Fabrication technique tips (1 Viewer)

[jbs11]

Lots of good tips so far! Here's another question: How do you make slotted (elongated) holes to allow some adjustment in the fit?

 

[Gumby]

Lots of good tips so far! Here's another question: How do you make slotted (elongated) holes to allow some adjustment in the fit?

end mill in the bridgeport

 

[jbs11]

end mill in the bridgeport

I thought about saying "without a mill", but I assumed that it would be obvious I didn't have one if I was asking Hopefully I will have a mill some day, but in the meantime, is there a half-a**ed method? Any decent side cutting bits for a drill? I've tried drilling two adjacent holes and joining them with a Dremel, but that is slow.

 

[LC_Hamma]

I thought about saying "without a mill", but I assumed that it would be obvious I didn't have one if I was asking Hopefully I will have a mill some day, but in the meantime, is there a half-a**ed method? Any decent side cutting bits for a drill? I've tried drilling two adjacent holes and joining them with a Dremel, but that is slow.

You'll need a small collection of these metal munchin bits. You can get them at McMaster-Carr or find them at your local "specialty" tool store:

 

[LC_Hamma]

Saving Holesaw Pilot Drill Bits

Many times I've broken the pilot drill bit when the holesaw grabs the metal on contact. So, I decided to keep various sizes of the pucks that have been cut that fit inside the holesaw. I'd trim them up a little & slide them on, just inside the end of the holesaw, so that the drill bit has side to side bracing. Haven't broken another pilot bit since

 

[malcb]

Also for tape measures, I've always learned to "burn and inch", meaning start your measurement at the 1" mark instead of the end. Most tape measure clips are either bent, sloppy, or too messed up to give accurate readings. Just remember to take that inch into account when you're cutting and measuring, because I've heard of some people forgetting and ending up an inch short

Still on measuring if you have a series of measurements for say 5 holes in a row think about how your measuring them. Each measurement will have an "error amount" an if you measure A to B to C to D to E to F you will have five "error amounts" that might cancel or might all add up. If you use a common datum each measurement only has one "error amount"

X2 on the kerf of a saw, seen someone forget that recently, kept marking a cut and cutting down the center of the line, wasn't critical but sort of annoying. Likewise if you need 5 sections all 12 inches long don't try and save time by marking them all at once.

 

[kulangot]

Lots of good tips so far! Here's another question: How do you make slotted (elongated) holes to allow some adjustment in the fit?

Steady hand and a smoke wrench - plasma or oxy fuel...your preference.

Drill one hole and elongate it or drill two and connect the dots.

 

[Awl_TEQ]

Here's one from this weekend. Doing some tubing work making a rear bumper/ slider for my 45LPB. I made up one side the way I liked and then had to mirror it and make the other side look the same. For the straight braces, if you notch one so it fits good then cut a length of tube and roll your good one around it while marking with a sharpie - then cut your mark and you should have a "perfect" mirrored copy. You could transfer the notch with paper and pen too. Just roll your good piece across a sheet of paper marking as you go, then wrap the paper around a new piece. If you cut the excess off the paper, you can make either a mirror or exact copy by wrapping the paper one way or the other.

 

[yotawheeler]

i have access to auto cad so whenever i can/need to i use cad to draw things up, print it to a 1:1 scale and theres my template. works like a hot damn!

also for getting holes a consistant distance apart i have used a compass (the type for drawing circles) and use a center punch to mark your first hole, then go from there, the distance from hole to hole being the radius of your compass..hope that helps and makes sense.

happy fabricating

 

[cdv3286]

Anyone have any tips on how to form sheet metal to match a curve? I am re-doing the rear pannels on my 40 and need a good way to bend the metal to match the curve in the original.

 

[kulangot]

I built a simple press that uses a piece of 8 inch gas main and some 10x10 lumber

Works like a charm.

PM me your address and I'll send you some pics.

I think I still have the pipe drop, if you want it, you can have it. Shipping to NC would only be a few bucks, it's 1 inch walled 8 inch gas main - awesome because it's strong but does not mar or scratch the metal.

Works great on up to 16g thick steel and replicates the original bend perfectly - even better than some of the expensive replacement panels that I have seen.

-Stumbaugh

 

[cdv3286]

Thanks! Look forward to seeing the pics... just sent you a PM.

 

[Awl_TEQ]

I built a simple press that uses a piece of 8 inch gas main and some 10x10 lumber

Works like a charm.

PM me your address and I'll send you some pics.

I think I still have the pipe drop, if you want it, you can have it. Shipping to NC would only be a few bucks, it's 1 inch walled 8 inch gas main - awesome because it's strong but does not mar or scratch the metal.

Works great on up to 16g thick steel and replicates the original bend perfectly - even better than some of the expensive replacement panels that I have seen.

-Stumbaugh

Yup, that's all I would do. Push a piece of pipe into the flat panel. Sounds like a good setup.

 

[RAYJON]

add me to the pm on the peice of gas main.. I would like to see that also I need to make some rear fenders for my 40 also...