"Bullet-proof" stainless steel plate

[snapper1d]

I got a 7 1/4" metal cutting blade for a skill saw and put it on my table saw and cut my plates.It cuts them pretty quickly.Then I just clean the edges and they are ready to go.Those blades are really cheap.

[Omega]

I found a guy with a big press break. He charged $30 to cut 24 plates, 4 had tabs on them for electrical hookup; he cut those with a plasma cutter.

The plates look better than I could do with a jig saw or worse yet, a Dremel.

[justaguy]

When using the cutoff tool play with the rpm to get the best results. Don,t try high speed or the thin disc will get hot and try to warp. Go about medium speed. And another tip, wear long sleeves or the cuttings will sting your arm,lol.

[computerclinic]

Another good tip about using the cutoff tool or angle grinder is not to try cutting all the way through the plate on one pass.

Making the groove with a few passes and then when its thin enogh, go all the way with it, but be sure to allow the metal and your disc to cool down before each pass.

I saw a fellow in youtube with a jig that was made out of an old table and a pair of bed frame rails. It looked like he put the cutoff tool inside a piece of PVC tubing and mounted it using a couple of boards and a block. The bed rails served as a fence to get alignment of the plate, and also as a race for the tool to move laterally. It looks like it works okay, but I would have to try it out to be sure.

Water jet and CNC is the best way to go, the next best cut would be the press cut. Last thing that I would use for cutting is a plasma tourch. It will leave you with a bunch of edges to clean up, it also heat treats the steel, robbing the stainless of some of its very important properties. In Omega's application for cutting tabs, I would think because its so small of a run that it would not make much of a difference, but I would suggest any other method for cutting longer runs that do not involve flame to cut the plate.

[Omega]

Another good tip about using the cutoff tool or angle grinder is not to try cutting all the way through the plate on one pass.

Making the groove with a few passes and then when its thin enogh, go all the way with it, but be sure to allow the metal and your disc to cool down before each pass.

I saw a fellow in youtube with a jig that was made out of an old table and a pair of bed frame rails. It looked like he put the cutoff tool inside a piece of PVC tubing and mounted it using a couple of boards and a block. The bed rails served as a fence to get alignment of the plate, and also as a race for the tool to move laterally. It looks like it works okay, but I would have to try it out to be sure.

Water jet and CNC is the best way to go, the next best cut would be the press cut. Last thing that I would use for cutting is a plasma tourch. It will leave you with a bunch of edges to clean up, it also heat treats the steel, robbing the stainless of some of its very important properties. In Omega's application for cutting tabs, I would think because its so small of a run that it would not make much of a difference, but I would suggest any other method for cutting longer runs that do not involve flame to cut the plate.

Hey, CC, nice to see you back on the forum.

How are you cutting the SS plate offered on your website? Is there any way to get the plates with a tab on top to hookup electrical connections?

By the way, I am going to replace the plasma cut plates for ones cut on a press break with tabs welded to the top of the plates. My UPS guy's brother welded up 3 of them for free and did a super job. It pays to have friends! The plasma cutting made the plates look like sh*t and the dimensions were way off because of the material loss from cutting. Live and learn.

[computerclinic]

Thanks Omega, its still a bit of a challenge typing with my fingers very sore from the accident and my busted rib makes it tough even to walk the dog, but it wont be much longer before I am back in the shop. Its mostly the prescription that is keeping me away from the tools right now. I have found other ways to do my day to day stuff. Although I am still waiting for inspections and board approval before I open for business.

I cut plates from the sheet with a shear press. I cut the tabs into the plates for electrodes with a hand held air shear so there is no welding or bolt on tabs, just solid metal for safety. For plates without tabs such as a neutral plate with a cut corner, I use an air driven cutoff tool such as the one I described in an earlier post. Plates which are produced with a sanded finish, I use a belt sander with a metal oxide dry sanding belt. I use a drill press for the holes.

Glad to hear you are building some connections out there, I remember you saying earlier that its tough being out of the city, I know what you mean. I was in Philadelphia for about 8 years before I moved out here to rural Oklahoma. It can be a challenge building up the resources.

[Smith03Jetta]

I stripped half the teeth off a band saw blade shortening all my plates a bit and cutting the 1.5 inch gap for my plate tabs. The sheet metal shop cut mine with a sheer/brake.

I eventually found that I got a better cut if at least 3 teeth were in contact with the metal at all times. That required me to stack my plates 3 or 4 high before starting my cuts. That really saved my blade once I figured that out. Cutting a stack of sheets at once keeps the single thin stainless steel sheet metal from riding up and down the blade teeth and breaking them off. If you cut a thicker piece of metal only the sharp edge of the blade teeth make contact with the steel.

[computerclinic]

You can get the same results with a bit of wood and a c-clamp...It will help reduce the vibrations and save even more on your blades too...