Steve B wrote in
rec.crafts.metalworking on Fri, 6 May 2011 20:49:54 -0700:

My wife wants me to make some sconce lights out of sheets of sheet metal. I
can get paintlock of various thicknesses, but some is rather thick for hand
punching.

I think you would be better off with a plasma cutter and a few
templates. Punch an dies will cost a lot, and the press to use them
isn't cheap either.
--

Dan H.
northshore MA.

"dan" wrote in message
...
Steve B wrote in
rec.crafts.metalworking on Fri, 6 May 2011 20:49:54 -0700:

My wife wants me to make some sconce lights out of sheets of sheet metal.
I
can get paintlock of various thicknesses, but some is rather thick for
hand
punching.

I think you would be better off with a plasma cutter and a few
templates. Punch an dies will cost a lot, and the press to use them
isn't cheap either.
--

Dan H.
northshore MA.

May I show your post to my wife? I'm trying to get a new plasma
cutter.......
Thanks, tho. I'll bring that up the next time she tells me she wants all
these complicated expensive sconce lights. I saw some great ones at
Temecula Creek Golf Course and Hotel. They were massive, and looked like
22ga. metal that had been cut with a #5 cutting tip. Very rough. The OA
torch is an alternative, and I've been looking for a small one. Still, the
plasma would be nice.

Steve

On Sat, 7 May 2011 22:05:41 -0700, "Steve B"
wrote:


"dan" wrote in message
...
Steve B wrote in
rec.crafts.metalworking on Fri, 6 May 2011 20:49:54 -0700:

My wife wants me to make some sconce lights out of sheets of sheet metal.
I
can get paintlock of various thicknesses, but some is rather thick for
hand
punching.

I think you would be better off with a plasma cutter and a few
templates. Punch an dies will cost a lot, and the press to use them
isn't cheap either.
--

Dan H.
northshore MA.

May I show your post to my wife? I'm trying to get a new plasma
cutter.......
Thanks, tho. I'll bring that up the next time she tells me she wants all
these complicated expensive sconce lights. I saw some great ones at
Temecula Creek Golf Course and Hotel. They were massive, and looked like
22ga. metal that had been cut with a #5 cutting tip. Very rough. The OA
torch is an alternative, and I've been looking for a small one. Still, the
plasma would be nice.

Steve

Steve, Ive got an old "pilot style" Cebora920 /Daytona Mig Pocket 25
plasma cutter Id part with. Its only good for up to about 1/8" material,
but it does cut that just fine. Its the old pilot arc style, but worked
fine last time I used it. Its 110vt and runs off a 15 amp normal house
breaker.

It would be cheap enough.

Since I got the Miller 2050..Ive never turned it on.

Also now that I think about it..Ive got a MAC 150 portable spot welder
too that Id part with..but it would be considerably more expensive.

Be great for sheet metal as it was developed for automotive repair. It
has a 6-8' lead and the gun is on the end of it. Works pretty damned
good. Looks brand new too.

Gunner


--
"If I say two plus two is four and a Democrat says two plus two is eight,
it's not a partial victory for me when we agree that two plus two is
six. " Jonah Goldberg (modified)

Steve B wrote in
rec.crafts.metalworking on Sat, 7 May 2011 22:05:41 -0700:


"dan" wrote in message
...
Steve B wrote in
rec.crafts.metalworking on Fri, 6 May 2011 20:49:54 -0700:

My wife wants me to make some sconce lights out of sheets of sheet metal.
I
can get paintlock of various thicknesses, but some is rather thick for
hand
punching.

I think you would be better off with a plasma cutter and a few
templates. Punch an dies will cost a lot, and the press to use them
isn't cheap either.
--
Dan H.

May I show your post to my wife? I'm trying to get a new plasma
cutter.......

Sure. And once you get one, you won't know how you lived without it.
I recommend Hypertherm. Made in USA.

Thanks, tho. I'll bring that up the next time she tells me she wants all
these complicated expensive sconce lights. I saw some great ones at
Temecula Creek Golf Course and Hotel. They were massive, and looked like
22ga. metal that had been cut with a #5 cutting tip. Very rough. The OA
torch is an alternative, and I've been looking for a small one. Still, the
plasma would be nice.

A plasma cutter will leave very clean edges if you can move fast
enough. I've made several templates for various shapes to make the
sides for several johnston solids and platonic solids.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnson_solid
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Platonic_solid


--

Dan H.
northshore MA.

"dan" wrote in


Sure. And once you get one, you won't know how you lived without it.
I recommend Hypertherm. Made in USA.

Dan H.
northshore MA.

We have budgeted some money this summer and fall, and are liquidating some
"stuff" to finish our large yard, landscaping, irrigation, plants, fence,
concrete, carport structures, and lots of other facets. I believe that I
can fit this into the budget now that it is clearly something that can
produce the desired results. I settled on HyperTherm from Ernie's comments
over time in the welding newsgroup. Now, I'm just trying to decide on size,
and I can go with a smaller one, as I have an OA cutting rig, and like that
on most thicker stuff. If I get too big a unit, I have to get a bigger
compressor, and that's another $1500 or so for a standup.

I'm looking forward to getting one. I usually research a major purchase for
a while, then shop price. I don't end up buying something, then dumping it
at a loss soon afterward. I tend to overbuy, and it hasn't bitten me like
underbuying has. Thanks for your input.

Steve

Heart surgery pending?
www.cabgbypasssurgery.com
Heart Surgery Survival Guide

Steve B wrote in
rec.crafts.metalworking on Sun, 8 May 2011 08:10:26 -0700:

I'm looking forward to getting one. I usually research a major purchase for
a while, then shop price. I don't end up buying something, then dumping it
at a loss soon afterward. I tend to overbuy, and it hasn't bitten me like
underbuying has. Thanks for your input.

Definitely over buy. I got the PowerMax30 even though I was getting
it for 16 gage sheet metal(16 gage is a bitch to cut with snips). But
once you have it, you will find all sorts of uses.
--

Dan H.
northshore MA.