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Stainless Steel Cutting

I will be embarking on some new creations soon that will involve stainless steel. Flat pieces.

I can get it really really cheap from my steel supplier in the form of rems. Some are exactly what I want, and some have to be cut. Most are 16-22 ga. I need a clean shear cut. What is the best way to go about doing this in a home shop?

Band saw? Good idea, but don't know if I can get the whole piece in there, and cutting in on the perpendicular plane may cause blade chatter. And then, I don't want to scuff up the good looking stainless.

Table saw? Talk to me.

Plasma cutter? Too rough a cut.

Pay for shearing? A definite possibility.

These pieces are going to be used for a finished product, and need to look good. Maybe I need to bite the bullet and have these custom cut out of pristine stock?

I'd like to test the waters first to see if this is going to sell before I invest $$$ in a full sheet and shearing charges.

Input welcome.

Steve

Reply to
SteveB
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There's a *big* difference between shearing 16GA and 22GA. Even so, the

22 GA will require a VERY rigid shear with good,sharp knives to shear. X10 for the 16GA. SS is tough stuff; even the 22 GA is a bitch to cut with hand shears. Air nibblers will cut it cleanly, but will not produce a straight,clean wave-free l> I will be embarking on some new creations soon that will involve stainless
Reply to
JR North

Table saw ... absolutely... using the Morse Metal Devil SS cutting blade. Cuts SS like butter. Amazing cuts.

For best cuts, re-speed the TS with different pulleys to get around 2200 to

2500 RPM. makes the blade cut cooler and last longer.

Steve Koschmann

Reply to
Steve Koschmann

Why bother cutting this nasty, difficult, PITA material with suboptimal tools?

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They do great work and the cost will be far less and 10X as accurate as anything you could manage with SST in a home shop.

Reply to
Tim Killian

"Tim Killian" wrote

I cannot thank you enough. I am sure that I will now be able to produce items that I could only envision before.

I worked in a big CNC shop that had a 4'x10' Trumpf laser cutter. It was absolutely awesome, and you could take it right off that table and bend it and weld it.

I shall be in contact with them.

Thanks again.

Steve

Reply to
SteveB

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