milling down 1/8 stock to 3/32

tjay · Jan 27, 2006

A customer of mine has asked if we could "plane" down some 12 foot long steel bars. Current dims are 1/4 wide x 1/8 thick x 12 foot long. He needs to take them to 3/32 (+/-.002) thick.

Outside of just milling them down on a mill, does anyone have any suggestions of how he could get this accomplished. He said he has like 300 pcs. of these 12 foot bars.

Any ideas would greatly be appreciated.

Thanks,
Tjay

Ferrous Antiquos · Jan 27, 2006

Big long planer with a 12-foot magnetic chuck.

Since that may be tough to find

here's how I would do it:

Make up a jig about 12" long, that has a 1/4 x 1/8 groove down it's length. On top of the first 6 inches screw on a cover plate. On the second half, mill off the top of the jig so the groove is only 3/32, and cap this off. Clamp it to the mill table.

Plunge a hole where the two caps meet for a end mill or shell mill. Set the depth to match the top of the 3/32 cap. Now you can feed the stock into the 1/4 end by hand, and have it come out 3/32 on the other. Sort of like an upside-down jointer for metal.

bernie_l · Jan 27, 2006

Tjay-

Thinking way outside of the box, I wonder if you could find someone that has a large belt sander/grinder like a Timesaver and get them to do it with the understanding you buy the belt.

take care
Bernie

pgp001 · Jan 27, 2006

Assuming the bars are bright drawn and not black.

You might want to take an equal amount of each side of the bars, otherwise it will have a tendacy to curl up due to uneven stress relief.

Phil

gbent · Jan 27, 2006

I agree with Phil, if these bars are cold finished, warping will be a bear. Unless the stuff is Unobtainium 69, getting the right material would be far cheaper.

Access Db Guy · Jan 27, 2006

Three hundred pieces is worth developing a special fixture.

a. Buy, rent, or borrow a small shaper. 7-Inch stroke will do.

b. Build two height-adjustable rolling extensions/fixtures like are found with wood table saws. One for each side of the shaper table, attached thereto. Two rollers, one above, one below, the stock. Some way to adjust vertical height and the amount of clamping pressure. You want the material that is on the table to be in a consistent plane for the width of the table.

c. Small depth of cut, fast feed, very short stroke = fine finish if all is set up right.

d. As most small shapers only have about 9-inches of lateral table travel, for a 12-foot work piece you'll have to shift the stock about 16 times x 300 = 4,800 shifts.

PITA? You betcha! But you'll get a good finish.

Once built, adjusted, and tested, it would appear you could hire some young person to “feed the beast.”

Of course, I *AM* somewhat shaper-centric in my thinking.

Regards,
Stan Db

matt_isserstedt · Jan 27, 2006

But, the labor to do 3600 feet of this taking a fine chip off one at a time??

Surely more than just buying the correct (new)material!!!

(Unless that's an unobtainium size...but could it be slit from sheet?)

The problem I see is that the shaper toolbit needs to be removed and rehoned after awhile...it will wear down to a bad finish or dimension out of spec.

-Matt

Jerald MI. · Jan 27, 2006

I like Ferrous Antiquos method of jig design except I'd add some type of a spring loaded rollers to keep the material located "down" in the jig. Then, I'd find a way to machine feed the stock thru'.

I think taking 1/32" inch off one side will cause it to curl and really doubt you can hold the + -.002" tolerance.

Were it I, I'd look at redsigning whatever this mounts to so it will accept the 1/8 stock.-Jerald Ware

WJHartson · Jan 27, 2006

The thickness your customer wants is 13 gage .0937". If you could find someone with a small rolling mill with side guides they could roll them to thickness and you could cut them to the proper length. What is the tolerance on the width.

The cheapest is to find the correct material and buy it.

Knowing the final application for the material would be helpful. Does it have to be in 12 foot lengths? If not you might be able to find someone with a slitter and cut sheet to size. Setup time would be expensive and there would be some waste because 1/4" spacing on a slitter is pretty tight.

Joe

rke[pler · Jan 27, 2006

If I were him I'd call the fellow who supplied the original material and work out a trade of my stuff for the right stuff. No messing with thickness, machining, 25% scrap, etc. If he can't find the original supplier then someone who supplied the new stuff.

All in all it would be nice to use the old stuff, but unless it's an alloy containing unobtanium it's going to be cheaper to buy new stuff.

Fractal · Jan 27, 2006

What are the material constraints that make this a viable alternative? Seems like swapping for the right stock is the better way to fly. Alternatively, how about using a rolling mill to just sqish it down?

Joe

Gary E · Jan 27, 2006

tjay,
Let me guess...
You are a VERY SMALL NEW to this biz and hungry for work......

Skip this one it will give you NOTHING BUT GRIEF...and it will cost you tons of money in the process... and that is even IF he PAYS YOUR BILL...

I can think of only one method to do this other than a rolling mill, use a Double Disc grinder...you have one? dint think so..

Gary E · Jan 27, 2006

Of course, I *AM* somewhat shaper-centric in my thinking.

Spoken like a real carpenter, "Everything looks like a NAIL"...cuz I got a hammer...

I got a hammer...
I'll hammer in the morning...
I'll hammer in the evening..
All over this land....

and the beat goes on...

Forrest Addy · Jan 27, 2006

I suggest doing them on a big surface grinder. Probably a five hours of shop time, no fixturing except for the mag chuck. There will be more shop time in cleaning and deburring than actual grinding. There's lenty of 16 ft x 3 x 3 Mattison and Thompson surface grinders around. If the magnet poles are full table width you could grind a hundred at a time. Less if the poles are segmented.

Access Db Guy · Jan 27, 2006

Hi, Gary,

Well, at least I know my own addiction.

I agree that the original requirement is a bit strange. I've got to wonder how the delivered material deviated from the original requirement in the first place. Bad specs? Bad fulfillment? If the latter the owner of the stock might have some recourse against the supplier.

If I was thinking of seriously accepting the job (perhaps without shaper operations

) I'd want a firm contract, perhaps with some funds in a neutral escrow as such sloppy specification/receiving inspection makes me really wonder about the owning company. Of course, this could just be left overs from some previous job (300 pieces? BAD job planning! Can you say "DANGER, DANGER! Will Robinson?")

Perhaps Tjay knows the material's owner real well. I hope so.

Stan Db

Gary E · Jan 27, 2006

Stan,
I would not touch that job without a rolling mill or a Double Disc grinder... even IF i had a big surface grinder..no way... that flimsy material spells BS TROUBLE in every sense.

lbender · Jan 27, 2006

tjay,

If you really feel this is worth doing, I would proceed as follows.
* Take a one inch long drill rod and mill an axially centered slot 0.3 wide by 0.090 at the small end using a one degree tapered end mill.
* File out tool marks.
* Solution, quench and temper at 350F.
* Polish with wet/dry paper to bring small opening to 0.092.
* Clamp drill rod securely to large, immovable object.
* Park large truck with winch about 15' away.
* Take bar and use planishing hammer to flatten one end until it can pass through the opening and an inch or two beyond.
* Oil bar.
* Clamp end of winch cable to bar and draw bar thru die.

The resulting drawn stock should be 3/32 +/- 0.002 with slightly bulged sides. Making the die opening a rectangle to produce straight sides increases machining difficulty and increases the draw load dramatically.

Ferrous Antiquos · Jan 27, 2006

You're all wrong !!

Just scotch tape the stuff to the railroad tracks and wait for the next train.

Done. Ship it !

Forrest Addy · Jan 27, 2006

I LIKE it! Ferrous is King for the Day!!!

Fractal · Jan 27, 2006

Come now Ferrous....only a FOOL would use Scotch Tape when this so CLEARLY calls for Duct Tape!

Joe

milling down 1/8 stock to 3/32

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