Anyone know a source for cheap parallels

Don't know what you call 'cheap', but J&L have a set in their latest flyer, 1/2" thick, for 40 quid ++. I have a set from Toolmex, they vary in thickness according to the height, got them years ago when they were on offer. The really cheap Chinese jobs that I've seen have all been the thin type.

Cheers Tim

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Tilgear (Bridge House, Bridge House, 69 Station Road, Cuffley, Potters Bar, EN6 4TG, 01707 873434) has 1/2" parallels in sets of 4 pairs for £40 in their current catalogue. I've got a set and they are as accurate as any of my kit can measure. Only problem is that the smallest pair are 1" high.

Rotagrip has a 4 pair set starting at 1" for £22.50 and an 8 pair set starting at 7/8" for £45.00 - Chinese

r, EN6 4TG, 01707 873434) has 1/2" parallels in sets of 4 pairs for =A340 = in their current catalogue.

tarting at 7/8" for =A345.00 - Chinese

Thanks guys, you have identified some alternatives that are actually cheaper than I had expected to pay. I seem to remember paying nearly =A31K for a "good" set when I was at work, thankfully I don't need that sort of accuracy at home. It looks like a trip to the Birmingham area to see what J&L and Rotagrip have to offer is on the cards. As I also need several other "bits and pieces" I'm sure it will be worthwhile, at least that is what I have told the wife.

Thanks again regards Keith

Bar, EN6 4TG, 01707 873434) has 1/2" parallels in sets of 4 pairs for £40 in their current catalogue.

starting at 7/8" for £45.00 - Chinese

Thanks guys, you have identified some alternatives that are actually cheaper than I had expected to pay. I seem to remember paying nearly £1K for a "good" set when I was at work, thankfully I don't need that sort of accuracy at home. It looks like a trip to the Birmingham area to see what J&L and Rotagrip have to offer is on the cards. As I also need several other "bits and pieces" I'm sure it will be worthwhile, at least that is what I have told the wife.

Thanks again regards Keith

I've always made my own parallels by flycutting various bits and bobs on the mill. The large ones are about 4" high x 15" long and started off life as a pair of scrap Mini cylinder heads. I use those for mounting other cylinder heads on for skimming and seat cutting. The medium size ones are four old main bearing caps about 2" high and there's a couple of small ones 3/4" thick which started off as a length of aluminium square section bar hacksawed in half. It's not dead even in thickness all the way along but it's within half a thou as extruded and not worth machining to get it better still. I suppose it depends how much accuracy you need but how accurate are the machines these parallels are going to be used on anyway?

I certainly can't imagine me needing anything so accurate it's worth paying £40 or more for.

-- Dave Baker - Puma Race Engines

Bar, EN6 4TG, 01707 873434) has 1/2" parallels in sets of 4 pairs for £40 in their current catalogue.

starting at 7/8" for £45.00 - Chinese

Thanks guys, you have identified some alternatives that are actually cheaper than I had expected to pay. I seem to remember paying nearly £1K for a "good" set when I was at work, thankfully I don't need that sort of accuracy at home. It looks like a trip to the Birmingham area to see what J&L and Rotagrip have to offer is on the cards. As I also need several other "bits and pieces" I'm sure it will be worthwhile, at least that is what I have told the wife.

Thanks again regards Keith

J&L has a huge area of showroom with more or less nothing on display - you order from the catalogue and they bring it out to you, like Argos.

I've never tried asking them to let me see something first - they'd probably be OK about it.

I usually order via the web - they seem to deliver about the same time as you press the "enter" key. Also frequently offer 25% discounts on 5 or more items

I agree about the manufactured parallels being overkill for many jobs, bits of bar are quite adequate for many jobs, but I do find it really handy having a set of different sizes in a neat box, great for setting stuff up in the vice. I even get to put them away after a job (usually).To me the few tens of pounds I paid were well spent. Hundreds would be another matter!

Cheers Tim

Dutton Dry-Dock Traditional & Modern canal craft repairs Vintage diesel engine service

Norman

I am new to this user group and saw your e mail response, I know of Rotagrip, who are J&L?

Could you post some details such as web site.

Thanks in advance.

-- Regards,

John Stevenson Nottingham, England.

Visit the new Model Engineering adverts page at:-

John

Thank you for the information - I will now start wondering throgh their web site.

cheers

If you get on their mailing list they will send you a list every month of discounted stuff - lots ofd common drills, milling cutters, taps, dies etc etc all significantly discounted compared to catalogue prices

Norman

Thanks for the "heads up" re the J&L showroom it certainly saved me a disappointing visit. I will have a good look through their catalogue and see if I can get on their mailing list. From the web page it is difficult to see just which set of parallels they have on the offer that Tim mentioned. I still think that a trip to Rotagrip, J&L and pj-tooling would make a very reasonable day out - but I'm sad like that.

I partly agree with the "make your own" idea but at =A340 for 8 pairs it works out at only =A35 a pair. Even if I have some material you can't spend much time on it for =A35 and I don't have access to a surface grinder anymore to get a "nice" finish. That was a huge benefit of attending evening classes when they were more widely available. However, I might still need to follow the "grow your own" strategy as I haven't yet found the smaller sizes between 5/8 and 7/8 in the 1/2" thick variety. 1/2" sq is easy I just use some HSS tool blanks. With my small mill 1" and over means that the headroom is restricted and moving the head mid-job is not easy with the round column. Perhaps I should forget the parallels and save up for a VMC instead.

Regards Keith

They're on page 20 of the flyer ending 15/7/05. ItemAFLNR-54374E

They go from 1" to 1 3/4" tall.

Watch out with tool blanks, some of the bigger ones are a lot less straight & parallel than bright mild bar. I've been had that way

Cheers Tim

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Thanks Tim I will have a look at the web site now I have an item number to search on

I'll get them on the surface plate first thing in the morning. I had assumed that being ground they would be OK but now you have mentioned it I have had a "rogue" one that wouldn't "sit" with the others. Don't know why that didn't prompt me to look closer. I'll give up the pretty ground finish and stick with the bright mild steel bar.

Thanks again

Regards Keith