C. E. Johansson Gage Block Accessory Set 

My father trained as a machinist/gauge maker at Johansson in Eskilstuna, Sweden back in the 40's. I still have some of his original unused gauge block sets, catalogs, vernier calipers, and many more measuring tools. I was lucky enough to get to visit the Johansson factory in 1958. Keep up the good work Keith.

Soon as you finish that planer you will be able to make huge gauge blocks!! 😎

Learning all the time thanks for sharing Keith 👍🇦🇺

i really enjoy these tool how-to videos especially for the less common tools. i also enjoy learning the history of tools and tool manufacturers.

Great info! Thanks Keith, I really appreciate your taking the time to explain that equipment.

It's a great day when you hear mr Rucker talk about Sweden :) Great video as always, greetings from Sweden.

Thank you thank you! A great video about gauge blocks and accessories! I learn everyday from you and have applied it to my new hobby! Thanks Keith👍👍👍👍👍

Thank you for making this video. I found it very interesting and informative. I enjoy all of your videos very much, and look forward to each new posting.

I never knew or gave much thought as to why gage blocks are still often referred to as "Jo' blocks". You learn something new every day.

And now, after 20yrs, I know why some refer to them as Jo blocks. Even with years of experience I still learned something here, thanks for the nicely done video Keith.

Perfect timing! I've just bought a set of gage blocks that included some of the accessories. I didn't know what the "scraper" was used for until I saw this video. Thanks!

Beautiful tools, and a great explanation/demonstration. Thank you!

Well this is by far the best demonstration of a CEJ Accessory set that I've seen so far. Picked up one a few weeks ago at auction and wanted to figure out how to use it. Mine is a bit different, the holders screw into the base and it's a tad smaller. Thank you for a decent demo.

You are a good teacher, and I've learnd a lot by watching your video's. Thanks very much for making me wiser Keith.

I learned something new today, Thank You Keith.

Super interesting, Keith. Thanks for sharing.

Hi Keith! Very nice and informative video as usual. As beeing Swedish I am very proud of the manufacutring skill that CE Johansson represent. His gauage blocks was a break trough in standardisation of measuring in the tool indistry in the late 1800's. CE Johansson went over to the US when he was 18 and got back some years later to Sweden and started at a gun manufacturer in Karlskoga where now Bofors guns are made. At the time all measurements where made with templates so he got the idea to standardise a toolset for measurements. He rebuilt his wifes sewíng machine to be able to grind the blocks to precison in his spare time. The set should have 102 blocks wich can get about 20.000 different combinations of measures. The surface of the blocks should in original be so fine grined and lapped, so you could twist them together and they would stick as if the where magnetic, held only by the atmospheric pressure and the lack of air in the seam between the blocks.

Thank you, The only thing I've used my gage block set for is the sine plate and checking calipers & ht. gage. I had never seen the Accessory kit. Learned something today. Got to get a set of those block clamps.

Thank you for the gage block class enjoyed.

Great video, very informative. I've been an aerospace inspector for over 10 years and I learned a few things. I've used the clamps before but didn't know what the base was for since I've never had one to play with. Some other uses for the clamps is to set bore micrometers, groove micrometers and other indicating type of gages. Gage blocks wise I would add that there are different grade types depending of the use: shop, inspection and standard. Shop blocks are usually made of steel and are used by machinist in the shop floor. They're cheap but wear out and need to be checked often and replaced as necessary. Inspection block are usually made of carbide or chromium. Their size doesn't fluctuate as much since they're usually used by inspector in a temperature controlled room. The material type makes them wear resistant and sometimes more easy to wring together. If taken care of they can last a lifetime - they tend to chip is mishandled. They're used to buy off parts, inspect tight tolerances and calibrate shop tools. Sets tend to be sent out for calibration periodically as required by a shop's quality system. Standards are used to calibrate tools or other blocks. They're machined to higher tolerances and sometimes made of more exotic materials. They're very expensive and not very practical for shop use.

THANK YOU...for sharing. Enjoyed.

There is a a delightful video about Henry Ford getting a load of Johansson gauge blocks for World War Two. Ford knew they would be critical for wartime production. I do not have a much better memory of the details. It just struck me how something this basic and small could be critical to industry and history. Many thanks Keith !!

Great video Mr. Rucker. Gage blocks are so cool! 🤓

Big thanks for class, very interesting. Uk Stan.

Great knowledge. Thanks Keith!!

Very cool accessory kit.

That is a really cool accessory set.

Gday Keith, I really enjoy watching videos which I have history about tooling, this video was excellent, I never knew that Ford got into make gauge blocks, I always thought there were only motorised transport, thank you for the great history lesson and please can you do more like this, much appreciated, ATB Matty 🇦🇺

A quick way to calculate and select the right combination of gage blocks is to always select a gage block that reduces the last digit to zero. Setting up a sine plate to check squareness of angles is another way to use them. Cleanliness is the key to handling Jo-blocks. You cannot be too clean and dry.

Great video.

Thanks Keith, that was very interesting. I remember the "Joey" blocks from my apprenticeship days, but had never seen the accessory set. I do remember you were supposed to avoid touching the precision lapped surfaces and were supposed to clean them with a specific cloth before putting them back in the box. At college our lecturer called it "rusty fingers".

Thanks Keith

Perfect video thank you so much for making that, :) education is priceless

I started machining in 1970 and used JO blocks quite a bit over the years. We also had what was called a cadillac gauge in our inspection that was used similar to JO blocks but with a micrometer dial to raise and lower the gages height.

In the aerospace industry we used guagee blocks and a feeler guage to perform rapid go-nogo measurement rather than a test indicator. Less wear on the test indicator and resulted in more rapid testing. Roughly 3 times faster. Set the stack for the high end of the tolerance, and the feeler gauge would detect the low end. Consumed a metric ton of .0015 feelers, but time is money. 😄

First thing they learned us in machine shop regarding gauge blocks was to never ever touch the gauging surface with your fingers. The salt and moisture on your fingers will ruin the precision faster than you think.

Really enjoyed the video, I knew something of the gauge blocks, but had never seen the accessories set. Your dog looks like he's heard it all before! lol

Very interesting, thanks.

Nice setup Keith.

Gee, what everyone needs. A means to scribe lines to .0001. The accessory set is pretty cool. They had one like it at a shop I worked at 40 years ago used for calibrating tools.

Nice explanation of the use of the accessories. I was taught that you do not touch the precision surfaces of the gauge blocks with your fingers.

Thanks Keith, now I know the origin of the term "Jo Block"

That's a seriously chilled out dog you've got there.

I just got one of these given to me yesterday when I bought some other unrelated items. I could see it was some kind of height gauge set but I couldn't figure out how it worked or what it was for. Now that I know I have to go and get some gauge blocks 😂

Keith, I remember B&S bought CEJ in the late 1960s. After they parted Ford and became a standalone company for a little while.

Very nice video. Thanks for sharing with us. Congratulations! Eng. Nilton Polydoro from Brazil

Rub blocks that do not wring on a flat black granite stone until they wring. A flat stone can be achieved by using 3 pieces of granite rubbed on the side of a preferably silicone carbide grinding wheel and then a flat cast iron ground brake disc. I have made quite a few and they work admirably. I have accumulated over 20 sets of blocks both rectangular and square and I use a Sheffield visual gage with graduations of 50 millions of an inch. differentiaition of about 5 millionths can be differentiated even rusted surfaces of gage blocks can be made to cling when wrung. the greatest variance in measurement comes when wringing blocks.

Thank you for another very informative video. I feel like this video could qualify for college credits. :)

Nice accessory set. Rarely find them complete.

BTW. Ford did not purchase the C E Johansson company, Henry bought a license to produce gauge blocks, measuring tools and Johansson sent people to Detroit to set up the new enterprise known as Dearborn Gage. Even The Ford Museum get's that part wrong. What do you expect from a museum that has a death mask of Nikola Tesla on display with a sing saying "just another electrical engineer".

One of the many jobs I had was to build microwave isolators. In order for them to work for the specific frequencies, they had to be made do the 0.001 of an inch. When we proto-typed one, they gave it to me as the internal "circuit" they wanted it to be as exact as possible. Being a young kid, and quite anal retentive, I had my flat plate and gauge system, and they specially machined a vice just for me. I was able to mark and file those circuits to exact size. I love it, and they made quite a bit if change because of the accuracy. Then things tanked and they laid me off. I survived, and still to this day found that was one of the most satisfying jobs I had until the one I have now. This one involves much more precision .

Dug out my B&S catalog (#32) from 1935 and there aren't any gage block sets in it. Also for what it's worth, stateside at least, my old reference books (SAE, ASTME, etc.) all have it as 'gage'. I have one machine tool book from Ontario that has it as 'gauge' though. Back in my early days I remember getting into said discussion with one of the 'Learned Ones'. He told me that in the Tool Room & Machine Shop we used 'gages' while over in plant maintenance, they used 'gauges'.

Interesting video Keith. First time I've seen an accessory kit. BTW: small point, but there is no E in Johansson

Read "The Perfectionists" (Winchester); Jo blocks are a wonder! BTW, not only did he develop the process to produce those things, his genius was such that he figured the minimum number of blocks to measure just about anything to .0001". 9:57 - The first set to which I had access in the late '50s certainly did wring together, such as to amaze a kid. The owner probably kept a careful eye on my use of them, but they were treated as jewels in my hands. If I knew what I know now, they'd have never been touched bare-handed. 18:44 - Dog seems to lack interest; get him some safety glasses and check him out on one of the lathes...

I believe our inspection department used to use kerosene to help ring their blocks. I would also like to mention gauge blocks like surface plates have different grades.

Great topic Keith. It would be interesting to know the history of licensing during ww11. I would imagine that gage blocks sets were in great demand leading up to and during the war.

The three sided tool is usually used as a straightedge. Never heard of anyone using it as a scraper, what reference do you have for that? Charles

Great video! I have a similar set. The extra tall ones with the offset block in the middle still have me stumped?

From what i could find B&S started making them around 1935. And looking at the sets they sold from 1937 that seems reasonable as their set looks almost identical box and all .

Gage blocks are vital. Without the ability to calibrate your measuring instruments, your measuring instruments are worthless.

I've just replied to another comment saying I worked as a toolmaker for 40 years at Ford's Research & Engineering Center at Dunton in the UK, and despite handling Jo Blocks throughout that period, we didn't know that Ford bought out Johansson. I'd have liked to have seen you demonstrate how the blocks are used with indicators for comparative measurements, and maybe mention that they come in a range of (4) tolerance grades. I only used Grade B Workshop sets, but even with these we were taught to thoroughly clean off any oil from touching them before putting them away. Keith do you own a set of Gauge Pins? Tom at Oxtools looks up to you as a fount of engineering knowledge, but I think he might be better equipped than you. He is, or course, a bit obsessed with the last micron with his lapping and measuring tools.

Keith uploaded this video right before 4 in the morning. What are you doing up so late? Or early? I’m in Charleston SC. Same time zone.

Good information. FYI the name is pronounced Johan's Son

Isn't it pronounced 'yo-HAHN-sun' rather than jo-han-ee-sun ?

Are there any info on at what temperature they're within spec?

If you can't wring your gauge blocks together, something is wrong. And by wrong, I mean you can't depend on those blocks to have the right dimensions. You especially can't depend on a stack of blocks. The clamp is not for holding a stack of damaged gauge blocks together. The clamp prevents damage to the stack, minimizes heat transfer to the blocks, aids in clamping accessories onto the stack (making it a usable end standard), and makes the wringing interval slightly more consistent. Check out Fundamentals of Dimensional Metrology by Ted Busch published in 1964. He goes on and on about all the details.

Keith, Johansson only has one "a" in it.

That is a triangular straight edge, not a scraper. You look to see if there is light between the straightedge and the part to determine flatness. It is just like a bevel edge straight edge, only with 3 sides and generally used for more accurate checking.

I wonder what the composition is of the steel they put into these blocks? Also, what heat treatment are they subjected to? And finally, what is the Rockwell C hardness of the blocks?

Shop dowg needs a nap!

Great video as always, wold like to own a C.E johanssen gauge block set one day. However I am a medicine student with a newfound passion for machining, so gauge block sets aint really what I should spend my money on right now. I would like to ask here in the comment section, hope that is okay. What the recepie would be to check toleranses on a budget. I currently own a mikron dial indicator, and I am thinking about buying a cheap small granite surface plate and one or two gauge blocks. Simply mill out pieces that has the same dimensions as the gauge blocks and then compare them against the gauge blocks. Would that be well spent money or should I buy one or two micrometers instead?

Just wondering: do the blocks not wringing together affect the actual height? Is wringing a necessity or a convenience? I expect that this difference - if it occurs - is in the hundred-thousands or less.

how are gage blocks made makes me wonder ?

A gage is a device of a fixed size, it measures by comparison, such as a feeler gage, or a thread gage. It measures only one size. A gauge is an analog device that measures a range of sizes or units, using a dial or other variable indicator.

It’s not Johanneson...it’s Johansson! I love ya Keith, but that pronunciation was getting to me!

Could one use precision ground stones to "recondition" the measuring surfaces on the block? Anyone know if @Robrenz follows Keith on here?

If you use grease between two gauge blocks does it add any length to the over all thickness? Thanks

Why do most people mispronounce height? The last two characters are not TH, they are HT.

you are going to have to quit working that dog so hard!

Here's a comment 'cuz I like

Ya might want to wring those jo-blocks together before you put them in the clamp...

Between the 1890s and 1960s, the inch went from 1m/39.37, to 25.4mm. In practice, were there any inch standards that could consistently be now measured at 25.40005mm?

The name is pronounced Yo Hans Sen

Nice video. But never play around with them on a granite surface!

Johansson not Johanasson, generally pronounced Yohansson.

Check this out: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-dBIYD_hJGbo.html At 7:05 C E Johansson himself demonstrates how warming the the blocks in your hand for 5 seconds affects the measurement. This is something of great national pride in Sweden among those in the know. I read somewhere that during WW II parts that where supposed to fit together where produced in both US and UK. Thanks to the gauge blocks the US made parts fitted the UK made parts. Can someone fill me in on this. Was it engine parts? Parts for weapons or planes?

He is not able to say "Johansson"? =( You can't measure with gage blocks. You can only compare.

No the triangle is a burchick share or scraper

Don't want to be picky but the pronunciation is "Yo-han-son"

Has my name and family name all over it. However, nowadays the proud nation of Sweden produce pretty much nothing anymore. Other priorities such as being the greatest humanitarian “superpower” in the world and of course the climate saint Greta... Sad and pathetic.