Plasma Cutting Table Projects?

Make a nice, heavy duty stencil with your name, logo, etc. Use it to spray paint identifying information on tools, toolboxes, etc. Make a couple of sizes for different size objects.

If you made up a set of circles from heavy aluminum sheet, you could sell those for templates for handheld plasma cutters. I'd be the first guy in line. Say every 1/4" diameter from 2" to 6".

GWE

Hook up with the Hod Rod/Street Rod crowd and make motor mounts/Alternator brackets and the like. You could make a few bucks.

Rosco

My buddy does a lot of stamping dies and fixtures by stacking up laser cut plates. Anything he can section and do in CAD he'll cut on the laser then bolt the section together. He's done some real large stuff. Dies for cones four feet in diameter for instance.

The CNC plasma system are just the ticket for making custom chain sprockets. Say you need a big reduction gear for your machine. Say a ring roller. Just buy some roller chain and a small small cog for the motor. Then cut a matching bull sprocket for the big end. You could get a big reduction that way.

Look at the way the Robo-Grip pliers are made. A stack of tool steel plates. I've seem many products that used to be made forgings now made with such laminations. Pliers, crimpers, drop hitches and anchor davits come to mind.

How about an anvil? Draw an anvil shape. Cut enough peices for the required thickness. Bolt and grind. Braze on a tool steel strike plate.

Problem is: with all these ideas, you're going to buying enough plate that you're boss will be begging scraps from you!

Bud

get yourself a good suction cup and an adjustable radius rod.

John

========== One name for laminated style dies is the "continental process." This appears to have been popularized in Europe just after WW2 because of the shortage of machinists, machines and large chunks of die steel.

This seems to have been developed in 1929, by Leighton Wilkie at the Continental Machine Specialties Company [Doall] in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

This is shown in Moltrecht's Machine Shop Practice vol.1 [ISBN

0-8311-1126-7] pages 473-481 under "band machining." see (die%7Cband%7Cmachining)+%22continental+process%22&source=web&ots=nZjGLGJ193&sig=q7aabPywcWQp_9zNJIuFGGKIFxY "All" that is required is a vertical band saw, a suitable blade and a file. Considerable skill with both also appears necessary, although this is not indicated nor included in the text, but most likely would not be beyond the skill of an advanced/skilled amateur or HSM.

see:

and in This looks like an interesting process. Anyone using it or seen it in use? Cost/time/durability of continental versus traditional dies?

In Moltrecht's short description he indicates that sharp corners are not possible because of the need for turning the saw blade and the need to use the slug as the punch. This would not seem to be a limit with water jet or plasma. Any thoughts?

Unka' George [George McDuffee]

------------------------------ Watch out w'en you'er gittin all you want. Fattenin' hogs ain't in luck.

Joel Chandler Harris (1848-1908), U.S. journalist. Uncle Remus: His Songs and His Sayings, "Plantation Proverbs" (1880).

Rosco

How about leg weights for that flee market awning. Circles 4" diameter. Leg hole in the center. Next to that a smaller hole for an eye bolt. Eyebolt long enough for several plate. Insert leg into stack. Tie awning crossbar to eyebolt.

Cutting table slats. Weightbench weights. Drill index. Collet holders. Screwdriver rack.

Bud

Depends on what machines you have. A heavy CNC VMC makes short work of conventional dies. The expense ends up being in the CAD and the bolster. If you have to heat treat the die then a solid die is better. Durability has not been a problem with the dies I've seen. Of course you have less control of surface finish.

The technique is used widely enough that the CAD system have routines in them to section the sollid, calculate the draft and spit out the complete set of stepped G codes.

Bud

Screwdriver rack and collet holders are two good ideas I can use. I thought of using the marking feature to mark for some drill indexes, to then manuall drill. One guy here wanted some horses cut out and I found some line drawing and so I'm going to make some of these. I'm making carts and shelves out of all the scrap here now. Rosco

Making some big pliers sound like a good idea. I really like the anvil idea. At least two of us at work are wanting one of these. We have so much scrap here they wouldn't miss it if they even cared. I took 2000 lbs home a few months ago and that was about two months worth here. Thanks for the ideas Rosco

Rifle or handgun targets?

Bart D. Hull snipped-for-privacy@inficad.com Tempe, Arizona

Check

my Subaru Engine Conversion Check Tango II I'm building.

Remove -nospam to reply via email.

Butter wrote:

I make both kinds.

Martin

Mart> Rifle or handgun targets?

Whe I programmed for a laser at a previous job, I used to cut squares for my carpenter friends. I am talking about an L shaped chunk of metal like a carpenter's square. Very handy to have at hand.

If your employer is intersted in a way to cut consumable costs, my software company has come up with a great way to reduce the number of pierces to cut a plate.

let me know if you are interested

Mark