Laser cutting

[Seadog]

Following on from my Bambi compressor thread, I've reached a point where it would be helpful to find someone with a laser or water jet cutter. I need two reed valves making in 0.018" stainless spring, if possible

Any help would be appreciated.

 

[maz0]

Was 2 seconds from posting a thread asking the same, I need 3 sets of bucket ears in 10mm plate for the digger so will just keep an eye on this one

 

[mangocrazy]

Moi aussi...

 

[Seadog]

Form an orderly queue. Social distancing to be observed too

 

[Agroshield]

Have you a dxf of them? If not, that is the first step to minimising your cost. You could try the guy at Model Engineer's Laser, but I think the challenge is going to be finding someone who happens to be cutting your required material and can add your parts to the sheet.

If you could supply the dxf and material, someone with a hobby-level CNC mill could double-sided tape it to a flat backing plate and cut the profile out (superglue might also work but would need to be dissolved not heated to remove or it may change the temper in the spring steel).

For the smaller piece, I wonder if a stainless paint scraper or similar could provide the material.

 

[Ton-up]

I recently put a wanted thread on here asking for spring steel for compressor valves-

https://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum/threads/spring-steel-for-compressor-valves.100432/

A mate got me a strip 1 1/2" wide and I made a valve like in the thread picture. I just used a Dremel with cutting disc to roughly cut out, mounted stones to finish outside and carbide cutter to do tight bit and hole. Really easy.

Compressor all up and running fine now!

 

[mtt.tr]

I can draw you a dxf and get you a quote for laser and waterjet


If you would like

 

[Brad93]

You need a fibre laser for that thickness.

 

[Shox Dr]

Sandwich betwixt two sheets and fret saw them out. The lower Id use a pair of scissors

 

[Seadog]

Right, I'll have a drink and consider all of your suggestions. Thanks

 

[julianf]

At busy times I outsource to a local firm with a laser (well, several of them).

I'm sure you have enough offers above, but if none of them come to anything, I can ask them to add them to my next job.

 

[julianf]

After looking at your post again, and this probably isn't an offer, but couldn't someone just do that on a CNC mill?

I know nothing of stainless, but 0.4mm of it can't be that tough, can it?

 

[hotponyshoes]

As shox dr says.
Pritstick it to a sheet of nylon, clamp another sheet of nylon ontop.
Print out a template and stick that on top the sandwich. Router for the majority of it then dremel out the rest. Run it under the hot tap to get the glue off and finish with a sheet of 800/1200g wet and dry wetter out on a flat surface and move the metal around on top of it.

Dont think you will get the stock from a paint scraper though, I was after some a while back so went round the local stores with a measure, thinnest I found was about 1.4mm I think.

 

[Johnnybravo]

A lot of laser cutting companies will not cut thin material,shims etc. Not because their machines can’t do it,but because the cut parts fall into the machine and are a bastard to get out. I would clamp it between two thicker sheets and mill it out.


* That’s what I got told by the two laser cutters I use when I needed shims cut last year...

 

[sako243]

Worth having a chat with Dave at Cirrus Laser, he's got fibre, CO2 and water jet. I know he's cut out thin precision shims for Nige at Megasquirt UK before.

Very accommodating for small one off jobs but not necessarily the cheapest but quite often best bang for your buck long term.

 

[thinfourth]

OR you could follow the advice of the slightly nuts Kiwi who almost went to jail for making his own cruise missle

 

[Agroshield]

Just to add if you do DIY, a quick way of shaping is to mount a Dremel or die grinder upside down under a table so the spinny bit is poking out and move the stock around it. You could then glue the old part to the new stock and reproduce the outline. Have a look on YT for videos by 'michaelcthulhu'.

 

[Munkul]

Sandwich in wood, cut it with a fretsaw or coping saw, and finish by hand with a file? That's how the original was done, looks like...

 

[Seadog]

Lots of good ideas chaps. I'm not sure that etching would work on stainless, though. My other issue is sourcing a small off-cut sufficient for the project.

 

[sako243]

Lots of good ideas chaps. I'm not sure that etching would work on stainless, though. My other issue is sourcing a small off-cut sufficient for the project.

Dead laptops are a good source of thin bits of metal (particularly if they have CD drives) but they may well be galvanised / zinc plated rather than stainless.