Restoring Tom Lipton's Level Frame

Restoring a old precision level frame by surface grinding and scraping/flaking of the base that had deep rust and pitting. Some electronic indicator fun at 0.000001" per division while inspecting the bottom for flatness. filling the engraving with epoxy filled with carbon black.
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I am "robinrenzetti" Instagram lots more content there!

[@st3althyone]

School is in session yet again and we’re all eagerly devouring any knowledge you throw our way. It’s amazing how time flies when you have an excellent teacher at the helm, not once have I ever stopped to look at the time when watching your content sir, bravo!!

[@tonybryant5524]

I've got 45 years of machining experience 20 years of jig grinding, jig boring and surface grinding. I have the book that you referred to and I attended a jig grinding class at Moore Special Tools facility many years ago. The tour through their facility and the level of professionalism they aspire to achieve is truly inspiring. I appreciate your recognition of these talents and skills and your attempt to share and explain them. Good job friend !

[@TechGorilla1987]

I am kind of on a tear again on your videos.....again. What a telling thing it is that the likes of Tom Lipton trust you to machine a piece for him. You're an inspiration to a lot of us out here.

[@astrazenica7783]

That breath demonstration with the electronic indicator was amazing! You could do a demonstration in its own video, explaining the tiny measurements involved for the layman or students and it would make a cool lil, possibly viral video

[@oxtoolco]

Hey Robin, Very nice work. I can't wait to see the level in person. It looks like it turned into more work than we anticipated. I know that sinking feeling you get when you expose something like that casting porosity. The Staybrite was a good fix. I blown it into the crack or pit with a quick jet of air to get it to wet down a hole like that. Darn it. I now need one of the BS 1021's. That is a really nice unit. There will probably be stiff competition on Ebay for them now because of your excellent demonstration. All the best, Tom

[@ROBRENZ]

Thanks Tom, It is supposed to be there tomorrow 5/31 by end of day. Check your email I just sent you some very interesting info. Best regards,Robin

[@ROBRENZ]

@Tony Wilson As far as I know Tom still has it.

[@prototype3a]

Been watching Tom's back-catalog and didn't know you did this for him. So thankful that Tom got you "off your duff". 🤣

[@be3373]

MEK. Methyl Ethyl Ketone. Also know as Makes Everything Kleen! 😁 Thanks for the videos!

[@realmenshoot3085]

Love the little flash of realization when you said 51 years. I find I get those more and more as time goes by. :)

[@ROBRENZ]

Thanks for watching!

[@dorianmccarthy7602]

That lettering looks AWESOME! nice work

[@tesladrummer]

'Shop Notes': • Using carbon black and epoxy to fill engraved/stamped text in metal. • Setting up sensitive grind jobs without allowing the magnet to distort the part. • Silicon Nitride ball for indicator tips. • Airy points & Bessel point and minimum sag: an undergrad engineering lecture in ~30s. • Fixing cast iron porosity with silver solder. • Using electronic indicators, stand hysteresis and temperature sensitivity in metrology. • Reading straightness/flatness on a surface plate. • Scraping/flaking tools, how to lap the tools and the Moore quarter-moon style.

[@ROBRENZ]

Thanks brs_workshop, glad you are finding the content useful and thanks for watching and commenting!

[@ThrowingItAway]

So much knowledge in such a short amount of time.

[@rok1475]

brs_workshop you forgot “read W R Moore Foundations of Mechanical Accuracy cover time cover” :-)

[@josephleinhauser6130]

Wow. I learned more in this 45 minutes than I have in a long time. I really appreciate you sharing this and look forward to more videos

[@ROBRENZ]

Thanks, I am glad you enjoyed it!

[@RobertBolanos]

Robrenz, you are a true master of your craft. Absolutely awesome video.

[@ROBRENZ]

Thanks Robert.

[@tonyrmathis]

So he gets to the part where the engraved section can't be ground without going too deep and I say to myself 'Oh well that part doesn't matter anyway, just forget about it.' then he goes on to use it as the new basis for the entire grind and I realize I didn't think it through. This is why Robin is so great. Instead of going the easy route he does it right from start to finish. Thanks for reminding this old dog that good enough isn't always the only option.

[@TsunauticusIV]

I still come back to watch this video again and again. The most amazing part to me is around 33:58 when you’re breath alone shows that much change in the measurement. Beautifully demonstrated.

[@Steve_Just_Steve]

When you heated that level with your breath then cooled it back down....MIND BLOWN! I mean I know this is a metallurgical phenomena, I've just never seen it demonstrated so unambiguously. Great video, it definitely shows that you have been doing this for 51 years. Very pleased to have found your channel and looking forward to watching previous and videos to come. Thank you sir for sharing your knowledge with us,very much appreciated.

[@ROBRENZ]

Thanks Steve.

[@rengecko]

Great video, an entirely new set of details on scraping and metrology. No surprise that Tom was well pleased by the results! Looking forward to your next project.

[@REDRIDER101]

I am so grateful for all you guys doing this on KZbin keep it up.

[@joell439]

Awesome channel and amazing life story. Thanks for taking the time and effort to share your passion with us. Looking forward to watching "Moore" fascinating scraping. ;-)

[@StraightThread]

Considering how Tom cherishes his precision levels, I knew he would be particular about who he would trust to work on one of them. Judging from his reaction, I'm sure your work surpassed even his high standard. It's a rare pleasure to watch a master craftsman who has over fifty-years of knowledge and experience demonstrate aspects of his craft. Thank you for deciding to share your knowledge through this amazing KZbin community. No doubt many people will learn from you, and hopefully some young people among them will be inspired to pursue a skilled trade that they will become passionate about and enjoy as much as you obviously do. Best regards!

[@ROBRENZ]

Thanks Richard for those very kind words.

[@mykedindeal]

You' ve got another apprentice.Amazing job and amazing explanations.Thank you

[@terrygoyan3022]

Love the OX TOOL shirt. Can't wait to check out more of your videos. Incredibly beautiful scraping work!

[@tobyw9573]

I like using a sharpened Snap-On putty knife for mixing, I can usually make 2-4 passes and get a complete mix when I sort of extrude the material between the knife and the mixing plate. Extrusion rather than stirring is my main point I guess. The knife also removes most of the material from a reusable plate. OTOH, Robin’s small spatula looks very accurate.

[@ROBRENZ]

That is a very good technique especially for minimizing air bubbles.

[@RobertYoutsey]

Wow, I just learned more in the past 47 min then I have in the past month. Great video. Thanks for sharing so much knowledge.

[@ROBRENZ]

Thanks Robert for the encouraging words. Much more to come and thanks for watching.

[@93Martin]

The quality of your work is astounding, Robin. To see that kind of surface right off the grinder, the time spent scraping in the grinder was obviously worth it. Still waiting to see the next installment of your spindle. Can't wait to see how you use it in your shop. And thanks for putting together the videos to share it with all of us, here.

[@TommyBoy7Heads]

Wow, and thank you for sharing your knowledge. I'd love to see more scraping and grinding videos.

[@R2_D3]

Pure dedication!! It's mesmerizing!

[@billbrennan8405]

Thank You for such an impressive demonstration of precision grinding & hand scraping. I have had the Moore book for many years and always enjoy reading their techniques on achieving high accuracy in the production of their Jig Grinders & Jig Bore machines. Like Tom Lipton’s videos, your knowledge is a true joy to watch. Watching you in the precision stones and this scraping video reminded me how much I need to learn on precision shop practices. Thank You Again BB

[@Max_Marz]

Man so many nuggets of super interesting, practical and extremely valuable knowledge. The information age is truly astounding. Thank you for taking the time to set up and share your skills!

[@wich1]

Absolutely amazing work, thanks a lot for the video. Will definitely be going through your other videos.

[@CalvinoBear]

Every time I watch one of your videos, it blows my mind in a new way. Took a second to even realize how you were making the half moon pattern on the scraping. The skill you have is intensely impressive.

[@ROBRENZ]

Thanks for the very kind words and glad you are enjoying the content.

[@Paddington60]

Gosh! I am glad Ox Tools gave me the tip. Really interesting work. Glad you make the time to share, thank you. John

[@ROBRENZ]

Thanks

[@raincoast2396]

Wow! Talk about measurement! Tom sent me over and I'm glad he did. Subbed, looking forward to more. Cheers.

[@ROBRENZ]

Thanks, lots more coming.

[@robertculver3296]

Thank you for putting this most interesting video up on youtube.

[@v8packard]

What a fantastic video. I came here after watching Tom's video earlier. You did an excellent job of explaining and displaying metrological procedures that most people probably have never heard of, let alone seen. Outstanding in every way. All the best, Marc

[@ROBRENZ]

Thanks, glad you enjoyed it.

[@lookcreations]

I enjoyed that very much. I have been attempting to learn the half moon scraping style this last few weeks as I restore some straight edges and a surface plate. A long way to go still, but feeling a bit Moore inspired now 😀. Thanks for taking the time with your very clear explanations and video. All the very best, Mat

[@bigmotter001]

Another priceless video by the master. Thanks for your time and knowledge. Take care.

[@RRINTHESHOP]

Beautiful work, I am sure Tom will love it.

[@ROBRENZ]

Thanks Randy.

[@onewheeler]

Magnificent video. Really appreciated seeing the halfmoon scraping and the use of the electronic indicator.

[@ROBRENZ]

Thanks and Thanks for watching!

[@clemwyo]

Robin, thanks for all the great videos. Without folks like you, Tom and the rest of the crew, I wouldn't have been able to take up machining as a hobby/make the odd part for work. Just wanted you to know your work is very appreciated. Craig

[@ROBRENZ]

Thanks Craig, glad you are enjoying the content. Thanks for commenting and watching! ATB, Robin

[@milantrcka121]

It is inspiring to see that such level of mechanical craftsmanship and artistry still exists!!!. Thank you!

[@ROBRENZ]

Thanks for the very kind words Milan!

[@yanwo2359]

Superb! Very, very interesting. I'm delighted Tom directed me to your site.

[@ROBRENZ]

Thanks

[@dejanira2]

Ditto, and subscribed. ;}

[@eddiekvh]

Thanks for nice video sir. I really love grinding videos, and get here thanks for Tom Lipton. Considering I want to be a toolmaker, I have so much to learn, and see people with so much experience sharing their knowledge is something one can't appreciate enough. Cheers

[@ROBRENZ]

Glad you liked it, many more to come.

[@charlescartwright6367]

Aloha, I agree you are a technical artist, Mahalo for sharing with us. I have never had the opportunity to do any surface grinding, but one of our first projects in school was scraping. It is amazing and enjoyable to discover how much we can learn by sharing information.

[@ROBRENZ]

Thanks Charles, glad you are enjoying the content. Thanks for commenting and watching! ATB, Robin

[@Amritt_Poncho_Villa]

Nicely done! Great narration! Great video quality and angles. And an awesome job on Tom's level. Thank you very much!

[@ROBRENZ]

You are very welcome.

[@johnbodmer5645]

Great video Robin. Thanks for sharing your knowledge and experience.

[@ROBRENZ]

Thanks John and thanks for commenting and watching!

[@blmeflmm66]

Wow! I always enjoyed other fine machinist videos. You, Sir have shown a level that I didn't know existed. Thanks so much for sharing your craft. What you are doing is important! It's a really key time at present. Masters like you used to take your skills and techniques to the grave, only to be mimicked and spoken of by apprentices, who hopefully passed it to the next generation. But only to a very select few. Everyday folks like me never had a clue of the skills and craftsmanship that exists in your world. Yours, thankfully will be accessible infinitum. Keep up the great work.

[@ROBRENZ]

Thanks for the very kind comments blmeflmm66. That is my motivation to pass it on and inspire others to pursue this trade. Thanks for commenting and watching! ATB, Robin

[@bulletproofpepper2]

Wow, some fine work. Work?, no that more like art. Thanks for sharing.

[@ROBRENZ]

Thanks Sam, glad you appreciate it and thanks for commenting and watching! ATB, Robin

[@jurskas7965]

Absolutely wonderful video, hope to see a entire series on scraping from you. I think it would be a huge hit

[@djberg3483]

Man Robin, every video i've watched of yours is mind bending. I wish i could find a shop owner at your level of knowledge to apprentice. Thanks again for the continuing of everyones educations.

[@ROBRENZ]

Thanks and you are welcome.

[@huflungwun5558]

Many thanks for making and publishing this video. I found it very interesting and informative. Found you through Tom's link and have subscribed to your channel. I look forward to seeing more of your projects, as well as looking through past episodes. Thanks.

[@tabmaryland2333]

Tom was right! Quality work and an excellent presentation! Thanks!

[@arnljotseem8794]

Awesome video. So much new information in just one vid. Cool measuring and scraping action. The power of warm breath was an eye opener. Looking forward for more..... Thank you!

[@ROBRENZ]

Thanks, glad you enjoyed it. Many more to come.

[@hideyourcables]

followed the link over from tom lipton. This is awesome, you blew me away when you breathed on the level and the indicator moved. great stuff, definitely subscribing!!!

[@ROBRENZ]

Thanks hideyourcables and thanks for commenting and subscribing! ATB, Robin

[@Stephen1455]

Great vise and great set up!!!

[@poetac15]

Such an info-packed episode!

[@tristanpatterson3843]

Absolutely blew my mind when you breathed on it! Great channel, keep em coming.

[@ROBRENZ]

Many more to come.

[@esoomreltna]

Robin, WOW! Tom owes you big time for such a beautiful job. Great informative video esp the deflection when breathing on the level. All the best, Eric

[@ROBRENZ]

Thanks. Actually I owe Tom big time for sending his subscribers my way.

[@1pcfred]

You actually just showed up in my feed. But I'd already watched the video where Tom got this level back. So I came by to watch this. Was good.

[@VinceSaluto1]

Robin,thanks for sharing I really enjoy watching professionals.

[@ROBRENZ]

You are welcome

[@turbopunsch]

Fabulous job! Very much enjoyed watching it - especially the explanations about thermal effects on precision. Would really appreciate many more videos about scraping.

[@ROBRENZ]

Thanks, I am sure there will be more scraping sometime

[@Legalmachinist]

Wow! I learned more from this video than the last couple dozen machinery videos I studied. Never knew one could just slightly turn on a magnetic chuck - this will definitely help me solve a problem I have with a lathe saddle that is not perfectly flat but becomes so when the chuck is fully on. Now I know another way (besides using a vice) to fix it! Many thanks for your lesson!

[@ROBRENZ]

You are welcome Legalmachinist, thanks for watching and commenting.

[@francispaul5621]

Always a pleasure to watch and learn. Thank you.

[@ROBRENZ]

Thanks and thanks for watching and commenting.

[@rupertpowell]

I too came from Tom's channel. I am glad I found you as I am fascinated by metrology. Nice, well made vids too.

[@ROBRENZ]

Thanks Rupert, and thanks for watching

[@EricMichalsen]

Great video! Loved that expoxy/carbon for the lettering, and looking forward to trying that out myself.

[@Ropetangler]

Thank you for your excellent video work. I like many others came via Tom Lipton's channel and I'm very pleased that he made me aware of you. Lots of very interesting stuff besides scraping too, like using magnetic chucks/tables, and practical points when using high sensitivity instruments. I look forward to more of your work, Cheers, Rob

[@ROBRENZ]

Thanks Rob

[@alexkern9134]

This is right up my alley. I love it. Not many people on youtube are sharing information like this. Awesome and thanks. I am in Quakertown by the way.

[@ROBRENZ]

Glad you enjoyed it, much more on the way

[@mikemarriam]

Glad you've started making videos again. Now I know why Tom was practically speechless when he displayed your handiwork. Looking forward to your future videos and hope to catch up on some of your older ones.

[@ROBRENZ]

Lots more coming.

[@dougankrum3328]

Interesting...I worked at Burgmaster from 1970-1980.....they built big turret drills and VYC machines.....and a lot of tiny bench-top 6 spindle turrets too....there were probably 15 guys on day shift as scrapers...and 5-6 on swing shift..... We also used several of those electronic gauges....

[@ROBRENZ]

Thanks for the interesting background Doug. Thanks for stopping back.

[@tristanpatterson3843]

I've watched this 5 times. The breathing and cooling is epic.

[@davidthorne6796]

Very informative video...very informative! I liked the way you do roll off just a bit to fill in the back story or give me background info in a quick snippet and that gives me the ability to go back and resurch the where's and who two fours...so to speak. I appriated your mental process and then your list of procedures from there...made it not only easy to follow your work but to get a very precise understanding of the procedure ... Your video quality is very good as well! Great show....Youngman !!! A+++ I love to learn new things from highly logical people in this rapid format! A+ again, thank you for the great work.

[@ROBRENZ]

Thanks David for the kind words and thanks for watching and commenting!

[@davidthorne6796]

Just wanted to say thank you again for your taking the time to share your valuable knowledge in a clear and easy to follow manner. And as I can only speak for myself but your technique for explaining and using examples made it fully comprehendible and fun learning... I'd be surprised if you hadn't been a professor or educator or tech school instructor with your very professional technique. Thanks again, Sir! I'll be watching them all gleaning all the knowledge I can consume... you can believe that!

[@shotgunreloader4964]

Cant wait till the stone episode. really top notch videos

[@ROBRENZ]

Requests acknowledged and thanks for watching

[@travisshrewsbury7169]

glad Tom sent me over,absolutely beautiful work,you know I'm going out to the shop to try that scraping technique right! Lol

[@ROBRENZ]

Thanks, Everybody has to start somewhere so give it a try

[@bcbloc02]

I know very little about scraping but this high end metrology stuff is way cool. I look forward to more. The more I watch you grinder pros the more I realize I need WAY more wheels.

[@ROBRENZ]

You only need a few good wheels but I will try to get my wall of wheels in a future video.

[@EcProjects]

Beautiful work :) Or should I say art... :) I was blown away when you "bent" it with your breath! Just love the precision of that indicator! Thanks for sharing, great video!

[@ROBRENZ]

Thanks. Yes my breath is pretty bad :)

[@michaelschnock3998]

really interesting and well made . thank you for that

[@locomotives9217]

Followed the OX here and I've gotta say I'm very impressed! I subbed and I've had a chance to skim through your library. I like the way you organize and present material, very thorough. Thanks for taking the time to do this. Steve

[@ROBRENZ]

You are welcome Steve!

[@imysteryman]

I sure appreciate your time and talents, thanks for sharing, your blowing my mind.

[@ROBRENZ]

Thanks, glad you enjoyed it!

[@paulbluffbearcampbell6035]

Wow this video was quite a treat for me! I enjoyed it almost as much as Tom will enjoy the outstanding work you did! AWESOME. Looking forward to more now that I am subscribed. Paul

[@ROBRENZ]

Thanks Paul, more to come

[@iangraham6730]

Well done! Few nice bits there!

[@ROBRENZ]

Thanks, and thanks for watching and commenting!

[@dannymaciejewski]

Awesome video! Tom sent me over. I love the scientific detailed side of machining. Look forward to more videos mate.

[@ROBRENZ]

Many more to come.

[@hackenbush23]

Fantastic and thankyou! Your skills and knowledge have taken my interest to a whole new level. Me thinks there'll be a few late nights coming up watching your channel. Was sent this way via the Facebook "Machining KZbin" group.

[@davidsollman4049]

Wow! thanks for sharing with us.

[@ROBRENZ]

You are welcome David, thanks for watching and commenting.

[@Factory400]

A $400 flat stone! Totally nuts - I am still in the +/- .001" world. Perhaps if I ever need to deal with millionths...... Love these videos - a great opportunity to learn things that are not in books. The world is a better place when knowledge is passed on......

[@ROBRENZ]

Thanks, and thanks for watching and commenting.

[@littleworkshopofhorrors2395]

Excellent, an inspiration to all. I subbed before even getting half way through this first, to me, video. You are clearly one of the new breed of Youtubians who are both knowledgeable and capable of teaching that knowledge, unlike some who put up a video when they have done something once and think they know it all.

[@ROBRENZ]

Thanks for the very kind words.

[@JustinAlexanderBell]

That indicator is amazing.

[@ROBRENZ]

I agree :)

[@JetNmyFuture]

I love this channel so much. The only downside is that even after 30,000 hours of experience machining challenging parts - I feel like a beginner here sometimes. Great content in glorious detail.

[@ROBRENZ]

Thanks, Glad you are enjoying the content.

[@papaike2]

Very informative nice job thank you for showing that skill.

[@ROBRENZ]

Thanks

[@erichope1103]

Beautiful work :) Love that electronic indicator ...... Want one YES need one NO :) Thanks for a great video .

[@ROBRENZ]

Thanks

[@ShadonHKW]

Your grinder holds a nice tolerance, well done.

[@ROBRENZ]

Thanks Stan, more to come.

[@duobob]

Amazingly excellent work and video, Robin. There seems to to be a regular running argument between the comparative merits of scraping and surface grinding. This video helps to show clearly how they are really separate facets for achieving good results given the wide range of work sizes, materials, condition, accessibility, tooling, requirements, and other factors. The choice is simply what seems to work best given what you have to work with, and on, what skill sets you have, and what you are trying to achieve. Thanks!

[@ROBRENZ]

Thanks, and very well said!

[@motormaker]

Robin, thanks for making these videos. Tom sent me. I have watched several of your videos. All of them are top notch. I know what you mean about cringing when someone "uses" a stone. Heck, I can't even watch when they pick up a file. I look forward to your video on stones and stoning. There is so little info out there on advanced machining practice. You can fill a knowledge void that very few people can. Keep up the good work.

[@ROBRENZ]

Thanks, The precision stone video is on the list.

[@terrafree]

Just awesome! Thank you !

[@886014]

You did a great job and have excellent metrology methodology. No wonder Tom was pleased when he got this back! Pointing out the movement with heat is always a great demo to those who have never seen it, well done. I always don leather gloves when handling the straight edges, which is a PIA to take them on and off again, but it's what needs to be done. The handles on larger straight edges really don't cut it when handling heavier ones. I mainly use a Biax these days, but if hand scraping use a conventional technique. The video I uploaded on this topic was done by hand. I'd be very interested in seeing you use that scraping technique to pick up points to a very high PPI. Thanks for the info on blackening engraving using carbon black and epoxy, I've used paint in the past and was never entirely happy with the results. I think you have a great future ahead of you on KZbin, and it was good Tom encouraged you to share. Subscribed! :)

[@ROBRENZ]

Thanks Pete, I sent pictures to Tom of that technique at well over 100 points per inch so he would have some confidence to send me the level. The moons just get much smaller. This is the only scrape style I have used for the last 43 years so to do straight strokes takes a lot of concentration. Thanks for the encouragement!

[@thomasutley]

Tom sent me. So glad I came over. Subscribed now, looking forward to more. Great work!

[@ROBRENZ]

Thanks

[@Kettletrigger]

Found you by way of Tom's channel. Great vid! I've always heard about body heat potentially affecting measurements, but never seen it demonstrated before. Liked and subscribed...can't wait for more!

[@ROBRENZ]

Thanks

[@harris34567]

Amazing..Just amazing work. The scraping is beautiful and the metrology with the variation in heat was great to watch. You have a new subscriber for sure ..

[@ROBRENZ]

Thanks, more to come

[@Hunter333444]

Very nice good video I enjoyed seeing the precision instrumentation.Also the hand scraping was cool to see! It's an interesting world when you're looking at tenths and 10 millionths

[@ROBRENZ]

Thanks

[@Alexander_Sannikov]

I really liked the sensitivity demonstration and explanation of which fixation points there are for a bar under gravitational load. i never heard of them, but now that I think, it makes perfect sense to have them defined this way. i also reckon there's a fair bit of maths that needs to go along with the stiffness equations to get them to Bessel's numbers, because they usually pop up in complex numbers analysis.

[@RosaStringWorks]

Wow! Never had a clue that just breathing on it could change it. Thanks great info.

[@ROBRENZ]

Thanks and thanks for commenting and watching! ATB, Robin

[@timw2407]

Glad you have joined the club...u are an inspiration to us budding machinists ! Make sure u go to Bar Z next year ! Special tnx to TL in introducing u

[@ROBRENZ]

Thanks, glad it is inspiring you. No promises on Bar Z

[@icantthnkof1]

Thank you for this!! It prob saved my OCD from getting the best of me 😁 When you're able to turn a skill into art, you become a master!