Grinder platen questions?

[TheBigRedArcher]

Ok guys and gals:

I know I asked this a while back and got some good info from you. Now here is another question. I am going to have a local machinist (aka, neighbor with a bridgeport mill in his garage) make my platen for me. I am thinking a 1/2" thick piece of steel should suffice for the platen. My current plan is the have him angle the ends of the piece of steel as to reduce wear and tear on the belts and the weld two threaded boss's on the back so i can then use my current grizzly grinder parts with it.

What steel do you think I should use, I know harder steel will ware longer but be harder to true up later and vice versa with milder steels. I personally am thinking a chunk of D2 for the platen. Only because I don't want it to fail too soon, and figure once is better than twice.

Thoughts, concerns, points of view?

Thanks
TBRA

[robtattoo]

Mild steel is more than good enough for your platen. If you wanted to get really 'techie' with it, use a high melting point epoxy & glue a piece of heat-proof glass on top of the steel, to act as your surface. It'll last longer than the motor on your Grizzly  

[Wampus]

Lots of people use hardened O1 about 1/4" thick.  I have the ceramic plate JB weld-ed on mine and it doesn't wear at all that I can tell.

 http://www.hightemptools.com/ceramicplatenliners.html

[TheBigRedArcher]

Now thats an idea. Glass or ceramic plates. Are they square at the edges? Rob, Steve could you post a pic of your platen? The gears are really turning now.

TBRA