slotted holes, how to make them?

[chunkolini]

I have a job coming in making some large garden screens for a guy in London. The screens are t measure 1.65x 2.4m. I am going to have them mounted onto poles concreted into the ground. There are three screens, the middle one will share a mounting pole with the two outer ones, so four poles in all.

The screens will bolt onto tabs welded onto the screens, using M10 bolts. I can see that getting everything exactly straight prior to bolting the ecreens being a massive problem.

I figure having the holes slotted; horizontally on the poles and vertically on the screens would give a bit of leaway for installation. How do I slot the holes? Or I am I being too clever? slotting them does give Me a bit of leaway as well.

Is this what I would use to make the holes slotted?http://www.axminster.co.uk/axminster-axminster-bull-nose-slot-drills-prod22805/ I have a cheap cross vice on my pillar drill which might help. Or do I just drill a pair of overlapping holes and grind them out.

I could get the contractor to assemble the screens before installing them he says while typing this out. But slotted holes will be an asset somewhere along the line.

Chunko'.

 

[Barney1973]

If you don't have access to a milling machine you can make a slot by drilling 2 holes in line and cutting the middle out to create a slot.
Hope that makes sense

 

[wyn]

As Barney says, If you have a plasma cutter, drill the two holes and join with two cuts of the plasma.

 

[the snooper]

just make up a jig that bolts on as the screens would and concrete with the jig in place once set remove jig and hang screens

 

[Hitch]

Two holes and gas/plasma between the two. If its only thin, you could probably create a jig with a slot in that your torch just runs round the inside of, a bit like you would with routing....

 

[chunkolini]

5mm plate, why did I not think of plasma cutter?
Because I is stupid.

Cheers all, Chunko'.

 

[Nimbus]

This is what you need... http://www.plasmacam.com/indexfla.php

 

[CTB]

Not having a plasma cutter, I used a heavy duty jigsaw to cut in from one end of a 6ml plate to a circle cut out with a drill about 2 inches from the end. Used bosch metal cutting blades. It was slow and the jigsaw got pretty hot to hold, but it made eight cuts. They were mounts for the roller bearings for my entrance gate.

 

[Justme]

Big holes & large washers on both sides of the bolts?

 

[mike os]

Because I is stupid.

i iz sayin nuffin

or get them punched?.... might be easier for what? 25-30 plates?

 

[Welderpaul]

You can buy ready-slotted tags from DC Iron (and others), that can be welded on saving you messing about forming slots, just leaving you the ones to do in the screens.
Or..if you can find a big enough jiffy bag, send them over and we can punch some slots in for you

 

[jugs]

This is what you need... http://www.plasmacam.com/indexfla.php

no thats to slow try this -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SlUgjZIqIKA&feature=related

 

[Wedg1e]

Couldn't you just leave the tags undrilled, clamp the frames up using a level etc. and drill them in-situ...?

 

[chunkolini]

Doing them in situ not an option.
Buying them in sounds tempting, I only have 12 to make, no I dont I have 24 of them.

Welderpaul, I had not thought of contracting them out. I shall speak to a couple of guys I know who have those big metal worker thingies in their workshops. I figure I mark the strip out and take it to them I have only to cut them and grind the ends. A hideous job avoided.

Thanks for that. It's funny, working independently I forget that this kind of thing is how industry works.

Chunko'.

 

[johnakay]

You can buy ready-slotted tags from DC Iron (and others), that can be welded on saving you messing about forming slots, just leaving you the ones to do in the screens.
Or..if you can find a big enough jiffy bag, send them over and we can punch some slots in for you

slotted tags?must come under a different name. dc iron don't have any

 

[Paul.]

slotted tags?must come under a different name. dc iron don't have any

They call them Fixing Lugs,

 

[johnakay]

thanks Paul.