[TheForge] HELP---Drilling A-R Plate

[Peter Fels & Phoebe Palmer]

If you make a brass or copper guide ( donut shaped)to run your torch tip 
in, you should be able to cut a pretty round little hole if you are 
careful...pf

Jerry Frost wrote:
> Another option would be high speed water cooled diamond cutters but my 
> #1 choice is water jet and charge a premium price for subbing it.
> 
> If using A-R is necessary to the piece the customer will expect the 
> expense. If it isn't and you don't charge accordingly, people WILL start 
> specing ridiculously unneccessary materials on you for everything. I've 
> been there, have stories and still have to take a long slow walk if I 
> start thinking about some of them.
> 
> If YOU bid the job without knowing what you were getting into, think of 
> it as part of the price of education. Water jet may look too expensive 
> up front but if you find out how many carbide (might work) bits you're 
> going to go through and how many hours you'll have invested in 20 holes 
> you'll discover upfront expensive is often out the door cheap.
> 
> Good luck, let us know what you do and how it works.
> 
> Frosty
> -------------------------------
> If it ain't forged
> it ain't real.
> Wrought iron is.
> The FrostWorks
> 
> Meadow Lakes, AK.
> 
> 
> From: "ries" <ries at riesniemi.com>
> 
> 
>> Pick one- Cheap, Exotic Materials, or Easy.
>>
>> You cant have all three.
>>
>> That stuff is nasty to machine. My guess is that the best way to go  
>> about it is to use solid carbide bits, in a big, very massive, slow  
>> industrial sized drill press- a radial drill would be best, with lots 
>> of coolant.
>> Second best would be a mag drill, with again, a solid carbide bit and  
>> lots of coolant.
>>
>> Another option might be to burn em with a cutting torch, then grind 
>> em  round with a grinding stone in a die grinder- but, of course, you  
>> would not get consistent exact round 1/4" holes.
>>
>> Lots of times, you save money by buying the right thing in the first  
>> place- and me, I would be buying a piece of A36, if I was you.
>>
>> Ries
>>
>>
>>
>> On Aug 30, 2008, at 9:31 AM, Richard Rozinski wrote:
>>
>> I submitted this question/request for advice a couple of days ago 
>> and   I'm not quite sure how this site works????????   Is anybody out  
>> there ?????
>> Does anybody hear me???????
>>
>> I have some A-R ( Abrasive  Resistant)  Plate that I have tried to  
>> drill multiple holes in as part of a project I'm working on. I  need  
>> to use the AR plate because  I have it and I really can't afford to go 
>> out an purchase a piece of steel equal in size.  I looked on line and  
>> saw companies/ fabricators that offer to "drill  your AR  Plate for  
>> you..... How can I drill all the holes 20ea. (1/4") in this plate that 
>> I need without burning up the rest of my years supply or my total  
>> budget for consumables for the rest of the year   in drill bits.     
>> Anybody know some tricks?????
>>
>>
>> Richard Rozinski
>>
>>
>> Ries Niemi
>> Industrial Artist
>> http://www.riesniemi.com/
>>
>>
> 
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