Cutting patterns from aluminum plate?

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I am completely frustrated at the lack of response and/or high prices for cutting a very small volume of items from aluminum plate. So, I was wondering how I can do this myself. The ring will actually be made from 1/4 6061 like the other pieces. The critical dimension is the large hole which will have a bearing press fit. I dont have the $$ for a water jet, so I was looking to cut the shapes with a saw, and then have a machine shop cut the big holes.Any advise? Attached ImagesLee TiltonSCCA F500 Pilot
Reply:Send the dimensions to me and I'll either cut them myself via plasma OR can have them CNC plasma cut. I also have access to a water jet and get great pricing. What is a reasonable budget for you?John -  fabricator extraordinaire, car nut!-  bleeding Miller blue! http://www.weldfabzone.com
Reply:i also have acess to a water jet if you cant get what you ned let me know. And I am closer than JohnLast edited by usmcgremlin; 05-21-2007 at 07:21 PM.63' Lincoln SA200 2008 miller trailblazer 302fibre-metal pipelinermiller camo BWEand all the guns and ammo a growin boy needs
Reply:How thick are the parts? I know you said the ring is 1/4" so the other two must be pretty thin if your drawing is to scale. Do they need to be aluminum?Lincoln AC/DC 225/125 Stick Linde HDA-300 MillerMatic DVI MIG Miller Dynasty 200DX Hypertherm Powermax 1000
Reply:Originally Posted by usmcgremlini also have acess to a water jet if you cant get what you ned let me know. And I am closer than John
Reply:Sorry for the confusion on the thickness. The original drawing had the ring at about 1.3". It was suggested that I make the rings thinner and stack them. So...all the parts are 1/4" thick.I need 8 of the rings, 1 of the plate with the "extension", and 3 of the other end plates.Yes they need to be 6061 aluminum. These are bearing carriers for a Formula car.I am attaching a DXF file for the final design.MicroZone: I was getting quotes of $500+ for the parts with the holes drilled. I have no idea what is the norm just to cut the shapes. Give me a quote.usmcgremlin: where are you in Louisiana? It may be easier to work with you directly if local. Attached Filescarrieralldxf.zip.zip (1.7 KB, 28 views)Lee TiltonSCCA F500 Pilot
Reply:$500 is a rip off. I could cut them all out in about 10 minutes on the laser. Unfortunately I can't cut aluminum that thick. I can cut steel plate up to 1/4" though. I would charge about $100 to do it especially since you already have a dxf file. Good Luck!Lincoln AC/DC 225/125 Stick Linde HDA-300 MillerMatic DVI MIG Miller Dynasty 200DX Hypertherm Powermax 1000
Reply:Carl - you must realize some people charge a tooling or setup fee. Depending where you are, this can be 1/3 of the final cost. John -  fabricator extraordinaire, car nut!-  bleeding Miller blue! http://www.weldfabzone.com
Reply:Lee - I'll put together a final number tomorrow for all the parts in 1/4" 6061 aluminum. John -  fabricator extraordinaire, car nut!-  bleeding Miller blue! http://www.weldfabzone.com
Reply:No tooling on a laser.Edit: Sorry Micro, I didn't mean to sound like a know-it-all. I understand the need for a setup fee. It's just that I work in a small family owned shop and we are able to move more quickly and offer lower prices than larger companies.Last edited by Carl26; 05-21-2007 at 10:30 PM.Lincoln AC/DC 225/125 Stick Linde HDA-300 MillerMatic DVI MIG Miller Dynasty 200DX Hypertherm Powermax 1000
Reply:No problem Carl, I understand. My companies are the same, I run them...just me. It's the larger companies that charge all the fees and make the killing.John -  fabricator extraordinaire, car nut!-  bleeding Miller blue! http://www.weldfabzone.com
Reply:Just something to consider, but if you need a press fit for a bearing then you will HAVE to machine the opening.  I have never seen anything that was cut that precise, especially since you are stacking them to make the unit thicker.  I personally would cut and drill all the pieces then bolt together and machine the bore as one unit.  Was the $500 a finished product?  If you consider cost of materials, set up, layout, then drilling, and machining to specifications depending on there shop rate I could easily see where they came up with the price.  Just throwing out an opinion. ~JacksonI'm a Lover, Fighter, Wild horse Rider, and a pretty good welding man......
Reply:Originally Posted by Hammack_WeldingI personally would cut and drill all the pieces then bolt together and machine the bore as one unit.
Reply:Originally Posted by Hammack_WeldingJust something to consider, but if you need a press fit for a bearing then you will HAVE to machine the opening.  I have never seen anything that was cut that precise, especially since you are stacking them to make the unit thicker.  I personally would cut and drill all the pieces then bolt together and machine the bore as one unit.  Was the $500 a finished product?  If you consider cost of materials, set up, layout, then drilling, and machining to specifications depending on there shop rate I could easily see where they came up with the price.  Just throwing out an opinion. ~Jackson
Reply:Wow! The concept of using a mini-mill is appealing. How does the mill cut a precision hole like the 2.8346" one I need in the center?Lee TiltonSCCA F500 Pilot
Reply:Boring bar set. They are adjustable to .001" accuracy.I have this Grizzly Lathe Mill Combo g0516.http://www.grizzly.com/products/G0516Which is the same milling unit as this Grizzly unit. (Also Harbor Freight sells the same unit for a few less $)http://www.grizzly.com/products/G8689http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=44991 (My advie is go with the Grizzly, tolerances are tighter and the service is much better.)Using this boring Kit. This will give you good control of the tolerance. You can even use standard drill bits and hole saws with it. I would probably center, hole saw it to a size down and use the boring bar to "Shave" the rest down to what you need. http://www.grizzly.com/products/H5678If you want the best of both worlds, the Combo unit is a great deal at that price. Then you could easily turn the bearing holder in the lathe for the closest fit. More $ but well worth what you can do with it.When I got this one, I thought I would mill more. But now I find the Lathe more fun and usefull. It is amazing what these machines can do.I just RE-read the entire post and still stand by what I suggested. Even more so now. If you are to be making "improvements etc" to these cars, you are looking for lighter weight and close, tight fits. The milling machines and lathes are made for that job. You will find that once you have one, there is not much that can't be made with them. Some things will require tooling, but once the machine is there and usable -- you will never have the wrong bolt again. You will not be able to machine very large things at once, but larger projects, around 10" long by 5" tall can be done by sections on this mill. The Lathe has 2 chucks and a fly plate for odd shapes. You can use those for the turnout on the bearing fit with ease. The Mill is Variable speed. Truly from 0-2500 so you have no problems with drilling or boring. If you plan on larger items, I would get a bigger unit or seperate them out to a Milling machiune and a Lathe station.There are also retrofit kits that allow you to add CNC machinig capability to these for automated work. It will take a learning curve to set up and use, but that will occur with about everything. One you have started, you will see results very quickly and be proud of your new capabilities.Last edited by cjdavis618; 05-22-2007 at 02:09 PM.Hobart Handler 187Campbell Hausfeld 225amp AC stickwelder. Campbell Hausfeld Versa Arc 95 Mig welder HF 4x6 BandsawHypertherm Powermax 30
Reply:You could also use a rotary table on a mini mill and cut the hole with an end mill.  you could also index the holes on there too.  You could also mount a lathe chuck on the bench mill spindle and put a cutter in the vise and bore it that way.  I have one mounted on my little mill.  I used it to bore some stuff for my little hay press.
Reply:Lee -   Took the file over to the CAD computer. This drawing must be scaled up or something. The parts are measuring like 24' long each.  They don't have a scale factor listed. Can you provide another file with correct dimensions? Let me know if you still want to pursue cutting these parts out. Thanks.John -  fabricator extraordinaire, car nut!-  bleeding Miller blue! http://www.weldfabzone.com
Reply:Micro, I was confused too at first. It's metric. You need to convert the units. I got 5 inches in diameter for the small rings.Lincoln AC/DC 225/125 Stick Linde HDA-300 MillerMatic DVI MIG Miller Dynasty 200DX Hypertherm Powermax 1000
Reply:John, I sent you a PM with a link to a DXF file.Lee TiltonSCCA F500 Pilot
Reply:Originally Posted by Carl26Micro, I was confused too at first. It's metric. You need to convert the units. I got 5 inches in diameter for the small rings.