February 22, 200818 yr What do you guys use to cut shapes outta 1/8 and smaller? Does Stainless steel pose a problem. Plasma, Laser and O/a are not the methods of choice in this situation.
February 23, 200818 yr Hey Pete, For sheet 1/8th and thinner I use my variable speed jigsaw. I'm always cutting circles and irregular shapes so it works really well. I also rigged up a removable cutting deck for my metal cutting band saw that gives me a little more support area for cutting when the saw is vertical. It's pretty versatile for cutting a variety of shapes. Couldn't say for stainless. I only use a plasma because I've never had luck using a mechanical means to cut it.
February 23, 200818 yr If it's a complex shape, I draft it up in autocad and email a *.dwg file to the water-jet shop and then stop by after work with a 6 or 12 pack (depending on how big the job was) to pick it up. I still pay them for it, the beer is more for the inconvenience of them setting up for my piddly little jobs while they have production runs going that make them far, far more money than said piddly jobs.
February 23, 200818 yr at the shop: generally there are dozens to hundreds of somethings (leaves typically) to cut out, so they get shopped out for laser cutting, if super high accuracy is required (rarely) waterjet is used. If its less than a dozen or a sample they are generally plasma cut in the shop, the iron worker with a nibbler is an option depending on the shape, then grind at home: rough it out with a jigsawscrollsaw, grind and file (grinding includes cutoff wheels either in an angle grinder or my foredom, for tight detail) there is also a hand nibbler if the gauge is thin enough
February 23, 200818 yr a jewelers saw is nice for really tight pierce work, but 1/8" would be pushing it in steel
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