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derbyrm
 
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Default ughh,.. how do you cut stainless steel plate?

I went thru this a few months ago. Someone suggested "burning" it by
putting a disposable saw blade in the table saw. It worked fine, but do
clean up any sawdust that's laying around since the fireworks are
impressive. The theory is that the blade has time to cool as it moves from
the cutting point around the perimeter, but the SS doesn't. I used a 6"
plywood blade that had been expended trying to cut Masonite. The cut edges
do have to be cleaned up with a grinder.

For drilling 1" holes in 1/4" plate, I got to 1/2" but that was the limit
for my 1/4 hp drill press. The local machine shop charged a minimal fee and
used a machine that's bigger than my car.

Roger

http://home.earthlink.net/~derbyrm

"ready aboot!" wrote in message
...
It's 1/8in plate, dull and greasy, probably 304. I buggered the
bandsaw blade, then two "hardened carbide, blah, blah" jig saw blades,
a file, a diamond file, then got a beefy angle grinder and gouged
grooves in it and forced it through what was left of the bandsaw metal
blade, dressed it fairly straight with the grinder and ground it to
shape on a big bench sander with gnarly grit paper. This took several
frustrating hours. There was course language and graphic violence. It
won't fit in the power hacksaw because of it's initial shape. Is there
an easier way? We don't have a pneumatic metal stamper, cutter, shear
thing locally. Thanks as always.