I need a PRECISION straight-edge, so I made three

Have you seen the price of precision metrology equipment lately? Neither have I, I've been too busy rubbing these sticks together in an attempt to find flatness.
Patreon: / notanengineer
Here's Alex's channel: / @anengineersfindings
And some better reference material on the three plate method, if you're interested:
Accidental Science:
Flat From Scratch, revised - The 3 plates method
Robrenz:
ROBRENZ ATD #1 INTRO, 3 PLATE METHOD
Oxtoolco:
Making flat lapping plates 1

[@NoEngineerHere]

If you were a Patron, you could've told me how silly this project was from the start. www.patreon.com/NotAnEngineer

[@audunms4780]

"Im not an engineer" - Not An Homosexual 😍

[@Fillanator]

😊😊

[@Flatlapper]

My Apologies. Perhaps next opportunity. However, your methods and results speak volumes.

[@PB-wb2kj]

Live is too busy to particularly care about shit like this.

[@Stanton_High]

Wd40 isn't cutting oil

[@gerikbensing]

I am an engineer, and on this one the project went about as well as I expected. The difference is I’d have kept honing until there was nothing left and you stopped at close enough. 😂

[@NoEngineerHere]

If I didnt have to get a video out i'd still be rubbing......

[@S1l3ntV1p3r]

Rubbing it out, the bane of all productivity...

[@Aistlander]

@@S1l3ntV1p3r 🤣

[@SH19922x]

​@@S1l3ntV1p3rInstagram summer season has us all wearing our shoulders out smh

[@richardlee2488]

If it's not right. It's wrong.

[@aleksjenner677]

you're not a filmmaker either, but those high off angle shots are becoming something of a visual signature for your videos

[@NoEngineerHere]

Not much room for anything else interesting in the little shed.

[@aleksjenner677]

​@@NoEngineerHere 11:41 is such a great shot. Strong use of converging diagonal lines, dramatic direct lighting, and an off centre composition that all creates a nice sense of depth, it reminds me of Wong Kar-wai’s films. Plus, you entered the frame in a funny way.

[@georgetirebiter6437]

Dutch angles everywhere!

[@DanielBoeFlex]

If I had a nickel for every time I found a channel with a charming aussie bloke making surrealist jokes about food and nicking stuff in public for projects, claiming not to be an engineer while doing engineer things in their garage or shed.. I'd have two nickels, which isn't a lot but it is strange that it happened twice. Subscribed.

[@JohnField-cr6tv]

I did a thing?

[@DanielBoeFlex]

@@JohnField-cr6tv yup!

[@dp1381]

As a woodworker, I periodically reflect on how easily one can produce a straight edge with extraordinary precision using nothing more than a plane and feeler gauge. Simply clamp two boards together and plane their edges as straight as your plane can manange. Then unclamp the boards and put those two edges together, and check the gap between them with the feeler gauge. The gap between them is double the deviation from straight of each board. So with a .001” feeler gauge, one can easily produce a straight edge that is less than .0005” out of straight over its entire length, which is damn good for basic hand tools.

[@krisnick92]

When I was cabinetmaking at my last job, the precision we could get when joining 2 bits of laminate together using nothing but a block plane always satisfied me

[@richardlee2488]

It's all in your level of personal pride. Give me a wood or iron hand plane and I can clean rough lumber up. Give me a four side planer and I will clean it up and make it square and parallel. I might even make it straight. Add a molding or too at the same time and all at high speed. But timber is both forgiving and volatile. Plane it today and tomorrow it's moved. Tension or moisture gain or loss.

[@GeorgeAlbercook]

I think in a similar way you also have three surfaces, the two boards and the plane.

[@somebodyelse6673]

I don't think so? you can match two curved boards within .001", and that doesn't make them straight.

[@riccardoorlando2262]

@@somebodyelse6673 They do become straight, because they are planed when clamped together side by side, and so they match - and then you flip one and compare it against the other, by laying them on top of each other. If they are not straight, they no longer match and you go back to planing. This works because a horizontal line is the only curve that matches itself when flipped vertically.

[@vaclavandrle1162]

Always nice to see a non-engineer do stuff much better than an actual engineer. (me)

[@joell439]

I think that is because the typical engineer doesn't do much more than flap their jaw 🤣🤣😂😂

[@branchandfoundry560]

@@joell439 It's mostly due to the fact that Engineers make things to work in theory, whilst machinists make things to work in practice. In theory there's no difference between theory and practice; in practice there is.

[@zachansen8293]

An engineer's job is to do the minimal necessary. Anyone can build a bridge that doesn't fall over. It takes an engineer to make one that almost does.

[@basstard13]

​@@branchandfoundry560 I'm an engineer, I work [also] with my hands on practical stuff. Depends on the engineer.

[@richardlee2488]

​@@basstard13completely agree. 😢too many people are seen as being engineers where there is no need. Often just assemblers. It is the same with mechanics that merely fit new parts. The guy that blueprints a motor is an engineer, not just a fitter. Of course you need to consider if the method of checking accuracy is actually as accurate as you think.

[@benargee]

Dipping hot roll steel in acid does a good job to remove mill scale. Can be as weak as vinegar. Don't let it sit for too long or it starts to rust. I would probably rinse with distilled water after and quickly air/heat dry it after.

[@DAI.H4RD]

Literly cannot get enough, humour is top notch! Good to see another aussie out there.

[@MrTapanes]

The bit with the panning back from the glove pushing the workpiece reveal was brilliant! Thoroughly enjoying the comical additions to these great vids.

[@nodularification]

Great job sir! I love seeing people taking on things like this with simple diy methods. One step I would have added would be a stress-relieving bake after welding.

[@dannapert4199]

Impressive! For future mill scale removal, you can get the bulk gone by making a little trough from plastic and soaking the surface in vinegar, it will eat most of it if it sits overnight. Make sure it’s submerged

[@TheMadJoker87]

i take pride on not running away from tasks that most people would consider tedious and repetitive to achieve a good result, but you sir, are beyond insane even for my standars

[@Unassuming_Gay]

Finally something straight in that workshop

[@NoEngineerHere]

🌈🌈🌈

[@ronwall4821]

😂😂😂 best comment

[@JohnGrimsmo]

Fantastically enjoyable! When you used the mill to slide them side to side I laughed so hard, it's brilliant.

[@peterhall6656]

Very good work. I'm not a gynaecologist but I'll take a look anyway. It has worked for me.

[@Bob_Adkins]

Great project, great job! Those will serve you well and be more stable as they age. I made a 30 inch surface plate and lapped it to .002 and used it to make a small straight edge. I used the long side of a large (24 inch) framing square with no holes or weldments. I lapped the edges to .001 or better and parallel within .0002". It's all I need for um, woodworking.

[@โนรีคอกเบิร์น]

Hi, Q. Please; is your surface plate end-grain or top-grain? Also: Did you varnish it? Thanks.

[@Bob_Adkins]

@@โนรีคอกเบิร์น I finished it with slow-cure epoxy filled with 25% 1 micron aluminum oxide powder to make it wear proof. I lapped the epoxy with an aluminum beam with 3M wet sandpaper and water.

[@burningpentagram666]

Geez , are you gonna make wooden high-speed bearings?

[@SenatorWaffles]

@@burningpentagram666 That got me, man. Talk about underrated comment.

[@FT62]

I’ve just found your channel and absolutely love these videos. I’ve been a machinist for 10 years or so and you are doing a spectacular job. You’ve definitely got depth of knowledge and creativity. It’s nice to see someone introducing hobbyists to old school techniques like scraping. You should check out a series of small books called “The Tricks and Secrets of Old Time Machinists”, I think you’ll enjoy them. I appreciate your demonstration of welding and fabrication as that is something I cannot do. Thanks for the videos!

[@raphaelsname]

You need to square out the openings to maintain flatness after thermal expansion/contraction. Also, do your best to maintain material temperature while rubbing. Your idea for mechanizing it was fantastic. Add springs and bumpers and put a few unbalanced weights on the sides freely spinning and getting thrown about by the rubbing motion, and you should have enough random motion to not require any manual rubbing at all.

[@KerboOnYT]

Any bloke with a boring bar mic deserves a sub

[@ifyoucantjointhem]

Thanks to IM's channel for getting us onto yours, this is great content 🤙

[@ErtOzk]

I'm watching all youtube machining allstars for over 10 years. I'd like to say that your videos are great and keep them coming. I'm feeling some this old tony vibes and it feels good.

[@c4call]

sitting here at 2am on a Monday morning drinking my 3rd shot of vodka, and watching youtube videos on how to get into machining. god bless you and your humor, sir.

[@davynolan182]

I’m a third year mech engineering student, I had no idea about the three plate method. So cool. I’ve learned more online then from university, I would say the constant assignments and disruptions it’s caused has actually impeded my learning. Don’t ever consider going back shool it’s for children and people that need permission to feel accomplishment, just keep Engineering.

[@JoeSevy]

I'd say you have to be kidding, but I'm pretty sure you're not. I'm a high-school dropout and know about the three plate method. Never expected to see anyone use it. Technically he has a five-plate system, since he can use both sides of each straight-edge. He just can't use the opposite side of any straight edge. Without knowing the precise distortion from thermal expansion of the materials it's impossible to know how straight he can possibly make his instruments in day-to-day work, but it's sufficiently accurate that simple matters like body heat will distort them sufficiently it can be detected with simple tools.

[@handpaper6871]

I'm a MechEng graduate, Josiah Whitworth wasn't on the syllabus. There's a big difference between the kind of engineer that makes things and the kind that designs them.

[@jamesmcconnel6198]

This is why the actual workers get annoyed with the engineers. You are learning how to use a pencil, not how to make things. Best to remember that if you want the cooperation of the actual fab guys.

[@reiniertl]

Is not a school what makes an engineer. Your engineering skillset is determined by what you do with your brain and hands. Of course right mindset and attitude coupled with a good formal education make for much better engineer than mindset alone, but mindset and attitude alone are much more relevant. I am a school engineer myself, and a successful one on my own field. For years I taught at university and I can tell you my classroom was more than half full of people who would get an engineering degree but never be an engineer. After moving to industry I still see the same pattern, many (holding degree) non engineers working as engineers.

[@VARPYGAMER]

Suggestion from someone that work in the precision industry, u don't put the straight edge on the ends, but on the 2/9 on each side, doing so gravity will have no affect on straightness, and if u want to be extra precise u should have left the parts in a temp controlled place for kinda of a long time if u don't want to thermal treat them, so u will not have any stress relief after lapping. Its can happen that stress due to milling or welding will appear quite some times after, talking about weeks/months

[@patricklamanna3924]

you have done awsome mate they usually do flats over 3 machines and total temp control. be proud of your work

[@carloheinz6465]

Next time you rig an auto-sliding movement mechanism, try combining two or three pivot points running at different speeds. This will vary the stroke distance...🙂

[@somethingelse2740]

I truly enjoy your non-engineering skills and your humor. Well done sir!

[@ogaugeclockwork4407]

Great job! I’ve done some MS weldmets in the past and scraped them. Building a big bonfire and leaving them in there until it’s dead cold makes a big difference, they come out with no ring and reasonably well stress relieved.

[@sustainablenergy]

1:44- 1:50 . I was in stitches. You made my day. Thank you so much

[@brynley]

Amazing work dude. Keep it up 😊

[@jasonmansfieldsr8645]

Bravo! I thoroughly enjoyed the intended content (making precision straight edges from scratch) and the self-deprecating humor of the perennial "I'm not an engineer" and speaking into random objects (a boring bar and a die-grinding burr is what I recognized) as if they were microphones.

[@SimaSoulbrother]

If this KZbin endeavour does not work out for you, which I do not believe would be the case, I see your bright future in stand-up. This is a first class comedy material. I have a great time watching your videos.

[@machinists-shortcuts]

Unfortunately the 3 plate method refers to 3 "plates" & does not work on 3 edges because they can't be rotated 90 degrees to each other. I would also consider the beam support points - Airy or Bessel points that give minimum deflection. Support the bottom beam on these points when rubbing together. Normalising after finish machining has to be done before final hand finishing.

[@pcbondart]

wronnnnng! I made a straight edge same way, go back and rethink this!

[@grumblycurmudgeon]

I love the fact he's using a tool holder, replete with carbide cutter for a microphone the whole time.

[@MJBEngineering]

The three plate method only works with square or round workpieces. You need to be able to turn one of the planes 90° to the other.

[@kote.7269]

8:37 LMAO damn man. Keep up with such inventive montage

[@audio1bob]

Love this channel. You're funny and entertaining. I'm glad I found you.

[@GeoffreyCroker]

Based on the title and subject I was expecting something a little more dry. Then you hit me with the “easy peasy lemon squeezy” 😂 SUBSCRIBED! Love this guy 😂😂😂

[@justinbrown4562]

Praise the algo for directing me to this engineer's channel.

[@joewboe]

I am designing a really beefy cnc router that will probably be closer to a gantry mill. I have been pondering setups to make two sides parallel and flat on my 32" mill bed. Your setup is pretty similar to what I had in mind

[@robotthegamer1]

its not stealing if you call yourself a coder

[@NoEngineerHere]

#notasoftwareengineer

[@phoephoe795]

Re: Millscale Leave the piece soaking in vinegar for a day (warmer the better)- the acid loosens the scale and it rinses off with a hosepipe. Fastest way to strip it is a wire brush disk in an angle grinder, which strips all scale/paint/rust ect while leaving the bare metal.

[@ricardo-iw9sq]

As a toolmaker, one up from a " engineer" boom yes I said it 🤭 the use of the mic for the ground made me sub 😂👍

[@Klaevin]

I've heard this over and over, but I've never seen it done. THANK YOU for showing us!

[@GregorShapiro]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/jKPSlYGubJpspdE&pp=ygUOYWJvbTc5IGdyYW5pdGU%3D

[@Advcrazy]

5 videos and 75100 subscribers! This guys doing something right! This was informative and fun! You now have 75101 subscribers!

[@dominikdaners5729]

Nice work, I’ve been preparing to do something similar for my own cnc build, Robin Renzetti would be proud. Have you tried using optical flats? I have a few and they are very humbling if you wanted to further go down the precision rabbit hole.

[@camillosteuss]

very humbling... well said indeed... they, and the electric 1nm test indicators... Shit capable of running a sane person mad in less than 2 hours... Well, not counting the hours of work you put in in an attempt to produce a precise, flat surface...

[@MadelynRusco]

i am amazed you are still alive. most don't live too long after talking about that animal which shall not be named. also, thank you. i think the mating call is as pleasing as you described.

[@jeromejooste3493]

Uber watchable and entertaining. Not only does a huge amount of work go into your projects but also into your video production and on the latter can I suggest a solid piece of HSS gives better bass depth to your audio than a professionally made cutting tool, especially when hand held. This Old Tony from Down Under.

[@TheDedicatedFew]

I have no clue what you're doing, but your delivery is delightful!

[@pcbondart]

great video, I made a straight edge this way, I just machined from solid instead of making a weldment, I also had it stress relieved somewhere in the process, but I did do the three equal pieces principle, yes, it was labor intensive!

[@lancethrustworthy]

You remind me, ever show, why I subscribed. Thank you!

[@Salamandra40k]

When you said Z properly, I knew you were one of the good ones

[@Soloist1983]

I just found this channel, haven't sub'd to something this fast in my whole life

[@Dirtygerty]

The tool holder mic was 10/10

[@user-ce9de5nq1b]

great vid as always

[@w34356]

30% vinegar works great for removing heat scale. I would recommend doing it before any machining. Submerge your part or wrap it in wet paper towels then wrap with plastic to keep the vinegar from evaporating. Depends how warm it is and thickness of heat scale but it should take a few hours to overnight. A little agitation helps. Follow up with a good water rinse and wipe with a moisture displacing oil.

[@NoEngineerHere]

The wet paper towels is a good trick. I always use vinegar on smaller parts, but I haven't got any metre-long vessels

[@rexhapgood5000]

Any size container, within reason, can be made with dimensional lumber and plastic film. Just a thought.

[@jcsrst]

That is some really beautiful train track you made!

[@faaf42]

I rally like you hand held mic with very sharp and durable sound quality.

[@bobfugazy4916]

Love the custom mic holder. As long as it will get the job done. Good work.

[@mrnobody9821]

This is the kind of suffering i trawl the internet for. Subscribed.

[@Max289-g8v]

From what i've seen on KZbin (Yeah I'm a Couch engineering when it comes to scraping), you should definitely try hinging to See whether These surfaces are bowed. The gauge Block method only works, when one is reall, flat

[@adamjaffery7991]

i love the fact that hes using an insert for a mic

[@JoseEncarnacao]

Wow .... that chain magig you invented to rub the 2 surfaces was genius!

[@tacticalskiffs8134]

Makes me feel great that I scored a granite plate, a cast iron plate, some angles for the dovetails, and several bridge straight edges off a guy who was retiring as a machine restorer

[@Silv3rDragon]

Muriatic acid and some stainless steel scrubbing pads with appropriate PPE works wonders on mill scale. Picked some up from a local store and fully cleaned one side of a sheet of steel (4ft x 8ft or 120cm x 240cm) in about 30 minutes. It does produce a nasty gas so good ventilation in a shop or outside while standing up wind is a must.

[@madhukeshnp]

0:10 That mic with a gold insert gives best voice clarity...

[@PatrickHoodDaniel]

Nice shorts! Zed over here is a back country guy's name! I love your pendant/handwheel!! It looks like something Zed would build, but seriously, it's awesome! Very very cool guide and process. Were you also aiming to get the two surfaces parallel?

[@NoEngineerHere]

Thanks make! Not at this stage, but maybe in the future. Like once I've got a power scraper haha!

[@MartinMurrayWoodDesign]

The fly cutting. Beautiful

[@oliverrowe8648]

Literally went down this road a couple years ago, very painful nice job! I'm in Sydney as well :)

[@-JC_Denton-]

Fun sorta related fact - the 3 most flat and straight pieces of land are the landing sites for Buran (the Soviet take on Shuttle). They are 4 miles long and even account for the curvature of the Earth, so the edges look like they’re slightly raised and seem slightly angled relative to the ground.

[@rlyhungover]

That welding ground had me dying😂😂😂

[@schwamp_4479]

On removing mill scale from flat bar - the least shit ways I've come across are using one of those fancy spaghetti silicone carbide grinding discs (rust and paint removal) or soaking o/n in vinegar solution. And before any y'all tell me the spaghetti wheels are shit, I say it is you in fact who are shit. The Lynch pin of the operation is a variable speed grinder. They don't like to spin at 15,000rpm I run them on my Milwaukee automotive polisher @ 600-800 rpm. It works like you always wished it would. The vinegar solution bath is best if you have the foresight or patience to wait but let's be honest, I want my raw, clean steel right now. Using a sheet of plastic and some timber, I made a shallow bath for an 8.5m length of 125x10 PFC a few months back and well, stripe me pink and call me Susan, in 8 hours the length in its entirety was cleaner than a Kansas City clap doctor.

[@asicdathens]

The rule of 3 was discovered in UK during the industrial revolution .Large plates of steel were left to season for a few years to relieve the internal stresses and then the 3 plates were flattened as a group

[@lookcreations]

Ironically not in fact by whitworth, but he gets the credit

[@beautifulsmall]

Nice work, I tried epoxy casting a straight edge on an oiled gradite surface plate and the epoxy ripped holes in the granite. Looking forward to seeing the lathe bed repair, My M300 has about 0.5mm dip and Ive been toying with using a homemade moglice / turcite recipie using epoxy, brass powder and tungsten di-sulphide. Subscribed.

[@TiagoPELira]

You're a better engineer than most that I know

[@flol4570]

Great video . This was the first video of yours i watched and certainly not the last. You had me at the precision clamp.😂

[@tabttu]

The "Drop Bear" comment had me 😂

[@husq2100]

A few people have mentioned dipping the mild steel in vinegar, if you are impatient like me, or have more rusted steel, try hydrochloric acid, works a treat. Rinse thoroughly in water and dry quickly. It’s literally now raw steel and will start to rust very quickly.

[@hoosierfatha]

That's one way to do it. The long term test will show if you were successful. I am always amazed by the ingenuity of youtubers. nice job young man. i would normalize that material by leaving it out side for a season or stress relieve it in a well... a home made oven...

[@nicksteele9436]

Hits the spot. Reminds me of thisoldtony.

[@eduardbalint5492]

To check true flatness and eliminate bowing caused by gravity, the straight-egde should be placed on two round pins at their flex points. That would be the total lenght multiplied by 0.211, then substract that from each end and marked. The same applies for gauge blocks longer than 4 inches as bowing causes errors in lenght. AlsoNotAnEngineer

[@andrassallai4241]

"Allowed me to spend more time in the shed" - so good!

[@travisolander4749]

The level of shenanigans involving improper use of cutting tools is, beyond doubt, evidence you are an engineer.

[@Flatlapper]

Seriously impressive the amount of time and effort you put into this project. You obtained some excellent results. Well done Sir!

[@twinhalf5806]

I need one of those videos per day.😄

[@Draugo]

This is the first video I've seen from this channel but I got to say... sounds suspiciously like an engineer to me.

[@AccidentalScience]

I went into that endeavor and I know how tedious it is. Welcome to the flat club 😅

[@tomkandy]

When i first learnt about the three surface method in an old engineering textbook as a kid, i tried doing it with chocolate biscuits at tea. I think that's the point my mum realised I'm autistic.

[@herzogsbuick]

You worked so hard, you really can call them my crons.

[@TheSwagga69]

Loving the vids dude. Keep um comin

[@sircrutch]

My guy, this is the first video of yours I've seen. And I got to say I was enjoying it but when you broke out the "precision work clamp" I had to stop and sub LOL! Can't wait to check out some more of your videos but for now I gotta get back and finish watching this one. Merry Christmas!

[@Moto_Performance]

The glowing subscribe-button made me subscribe. Well done.

[@ColloquialCaptian]

Man, I never thought I'd see the day that we'd get to see what a real life Fernando from Greasy Tales would look like... and an engineer Fernando to boot Thanks random youtube!

[@jorgeconcheyro]

New sub. Love the accent and the content. Thanks IM !!!

[@CNC-Guru]

Great Content!! In the future just try to reduce radial cut on your endmills, it will extend life of them :)

[@benwilms3942]

I'd love to have seen what would happen if you'd got more course diamond paste, and swapped between different edge marriages every 10 or so strokes, resting the middle section of each previous piece on a large piece of metal with as good or better thermal conductivity as the jobs themselves.

[@awesomecronk7183]

Wow that's actually very impressive

[@haydenc2742]

Find someone with a big ol' honkering grinding setup...and have em grind em... But your method seemed to work pretty well Keep em coming!!!!

[@myasomeat1597]

Good job