Adjusting heights of work for fabrication or machining crops up frequently. Almost anything solid can be used as spacers including strips, sheets, bar stock, washers and blocks of wood, plastic or metal. For stressful work the latter is preferable. Pieces may joined to achieve desired dimensions.
For machining, metal bar stock can be cut, stacked and shimmed. For more accuracy, lathe tool bit blanks serve well. Normally referred to as parallels, precision ground steel pieces are available in many flat or possibly, bored block sizes. But owning a large set would prove very expensive. A less expensive 1-2-3 block is readily available with holes bored clear through from each surface. Some are tapped. As the name implies, the dimensions are 1" x 2" x 3".
Note: Adjust brightness and contrast for optimum viewing.
PARALLELS.
1-2-3 block w/ holes.
1/4" lathe tool blank.
An alternative is adjustable parallels, which consist of two precision ground, rectangular , inclined plane bars, joined together by a sliding dovetail, with a locking screw. They can be set very accurately with a micrometer or caliper for layouts and setups and used as shims. Conversely they can be used to measure places where standard measuring devices will not fit. MEASURING CAR FLOOR height is a good example. General offers a set of four, useful in the modelling range: 3/8-1/2", 1/2-11/16", 11/16-15/16" and 15/16-1 5/16".
Note: Adjust brightness and contrast for optimum viewing.
PARTLY RAISED ADJUSTABLE PARALLEL.
BACK TO MEASURING RS HEIGHT
BACK TO MEASURING
BACK TO TOOLS INDEX
