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I'm looking for ways to cut nice slots in thinner steel sheet and plate material, 1/4" inch or less thick, usually less. There are pieces I'd like to fabricate that are too big or awkward to fit in a drill press or small mill. Also, when you have a slot that's 3-4 inches long, the old drill a linear sequence of holes and then finish by filing out the left over material isn't very attractive - too much work.

What do you guys do for those situations?

Thanks in advance,

Lonnie

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Damn! That front slip angle is way too large and the Ackerman is just a muddle.

Build Log: viewtopic.php?f=35&t=5886

Abrasive cut off wheel in an angle grinder.

One of my favorite tools of destruction.

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Chuck.

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Hand held plasma cutter would be great. Find a welding shop and have them do it. Russ

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You meet the nicest people in a Locost Se7en.

Water jet?

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Honey anyone?

As above with an angry grinder and thin disc or a steel cutting blade in a leccy jigsaw or piercing saw.

Bob

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Mancave http://s1116.photobucket.com/user/mypic ... ow/mancave

Second (or third, fourth?) the cut-off wheel in an angle grinder. Just go slow and hold on tight.

Cheers,

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Larry in Seattle

I usually do it the heard way. I cannot visualize the "slot" that could effectively accommodate an abrasive cutoff wheel. Sometimes I use a die grinder and burrs, (or Dremel) but typically only for roughing, which is the hard part. I usually find the layout process takes about as long as the actual physical labor, which I do not mind. But then again, I have sliced off a piece of 1/8" steel, 3" wide and three feet long, using a hacksaw. That was too much work.

Bill

I use a router for aluminum plate. You can set the depth of the bit and mill the cut in steps to make it look CNC. That's the new billet.

Can you get a mill bit (tool?) to cut the steel? I tried a cylindrical sanding bit but it clogged on aluminum and wore out quickly on steel.

Sure, but you need a milling machine for the correct speed, rigidity and a means to accurately control the shape of the cut. Doing it manually requires bunches and gobs of skill. Doing it with a computer requires bunches and gobs of money plus computer expertise.

Trying to control a mill cutter freehand (say an electric drill) in steel is likely to result to a trip to the Emergency Room. Carbide burrs are very doable, but still require care.

Bill

I've heard of people using carbide wood bits in a router to cut aluminum. Of course, it is much softer than steel. I was hoping there was a technique and bits (not wood bits) that might cut steel in a router too. I'm not up to date on all the things out there now as I haven't been doing metal or fab work for a very long time until this build. It sounds like the abrasive wheel approach works for most people. I'm not sure I could make the slot nice enough doing it that way by hand.

Thanks for the response.

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Damn! That front slip angle is way too large and the Ackerman is just a muddle.

Build Log: viewtopic.php?f=35&t=5886

I forgot I have this air saw with a swivel plate at the base that is good on thin stuff but will only go in straight lines. It uses bits of broken hacksaw blades which is handy and true Locost. It is really controllable with the air trigger for speed.Cengar make a similar product.

Bob

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Build Log viewtopic.php?f=35&t=16640&p=187700#p187700

Mancave http://s1116.photobucket.com/user/mypic ... ow/mancave

I think you put you finger on the issue, Bill, "control-ability". I have some carbide burrs and a die grinder that I've used to trim up welds. They're downright scary in terms of the material they can remove in just a heartbeat. Even for that small job, I have to brace my hand(s) real well and so be able to just touch the weld carefully or they dig out too much. Milling bits are built to be used in an X-Y kind of way. Even the plunge bits are expected to be use primarily X-Y. But maybe they can be adapted to a plunge router if the router speed can be controlled?

It looks like several folks are having success with the "angle grinder/small abrasive disk" approach. I'm not sure I could control that setup well enough to get the quality I want. I guess I'll just have to try it out and see.

Thanks for the responses everyone!

Cheers,

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Damn! That front slip angle is way too large and the Ackerman is just a muddle.

Build Log: viewtopic.php?f=35&t=5886

You can finish dressing the slot by hand with a file if need be. And use good abrasive wheels, not the HF stuff. I get my wheels from a welding shop, German made I think. They come in various thicknesses. The abrasive wheel is the go-to tool on Project Binky

HF does have a useful little air-driven hack saw like Bob suggested. They go on sale from time to time.

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Cheers, Tom

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There's an idea, Bob. Our Harbor Freight chain here has a small air powered saw. I don't know if it has a swivel head, however. Still, I think I'll check it out. I seem to remember the blades have a taper and are smaller at the tip that the root. If my remembrance is good (risky these days - LOL), perhaps the drill hole at the top and bottom of the slot might provide enough room to get the blade started?

Thanks for the response.

Cheers,

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Damn! That front slip angle is way too large and the Ackerman is just a muddle.

Build Log: viewtopic.php?f=35&t=5886