making 1/2X1/2 inch square holes in 1/4 inch stock
ramray
I am making a 10 ft wrought iron fence and need a way to make 1/2" X 1/2"
holes in the 1/4 "horizontal bars to thread the uprights through. I have
seen the final products done that way but I have never came across a modern
inexpensive tool to do it. In the old days of blacksmithing they punched
tthrough with a square punch. after heating the piece. If any in the group
has a way to accomplish this task I really would like to know. And I would
appreciate the information. Thanks
Best Regards
Ray R
SteveB
"ramray" <ram...@earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:O8KdnbHD26NmTdLX...@earthlink.com...
Take it to a shop with a Piranha or Ironworker hydraulic machine. Pick it
up in four hours. There is no modern inexpensive tool to do it I know of.
If you find one, please inform me, as I would like to do some similar. But
mine has to do with rod, and a drill press does that fine. I just can't
find any square bits around these parts.
Please let me know if you find any of those, too.
Steve
Grant Erwin
There are a number of sort-of affordable tools that could do this. Let's see ..
surface area of the hole is 4*1/2*1/4 = 1/2 in^2. Assuming 35 ksi steel,
that would take about 17,500 pounds of pressure or a tad under 9 tons. You
could cobble up a fixture on a 20 ton shop press that could punch those holes.
It will definitely need a stripper mechanism of some sort. Or, you could go
find a Whitney No. 20 10-ton manual punch and buy an appropriate punch and die.
You need to know the actual shear strength of your 1/4" steel bar. When you buy
it from a reputable steel vendor, you can request the actual lot test
information, and that will tell you.
You can also still buy nice 1/2" square blacksmith punches, and forges, and hammers.
Or, you could pay someone to EDM you a really nice plasma cutting template and
use a plasma cutter.
But certainly the best way is to use an ironworker with appropriate punch/die.
That's what they do. Punch, shear, notch.
GWE
Pete C.
It could be done pretty readily on one of the many 5x10 CNC plasma
cutters out there.
Ernie Leimkuhler
<ram...@earthlink.net> wrote:
Rent a plasma cutter for a day for $50 and hand cut them.
You can make a cutting jig from plywood.
Ernie Leimkuhler
Oh yeah, there is also the old square hole drill trick.
Still used in some parts of the world, and many old blacksmith's shops.
Google for "Watts Brothers Tool Works"
Bill Marrs
"SteveB" <old...@deepends.com> wrote in message
news:q915i6-...@news.infowest.com...
. I just can't
> find any square bits around these parts.
>
> Please let me know if you find any of those, too.
>
> Steve
Square hole bits? Heck---just make some.
http://upper.us.edu/faculty/smith/reuleaux.htm
Bob Engelhardt
with welds. The weld area is pretty small: a triangle, or or less, with
a 1/2" base & 3/32 height.
Bob
ramray
Several years ago I came to the group for advice on a plasma cutter and
Ernie swayed me rightly to the Hypertherm Powermax 600. I did get one and
I use it for bigger cuts. I did not think that it would work for these
small holes and be fairly exacting. But I certainly will try the method
Bernie suggested first and if my skill is not good enough I will go down the
line and will try the other methods suggested.
Thanks for your reponses. As always you came through with great ideas.
Best Regards,
Ray R
"Ernie Leimkuhler" <er...@stagesmith.com> wrote in message
news:040720092319470413%er...@stagesmith.com...
fran...123
"Bob Engelhardt" <bobeng...@comcast.net> wrote in message
news:h2qft...@news5.newsguy.com...
If you make a piece of copper tiny bit bigger than your steel square stock
you want to use that might make filling in easier but it might be hard to
remove the copper as well.
Fran
fran...123
over the nozzle and bottoms out with say a quarter or three eights of nozzle
sticking out. now make a square template you can run around inside of with
the nut resting on top of the template and the nozzle following the side of
the template. such template could be a washer modified with a square file.
Devise some way of securing the washer above the work, one of those magnetic
blocks with the button on the side is probably the best but clamping it on
top of another nut will work perhaps an extension to the washer will be
needed. I make square holes for carriage bolts on occasion though I usually
do it free hand but have a bunch of templates to attach to my magnetic block
for round ones. If you have a lathe you can turn down the end of the nozzle
so it isn't tapered and the nut won't be needed or propane tips often aren't
tapered. Once you get a hole pierced it helps to turn down the heat I find.
Fran
SteveB
"Bill Marrs" <bill...@verizon.net> wrote in message
news:Zb34m.2442$9l4...@nwrddc01.gnilink.net...
As the kids would say, "SHUT UP!" I learn something every day.
Steve
SteveB
> Thanks for reminding me that the holes could be made with a plasma cutter.
> Several years ago I came to the group for advice on a plasma cutter and
> Ernie swayed me rightly to the Hypertherm Powermax 600. I did get one
> and I use it for bigger cuts. I did not think that it would work for
> these small holes and be fairly exacting. But I certainly will try the
> method Bernie suggested first and if my skill is not good enough I will go
> down the line and will try the other methods suggested.
>
> Thanks for your reponses. As always you came through with great ideas.
>
> Best Regards,
>
> Ray R
Make a template, and when you make your pierce hole in the metal, do it in
the center of the intended hole, then go to the outside lines. Also
concentrate on having the torch perpendicular. Do a couple of holes and
then adjust just in case they're a little off. You don't want to be
dressing a whole bunch of slightly off holes. (why does that last sentence
look odd?) But you get my drift.
Right?
Steve
Stuart Wheaton
Square broach...
Grant Erwin
cutting to a soapstone line. Chip chip to take off the slag on the back,
move to the next hole. Don't use the holes to align the posts, just clamp
them in place and weld all up.
After you cut two or three holes you'll be real good at it. Start in the
middle somewhere, not right at the end where people will see it more.
Grant
Gunner Asch
wrote:
wAY COOL!
(Ive seen these in use on Swiss screw machines btw, along with
attachments that make multi sided square, trianglular etc etc "turnings"
on the same lathes.
Gunner
"Lenin called them "useful idiots," those people living in
liberal democracies who by giving moral and material support
to a totalitarian ideology in effect were braiding the rope that
would hang them. Why people who enjoyed freedom and prosperity worked
passionately to destroy both is a fascinating question, one still with us
today. Now the useful idiots can be found in the chorus of appeasement,
reflexive anti-Americanism, and sentimental idealism trying to inhibit
the necessary responses to another freedom-hating ideology, radical Islam"
Bruce C. Thornton, a professor of Classics at American University of Cal State Fresno
Ignoramus20157
It is called a square broach, it is a common product. You drill a
slightly over 1/2" hole and then broach it. I have a set of broaches
that go from 1/2" round to 1/2" square in several steps (several
broaches to be used successively) You need a appx 3 ton press to use
them.
i
Martin H. Eastburn
nozzle. It is beyond the scope of that size but I've cut some beautify
edges. Wish I had the 1000 and someday at least that level upgrade.
The T60 upgrade torch is well worth it - with fine cut it rocks much better.
Martin
Martin H. Eastburn
and makes a planar connection to the wood with the insulator sleeve.
The torch has an offset of 1/2" - as the barrel is 1" and the cutting
center is 1/2 of that. Kerf is needed to be measured on scrap or in the
hole - but the kerf might be used as oversize the hole or modify the block...
Test, try - test. You can test on thin material - try 3/8 or 1/4 getting
the general kerf and block size. The burning through might raise a bump
and what you do is stop the torch - grind flat and then you can continue to the
edge or around the block.
Martin
Pete C.
"Martin H. Eastburn" wrote:
>
> I have a 600 and cut 1/2" AR400 with the use of Fine cut - but with the saddle
> nozzle. It is beyond the scope of that size but I've cut some beautify
> edges. Wish I had the 1000 and someday at least that level upgrade.
> The T60 upgrade torch is well worth it - with fine cut it rocks much better.
I hear that the Max45 has a new torch design that is even better, as
long as you can live with 45A capacity.
Bill Marrs
"Gunner Asch" <gun...@NOSPAMlightspeed.net> wrote in message
news:836255p50kgmmtlm5...@4ax.com...
> On Sun, 05 Jul 2009 14:58:01 GMT, "Bill Marrs"
> <bill...@verizon.net>
> wrote:
>
>>
>>"SteveB" <old...@deepends.com> wrote in message
>>news:q915i6-...@news.infowest.com...
>>. I just can't
>>> find any square bits around these parts.
>>>
>>> Please let me know if you find any of those, too.
>>>
>>> Steve
>>
>>Square hole bits? Heck---just make some.
>>
>>http://upper.us.edu/faculty/smith/reuleaux.htm
>>
> wAY COOL!
>
> (Ive seen these in use on Swiss screw machines btw, along with
> attachments that make multi sided square, trianglular etc etc
> "turnings"
> on the same lathes.
>
> Gunner
OK--all this bring up a question. Square hole drill bits. Or
triangular,hex,whatever.
How do you get it to orient the holes?