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SURFACE PLATES
Surface plates are smaller reference surfaces and are placed on a bench for use with smaller workpieces.
For general use, both surface tables and surface plates are made from cast iron machined to various grades
of accuracy. For high-accuracy inspec on work and for use in standards rooms, surface tables and plates
made from granite are available.
Surface table
PARALLELS
The workpiece can be set on parallels to raise it off the reference surface and s ll maintain parallelism.
Parallels are made in pairs to precisely the same dimensions, from hardened steel, finish ground, with
their opposite faces parallel and adjacent faces square. A variety of sizes should be available for use when
marking out.
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Wedge and Jack
When a forging or cas ng has to be marked out, which has an uneven surface or is awkward in shape, it is
s ll essen al to maintain the datum rela ve to the reference surface. Uneven surfaces can be prevented
from rocking and kept on a parallel plane by slipping in thin steel or wooden wedges. at appropriate
posi ons. Awkward shapes can be kept in the correct posi on by support from adjustable jacks.
Wedge
Jack used to support
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Protractor head
This head is graduated from 0° to 180°, is adjustable through this range, and is used when scribing lines
at an angle to a workpiece datum.
Protractor head
Square head
This head is used in the same way as an engineer’s square, but, because the rule is adjustable, it is not as
accurate. A second face is provided at 45° (Fig. b). A spirit level is incorporated which is useful when se ng
workpieces such as cas ngs level with the reference surface. Turned on end, this head can also be used as
a depth gauge (see Fig. c).
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Center head
With this head the blade passes through the center of the vee and is used to mark out the center of a
circular workpiece or round bar.
SCRIBER
The scriber is used to scribe all lines on a metal surface and is made from hardened and tempered steel,
ground to a fine point which should always be kept sharp to give well-defined lines.
DIVIDERS AND TRAMMELS
Dividers are used to scribe circles or arcs and to
mark off a series of lengths such as hole centers.
They are of spring bow construc on, each of the
two-pointed steel legs being hardened and
ground to a fine point and capable of scribing a
maximum circle of around 150 mm diameter.
Larger circles can be scribed using trammels,
where the scribing points are adjustable along
the length of a beam
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Hermaphrodite calipers.
These combine a straight pointed divider leg with a caliper or stepped leg and are used to scribe a line
parallel to the edge of a workpiece. They are more commonly known as ‘odd-legs’ or ‘jennies ’
Hermaphrodite calipers
Center punches are made from high carbon steel, hardened and tempered with the point ground at 30°
when used to provide a center loca on for dividers and at 90° for other purposes. Care should be taken in
the use of center dots on surfaces which are to remain a er machining, since, depending upon the depth,
they may prove difficult to remove.
Centre punch
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Clamps are used when the workpiece has to be securely fixed to another piece of equipment, e.g. to the
face of an angle plate. The type most used are toolmaker’s clamps, which are adjustable within a range of
about 100 mm but will only clamp parallel surfaces. Greater thicknesses can be clamped using ‘G ’ clamps,
so named because of their shape. Due to the swivel pad on the end of the clamping screw, the ‘G ’ clamp
is also capable of clamping surfaces which are not parallel.
Toolmaker’s clamp
‘G ’ clamp