since.
Cast iron surface plates are better in my opinion they are more stable than granite only because of granite absorbing moisture and intern changing the flatness cast iron will rust but it wont affect the flatness also they give a better bearing surface than granite also cast iron is more easily can change to the temperature of the room while granite takes longer to be affected by temperature aka absorb it which can be a good or a bad thing but because of ww2 they started looking for a different material “cheaper” to make them from and now they hardly make them anymore but they both have advantages and disadvantages but all in all are for 99 percent of uses and people it’s the same only really if you were blueing a part up for bearing for scraping the cast iron would be better
@@wreckingball518 the fact that granite takes longer to stabilize has to do with the large thermal inertia. This stability is intentional and a huge benefit.
I'm less sure about using your hand. The tolerances on the plate are to ± a very few microns over its entire surface. Your skin oils could be larger than that. Use a residue-absorbing cloth immediately after.
I don’t understand the hate. Sure the video is an ad for Starrett but most of the information is applicable to any surface plate and precision measurement gear is very important for machining.
@@JayKayKay7 Yeah...I watched it anyway though. I have been watching his channel since around the time he was taking his videos at Motion. It just seems his videos are lacking something I used to enjoy more than his recent stuff. I do realize he really loves his Starrett tools and he really likes pretty much anything they make but I mean c'mon...dusting it? And yes .... I know they're $$$ and all that but it's in a closed room with a cover on it...but whatever.
Truth! He's like that local reporter that was hungry for the big stories, and always breaking big news. They finally make it to the big network, and suddenly every story is about unicorns and rainbows. Gotta keep that money machine going!
Every time you wiped your hand over the plate I winced seeing your metal watch strap buckle almost touching the surface. What’s the advice on wearing rings, bangles etc ?
Soooo, beer pong is out of the question? 😅 I don't really care if he got with his own money or if it's a Starret sponsored item. I don’t like channels that ask for money by changing their format to pay channel for certain special videos. Kind of an underhanded thing to do to you followers without notice. I have to agree though Adam, i haven't watched this channel as much as I ised to. Tone down the sleep inducing detailed explanations of every fine detail of what you're doing. There seems to be twice as much dialog as actual work that is shown.
Agreed...he doesn't actually have enough work coming in to produce the content we have got used to from his channel. Since leaving his full time job a few years back he's had some smallish jobs come through his old shop and a few in his new one. But I just don't think he has the self employed business foundation in place to successfully keep a large shop busy. So we are left with long drawn out videos of filler unfortunately.
I love how meticulous you are about precision tools; we're cut from the same cloth. If I was you, I would spring the $150 for a nice air purifier to pull out all the PM10 and PM2.5 particulate in the room's air. That's the shop office, right? I have a Winix model 5300-2 for my bedroom and I love it. The activated carbon filter will also remove the solvent and cutting fluid smell in the air (which I like cuz mechanic, but other people get a headache and complain). Levoit also makes wonderful models which will do the job well. If you oversize the purifier for the room's volume, you can run the purifier on a slower speed setting and it'll be very quiet. I'd also invest in sealing that office very well with caulking, expanding foam, weatherstripping, and mains receptacle box gaskets to keep the dust from entering from outside and from the shop. Metal fallout from the shop will embed in the plate. Sand from outside is abrasive.
I think there is a line of at least 4 of those holes. My guess is they are for some special fixturing that he hasn't told us about yet. Another explanation is the plate was custom made for some place that needed them then they cancelled the order. Adam would have got it at a greatly reduced price then. Those holes won't affect the accuracy and useability of the plate much if at all. Starrett (and most any other surface plate manufacturer) will make a plate almost any size shape and configuration with whatever grooves, slots, ledges, holes and threaded inserts you want... for a price.
Adam an old machinist taught me to glue sand paper to the bottom of your surface gauge and measuring tools to help them from sliding around when measuring. Also it really knocks down any high spots on the plate.
All I can imagine with that plate is how awesome it would be to make bread, roll pizza dough and best of all, make chocolate on. You may see I'm not a machinist and I know it would be a wasted surface plate. It's just so frikkin' beautiful.
If it weren’t for negative comments this channel would get none. What does that tell you Adam? Go back to the basics, if we wanted commercials we’d watch TV or Diresta.
Why can't y'all let those of us who enjoy this content to just watch it in peace? If this isn't for you, then just go watch something else that you actually want to see
Well I think this is probably aimed at a certain demographic of his audience that do enjoy knowing about this stuff. But even if it is more aimed at advertising Starrett how do you think he makes the money to keep giving us videos and grow his shop? Its not just from youtube thats for sure. Sponsorship and advertising is a part of life unfortunately so if you dont like it, dont watch. Hes given us years of priceless content to enjoy, so give the man a break.
Such a beautiful measuring instrument. When I see a big granite plate, I think of complex laser setups. Do ordinary machine shops use very many laser-based measuring instruments for precision inspections?
Interestingly-polarised comments section. Some people clearly don't understand or respect the end use of reference inspected surfaces such as this. I mean, that's fine but if you're not in the market-for or trade-of one of these then you're missing the understanding of what you're looking at. Metrology at these levels is several levels of understanding deep, but unlike things like audiophiles, etc. this has a real-world purpose. There's nothing worse than chasing down strange errors in work, only to find that the source is poor practice and maintenance of precision calibrated pieces. It might seem obsessive and weird from the outside, but every ritual and repetition is vital in developing strong defensible working practice.
If you can't figure out how to care for a granite slab without Adam, you don't need one. Most people come here for the machining. He needs to get back to the old SNS episodes before he loses fan base.
@@mongoose388 I agree. I don't think there's enough good information out there on this subject for people, and often this knowledge is learnt via degree-level study or over-the-shoulder where you learn by very expensive mistakes, reinforced by getting a slap across the back of the head. Adam is putting some good information out there in the "semi-permanent" record for others to pick up as and when they need it. It's maybe a little more zen than most people are used to, but hey. Yeah, agreed about SNS. A man can't survive on zen stuff alone.
This feels overly scripted and a less than desirable direction for the channel. It would be a great training video for Starrett though... But if you got a deep discount on the surface plate for a video just say so. I think people would be more understanding if you were up front about that stuff. If that is not the case it sure feels like it.
He repeats himself a lot. Definitely not scripted. I got the feel that this video is one he'll play for his next intern or part time employee. So I guess it'd be good for any of us who will have the same explanation to give someone in the future.
Instead of using the light plastic cover why don’t you use a light wooden cover with edging to stop it being pushed of that has a baze cloth on the underside to protect the surface?
Topper Machine is what this channel used to be and what we wish we could see here again. I highly recommend switching over to Josh. He doesn’t only talk about sponsors and what they want him to say.
A few guys believe he does loads of small, paying jobs in the home shop, but just doesn't document it on Instagram, Facebook or here. Another recently posted that he does loads of paying jobs on the CNCs; just that we do not get to see it, probably because the customer prohibits it. But no evidence given, and no mention of such work by Adam himself. So it would seem plausible that he uses the new granite table loads of times also, its just that we don't get to see it. As per the others, I provide no evidence for my ( false?) assertion.
I've been watching Abom videos since he was at motion without only a few thousand subscribers old chum. Using it once or twice falls under my comment above. @@trxcummins7388
When i die, i want my surface plate engraved and used for a tomb stone. I use mine like i stole it. The guy that resurfaces it is not going to like me next time.
Hi , love your videos.. one suggestion if i can say is ti keep the cover away from dust and everything that is floating in the air ❤ just to make it easier to clean after every use
I think the goal is to wipe particles off it, not worrying about small traces of oil. Hands are a common technique, not just for the surface plate but all kinds of other stuff.
You’d understand if you spent a lot of time in the machine shop. Most of the oil around is cutting oil and lube, that sort of thing. That’s the oil he’s talking about, not the small amounts of skin oil deposited from swiping things with a clean hand. In terms of removing dust and lint and chips, your hand is one of the better cleaning tools. If you’re wringing gauge blocks you should avoid touching the surfaces you’re wringing, same with optical flats, but for granite and parallels and v blocks and whatnot, a clean hand is excellent. The degree of precision expected and achieved with granite surface plates is not to the extent that skin oils from swiping it is a factor. Fingerprints are another story.
You should use dust free rags. We use Crit-clean cloths. It’s a woven cloth that doesn’t leave lint behind. Our other choice is Kim-wipes but even they leave lint.
So, my grade B 12 by 18 inch surface plate from Starrett gets used in my home shop. It’s not temperature controlled. I have made a base with locking casters and three point adjustment screws underneath it. I use a machinist level to make it as level as possible. I keep it covered when not in use and I clean it with ammonia which quickly evaporates. I check the accuracy of my height gage with grade B gage blocks. For hobby machinist I figure that I’m accurate to +/- .0005”. Good enough for me. This is a much higher precision setup that makes sense for a person who makes a living making parts that people’s lives and livelihoods might depend on. Abom does amazing work and his tolerances are probably far tighter than mine, and he makes and repairs much bigger stuff.
A video about Adam & his pet rock.
Roflmfao.
To be fair his pet rock would kick the sh!t out of my pet rock. Though my wife doesn't like to be referred to as a pet rock
A $75,000 pet rock
😂
😂😂😂
This video is seen all over the world. Many people are doing there best to learn how to machine in difficult environments, that is in places where the work needs to be done but where they do not have access to generations of knowledge. Adam is filling that gap. Thank you Adam.
If Granit Surface Plate was a drinking game I would have died half way through this video
e
Is the oil from your hands not harmful to to plate?
Title of video should be A MAN AND HIS ROCK…..A LOVE STORY
Thanks for the video, I never knew water could have an impact on the dimensional stability of granite. Anyway, I like it how you mix things up, jobs are sure interesting to watch, but since there are enough hobbyists or people unfamiliar to the trade watching the videos, going over some basics every now and then is definitely nice. Being a hobbyist myself I noticed that you can teach yourself a lot, but you can never be sure if you missed some important info, so getting insight from professionals like you is really appreciated. I think you're an excellent shop teacher, I never had myself wondering what you mean during any of your explanations.
The choir of angels when the cover came off was a nice touch. 👍
This is my granite surface plate There are many like it, but this one is mine. My granite surface plate is my best friend. It is my life
I am the king of using any available flat surface but my 36" surface plate is kept covered at all times by a wood case and cover and a sign that says, "TOUCHING THIS MAY CAUSE IRREPARABLE BODILY HARM"
I really enjoyed this! I've seen lots of videos on care & maintenance of surface plates, but this was one of the best yet. The best advice, keep wiping always wiping and wipe again. That's what we learned at GE also. You can never wipe it too much. Even on AAA cast iron plates, wiping is the key to everything. Never be afraid that you're wiping too much or ruining the finish because if you think you're wiping too much, wipe it one more time to be sure.
😂 top comment, felt the same
When I was a pattern inspector for a forge shop, our pink pearl AA surface plate had a plywood cover to protect the surface from inadvertent damage. You never know when someone walking by might accidentally drop something onto the surface plate because their arms were too full. Perhaps not likely at your shop, but why take the risk?
Do you do machining anymore?
When sweeping the plate with your hand, what about the oil in your skin or other contaminants?
Yup. You should just encase the whole thing in plexiglass and use your imagination when doing measurements.
Cut a piece of plywood to cover the top and band it with 1 x 4" clear pine. Eventually something will fall on it and chip it and then you will throw yourself into a thrashing machine. That cover they give you is more for dust. Now's a good time for some electronic height gauges and even some laser tools. Ultrasound is another thing for inspection and you can be an area inspection business. People get investment castings and then want them ultrasound or xray inspected so they don't spend time machining a casting w/ gas pockets... Laser equipment can also help the process of inspection and give you more information.
Starret advert..
Adam, thanks for the instructional video. I don't have room in my small shop for a nice large plate like yours but I did buy a 24" by 18" grade A plate a few months ago, and I can already see the improvement in my work as I learn how to do precision metrology. Seeing how to correctly care for my plate and keeping it accurate is a real win. Please continue with these instructional videos as I always learn something from them.
...this Plate is so ridiculus big! 😅But, you earned it! ....thank you for almost a decade of great machining, entertaining and teaching! 👍
I was really looking forward to some great content coming out of the new shop with all of the new equipment. Never really expected a dusting tutorial though. I was hoping to follow along your journey on learning the new CNC equipment but haven't really seen those since they were installed. I even messaged trying to throw some CNC mill work your way and never received a response. You are far too skilled a machinist to be doing dusting videos. I know you have to pay your bills and you have obligations to all these companies that provided equipment, but most of us came here to learn from you. I hope this doesn't become yet another channel destroyed by sponsorships and free stuff although it appears to be heading that direction. You seem like a great guy and are definitely a very skilled machinist. You need to take back your channel.
Too late it's not heading that direction it's already there!
Can't really blame him. This same issue catches all the bigger YT channels. They start making that YT money, and forget everything that got 'em there. I think I am unsubbing. I have tried to give him the benefit of the doubt but... Where are the videos of him learning CNC? Ok then.
He makes machining videos too to balance these promo performances
Dont watch these videos just watch the machining ones, i see where this channel has gone as a long time subscriber. I also cant say i wouldnt have gone the same route if it were me. No way i could say no to some of these tools/machines. And the $ that comes with it. But i dont watch as often as i used to. Part of the game i guess, cant knock a man for trying to better his situation.
🤣@@belatoth3763
I have watched this channel for years and I have loved it but it’s time to get some real content. Go back to machining that’s what made this channel what it is. That’s what viewers want.
But then how would he get to go on his monthly vacations 😢
I've been watching his channel for years and I have no problem with diverifying his content to cover more things involved in a well-equipped machine shop and his progress from when he was just starting out as a content creator.
I just explained to my wife how i now need a granite plate. I'm not a machinist, so it didn't go over well.
Get your doctor to write you a prescription for your lower back. Get a memory foam cover for it. Double your pleasure, double the fun! :D
@@utidjian I do have a physical soon. And the wife does like to mix things up so....
People don't realize a fingerprint can stop your surface gage, height gage, etc. from sliding freely. I'm OCD about a clean piece of granite and ILMMFM when I see a drink spot, oil spot, or skid mark on the most important tool in a QC Dept. Nice video. I thought I was alone. lol Congrats on the new Rock.
Awesome investment. Like so many other things in your shop, this is built to last generations. Gramps would be jealous.
Lovin' the passion, and insistence on proper treatment this absolutely badass *epic* precision instrument.
The technical know-how goes without saying. Looking forward to some vids using that massive slab. It is a thing of beauty.
I just got my first surface plate Adam (24"x18"), and your video hit the spot. Don't have a dedicated cover yet, but I'll procure one next. Thanks a lot for the advice. Ciao, Marco.
Lot of haters here, but I, for one, love metrology content. As for the, "I can't possibly afford a Starret surface plate" comments, in my experience, second-hand surface plates are available quite inexpensively at auction, provided, of course, that you have the wherewithal to move them. The biggest I can manage in my home shop is a Starret pink granite 18x24x4, but that's because of size and weight, not cost.
Yes, in the uk they are dirt cheap at auction, the depreciation on them things is huge. Every shop or hobbyshop needs a surface plate, and maybe a 2 ft square one is plenty sufficient. I wonder if the cost ( to the 2nd user) goes down per square footage for the larger ones as the need vs wherewithal to handle them ratio diminishes.
Don't think I've ever seen abom actually use this plate since he bought it 10 months ago !. He just doesn't have enough work coming into his workshop to warrant the size of the shop and amount of machines he has.
Very true and the "work" he has done seems made up just to promote the sponsors and free tools/machines he's got in the showroom
It's not a work shop. It's a uutube studio
"Bought" ROFL
@@Moose_338 nope I know...I meant to say "acquired" ,😏
Just the right thing I need after a long day of work, an Abom video to relax to and enjoy! keep these videos coming Adam, you are one awesome youtuber and machinist!
I've spent a good deal of years in factories and I have always been gravely disappointed to see the condition and treatment of most surface plates. I think, maybe, I've seen one or two that could have been partially cared for. Most are at least desks and *many* are outright work benches. 😔
I was taught to slide parts onto the surface plate, from the edge. It helps making gentle contact and reduces debris that might be trapped if you set your part down. Probably more important for heavy work.
I did the same. Also, the only thing of metal that was ever left on my plate was my Trimos height gage unless I was cleaning the plate. I did make an exception for my ceramic standards as they do not rust.
Yes as soon as I get around to spending $10k+ on a granite surface or have one given to me like you did, I’ll refer back to this video (Ad for Starret)
Doesn't matter if it is a $50 chinese POS plate a $1k workshop grade plate or this one the method and care should be the same!
@12:00 to @19:30 is wiping the surface place
riveting stuff
Great videos Adam, they are very educational calming. Keep up the good work.
Please always allow 30-45 minutes after cleaning for the block to re-stabilize, the amount of wiping with clothe to remove the cleaner will cause differentials in surface temperature, I only use 90+% ISO on my surface plate as the "waterless" is not really waterless, and the spray cleaner is a lot of water, also the pastes have been shown to build up over time if not completely removed using additional spirits, this can lead to excessive dust as well as "sticky" spots which will lead to wear, of note if using Spirits/ISO to clean a block additional time may be required for re-stabilization as Spirits/ISO can cause what they are calling surface super cooling due to its quick vaporizations. The reason I was always told to keep water away from blocks was that water will cause oxidation of the material itself which will alter the block over time while spirits/ISO evaporates quickly enough that little to no oxidation can occur. I don't know about the towels you are using but Kimtech lint free wipes work great and keep the dust in the air down as the you aren't introducing more into you room, This may all be beyond what you are accomplishing with the block as I am using my block in the 3-5 millionths range so take it as you will.
BIG NOTE: please make sure any computer exhaust fans or really any exhaust fans are filtered and pointed away from the block, localized temperature swings will throw the whole block out of specification and filtering exhausts will cut down on the amount of particles in the air
Are you serious? The exhaust fan from a computer on a 2 ton rock?
If you want to keep millionth level accuracy, temperature is one of the most important factors @@mudnducs
I guess if you want to keep getting freebies from Starrett you have to keep advertising their products right ?
The people at the Big Ass Fan company must be seething
Very nice, but it seems like you’re buying stuff just to buy stuff, and you don’t have any real work you’re doing anymore.
I’m happy for you, but I miss that you used to have actual jobs to do.
He's a content creator, this is his real work 😅
NEVER forget to wipe your surface plate
What temperature and humidity are the plates certified for? I wonder how slight temperature and/or humidity changes impact the measurements. At those 5-digit certification numbers, I cant help but think that even 2-3F degrees would make a measurable difference.
Plates will be certified (upon manufacture) at 68 degrees F (20 degrees C ) ± 1 degree and below 55% RH for a a proper ISO 17025 master lab grade certification. Now, when you have it re-certified on location that all depends on your environmental controls. My lab in the automotive industry ( R.I.P. TRW ) was speced at 68 F ±2 degrees F and
The Starrett granite surface plate cleaner safety data sheet shows 96% water, alcohol, propanol... The paste cleaner msds shows 40-60% water, 20-40% mineral spirits, acid, glycol, gum, fragrance, etc. The waterless one is 25-50% white spirit, cleaners, fragrance, no indication for the other 25-50% of the product. Don't eat snacks before using your plate and the associated tools and accessories...
I was going to say, unless that liquid cleaner was anhydrous alcohol, it was sure to be mostly water.
Comes at a perfect time! Just drove 5hr to pick up a surface plate
You might be interested in some older videos on resurfacing and grading old granite, two or three years ago? Search should find them.
@18:35 can still feel dust on it after wiping it for ~7 minutes
A repeatometer is a form of spherometer. Apart from local defects it measures variations in curvature. An autocollimator doesnt measure flatness directly. It measures variations in slope which are combined (integrated) to provide flatness estimates.
Would a hepa air filter be a good idea in your inspection room? At least running when the cover is on to keep the total dust content in the room as low as possible.
18:25 looks like some kind of anomaly in the center diagonal direction towards the window? It seems to me 'hand wiping' is an opportunity to induce natural skin oils to the surface!
I see two circular holes. Not sure what the purpose is. Probably threaded inserts there for fixturing?
By reading the comments for this weeks submission I’m getting the sense that viewers have become frustrated and almost betrayed by the lack of real old school machining which is what brought them to this channel in the first place. It might be that they see all the expensive machines. It might be that they see all the vacations you get to take that they never can. It could be that they know they will never be able to afford all the vises, granite plates, dial indicators and other accessories that fill out the shop or it could even be that they can’t afford one single Reelcraft hose reel but you made a video where you bought ten of them and made a video showing the whole process. I think it has to do more with new tools in general that sit unused when people across America are having trouble feeding their families. I think it’s all the above. We should all remember that life isn’t fair and sometimes certain people win the lottery while other people lose their lives because of careless behavior. We might want to remember that Adam came from a family of hard workers and when we started watching his channel, he was using old beat up tools but I don’t remember anyone saying he sure had it rough. Just let him enjoy what he’s got and be happy he’s even there for us to escape every week for 30 - 60 minutes knowing we would be doing the same thing, and will if we ever win the lottery.
Maybe their qualms is that a once hardworking Adam from a family of that ilk chose the route of RUclips and promotional dollars to build a studio shop which has as clients the landlord and viewers which provide him with occasional machining jobs. Not the driving force behind a machining business growing organically to become a behemoth out there in the real industrial world.
I feel a loss. too bad.
He already has a lot of old school machining content out there for anyone looking for that
Not a machinist but i still found this interesting. If dust is a concern it seems like a soft mirofiber car detailing cloth would be a good choice rather than a hand or regular rag. Woofgangs "chinchilla" microfiber is extremely extremely soft and will pull dirt away from the surface and trap it to avoid scratching. I use those chinchilla ones to clean camera lenses they are so soft. They are also lint free after you wash them once with microfiber cleaner. Almost any kind of paper towel will leave a little bit of lint. If you need something more disposable Griots makes some nice semi-disposable ones.
You’d be surprised what a hand will do on flat surfaces like this that microfibers won’t. I thought the same thing before I started doing this sort of stuff. Sometimes your hand is the best thing. After that you go to kimwipes. Machinists know plenty about lint 😉
Adam, Maybe invest in a HEPA filter for the office to help with the airborne particulate problem. As for all the naysayers.. 25min yapping about a rock, no machining, etc. Bah.. I'll keep watching.
A standard air filter doesn't really do anything because the volume of air moved is far too low. Air handling is something that has to be considered at the onset and in rooms like this you'd want a laminar drown draft through the floor or baseboards. Something like that could have been done above the office but not in it.
It is best to keep the sun off it as well. The sun will heat it up unevenly causing expansion throwing off measurements keeping it in a cool dark room is the best, with stabile temperature and humidity..
Would be interesting to see the difference in a typical measurement on a machined item at the higher end of the precision at which he measures, done one day on a 'sun drenched for hours' table and then repeated on another day on the table having had it covered overnight beforehand.
Don’t breathe on it either, especially if you’ve been eating garlic. Bad breath will get into pores of your surface plate and you’ll never get it out. Gives the plate a terrible oder and may even affect the accuracy. A
N-95 mask will help.
Thanks, what is the hole for that is about 18X24 in on the left?
A threaded insert, I think.
Take a shot every time he says “wipe”
Very impressed with how you treat your tools; as that old saying goes: "take good care of your tools and they will take care of you"
What are the advantages of a granite surface plate over a cast iron surface plate as I have both
Dings on cast iron will displace the surface and it won’t be flat anymore. Granite will chip, but maintain flatness. Heavy and precision industries learned this advantage when metals were in short supply in WWII… and they’ve been using this ever since.
Cast iron surface plates are better in my opinion they are more stable than granite only because of granite absorbing moisture and intern changing the flatness cast iron will rust but it wont affect the flatness also they give a better bearing surface than granite also cast iron is more easily can change to the temperature of the room while granite takes longer to be affected by temperature aka absorb it which can be a good or a bad thing but because of ww2 they started looking for a different material “cheaper” to make them from and now they hardly make them anymore but they both have advantages and disadvantages but all in all are for 99 percent of uses and people it’s the same only really if you were blueing a part up for bearing for scraping the cast iron would be better
@@wreckingball518 the fact that granite takes longer to stabilize has to do with the large thermal inertia. This stability is intentional and a huge benefit.
Always a good day, when there is a new abom79 video. Thank you
I'm less sure about using your hand.
The tolerances on the plate are to ± a very few microns over its entire surface.
Your skin oils could be larger than that.
Use a residue-absorbing cloth immediately after.
Awesome demonstration and explanation. I don't have one now... one day ... :)
I don’t understand the hate. Sure the video is an ad for Starrett but most of the information is applicable to any surface plate and precision measurement gear is very important for machining.
I've looked through the comments and I can't see any hate. Can you give an example of this "hate"
@@colinfahidi9983I would describe it more as jealousy and envy.
I haven't seen any of that either@@ellieprice363
A video about dusting? Didn't he used to make stuff on this channel?
@@SpakasAlbert You could be right...or things could be slow for him, who knows. I guess all videos can't be humdingers.
I think this is pre-packaged content for when he is on a road trip.@@blueovaltrucker
@@JayKayKay7 Yeah...I watched it anyway though. I have been watching his channel since around the time he was taking his videos at Motion. It just seems his videos are lacking something I used to enjoy more than his recent stuff. I do realize he really loves his Starrett tools and he really likes pretty much anything they make but I mean c'mon...dusting it? And yes .... I know they're $$$ and all that but it's in a closed room with a cover on it...but whatever.
Your delivery is so much improved from your earlier videos. Practice makes perfect!
Truth! He's like that local reporter that was hungry for the big stories, and always breaking big news. They finally make it to the big network, and suddenly every story is about unicorns and rainbows. Gotta keep that money machine going!
We had a 18'X18"surface stone in the shop.
The boss made a felt lined wood box to cover it when not in use.
Dynamic air systems offers quality air purification products, something to consider.
I'm supposed to wipe the granite surface plate, got it. 😉
Can we weight difference between dry granite and one having "absorbed" water ?
Possibly, but I doubt you would be able to get a scale sensitive enough in the shop.
It's a bunch of hogwash. Granite can't really absorb any meaningful amounts of water.
I guess I just need to watch another channel to see machining happening. What are you doing the whole week?
He was emailing vendors looking for freebies.
Big haul trip in his RV and bbqing 😂👍 thanks viewers for funding his adventures
Go and check out Cutting Edge Engineering in OZ if you want to see REAL machining by a talented guy.
I'm watching Josh Topper
@@jtfoto1
Yeah. Found CEE a couple of years ago. Always interesting and very well edited.
Every time you wiped your hand over the plate I winced seeing your metal watch strap buckle almost touching the surface. What’s the advice on wearing rings, bangles etc ?
Don’t
Soooo, beer pong is out of the question? 😅 I don't really care if he got with his own money or if it's a Starret sponsored item. I don’t like channels that ask for money by changing their format to pay channel for certain special videos. Kind of an underhanded thing to do to you followers without notice. I have to agree though Adam, i haven't watched this channel as much as I ised to. Tone down the sleep inducing detailed explanations of every fine detail of what you're doing. There seems to be twice as much dialog as actual work that is shown.
Agreed...he doesn't actually have enough work coming in to produce the content we have got used to from his channel. Since leaving his full time job a few years back he's had some smallish jobs come through his old shop and a few in his new one. But I just don't think he has the self employed business foundation in place to successfully keep a large shop busy. So we are left with long drawn out videos of filler unfortunately.
@@robinali25171gotta fund the big hauls and vacations somehow 😅
A good analysis @@robinali25171
I love how meticulous you are about precision tools; we're cut from the same cloth. If I was you, I would spring the $150 for a nice air purifier to pull out all the PM10 and PM2.5 particulate in the room's air. That's the shop office, right? I have a Winix model 5300-2 for my bedroom and I love it. The activated carbon filter will also remove the solvent and cutting fluid smell in the air (which I like cuz mechanic, but other people get a headache and complain). Levoit also makes wonderful models which will do the job well. If you oversize the purifier for the room's volume, you can run the purifier on a slower speed setting and it'll be very quiet. I'd also invest in sealing that office very well with caulking, expanding foam, weatherstripping, and mains receptacle box gaskets to keep the dust from entering from outside and from the shop. Metal fallout from the shop will embed in the plate. Sand from outside is abrasive.
I see what looks like two threaded holes, what are they for? Or am I seeing things?
I think there is a line of at least 4 of those holes. My guess is they are for some special fixturing that he hasn't told us about yet. Another explanation is the plate was custom made for some place that needed them then they cancelled the order. Adam would have got it at a greatly reduced price then. Those holes won't affect the accuracy and useability of the plate much if at all. Starrett (and most any other surface plate manufacturer) will make a plate almost any size shape and configuration with whatever grooves, slots, ledges, holes and threaded inserts you want... for a price.
Adam an old machinist taught me to glue sand paper to the bottom of your surface gauge and measuring tools to help them from sliding around when measuring. Also it really knocks down any high spots on the plate.
😂😂😂😂
All I can imagine with that plate is how awesome it would be to make bread, roll pizza dough and best of all, make chocolate on. You may see I'm not a machinist and I know it would be a wasted surface plate. It's just so frikkin' beautiful.
Greetings from Germany. Such plates we have in our inspection room.
Very good info,Adam.Thank you.
Great tutorial.
Hey, what do you about dust? 🙃
Love the video I'm naming it Stoney
did I miss it? Did you mention the 2 mounting holes?
Scenario: UPS guy comes in and throws a package on the "table". Stuff of nightmares. 🙂
Thats when we will see Adam transform into Megatron or worse 🤣🤣
If it weren’t for negative comments this channel would get none. What does that tell you Adam? Go back to the basics, if we wanted commercials we’d watch TV or Diresta.
Why can't y'all let those of us who enjoy this content to just watch it in peace? If this isn't for you, then just go watch something else that you actually want to see
Well I think this is probably aimed at a certain demographic of his audience that do enjoy knowing about this stuff. But even if it is more aimed at advertising Starrett how do you think he makes the money to keep giving us videos and grow his shop? Its not just from youtube thats for sure. Sponsorship and advertising is a part of life unfortunately so if you dont like it, dont watch. Hes given us years of priceless content to enjoy, so give the man a break.
@@omaristephens2143 just watch the videos and don't read the comments then. No on is forcing you to.
I would have to cut a sheet of plywood to cover it up so I could set my coffee cup down.
Someone in the comments recommended Topper Machine as a good choice. I checked it out and couldn't agree more.
Such a beautiful measuring instrument. When I see a big granite plate, I think of complex laser setups. Do ordinary machine shops use very many laser-based measuring instruments for precision inspections?
Interestingly-polarised comments section. Some people clearly don't understand or respect the end use of reference inspected surfaces such as this. I mean, that's fine but if you're not in the market-for or trade-of one of these then you're missing the understanding of what you're looking at. Metrology at these levels is several levels of understanding deep, but unlike things like audiophiles, etc. this has a real-world purpose. There's nothing worse than chasing down strange errors in work, only to find that the source is poor practice and maintenance of precision calibrated pieces. It might seem obsessive and weird from the outside, but every ritual and repetition is vital in developing strong defensible working practice.
Lol at your ego. That is all.
If you can't figure out how to care for a granite slab without Adam, you don't need one. Most people come here for the machining. He needs to get back to the old SNS episodes before he loses fan base.
@@mongoose388 I agree. I don't think there's enough good information out there on this subject for people, and often this knowledge is learnt via degree-level study or over-the-shoulder where you learn by very expensive mistakes, reinforced by getting a slap across the back of the head. Adam is putting some good information out there in the "semi-permanent" record for others to pick up as and when they need it. It's maybe a little more zen than most people are used to, but hey. Yeah, agreed about SNS. A man can't survive on zen stuff alone.
This feels overly scripted and a less than desirable direction for the channel. It would be a great training video for Starrett though... But if you got a deep discount on the surface plate for a video just say so. I think people would be more understanding if you were up front about that stuff. If that is not the case it sure feels like it.
He repeats himself a lot. Definitely not scripted. I got the feel that this video is one he'll play for his next intern or part time employee. So I guess it'd be good for any of us who will have the same explanation to give someone in the future.
Poor editing
Instead of using the light plastic cover why don’t you use a light wooden cover with edging to stop it being pushed of that has a baze cloth on the underside to protect the surface?
I made the cover for my AA grade pink granite out of 1/2” MDF
I really sorry to say I've just about had enough. This just isn't the channel it used to be
It’s not an airport. You don’t have to announce your departure.🤷
Topper Machine is what this channel used to be and what we wish we could see here again. I highly recommend switching over to Josh. He doesn’t only talk about sponsors and what they want him to say.
He must make lots off RUclips and sponsors. No way he could afford to pay for all the new equipment without any real jobs.
Cutting Edge has already outgrown him in 1/4 of the time.@@Airtight215
@@Airtight215
You’re allowed to watch both you know. I subscribe to both channels and the RUclips police haven’t appeared to take my iPad away. 😉
Not sure why all the hate. As someone who is trying to learn more about metal work i found it interesting
Metal and work 🤔... are you sure this channel is the right one for you 😂
Very helpful and informative video, as usual. Thanks.
Oh, you use Granite surface plates?
It hasn't been used has it?
yes a few times.
When? How many times? I 've been following this channel since he was at motion with around 15k subscribers @@jimyep9971
@@colinfahidi9983apparently you don't watch the channel that much or you would have noticed that he used it a few videos back
A few guys believe he does loads of small, paying jobs in the home shop, but just doesn't document it on Instagram, Facebook or here. Another recently posted that he does loads of paying jobs on the CNCs; just that we do not get to see it, probably because the customer prohibits it. But no evidence given, and no mention of such work by Adam himself. So it would seem plausible that he uses the new granite table loads of times also, its just that we don't get to see it. As per the others, I provide no evidence for my ( false?) assertion.
I've been watching Abom videos since he was at motion without only a few thousand subscribers old chum. Using it once or twice falls under my comment above. @@trxcummins7388
When i die, i want my surface plate engraved and used for a tomb stone. I use mine like i stole it. The guy that resurfaces it is not going to like me next time.
Wow that is superb, I hate to think how much that cost. Like most machines, the cost of the support/tools is more that the machine itself
Hi , love your videos.. one suggestion if i can say is ti keep the cover away from dust and everything that is floating in the air ❤ just to make it easier to clean after every use
So it's a no go on the dancing girls🤪
I would put a memory foam topper on it and sleep there, a nice comfy flat surface
Mr booth doesn’t reply to any comments stop wasting your time asking him questions
uhm so you wipe it. Say you clear it of oil . then use your hand fats and smear it on. I am kind of confused.
I think the goal is to wipe particles off it, not worrying about small traces of oil. Hands are a common technique, not just for the surface plate but all kinds of other stuff.
You’d understand if you spent a lot of time in the machine shop. Most of the oil around is cutting oil and lube, that sort of thing. That’s the oil he’s talking about, not the small amounts of skin oil deposited from swiping things with a clean hand. In terms of removing dust and lint and chips, your hand is one of the better cleaning tools. If you’re wringing gauge blocks you should avoid touching the surfaces you’re wringing, same with optical flats, but for granite and parallels and v blocks and whatnot, a clean hand is excellent. The degree of precision expected and achieved with granite surface plates is not to the extent that skin oils from swiping it is a factor. Fingerprints are another story.
You should use dust free rags. We use Crit-clean cloths. It’s a woven cloth that doesn’t leave lint behind. Our other choice is Kim-wipes but even they leave lint.
Way Cool ! Would an air purifier help?
The darn thing is just beautiful in its own right! I don’t need one, but I want one!
So, my grade B 12 by 18 inch surface plate from Starrett gets used in my home shop. It’s not temperature controlled. I have made a base with locking casters and three point adjustment screws underneath it. I use a machinist level to make it as level as possible. I keep it covered when not in use and I clean it with ammonia which quickly evaporates. I check the accuracy of my height gage with grade B gage blocks. For hobby machinist I figure that I’m accurate to +/- .0005”. Good enough for me.
This is a much higher precision setup that makes sense for a person who makes a living making parts that people’s lives and livelihoods might depend on. Abom does amazing work and his tolerances are probably far tighter than mine, and he makes and repairs much bigger stuff.
This is the best granite plate on youtube after seeing Don Bailey's plate at Suburban Tool.
I can't wait to see you level it and use it. This video was ok but just a tease. Thanks
He's already done that. snooze........
Has he? I must have blinked @@mongoose388
Did you say that the rock should be clean and wiped? I just wanted to be sure.
Play a drinking game while watching this: take a shot everytime he says "Granite Surface Plate" 😂
24 shots later 😂💀