×
INTELLIGENT WORK FORUMS
FOR ENGINEERING PROFESSIONALS

Log In

Come Join Us!

Are you an
Engineering professional?
Join Eng-Tips Forums!
  • Talk With Other Members
  • Be Notified Of Responses
    To Your Posts
  • Keyword Search
  • One-Click Access To Your
    Favorite Forums
  • Automated Signatures
    On Your Posts
  • Best Of All, It's Free!
  • Students Click Here

*Eng-Tips's functionality depends on members receiving e-mail. By joining you are opting in to receive e-mail.

Posting Guidelines

Promoting, selling, recruiting, coursework and thesis posting is forbidden.

Students Click Here

Jobs

I need to make a rectangular cutout

I need to make a rectangular cutout

I need to make a rectangular cutout

(OP)
I need to make a rectangular cutout 10.3" x 13.8" in a 10 ga. mild steel plate. Does anyone know the best way to do this (other than "burning" it out)?
I was told that I could use a high speed circular saw w/ a "diamond" (??) blade.
Any suggestions would be helpful.

RE: I need to make a rectangular cutout

plasma cut, water jet, oxy-acetylene, drill corner holes and cut the rest with a saw.  I'd stay away from a circular saw with a special blade for safety reasons.

RE: I need to make a rectangular cutout

Drill your corners and use a jigsaw or a nibbler, circular saws can be used but tend to bind and some of the blades tend to blow apart under stress.

RE: I need to make a rectangular cutout

Abrasive waterjet.

RE: I need to make a rectangular cutout

(OP)
Thank you all for your help. Just today I asked a representative of DeWalt (Tools) if I could use some sort of saw; they recommended a circular saw with a high torgue motor and carbide blade. It would work best if I used low RPMs.  The blade looked like it was made of the same material as a chop saw blade. IFRs, theothecarl, do you think that this would bind or blow apart?

RE: I need to make a rectangular cutout

You will get chips flying EVERYWHERE. Use waterjet or a nibbler.

RE: I need to make a rectangular cutout

I have done the circular saw thing on aluminum.  JimMetalsCeramics is right.  I would not begin to try to make a cutout using this method.

How many parts are you talking about here?  You could always mill out the cutout on a knee mill and dress up the corners with a file?

A laser's finish on material this thin wouldn't be any worse than the mauling the circular saw will administer.

Just a thought... have the DeWalt rep demonstrate the proper method for you.

RE: I need to make a rectangular cutout

Drill -- Scroll saw w/ 32tooth blade

Alternately use the sawzall.....

nick

Nick
I love materials science!

RE: I need to make a rectangular cutout

They do have low RPM cold saws for metal out there.  Haven't tried them on steel, but the carbide blades have always worked well on aluminum.  It is true that chips get everywhere, just like sawdust, but a broom takes care of that nicely.  If I just had a few to do though, I would go with NickE's advice and use a sawsall.  They can cut gage thickness metal fairly quickly.

RE: I need to make a rectangular cutout

Again, I wouldn't try the carbide circular saw on steel.  Cold saws are one thing, freehand plunge cuts into relatively thin steel are another animal altogether.  I think you will destroy the blade fairly quickly.  I cannot imagine how a diamond blade would work on steel.

I have cut a fair amount of .125 and .187" aluminum with a circular saw with a carbide tipped blade.  You would need some light lube, and a sand blaster's hood would help to keep those hot chips off the back of your neck!  A few of them will probably stick to the ceiling.

Please don't try the circular saw route.
Or... maybe I'm wrong.  But I doubt it.

RE: I need to make a rectangular cutout

i have done this type of rectangular cutouts by two different methods.
1.make holes at the corners with a round punch on power  
  press.then cut awy with a jigsaw using carbide blade with
  about 22 teeths.
2.for greater accuracy,speed and repeatabilty,get it done on a cnc laser cutting machine.

Red Flag This Post

Please let us know here why this post is inappropriate. Reasons such as off-topic, duplicates, flames, illegal, vulgar, or students posting their homework.

Red Flag Submitted

Thank you for helping keep Eng-Tips Forums free from inappropriate posts.
The Eng-Tips staff will check this out and take appropriate action.

Reply To This Thread

Posting in the Eng-Tips forums is a member-only feature.

Click Here to join Eng-Tips and talk with other members!


Resources