Help! Part 2 of Enlarging Holes in Stainless Plate: Off-Center Enlargment

DeepDiver · 2005-04-13T11:16:26+00:00

A while back, I asked about enlarging holes in 1/4" thick stainless plate (Type 316). Here's a summary of the job I've been tasked with:There are forty-four stainless square support posts. Each post has a base consisting of two pieces of 1/4" thick stainless angle plate; the plates are welded along the bottom of the posts, one on each side. Like this: H H_]H[_The two horizontal flanges that make up the base each have two holes (four holes per post) for bolting the base to a concrete pad. The holes were drilled 1/2" by the factory, but need to be 13/16". That's where we left off in my last request for advice in this newsgroup.Now I find out the job might be trickier.Two of the holes may be too close to the forward edge of the plate after enlargement (still awaiting further info from the customer). If so, then half the holes (88 of the 176) will not only have to be enlarged, but will need to be offset so that the resulting enlarged hole is no closer to the forward edge of the base plate as it is now.Any ideas on the best way to do this? I have access to a Rong Fu Mill-Drill.If this were plain carbon steel, I'd probably use an end mill to "drill" the hole on a new center. But I'm not sure how well that will work with 316 stainless.Thanks for your advice!Michael

Apr 13, 2005 23 Replies

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DeepDiver 21 years ago

Dear PrecisionMachinisT,

Please forgive my error in asking for machining advice in this newsgroup; I was under the mistaken impression that it existed for that purpose. I hope I didn't offend your delicate sensibilities with my question. From your posts, I now realize that this newsgroup must really be for arrogant jerks to make snide comments with no educational or instructive value. Thank you for enlightening me.

P.S. You may be a brilliant machinist, but you could really use some lessons in character (not to mention English grammar, spelling, and punctuation).

Regards, Michael

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PrecisionMachinisT 21 years ago

Just that over time Ive learned to not offer help to someone where it will involve my needing to ask others for help in turn.

Out of respect for those that have helped me, I wont put them out by asking them to help me to help someone else.

As to my writing style, that is by choice.

Now you can feel free to me all about character one more time.

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Martin H. Eastburn 21 years ago

I have a friend with a Hyperterm Powermax 600 - (Like I have now :-) ) and his wife used a pine cut out figure to trace around. The plasma was cutting thin steel, but didn't burn up the pine.

Now for me to try.

Martin

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