How To Evaluate 123 Blocks- USA Made vs. Imported

We received so many emails regarding our last video on 123 blocks that we felt the need for some additional information. We want to show what the differences are on video as there seems to be a lot of confusion out there regarding the holes. They are supposed to bolt together.

[bulletproofpepper]

As a home hobbyist, I only have a few dollars here and there to sacrifice on tooling. I bought two set of cheap Chinese 123 block and was shocked to find that bolts didn’t pass through the other holes. I had never used high end 123 blocks and didn’t know that the better block the bolts do pass through the clearance holes. I so glad I watched your video before I tried something dumb.

[saadkali]

I have no experience with what Suburban Tool Inc sells. But I can only thank Mr. Don for all the knowledge he shares. ... And for free ... THANK YOU !

[YCMcnc]

Came across one of your tools at NYCCNC's / Saunders Machine Works open house this past weekend. Nice stuff, and a really nice shout out from John. Thanks for taking the time to create, edit & post your vids; they're really helpful to someone like me that's only had limited opportunity to work around highly skilled tool room craftsmen. The YouTube metalworking community is great and generous group, thanks for being a part of it.

[tuscanland]

Hello Mr Bailey, thank you for all the informative videos. The 11 holes do look good, I just ordered a pair, I look forward to using them.

[plasmahead]

Mr Bailey,
I am but a lowly welder and I can remove part of the mystery of the import 123 blocks for you.
Silly welders use them for putting things into place so we can melt them. Rarely would I bolt them together, and when I would I end up using Bessy style clamps for speed.
I would love to have a set of your 123 blocks... I would put them in my tool box next to my set of B&S micrometers. They would remain there until I had some reason to use them, Of which I would maybe once a year (if that). If my welded part has to leave my table with tolerances of 1/64" on any feature someone is getting cussed out(under my helmet) as I try and figure out how to make it happen...
It's out of respect and care that I refrain from using fine 123 blocks in my work, as electricity (and heat in general) likes to jump from work piece to block with very little regard to the blocks well being. I'll take a picture of a few of my imports to show you the abuse they endure.
For $20 a pair no one will cry if the arc skips off the part and chews the corner away...
I do enjoy your videos and have learned quite a bit from them. Thank you for sharing your skills and experience.
Clif
The Welder

[bobfairbairn]

Funny cause i bought those import blocks from shars and being a hobby machinist i was so confused as to what those non-threaded holes were for if i couldn't get a bolt through it.  Thanks for the clarification!

[bcbloc]

Great video showing how you can get what you pay for!

[markrichardson]

Don;
You just saved me from buying that junk.
Thanks!
Mark

[lbcustomknives]

Love your channel. Just wish your products were more available in the uk

[quinka]

Hi Don, the cost of manufacturing is very high! Example, my interapid indicator cost me $39.00 back in 1960, today, it is $399.00, ten times, yet my wages never went 10 times higher!

[bendavanza]

I bought a second hand bet of Brown and Sharp 123 blocks and they were made like the imports. I don't know where they were made but they came in a plastic blow molded case if that shows their age. I wondered the same thing, how can you use these threaded holes if the included bolts don't fit through?

[raydavis]

It does save a step in the manufacturing process since they don't have to change out the drill bit for clearance holes. Still, it reduces their versatility to minimum. I would like to find some that can pass the head of a SHCS in the through holes so you could bolt them together without the screw head protruding from a surface. The imports are little more than paper weights.

[maxscott]

My shop we use them for putting parts on top of when we put them in machines. For matchplates we usually have fixtures, but if we don't or they're already in use, how else are we going to hold them above the table? They have features on both sides. Then there's coreboxes, which get drilled through most of the time anyway, so they're always on blocks too.

[feelingluckyduck]

I was wondering where those blocks came from and why in the world they were like that. I've showed it to people and they've looked at me like I got two heads. I'm with you Don I don't know how some one can't understand something so basic.

[mtking]

SuburbanTool Inc
Thanks for your videos.

I'm just getting started & trying to teach myself on a very low budget so most of my stuff is ether home made by myself, bought at flee marker, or China/Taiwan built.

I watched your video on 1-2-3 blocks last night but I was 2 weeks to late watching it. I got my Chinese blocks last week. When I got home to check then out to see if mine were like you said I found that sure enough they were as useless as you said. I'll still get some function out of them but one of my needs was a angle block. I guess I'm only out $20 but I'd rather had known in advance to have put that towards the ones built correctly. I guess I'm back to the plan of building my own. I'll try to build them to mate with these so I'll have two sets.

[cnchq]

It may be that the clearance holes are for bolting the Block to the work table, and threaded holes are for bolting something to the 1-2-3 Block itself.

But even at that, the point is made. The other designs seem to make so much more sense.

[MakeItWithCalvin]

I will say the cheapie import blocks are good if your model making and just need something to hold stuff RELATIVELY square... then imports are fine. Also if you say need spacers for a saw or something where you do not want to risk damaging NICE blocks... their fine. Otherwise I am with you on the useless clearance holes. Maybe it is good hard material drilling experience for the end person?

[theslimeylimey]

I use 2 sets of import 2-4-6 blocks from different sources for milling and its the exact same bloody thing. 5/8 threads with 5/8 holes that destroy any bolt you try and push through. I spent an hour with a pencil grinder trying to grind off all the hardened burrs riddled through the core.

[NBERLS]

The reason for the lack of clearance is that the design decisions were made by an accountant and not a machinist.

[disgruntledscientist]

And most aren't square. I made threaded inserts so I could bolt them together with smaller bolts.