Bench drill/lathe cutter?

[Superbad]

Hello forum users,
I bought myself a phase one plasma cutter to cut through 10mm thick steel,unfortunately this is the result,molten metal

So I'm thinking perhaps a bench drill with a lathe cutter. Would a lathe cutter shank fit a bench drill?
My aim is to make a turbo flange.

 

[piman]

Hello Superbad,

the drill idea is a non starter.

If you have someone local to you who can profile cut it then that's the way to go, alternatively, I've used this E-Bay shop http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/profilemen/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_from=&_ipg=25&_trksid=p3984

I've had a couple of items done with good service. You need to contact him with a drawing and specification of the material you want to use. It will save you a lot of work in the long run

Alec

 

[astro_al]

Can't you just use an angle grinder to cut the straight lines and a hole saw for the circle?

Did you buy a plasma that specified it could cut 10mm? If so send it back. If you bought one knowing you needed to cut 10mm stock that wasn't specified for the job, well...

Al

 

[wheresmejumper]

wouldnt it have been a lot easier and cheaper just to buy a flange?

 

[penfold]

Hello Superbad,

the drill idea is a non starter.

Maybe not with an endmill/slotdrill as the OP suggested, but there's no reason he couldn't chain drill with twist drills then finish with his plasma cutter and a die grinder or handfile; how many flanges are you making Superbad?

 

[Davek0974]

You would never cut that using an end mill or slot drill in a pillar drill.

You could do it using a slot drill in a milling machine.

You could get it water jet cut.

You could use an angle grinder with some cut-off wheels.

You could chain-drill and then file or grind the edges.

 

[FranV8]

How many amps is your plasma?

 

[penfold]

You would never cut that using an end mill or slot drill in a pillar drill.

You could do it using a slot drill in a milling machine.

You could get it water jet cut.

You could use an angle grinder with some cut-off wheels.

You could chain-drill and then file or grind the edges.

Sir! Sir! You've missed some sir!

Die stamping.
Laser cutting.
Flame cutting.
EDM Spark erosion.
Laser sintering.

 

[Davek0974]

There are many many ways to cook that egg, but a slot drill in a bench drill is not one of them

 

[Superbad]

Wow! Thanks for the answers fellas. Firstly,thanks for the ebayer listing,I will give them a try. I have used local CNC cutters,but they take a while to get the job done,as I am a small timer

If you have someone local to you who can profile cut it then that's the way to go, alternatively, I've used this E-Bay shop http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/profilemen/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_from=&_ipg=25&_trksid=p3984

Can't you just use an angle grinder to cut the straight lines and a hole saw for the circle?

I've tried that Al,it's damn time consuming

Did you buy a plasma that specified it could cut 10mm? If so send it back. If you bought one knowing you needed to cut 10mm stock that wasn't specified for the job, well...

Bought it off ebay,and the seller claimed that it could

wouldnt it have been a lot easier and cheaper just to buy a flange?

They aren't a common type

but there's no reason he couldn't chain drill with twist drills?

I'll have to educate myself on this

how many flanges are you making Superbad?

Just the one really,although I might get two,just incase

How many amps is your plasma?

16amp,the unit I rent out is on 13 amp domestic power

 

[penfold]

An example of chain drilling.

 

[astro_al]

Are you making a whole bunch or just one? What exactly is time consuming?

Al.

 

[Superbad]

aha,right penfold,so that's what is called chain drilling. I thought it was something to with a chain

Are you making a whole bunch or just one? What exactly is time consuming?

Al.

Using a holesaw takes about 10 mins per hole,going steady with plenty of oil. I'm only making the one turbo manifold flange,and one downpipe flange

This is the cutter I have
http://www.pcsimports.com.au/products/2-mitech-50-amp-plasma-cutter.aspx
It does say up to 15mm thick steel

 

[Seano]

Seem to have seen this posted elsewhere.....(This Mitech Plasma Cutter is the top of the line)....... sorry mate.

 

[penfold]

That plasma should go through 10mm without breaking a sweat; either there's summat wrong with it or the settings are off.

 

[astro_al]

So you could have made them in 2 hours, for negligible tooling cost?

Maybe stick the plasma back on ebay, spend a couple of hours making your manifolds and forget about trying to find other, equally time consuming, ways to do it?

Seems like you have a solution in the palm of your hand? Its a LOT easier to cut a perfect small circle with a rotating cutter than with a hand held plasma.

Chain drilling it and filing out the remainder is going to take much longer than just running a hole-saw through the plate.

Al.

 

[Superbad]

resolved gents,thanks. I didn't realise that going extremely slow is required. A case of pause,give it a chance to pierce through,and then fraction at a time move along.

 

[penfold]

Got any photos of the successfully cut out flange? It's always nice to see a good outcome to a problem.

 

[Superbad]

Will do,not a straight cut though,quite messy

 

[Superbad]

As you can see on the left,which was what I was aiming for.