Square holes in square tubing

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Anyone have an idea(s) on how to put square holes in 1"x1" x 15 gauge tubing? I've done the drill round holes insert square picket and weld. I'm hoping someone has a suggestion that will make a cleaner connection. I'm not going to purchase a press that will punch square holes, that is not in the budget. It would be the ideal way to accomplish what I want, but it is price prohibitive.Any ideas? Places to look at someone elses invention?
Reply:how big of a square, how many and what is it for?
Reply:You can cut them on a vertical mill but the hole will not have exactly square corners (dependent on the diameter of the cutter).  You could also broach them on a hydraulic press but the broach may be expensive.Get it hot and hit it hard...
Reply:I am building gates with ½"x½" pickets. The machining is not an option. I have nothing except a drill press. Maybe there is a way to use the drill press to do this? A high dollar piece of equipment is not worth the cost to build these gates. I'm looking for something low cost but efficient to punch, drill, slot square holes in one side of the 1"x1" tubing. The hole doesn't need to go through the tube. I'm hoping that someone out there has a home built machine or a "I did it this way" story. I like the build it yourself better than look what I bought.
Reply:why not use your drill press to drill 1/4" holes in the dimension of the sq. tube?StangnetShop Full Of Stuff. Joey
Reply:Just an idea. Never tried it myself though. Might be worth trying on a scrap piece with a couple of holes.Drill 1/2" holes. Make a 4 sided, tapered punch out of some 1/2" bar steel. Put it in the drilled hole. Taper the sides of the punch so when it bottoms on the backside of the 1" tube (after you smack it with a hammer) the resultant round hole has been 'formed' to a 1/2" square hole.Put the bar you are punching the holes in on a steel plate so it doesn't deform the backside when the punch bottoms. Or maybe weld a stop on the punch so it won't actually touch the bottom of the tube you are punching the square holes in. If the above makes sense you should only be 'forming' the 4 square corners of each hole since the 1/2" drilled hole took most of the metal out to start with.
Reply:stever,Why not cut your pickets shorter and weld them to the outside of tube?  I don't understand why they have to go inside a hole on one side of tube.
Reply:Sticky, that's what I'm doing now. I cut the pickets to fit inside the frame and weld. I dislike the weld. I was hoping to eliminate the weld on the picket, or at least the exposed weld. Square holes allow the picket to enter the tubing and be captured when the frame is welded.There is a punch on the market that will do this job...$7000.00 for press and dies.
Reply:Dave D, That's interesting. I may try something along that line to see what happens.
Reply:Drill your holes the same diameter as the width of your pickets (I would assume they are square)  place a piece of steel inside the tubing as a back plate.  Now heat up your holes and drive a dummy picket through the round hole.  You will get a little distortion, but better than nothing.  If it were me, I would just make up a template for my flame cutter and through the plasma torch on the pantograph.  (But here again, I have plasma, and an almost finished flame cutting table.JonathanHope this helps
Reply:Stever sounds like your haveing quite a time with this, ive seen some good ideas so far. when I do a square tubing fince (in the field) where I dont have my mig for good clean unnoticeable welds I use a 7014 rod. Yes the weld is still visable but 7014 leaves a nice flat mig style weld on the picket. I dont know if the look of the weld is the problem your trying to get rid of, if thats whats realy bothering ya. But if you dont come to a good time worthy solution to machining that square hole without takeing out a second morgae maybe the 7014 will give you the clean look you need         On a second note if you must have those square holes in your pickets you might look into subing out the holes to a local machine shop. They will have the punches to do it and the cost should be less than you haveing to equip your shop to do it.no you cant fix it with a hot pass.BORN TO LOSE, LIVE TO WIN.
Reply:Stever,If you cut holes in the tube on oneside and shove a rod in it without welding a seal on it, Isn't it going to trap water in it and rust from the inside out and around the holes?
Reply:Now that I've read these posts and had time to think about it, the punched channel on the bottom would allow for welding the pickets from the bottom and keep water from collecting. The top tube could be drilled. The top tube only needs to hold the pickets. Thanks guys. Now if I can find that pre-drilled channel.
Reply:King Metals has it. Also, if you have an ornamental iron shop nearby, you should be able to buy it from them.Low speed, high drag............but heavily armed!
Reply:How about solid bar that is a tight fit inside tube.  Weld bar to railing, grind down excess weld, Push tube on bar, with holes drilled on two sides of tube about 2 or 3 inches from end.  Once pushed home, plug weld the bar to the tubing, and fill the holes shut.  Finish off with flap disk, a shot of Rustolem, and you'll never be able to find where there ever was a weld.  You might drill through the railing, and end weld those solid bars, then flap off the sameAt the Lake
Reply:how about squaring off the corners with a file.  Try it and you will be surprised how quick a file cuts.  Also adds to the "handmade" title
Reply:why not use a die grinder drilling the hole a 1/16 or so under what you need and trim the hold square just a thoughtdo what you love ... and hang the rest