Source for keyhole slotted-screw punch set?

Cannonmn · Feb 16, 2018

Need to duplicate screw slots shown when I make a new access cover for a large item. Steel is abt 1/16” thick, have presses that can drive a punch set thru that steel but have not found a set to punch this shape hole. I could drill and mill but want to try and get punch set first.

DDoug · Feb 16, 2018

2 hits from an ironworker punch ?

Have you tried unipunch ?

Cannonmn · Feb 16, 2018

Thanks, found uni then Superior Die Set and just wrote a RFQ email incl that photo, will see what they say, hope they have a set in stock that’ll get me close to that hole. Have no ironworker. Do have die fixtures so I’d grab closest one to fit what they sell and adapt it (bushings etc.) if needed. Was thinking that if I get desperate, could take two sizes short drill rod and two corresponding drilled steel chunks, one for each diameter hole, and punch smaller hole twice over larger one, grind out resulting tits if it even mattered. Don’t know if drill rod can sub for a punch for this limited number of strokes (big hole, 20, small hole, 40) or not.

Cannonmn · Feb 16, 2018

I’m refurbing this fume hood, behind worker shown for scale. Access plate will cover the hole visible on back side of hood.

DDoug · Feb 17, 2018

I would just have that cover plate laser cut out, the holes could be any shape you need.

Limy Sami · Feb 17, 2018

digger doug said:
I would just have that cover plate laser cut out, the holes could be any shape you need.

Or for ''just a few '' use a bleedin file, ......it's only 1/16 thick, what 5 minutes a hole for f'ks sake? .........or has some twat banned those as well?

dgfoster · Feb 17, 2018

I am having a hard time figuring why not just clamp the piece to the mill table and drill twenty holes and then mill corresponding slots. Half hour or so and done. Might need a sacrificial top piece of steel or AL to drill through to prevent deforming the sheet metal. It is a big enough piece to need repositioning a few times but the hole spacing tolerance is pretty loose.

Denis

DDoug · Feb 17, 2018

Limy Sami said:
Or for ''just a few '' use a bleedin file, ......it's only 1/16 thick, what 5 minutes a hole for f'ks sake? .........or has some twat banned those as well?

"Swedish Milling Machine"

Cannonmn · Feb 17, 2018

Limy Sami said:
Or for ''just a few '' use a bleedin file, ......it's only 1/16 thick, what 5 minutes a hole for f'ks sake? .........or has some twat banned those as well?

Many good ideas so far but if I don’t get an affordable quote on a punch/die set I’ll get the die filer down off the pallet racks and put it to work, shouldn’t even take 5 min. / hole with that. Didn’t cross my mind before ‘cause “out of sight, ...”. May have to order right size rat-tail but that’ll be pocket change.

SteveBausch · Feb 17, 2018

Keyhole punch?

Or a keyhole broach?

Or a keyhole router bit?

Or a chainsaw file?

Or buy a bunch of electrical junction box covers and use those?

Limy Sami · Feb 17, 2018

Cannonmn said:
Many good ideas so far but if I don’t get an affordable quote on a punch/die set I’ll get the die filer down off the pallet racks and put it to work, shouldn’t even take 5 min. / hole with that. Didn’t cross my mind before ‘cause “out of sight, ...”. May have to order right size rat-tail but that’ll be pocket change.

7 - 8 - 9 - 10 keep calm Sami

By all mean ponce around with a die filer if you want, a key hole is 2 holes connected by a slot one big one small, for a job like your's I'd make a simple drill jig with the hole centres scribed all round do I could pick up the exact position on the job 20 mins 1/2hr tops to make that jig.

Clamp it to the job where I need it drill the two holes with a pistol drill snip out the bit in between with a zip disc etc etc and file up by hand. JOB DONE!

Apart from likely hood the dies filer not having enough throat depth - my Thiel didn't have much etc etc etc, I can see 3 hrs going in just getting yours down off the pallet raking and farting around to get it going

adama · Feb 17, 2018

Chill Sami, you need to remember some of the younger generation need to save there wrist action for other activities

Limy Sami · Feb 17, 2018

adama said:
Chill Sami, you need to remember some of the younger generation need to save there wrist action for other activities

And we'd have to bolt 10 of em together to get one.

DDoug · Feb 17, 2018

Couldn't you just drill the big hole, chuck a rat tail into the sawzall,
and go to town ?.... :crazy:

With proper earplugs of course.... :toetap:

Cannonmn · Feb 17, 2018

digger doug said:
Couldn't you just drill the big hole, chuck a rat tail into the sawzall,
and go to town ?....

With proper earplugs of course....

That’s where the die filer comes in, extending big hole into smaller connected slot. No throat issue as filer’s table is highest surface on it, so throat is infinite. The Clark narrow-aisle stacker will fetch the filer’s skid from the racks in about 5 min., and now I have plenty of room for it which I didn’t when it was racked. Have since added another 6k ft^2.

Mud · Feb 17, 2018

A friend who built enclosed car trailers made that shape in 2 hits in 1/8' aluminum. He used a round punch and an oval punch and overlapped them. Standard punches in unitized tooling in a press brake or iron worker or whatever suited him that day because he didn't want to buy a custom punch set. I don't think you are supposed to load a die like that non-uniformly but he never had a problem

DDoug · Feb 17, 2018

Cannonmn said:
That’s where the die filer comes in, extending big hole into smaller connected slot. No throat issue as filer’s table is highest surface on it, so throat is infinite. The Clark narrow-aisle stacker will fetch the filer’s skid from the racks in about 5 min., and now I have plenty of room for it which I didn’t when it was racked. Have since added another 6k ft^2.

It was a joke.....

Cannonmn · Feb 21, 2018

Got a ROM est back from Matt at Greendale precision, $275. Punch, $150. Die, both M2, R 60-62, 8 day lead time. I’ve bought custom stuff before and this sounds reasonable, if I was constrained to the punch/die method I’d have placed an order as soon as I got his email, but no rush on this in-house project, I can meditate on how I’ll do it. Superglueing a bunch of lil’ rare earth magnets around the edge of the cover is even one possibility, I’ve been using them other places where performance must met but design isn’t specified.

Source for keyhole slotted-screw punch set?

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