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Metalworking (rec.crafts.metalworking) Discuss various aspects of working with metal, such as machining, welding, metal joining, screwing, casting, hardening/tempering, blacksmithing/forging, spinning and hammer work, sheet metal work. |
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#1
Posted to rec.crafts.metalworking
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Hole Cutter?
Buddy came by today with a piece of 1/4" diamond plate aluminum he is
making a dashboard for his boat out of. He had come by a couple weeks ago, and roughed it out on my WT bandsaw, and now needed to cut the holes for the gauges, Tach etc. They were all bigger than normal sizes..so had no hole saws big enough. I tried a decent wood type circle cutter, which broke, made one up by tigging a piece of 3/8 x 1/2" tool steel to a 1/2" shank, and put it into my heavy boring head, and grinding a tripanning profile on the tool steel. Which ran 1 hole then broke the tool steel in half. Blink blink.... I finally finished all the gauge holes by hole sawing them, then using a tapered face mill to plunge to the right diameter, and the Big tach hole was done by hole sawing, then roughing to diameter with using x/y handwheels and a big 2 flute end mill, finishing with a die grinder and a carbide burr. T there has to be a better way. As the diamond plate "diamonds" stand proud..I finished up the gage holes using a big face mill and put in a slight counter bore so the gauges sit flat on a machined surface. Actually looks pretty good, but took a lot of steps to do something that should be pretty simple. Anyone got a link for a plan for a decent circle cutter? Something tough enough to do this sort of thing? Something that will tripan about a 6 or 8" hole or smaller and is adjustable? Or a pic of how you made one? Id like to avoid reenventing the wheel. Thanks Gunner "I think this is because of your belief in biological Marxism. As a genetic communist you feel that noticing behavioural patterns relating to race would cause a conflict with your belief in biological Marxism." Big Pete, famous Usenet Racist |
#2
Posted to rec.crafts.metalworking
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Hole Cutter?
"Gunner" wrote in message ... snip---- there has to be a better way. There is, and you won't believe how simple it is. I think it's Stanley that makes an adjustable circle cutter. It's a fly cutter of sorts in that it uses a 1/4" HSS lathe toolbit that is held in an arm with a set screw. The body has a 1/4" drill that acts as a center, so all you have to do is set the arm out to spin the circle you desire and cut away. Before you jump to conclusions and suggest to me that it won't work, be advised that I cut all the openings in the 400 amp switch and the CT can for my 3 phase service with one, using a half inch Milwaukee drill. I cut several holes. Yep! Did them by hand, and it works great. Requires a little skill, but I know you could handle it easily. Remember, the items I cut are made of steel. Cutting aluminum would be a breeze. It does require some skill in grinding the tool, and constant lubrication, but you can handle that with something as simple as an acid brush. Harold |
#3
Posted to rec.crafts.metalworking
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Hole Cutter?
On Sun, 23 Apr 2006 00:53:51 -0700, "Harold and Susan Vordos"
wrote: "Gunner" wrote in message .. . snip---- there has to be a better way. There is, and you won't believe how simple it is. I think it's Stanley that makes an adjustable circle cutter. It's a fly cutter of sorts in that it uses a 1/4" HSS lathe toolbit that is held in an arm with a set screw. The body has a 1/4" drill that acts as a center, so all you have to do is set the arm out to spin the circle you desire and cut away. Before you jump to conclusions and suggest to me that it won't work, be advised that I cut all the openings in the 400 amp switch and the CT can for my 3 phase service with one, using a half inch Milwaukee drill. I cut several holes. Yep! Did them by hand, and it works great. Requires a little skill, but I know you could handle it easily. Remember, the items I cut are made of steel. Cutting aluminum would be a breeze. It does require some skill in grinding the tool, and constant lubrication, but you can handle that with something as simple as an acid brush. Harold This is exactly the sort of cutter I first used..which broke. I suppose I could scale it up..beef it up when copying it. Gunner "I think this is because of your belief in biological Marxism. As a genetic communist you feel that noticing behavioural patterns relating to race would cause a conflict with your belief in biological Marxism." Big Pete, famous Usenet Racist |
#4
Posted to rec.crafts.metalworking
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Hole Cutter?
I got my hole cutter from Harbor Freight. It has about a 7/16 inch
drive, not flatted. The body is around 3/4 inch. The guide is 6mm IIRC and requires a 6mm reamed hole. The square tool bit is easily removed and ground. The guide is replacable. I'd hex-mill the drive for use with a drill chuck to stabilize this tool for heavier work. Let's see, 4 inch hole in aluminum. CS * 4 / D 300 * 4 / 4 = 300 rpm but it's offset, so around 200 rpm maybe. I did a 6 inch hole in particle board with this tool in a drill press. Harbor Freight doesn't list it in Search, but may sell it if you can find the item number. I don't have my box any more. Doug |
#5
Posted to rec.crafts.metalworking
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Hole Cutter?
On Sun, 23 Apr 2006 08:00:03 GMT, Gunner
wrote: On Sun, 23 Apr 2006 00:53:51 -0700, "Harold and Susan Vordos" wrote: "Gunner" wrote in message . .. snip---- there has to be a better way. There is, and you won't believe how simple it is. I think it's Stanley that makes an adjustable circle cutter. It's a fly cutter of sorts in that it uses a 1/4" HSS lathe toolbit that is held in an arm with a set screw. The body has a 1/4" drill that acts as a center, so all you have to do is set the arm out to spin the circle you desire and cut away. Before you jump to conclusions and suggest to me that it won't work, be advised that I cut all the openings in the 400 amp switch and the CT can for my 3 phase service with one, using a half inch Milwaukee drill. I cut several holes. Yep! Did them by hand, and it works great. Requires a little skill, but I know you could handle it easily. Remember, the items I cut are made of steel. Cutting aluminum would be a breeze. It does require some skill in grinding the tool, and constant lubrication, but you can handle that with something as simple as an acid brush. Harold This is exactly the sort of cutter I first used..which broke. I suppose I could scale it up..beef it up when copying it. The trick to this, other than very rigid workholding, is how the tool is ground. It needs to be radiussed or tapered so the tail doesn't drag in the cut. If nothing moves and you're curling a nice chip, the stress on the cutter really isn't that great -- it's just cutting aluminum, same as in a lathe -- but side stress will snap it in a heartbeat. I have a Val-Cut trepanning tool I found at an auction that can easily make 8" dia holes in 1/4" aluminum. The crossbar is about 22mm square while the actual cutter is ground from a 1/4" square HSS toolbit. Kerf width is less than that, maybe 1/8". Needs lots of lube. I've had best luck drilling 3 or 4 holes in the part that will be scrap (hole or disc), bolting it tight to a thick piece of wood and clamping the lumber to the mill. Ya need the other part of the workpiece clamped too so it doesn't get away from you at breakthru. Lock X & Y tight, feed with knee. |
#6
Posted to rec.crafts.metalworking
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Hole Cutter?
Gunner wrote:
Buddy came by today with a piece of 1/4" diamond plate aluminum he is making a dashboard for his boat out of. He had come by a couple weeks ago, and roughed it out on my WT bandsaw, and now needed to cut the holes for the gauges, Tach etc. They were all bigger than normal sizes..so had no hole saws big enough. I tried a decent wood type circle cutter, which broke, made one up by tigging a piece of 3/8 x 1/2" tool steel to a 1/2" shank, and put it into my heavy boring head, and grinding a tripanning profile on the tool steel. Which ran 1 hole then broke the tool steel in half. Blink blink.... I finally finished all the gauge holes by hole sawing them, then using a tapered face mill to plunge to the right diameter, and the Big tach hole was done by hole sawing, then roughing to diameter with using x/y handwheels and a big 2 flute end mill, finishing with a die grinder and a carbide burr. T there has to be a better way. I recently had to cut out a pickguard for a heavy metal bass guitar from aluminum diamondplate. I did the internal cutting using a jigsaw mounted on my 1949 Shopsmith. Worked fine, but a tad tedious. I *never* seem to have the right size hole saw! Anyway pickup holes are rectangular with rounded corners so even if I had every hole saw made it wouldn't have helped me. GWE |
#7
Posted to rec.crafts.metalworking
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Hole Cutter?
Grant Erwin wrote:
Gunner wrote: Buddy came by today with a piece of 1/4" diamond plate aluminum he is making a dashboard for his boat out of. He had come by a couple weeks ago, and roughed it out on my WT bandsaw, and now needed to cut the holes for the gauges, Tach etc. They were all bigger than normal sizes..so had no hole saws big enough. I tried a decent wood type circle cutter, which broke, made one up by tigging a piece of 3/8 x 1/2" tool steel to a 1/2" shank, and put it into my heavy boring head, and grinding a tripanning profile on the tool steel. Which ran 1 hole then broke the tool steel in half. Blink blink.... I finally finished all the gauge holes by hole sawing them, then using a tapered face mill to plunge to the right diameter, and the Big tach hole was done by hole sawing, then roughing to diameter with using x/y handwheels and a big 2 flute end mill, finishing with a die grinder and a carbide burr. T there has to be a better way. I recently had to cut out a pickguard for a heavy metal bass guitar from aluminum diamondplate. I did the internal cutting using a jigsaw mounted on my 1949 Shopsmith. Worked fine, but a tad tedious. I *never* seem to have the right size hole saw! Anyway pickup holes are rectangular with rounded corners so even if I had every hole saw made it wouldn't have helped me. GWE You could have used one to cut the rounded corners ... -- Snag aka OSG #1 '76 FLH "Bag Lady" BS132 SENS NEWT "A hand shift is a manly shift ." shamelessly stolen none to one to reply |
#8
Posted to rec.crafts.metalworking
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Hole Cutter?
"Gunner" wrote in message ... Buddy came by today with a piece of 1/4" diamond plate aluminum he is making a dashboard for his boat out of. He had come by a couple weeks ago, and roughed it out on my WT bandsaw, and now needed to cut the holes for the gauges, Tach etc. They were all bigger than normal sizes..so had no hole saws big enough. I tried a decent wood type snip I've made big one-shot hole saws with a hardwood or plywood disk and band saw stock screwed on the perimeter and a 1/2" commercial arbor. I can't see why your cutter didn't work, you must have ****ed it up somehow...rethink it. Did you get the software running? Tricky huh? |
#9
Posted to rec.crafts.metalworking
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Hole Cutter?
On Sun, 23 Apr 2006 14:57:35 GMT, "Tom Gardner"
wrote: "Gunner" wrote in message .. . Buddy came by today with a piece of 1/4" diamond plate aluminum he is making a dashboard for his boat out of. He had come by a couple weeks ago, and roughed it out on my WT bandsaw, and now needed to cut the holes for the gauges, Tach etc. They were all bigger than normal sizes..so had no hole saws big enough. I tried a decent wood type snip I've made big one-shot hole saws with a hardwood or plywood disk and band saw stock screwed on the perimeter and a 1/2" commercial arbor. I can't see why your cutter didn't work, you must have ****ed it up somehow...rethink Indeed..I screwed the pooch somewhere. it. Did you get the software running? Tricky huh? Not yet..Im on the road 4-5 days a week..and have been up to my ass in alligators. Ill try the install later today or tommorow with luck. Ive spent the last couple weekends going through the boxes of Stuff and tossing things in the dumpster. Hated like hell tossing some of that stuff..trying to decide what to keep..what to toss. Ive posted repeatedly that it was open season on my Stacks O Stuff..but no one was interested..so tossing all those good bearings and rollers and electronics and PLCs sorta made me cringe..Still got about another 5000 lbs to go through. I really need to get some order out back..and unbury and move the van..which is filled with computer equipment. Ive got about 5 trailer loads of lumber stored at a friends shop in So. Cal..and want to build a couple more outbuildings with it..but have no place to put it. I serviced the 4 Lodestar hoists..painted and primped the one Im keeping, appear to have sold one to a poster in Texas..need to crate and ship it...and figure out what to do with the 4 perfectly good Fairbanks platform scales sitting under my gantry. Ill off therm to the local can recyclers. Shrug..too much to do while the weather is reasonable, but the rain over the last couple months has been an issue. Gunner "I think this is because of your belief in biological Marxism. As a genetic communist you feel that noticing behavioural patterns relating to race would cause a conflict with your belief in biological Marxism." Big Pete, famous Usenet Racist |
#10
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Hole Cutter?
"Gunner" wrote in message ... Not yet..Im on the road 4-5 days a week..and have been up to my ass in alligators. Did you forget? YOU'RE THERE TO DRAIN THE FRIGGIN' SWAMP!!! |
#11
Posted to rec.crafts.metalworking
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Hole Cutter?
On Sun, 23 Apr 2006 22:55:02 GMT, "Tom Gardner"
wrote: "Gunner" wrote in message .. . Not yet..Im on the road 4-5 days a week..and have been up to my ass in alligators. Did you forget? YOU'RE THERE TO DRAIN THE FRIGGIN' SWAMP!!! A swamp? In Taft? Are you daft, man? You might find Quicksand... Now his "midweek palatial residence" in South LA on the other hand... Nahh, that's a cesspool. Similar, but not quite. I've got the swamp here - I just found out Dad has "forgotten" to take care of the pool for a few months, and I have to whip it back into some semblance of shape. Oy, the things I do to have a water source after an earthquake... -- Bruce -- -- Bruce L. Bergman, Woodland Hills (Los Angeles) CA - Desktop Electrician for Westend Electric - CA726700 5737 Kanan Rd. #359, Agoura CA 91301 (818) 889-9545 Spamtrapped address: Remove the python and the invalid, and use a net. |
#12
Posted to rec.crafts.metalworking
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Hole Cutter?
On Sun, 23 Apr 2006 22:55:02 GMT, "Tom Gardner"
wrote: "Gunner" wrote in message .. . Not yet..Im on the road 4-5 days a week..and have been up to my ass in alligators. Did you forget? YOU'RE THERE TO DRAIN THE FRIGGIN' SWAMP!!! Damnit!! I KNEW I was forgettting something! Sigh..and Ive still not mailed your ball screws to you yet. Gunner "I think this is because of your belief in biological Marxism. As a genetic communist you feel that noticing behavioural patterns relating to race would cause a conflict with your belief in biological Marxism." Big Pete, famous Usenet Racist |
#13
Posted to rec.crafts.metalworking
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Hole Cutter?
"Gunner" wrote in message
... As the diamond plate "diamonds" stand proud..I finished up the gage holes using a big face mill and put in a slight counter bore so the gauges sit flat on a machined surface. Actually looks pretty good, but took a lot of steps to do something that should be pretty simple. Did you consider doing the cutting from the "back" side? It's a lot flatter there and, while the "points" might need touching up with a file/rotary rasp/sanding drum, the rest of the circle would be a simple cut. You might also want to consider a circle guide for a router or Dremel - HSS bits or, for the router, hole saw bits can cut AL with few problems and could also simplify the task of creating the border for the bezel. BTW, do you have a rotating table and a vertical mill? grin |
#14
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Hole Cutter?
On Sun, 23 Apr 2006 10:57:19 -0500, "RAM³"
wrote: "Gunner" wrote in message .. . As the diamond plate "diamonds" stand proud..I finished up the gage holes using a big face mill and put in a slight counter bore so the gauges sit flat on a machined surface. Actually looks pretty good, but took a lot of steps to do something that should be pretty simple. Did you consider doing the cutting from the "back" side? Considered it. Didnt seem to matter that much..its aluminum..not hastalloy. It's a lot flatter there and, while the "points" might need touching up with a file/rotary rasp/sanding drum, the rest of the circle would be a simple cut. You might also want to consider a circle guide for a router or Dremel - HSS bits or, for the router, hole saw bits can cut AL with few problems and could also simplify the task of creating the border for the bezel. True indeed. But then Im back to making tools to make tools to do a job. He showed up at 11 am... BTW, do you have a rotating table and a vertical mill? grin sure. First thing I thought of was how to get that 5' long dashboard on my biggest 12" rotory table and get it to spin completely around on the table of my vertical miller. G gunner "I think this is because of your belief in biological Marxism. As a genetic communist you feel that noticing behavioural patterns relating to race would cause a conflict with your belief in biological Marxism." Big Pete, famous Usenet Racist |
#15
Posted to rec.crafts.metalworking
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Hole Cutter?
"Gunner" wrote in message
news On Sun, 23 Apr 2006 10:57:19 -0500, "RAM³" wrote: "Gunner" wrote in message . .. As the diamond plate "diamonds" stand proud..I finished up the gage holes using a big face mill and put in a slight counter bore so the gauges sit flat on a machined surface. Actually looks pretty good, but took a lot of steps to do something that should be pretty simple. Did you consider doing the cutting from the "back" side? Considered it. Didnt seem to matter that much..its aluminum..not hastalloy. It's a lot flatter there and, while the "points" might need touching up with a file/rotary rasp/sanding drum, the rest of the circle would be a simple cut. You might also want to consider a circle guide for a router or Dremel - HSS bits or, for the router, hole saw bits can cut AL with few problems and could also simplify the task of creating the border for the bezel. True indeed. But then Im back to making tools to make tools to do a job. He showed up at 11 am... BTW, do you have a rotating table and a vertical mill? grin sure. First thing I thought of was how to get that 5' long dashboard on my biggest 12" rotory table and get it to spin completely around on the table of my vertical miller. G gunner You might want to find one of these http://www.vermontamerican.com/produ...086&GRP=167801 for your tool box. A 1/4" drill/saw combination bit, I've found it very useful, when chucked in a plunge router, for a wide variety of materials. I've also used it, freehand, with a pneumatic die grinder to rough out openings. I also have a 1/8" one that I've been known to use with a Dremel-and-circle-cutter-attachment. Having a mix of metal- and wood-working tools, I've long been known to find unconventional uses for each. grin |
#16
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Hole Cutter?
Hello Gunner,
One technique that has come in handy for this type of job is a plunge router with a circle-cutting base plate. It is best to use a heavy duty router, and a carbide cutter, a bit of cutting fluid, and aluminum machines quite nicely. It is a combination of heavy woodworking tools augmented with carbide cutters. With the router set at 20k rpm, it seems to work nicely. It is best if you use a backplate of wood to insure the dowel, and the o.d. of the part you are cutting don't move when things get detached. Otherwise things can get exciting. A couple of clamps will keep the gauge plate fixed w.r.t. the dowel. Leaves a nicer finish than most other tools, and is more accessible than the milling. Use at your own risk... Guy |
#17
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Hole Cutter?
Why not cut with a plasma torch ?
Make a circle cutter or just make a disk with a hole the size - and trace the hole with the tip. Adjust for offset... Just use a plank of plywood... Martin Martin Eastburn @ home at Lions' Lair with our computer lionslair at consolidated dot net NRA LOH & Endowment Member NRA Second Amendment Task Force Charter Founder IHMSA and NRA Metallic Silhouette maker & member Gunner wrote: Buddy came by today with a piece of 1/4" diamond plate aluminum he is making a dashboard for his boat out of. He had come by a couple weeks ago, and roughed it out on my WT bandsaw, and now needed to cut the holes for the gauges, Tach etc. They were all bigger than normal sizes..so had no hole saws big enough. I tried a decent wood type circle cutter, which broke, made one up by tigging a piece of 3/8 x 1/2" tool steel to a 1/2" shank, and put it into my heavy boring head, and grinding a tripanning profile on the tool steel. Which ran 1 hole then broke the tool steel in half. Blink blink.... I finally finished all the gauge holes by hole sawing them, then using a tapered face mill to plunge to the right diameter, and the Big tach hole was done by hole sawing, then roughing to diameter with using x/y handwheels and a big 2 flute end mill, finishing with a die grinder and a carbide burr. T there has to be a better way. As the diamond plate "diamonds" stand proud..I finished up the gage holes using a big face mill and put in a slight counter bore so the gauges sit flat on a machined surface. Actually looks pretty good, but took a lot of steps to do something that should be pretty simple. Anyone got a link for a plan for a decent circle cutter? Something tough enough to do this sort of thing? Something that will tripan about a 6 or 8" hole or smaller and is adjustable? Or a pic of how you made one? Id like to avoid reenventing the wheel. Thanks Gunner "I think this is because of your belief in biological Marxism. As a genetic communist you feel that noticing behavioural patterns relating to race would cause a conflict with your belief in biological Marxism." Big Pete, famous Usenet Racist ----== Posted via Newsfeeds.Com - Unlimited-Unrestricted-Secure Usenet News==---- http://www.newsfeeds.com The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! 120,000+ Newsgroups ----= East and West-Coast Server Farms - Total Privacy via Encryption =---- |
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