jackb_ms Posted June 25, 2004 Posted June 25, 2004 I will need to drill some some 43-44mm diam hole in a 10mm thick piece of mild steel. Can anyone give me advice on the best way of doing it? Thank You very much Jack Emily, The Very Yellow 21
Big Brother Posted June 25, 2004 Posted June 25, 2004 http://www.screwfix.com/app/sfd/cat/pro.jsp?ts=92704&id=18279 You will need an Arbor to hold it and possibly some cutting fluid as 10mm is quite a bit of metal to get through. Steve Se7en-Up!
thinfourth Posted June 25, 2004 Posted June 25, 2004 i really don't fancy your chances with a hole saw but give it a go personnely i would take the lump of steel to a engineering firm If lump of steel was unmoveable then i would chain drill it. Center punch the center of the hole then mark a circle the size of final hole. Now get about a 6 mm drill bit then mark a hole half a drill diameter smaller then you large hole (43mm large hole-3mm[6mm/2)=40mm) now center punch round this at about 6.5mm distances then drill out each of the center dabs until you get a chain of holes then a big hit with a hammer and the center should fall out then clean it up with a file and you have your hole. If going for the hole saw make some coolant get some oil and mix it with water and detergent until you end up with something close to milk and then use it in a sqeezy bottle to flood the area once in a while to move away cutting and cool the teeth of the saw. I would also advise a wee bit of above mixture while chain drilling don't use pure oil as its cooling propertys are sh*t and it just smokes and slows cutting. Sod the heater wheres my shades
Mark Gregory Posted June 25, 2004 Posted June 25, 2004 Jack If it can be moved, take to someone who can do laser cutting, & offer to buy them a couple of pints. Laser cutter will do it in no time. They usually go up to about 20mm thickness in mild steel. Good luck! Mark
Griff Posted June 26, 2004 Posted June 26, 2004 Jack, If you want a smooth hole, find a local fabricator with a rotorbroach. If you want a pretty good but not perfect hole then have it profiled (flame cut) which can be done by hand reasonably well or by CNC profiler very accurately. It'll be a tricky "home" job on 10mm plate. Mike
Rob Morris Posted June 26, 2004 Posted June 26, 2004 It depends on the finish and dimesional accuracy you desire. 1st option - center pop it drill small hole (12mm) to take metal out on middle to make it easier for following drills. go up in size to 43mm and drill..............Obviously you need a 43mm drill bit and a powerful drill press etc 2nd option as suggested chain drill it (lots of small holes drilled around the desired diameter of finished hole. You can then either try a hole saw (doubt it would work on steel) or axesaw the holes together to free up the inner scrap section. You could then file the half circle left from original drilling to a smooth finish.sadly NOT very accurate 3rd option iis to get the item flame cut at a fabricators..bit rough 4th option is to get it plasma cut...lot better finish and more accurate 5th option is to get it EDM'd (Electrical discharge machine) by a good Engineering company, commonly known as wire cutting...this will be the most accurate hole available and will run at approx 4-6mm per minute....expect to pay approx £45/hr for the service and allow for programing time on top 6th option is to get it jig bored at Engineering company.................possibly more expensive than EDM nowdays Basically what do you need the hole for...........how urgent is it?...........where are you based? I could get the work done for you FOC 😬
Rob Morris Posted June 26, 2004 Posted June 26, 2004 Oopp's forgot........... 😳 Laser cutting.....very good option as suggested, but buy beer also as suggested due to cost for programing and cutting time will not come cheap if you walk off the street......................find a source and play dumb..............smile a lot and look lost. you may get the vote! Us Engineers like to feel important and special......................... 😬 Problem is England refuse to reflect it in wages..
Bafty Crastard Posted June 26, 2004 Posted June 26, 2004 No no no 😳 I'll try to explain, type of hole "cutter" you need it has two parts, Front part, a round cutter (in fact a punch). The back part which is a tube that punch pushes into First drill a pilot hole say 1/4" or what ever, you then with a bolt secure the punch one side and back tube on the other, slowly tighten the two together Out pop a neat hole Try here On the other hand 10mm thick !! R300 NUT Edited by - Bafty Crastard on 27 Jun 2004 00:00:42
Normans_Ghost Posted June 27, 2004 Posted June 27, 2004 Bafty, hole cutters are for sheet metal not for 10mm thick steel norman verona 1989 BDR 220bhp Mem No 2166 Curmudgeon in an Elise, (and 7 and Elan)
Graham Perry Posted June 27, 2004 Posted June 27, 2004 The other alternative is to reach for the oxy. You will need to find a real artist with the torch to do it with any precision . Not many good people with a torch about now though .
Bafty Crastard Posted June 27, 2004 Posted June 27, 2004 I think you my be right ! 10mm is a bit thick 😳 R300 NUT
Rob Morris Posted June 27, 2004 Posted June 27, 2004 Just had another thought......pretty good for a Sunday these days.......! Do you know anybody with a milling machine? If so they could quickly set it up on a rotary table and mill a perfect 43mmm hole.quick, accurate and cheap
Rob Morris Posted June 27, 2004 Posted June 27, 2004 Then again you could set it up in either a 4jaw chuck or on a face plate of a lathe and turn it out....this should only be tried by a person that know's wht they are doing with lathes..........! Basically there are dozen's of ways to put 43mm hole through 10mm steel. Wht you need to decide is how accurate you need it to be, the finish required and if you want to spend money to achieve it. List below goes from cheap to expensive, funny thing is that the quality, accuracy and finish follow suit to. Cheapest - Chain drill and file Cheap - Flame cut Cheap to Medium - Drilling Expensive - Milling Quite expensive EDM, Laser, Plasma If I can help then please call me at home 01952 240730
jackb_ms Posted June 27, 2004 Author Posted June 27, 2004 Thank you very much Rob I'm buiding my own exhaust manifold. I had the tube bend in shape, i am now complenting how i am going to attached them to the engine. The idea is to recreate the plate which is welded to the pipes. I don't believe this plate is available on the market, this is why i'm trying to make one. But maybe I'm wrong Jack Emily, The Very Yellow 21
deanteam Posted June 28, 2004 Posted June 28, 2004 I have seen in Demon Tweaks catalogues exhust maifold flanges for sale. In fact they advertise a service were you send the gasket and they make up the flange.( At least in the 2003 catalogue )
thinfourth Posted June 28, 2004 Posted June 28, 2004 in that case 10mm seems a bit thick for a car engine. But get a gasket and wander down to a nice machining place and they more then likely be able to cut you out the same shape from sheet steel. if you are willing to do some cleaning up go to a welders or fabricators and get one of the old boys to cut it out using a gas torch If have worked with some of these old guys and some of them are amasing i have seen one guy burn nuts off and leave the bolt undamaged. Sod the heater wheres my shades
jackb_ms Posted June 28, 2004 Author Posted June 28, 2004 I have just Contacted Demon Tweeks and they have one left for a 1.4 1.6 K serie. My engine beeing a VVC I am not sure if the flange for the smaller engine will fit on a VVC. Can someone tell me please 😬 Jack Emily, The Very Yellow 21
DanB Posted June 28, 2004 Posted June 28, 2004 Can't help you with the manifold sizes, but if DT can't help, try ringing Powerspeed in Kent or any other custom exhaust place which regularly makes K-series manifolds. When the GF and I were considering making up our own exhaust for her CBR1000 powered Ginetta, Powerspeed were more than happy to supply the collectors and manifold pipes for us to use to make up the exhaust ourselves. HTH Dan p.s. in the end we bottled it, and got one made professionally...
jackb_ms Posted June 28, 2004 Author Posted June 28, 2004 Cheers Dan I've ordered the one left. Hope it will fit! I'm just missing the collector now which I will have to get rather than made it myself ☹️ Do you have Powerspeed number? Jack Emily, The Very Yellow 21
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