Custom cut pieces?

rtm038 · Jul 24, 2005

Hello all,
I've read a few posts where guys made templates (wood, cardboard, etc.), then took them to a steel place and had them reproduced in steel. How much (ball park figure), minus the material costs, does it usually cost to have it done?

Thanks
Ryan

Bird · Jul 24, 2005

The cost will vary considerably, depending on whom you take it to, and of course how much cutting is required, how thick the material you want cut is, etc. I know one machine shop that would be glad to do it, and they may be reasonably priced on many jobs, but they have a minimum of $50 to do anything.

Egon · Jul 24, 2005

Ditto as to Birds comment. Might add the quality of the cut should be considered too.

I'm pretty lucky. There is a spring shop in town and the fellows there always have a better way of doing things than I come up with. Cost is very reasonable. I usually tell them what I wish to end up with and for what purpose and stay out of the way.

Egon

BigAl · Jul 24, 2005

I paid $95 for the metal shop to set up and transfer my 2 wooden cutouts of a grapple jaw, to a computer disc . Now I can have any shop cut my jaws if they have a computer aided cutting machine to work with .Most of the bigger machine or welding shops can do this .
allen

theonlybull · Jul 24, 2005

at my shop, $50 per hour, plus material. we can cut from paper thin, to 6" if the need arises. we usually bandsaw anything up to 3/16", and use the radiograph after that

RedRocker · Jul 24, 2005

63 cents a pound on e-bay

rtm038 · Jul 24, 2005

Thanks everyone for the responses. I figured it would be no more than $100 per hour, especially if I buy the steel from them. So, I'll have to get out the phone book tomorrow and make some calls.
Thanks again,
Ryan

frederic · Jul 25, 2005

If you just have a few pieces of steel to do, send the work out. You've been given good suggestions thus far.

However, if you have a local steel supplier, and do intend to do a ton of fabrication work, a plasma cutter is your best friend. Took me two years to get this into my head, and purchase a Miller 375. It cuts 1/2" steel and thinner, no problem. I use it mostly for automotive projects, as it's easy to cut very straight lines on complexly curved fenders and such, then do the same for the patch panel that you're putting in there. It cuts just about everything. Because the heat is very localized, you can cut around cardboard, mdf or aluminum templates if you want with no problems either. For oddly shaped things like a homemade alternator bracket I'll draw it in "Visio", print it to the laser printer, tape the pages over a piece of cardboard, then cut with an x-acto knife, then plasma cut around the edges.

And if you get bored, you can sign your name in a piece of 1/4" steel. ;-)

Anyway, if you are going to be doing lots of cutting in the future, doing itself is less costly. Especially in your 'waiting". I find around here in NJ most shops will take any kind of work I need done, but they put it way at the end of their priority lists because there are enough 'quick buck' jobs passing through first.

Farwell · Jul 25, 2005

Frederic,
What accessories would I need to set up a complete Miller 375 system. Have not been around plasma cutting.
Farwell

MadReferee · Jul 25, 2005

( Frederic,
What accessories would I need to set up a complete Miller 375 system. Have not been around plasma cutting.)

Here is what I used. <ul type="square"> [*]Miller Spectrum 375 plasma cutter setup for 230 vac [*]Motor Guard filter [*]HarborFreight filter/regulator combo [*]50 ft 3/8" air hose on reel [*]Shop compressor capable of sustaining 60 psi (unit shuts down if below 40 psi) [/list] In order to use a plasma cutter you need clean dry air. Under certain conditions an external air drier may be necessary.

My connection goes from the plasma cutter to the motor guard filter to the HF stand-alone filter/regulator to a reel hose and then into my piped shop air system (which also has a water seperator and regulator). The HF filter/regulator is not really needed since the 375 has a built-in regulator but it does add another line of defense against moisture and saves me the cost of a drier. Your mileage may vary.

The hose/reel and both filters are mounted on a cart together with the plasma cutter. The cart is an old Craftsman project work station with drawers and is shared with my TA-185 tig unit.

I would post a picture but my computer with the photo software on it has died and I haven't repaired it yet.

Farwell · Jul 25, 2005

Frederic,
Thanks. I think that you have posted this information before but I did not connect it. Thanks a bunch for the info. I have most of what is needed except for the cutter and the motor guard filter. Trying to justify the expense in my mind.
Farwell

rtm038 · Jul 26, 2005

Thanks for the input on the plasma cutter frederic. My buddy has a fairly new one at his shop that we use from time to time. While it works well, for me, it seems to be a little tricky to use. For example, when cutting a piece of steel, say 1/4" mild sheet, it'll stop cutting in the middle of "the run". Then I have to release the button, press the button again and continue cutting. I'm not sure if it is the machine or me that is causing the problem. Before each cut, I spray the tip like the instruction manual says. The one thing I'm not clear on is how far above the piece do I hold the nozzle? Should it be just above or in direct contact with the steel while cutting? Any help would be great.

Thanks
Ryan

tlbuser · Jul 26, 2005

Or the other option, using compressed nitrogen. No driers needed. Doesn't miller have a paper filter that looks like a roll of TP to attach to their units?

MadReferee · Jul 26, 2005

( Doesn't miller have a paper filter that looks like a roll of TP to attach to their units? )

That's a Motor Guard filter.

frederic · Jul 27, 2005

Hey guys.... happy to help. A plasma cutter is a big expense, and not for everyone. For me it was time economics. Every project I embark on requires a tremendous amount of cutting of metal, so why spend 40 minutes watching a hole saw bore it's way through 3/8" steel (slowly, as not to rip the teeth off) when I can zap a circle with a plasma cutter in about 3-5 minutes?

As far as what else you need... the 375 is simple. 220V input, compressed air (through a moisture capture unit and a filter of course).

If you want a beautiful cut you can feed it argon or another noble gas if you wish, however to my brain this defeats the purpose of the plasma cutter - cutting without having to refill large tanks. Oxy/Acl cutting is just as easy, except you have to refill your tanks quite a bit.

Sorry I haven't been keeping up lately... been working on a new project:

I just started, so it doesn't look like much. Essentially it's an open-frame combination of X and Y trucks, that will eventually have my plasma cutter gun attached, and controlled by a cobbled together PC.

The software works, the homemade stepper interface works, and the X and Y trucks slide freely. What's next is to buy Nema23-sized stepper motors, slap together some cog-pulleys and belts, and build limit switches.

tlbuser · Jul 28, 2005

yep, that's the one I saw. Thanks.

tlbuser · Jul 28, 2005

you can feed it argon or another noble gas if you wish According to the book I got, nitrogen was the only choice given. What would be the difference between argon and nitrogen? defeats the purpose of the plasma cutter - cutting without having to refill large tanks. Our field service crew thinks bottled is easier than getting another compressor. I almost have to agree with them, it's my money they're spending.