Gauge Block Stack Builder
Enter the dimension you need. Machinist Companion searches a standard gauge-block set and returns a short, practical stack made only from blocks that exist in that set.
What is happening? Individual blocks are wrung together so their precision faces behave like one solid length. The calculator chooses a combination that reaches the target with as few blocks as practical.
Gauge Block Stack
Sine Bar Calculator
Set a precise angle by raising one sine-bar roll on a gauge-block stack. Enter the calibrated roll-centre distance, not the overall bar length.
Why it works: the roll centres and stack height form a right triangle. The required height is determined by H = L × sin(θ), then the stack builder finds the closest practical block combination.
Sine Bar Setup
How this tool works
Gauge blocks: the stack builder searches the nominal sizes in a standard 81-piece inch set or 88-piece metric set and prefers the fewest blocks. For precision inspection, use the calibrated deviations for your actual blocks rather than nominal sizes alone.
Sine bars: stack height = roll-centre length × sin(angle). In reverse, angle = asin(stack height ÷ roll-centre length). The calculator also finds a real block combination near the theoretical height and reports the angle that combination actually produces.
Shop practice: keep blocks and reference surfaces clean, use as few blocks as practical, wring them correctly, and allow precision equipment to stabilize thermally. Sine-bar setups become increasingly sensitive to height error at steep angles; above roughly 45° consider setting the complementary angle or using a more suitable setup.