Square holes

admin

I am looking to do some handrails and guardrails. I need to make square holes for the vertical elements. I know they can be made with an ironworker, however, I don't want to spend $5K if I don't have to. What is the least most expensive way to make a series of square holes (5/8") in some AL channel for the guardrail verticals?Thanx
Reply:Find a shop with an iron worker and pay them a few bucks, there is no cheap way to do it. Unless you want to drill and jig saw every hole but thats just insane.If you cannot convince them, confuse them.         Harry S Truman
Reply:drill a half inch hole... then with a torch, heat the hole up red hot, and drive a tapered 5/8th square stock through it...if you're not livin on the edge, you're takin up too much room..
Reply:Use a square drill bit
Reply:Originally Posted by OxideUse a square drill bit
Reply:Originally Posted by OxideUse a square drill bit
Reply:If these are flat pieces, rather than tubing with the hole in only one side, and if you have a decent press available, you could use a square broach like those shown below. First drill the round hole, then form the corners.http://www.dumont.com/prod3c.html#mmsq
Reply:Posted by Wintermute:He asked for the least expensive.
Reply:Those DuMont Square broaches look interesting. How do they work? It seems like you drill a hole and then take the piece over to a hand press with the broach and run it through? How is the broach secured to the press? I have a Bridgeport Milling machine - can the square hole drills (Reuleaux bits) work on it? Who sell them? How much are they. My guess is that they would be a lot less expensive then an ironworker.
Reply:just mill out the holes, should be easy since you have the machine already......Synchowave 180SD  Bernard 3500SS water coolerMillermatic 200Parker Plasma Tec 40dvOperating Engineers Local 12
Reply:BruceTSAre you suggesting I use a small end mill and mill all the holes that way and then just file the rounded corners until they are square? That could certainly work, however, it seems like a lot of labor. I was hoping I could get something like a Baileigh SW-22M Manual Five Station Ironworker and rig it up to use square punches. Heck, I'd be up to fabricate an iron worker to use square punches if I could find some plans. That would certainly be less expensive than buying a $5K hydraulic Ironworker.Most of the punching would be in fairly thin AL channels, etc. I don't believe anything more than a manual press would be needed, however, I still need the square punches.BTW - all these posts are greatly appreciated. Thank you all very much!
Reply:No use a 1/2" or 5/8" end mill, cut the hole, then switch to a 1/8" and make the corners. Since I have a CNC Bridgeport it's too easy.Synchowave 180SD  Bernard 3500SS water coolerMillermatic 200Parker Plasma Tec 40dvOperating Engineers Local 12
Reply:Got a portapower? Make up a frame to support the stock and a hydraulic cylinder, buy the punch, and punch them. Aluminum punches fairly easy, and it sounds like you are going the thin way, so you don't need a monster cylinder or real heavy frame. Just need to be sure the punch will stay lined with the die.
Reply:If you have a Bridgeport, you could use small end mills to open up the corners after drilling 5/8" holes, but it might be much quicker if you have many to do, to use the broach. Each tooth shaves a little off, rather than take it all as one slug. They come in two varieties; some are pulled, others pushed. For production work, I would make a holder for the top end in the press and some kind of jig to position the work properly. I have a friend who uses them frequently, but I don't own any although I once made a crude one for a special task.
Reply:easiest way is to just go buy pre punched channels from gate and railing suppliersthey should have what you need for anything flatthe stairways might require some filing but you should be able to make it all work
Reply:I have used one of these.  http://roperwhitney.com/punching/2-1011.cfmI purchased it about 6 years ago for about $300ish off ebay..  I think you can get them for  around $150 now.  You would probably need to modifiy it because a 3/4  inch slug is the largest that will pass through the tool.  And a custom die and punch would be needed because the largest square die they sell for the tool is 9/16. There is plenty of meat for modification.  Also a special split nut ($30 from RW) is needed for to hold larger dies.   Fab a jig for spacing and alignment.  Work pretty well for steel I never used it for Aluminum. Finding somebody to do it is a good suggestion.I got one of these for 700 bucks.  http://www.rogers-mfg-inc.com/  Check around for press shears.
Reply:Pre-Punched! Now THAT's an idea. In fact, here it is right down the road from me:http://www.easternmetal.com/products...extrusions.pdfThank you sir!I'll call Eastern Metal on Monday am. I have purchased a lot of tubing from them in the past. They are nice people, great pricing, they deliver and I'll bet $5 will get me $10 that they'll custom punch stuff for 6" centerlines, etc. I'll post what they tell me.This goes to show that people that make stuff are good people! We need more tangible goods manufacuring in America.
Reply:Here's a manual square hole punch that will punch holes from 1/8" to 2+". I wonder how much it is?http://roperwhitney.com/punching/1-25.cfmI still like the idea of pre-punched channels.
Reply:It is only 8 tons.  Need to figure out tonnage required to punch your material.  Pre punched is a good idea, expecially if you don have a way to do it fast already. Good luck with you project.
Reply:square holes have been punchd' with an Arbor Press and Broach for tha last hundred years.......use a 3 ton Arbor Press and Broach for around a buck$ or two.        thermal arc 252i  -  millermatic 350P -   miller XMT, cp300ts, 30a 22a feeders, buttload of other millers, handfull of lincolns, couple of esabs  -   Hypertherm 1250 G3
Reply:Why not make a square hole steel template with the correct stand off for an hand held plasma cutter.  In most cases the template is 1/4 inch larger than the hole you need to cut.  Clamp the template over the material.  Grab the plasma and run around the template.  I have used this method for other applications over the years.  You can have someone cut you a template on a CNC plasma or CNC laser for very little money. Most of the templates I have made have been 1/4 inch thick.Depending on how clean you need the finish this might not work for you.  A 5/8" square hole is not very big.  Someone mentioned above outsourcing the work.  If you have a lot of them to do on a regular basis I would consider sending it out to be done. Hope that helps.Dan"I Build Stuff"www.jmrmfg.comwww.509media.com