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Need to put a chamfer on 3/4" flat bar


nuge

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What would be the best (cheapest or most efficient) process to put a 45 degree chamfer on the edge of a a piece of 3/4 x 10" piece of mild steel. The edge needs to be vertical for 3/8" and then be beveled at 45 degrees for the remaining 3/8".

There's probably 100' or so, who gets the job?

Edited by nuge
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I've done exactly that with a router. Mine is 3/4" spindle and air powered. Definitely a job where you want to bring the tool to the work.


please elaborate. i thought of a router but they're for wood, right? Rpm's? What kind of bit?

merci
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Just think of it as a portable milling machine. Use regular carbide end mills (not the cutters made for wood), set up a fence to run against and GO. Use a real air blast on the cutter.

1HP in the palm of your hand:

1 HP Air Router w/ Tilt Base - AR-2T

Pay for it on this job and have it forever! Everything you see people doing in wood, you can do in steel with this bad boy.

15562.attach

Edited by nakedanvil
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100 feet? Heck I'd rip that out in four hours (maybe half that once I got the system worked out) and get $400.00 - 500.00 for it, machine shop would get more. Take three passes I'd think. Use a regulator and feed pressure to hold the rpm down a little. They also sell stationary belt grinders with bevelers on one end.

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Just think of it as a portable milling machine. Use regular carbide end mills (not the cutters made for wood), set up a fence to run against and GO. Use a real air blast on the cutter.

1HP in the palm of your hand:

1 HP Air Router w/ Tilt Base - AR-2T

Pay for it on this job and have it forever! Everything you see people doing in wood, you can do in steel with this bad boy.




Grant,

Will this router you referenced make this kind of cut? It looks like it only has a 1/4" collet. A chamfer of .375" X 45 degree is quite a healthy cut, how many cuts do you figure with this router?
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Guess you missed this part. Quit reading so fast, you're just like Fe-Wood!:confused:

100 feet? Heck I'd rip that out in four hours (maybe half that once I got the system worked out) and get $400.00 - 500.00 for it, machine shop would get more. Take three passes I'd think. Use a regulator and feed pressure to hold the rpm down a little. They also sell stationary belt grinders with bevelers on one end.


Even with four passes it'ed be the quickest way. I can't judge exactly as my router is 3/4" spindle & 3 HP and $700.00 - 800.00. Edited by nakedanvil
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Am I on the right track here with the cutters? Or do I get a straight end mill and angle the fence? Is air power essential, or could I use a beefy wood router and turn down the rpm's?

15564.attach

15565.attach

Edited by nuge
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Just for kicks, I tried this at work today with a scrap piece of A36. I used a pneumatic router with a 1/4" collet and a solid carbide end mill. Tried to take about a 1/8" cut pass to simulate cutting in 3 passes and holy chatter, kick, snap. The cutter flutes broke right off.

With this small of cutter, take lighter cuts, run the speed very fast, and it cut like butter.

It took about 6 passes, would have had an easier time if the collet diameter was bigger in the router. With a deeper cut, it was harder to control the lateral speed of the router and I toasted the cutter. With a bigger diameter cutter, you may have to throttle the speed down a bit with a flow control though.

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I'd just use a straight cutter - 1/4" X 5/8 flute length (carbide!) and tilt the router. Electric routers have enormous air flow to cool the high-speed motor. Not good if you suck in metal chips!

Double end cutters are available from J&L online for around $20.00



Straight cutters will most likely be less expensive than an angled cutter, another plus. The cutters shown looked like a dovetail cutter (generally 60 degrees) and the other could have been a countersink cutter, they generally come in 82 and 100 degree angles. They do make a 90 degree chamfer cutter also, Just be sure to look at the angle of the cutter if 45 degree cut is desired.
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John Larson: This is pretty close to the one I have. And yeah, I've recut dovetails with it. It doesn't tilt, but I just made a 7 degree shoe for the bottom and use a ball end mill.

Dotco Router, Base Mount, 9,000 RPM, 10T4309-62 >> Bluetools.com

Edited by nakedanvil
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there is an electric machine called a plate beveler. mine is 1.5 hp and uses replaceable carbide inserts......designed for weld prep check with some local fab shops

eg Heck Ind Bevel-Mill Plate Bevelers



Johnptc,
Thanks for the link! Now that looks like a very robust machine, I bet it works real well.


BrianD: Did you have it pushed tight against a fence? Or were you just trying to do it free hand?


Grant,
I did use a fence, but it kept trying to jump on me from the vibration and chatter. It was not so bad with a lighter cut.
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Brian - thanks for the dry run.

Devon - yeah, that would work but I gotta do a ton of this and it needs to be tight so i'm not too keen on torching it. well, the gas axe would be fine but that's too much sanding.

I'll let you know how it goes.

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