Square holes

[Gary BrookeParticipant @garybrooke63895]

Hi all just got back from holiday. Time to get on with our loco.the question is how do you make a 5/16 square hole in3/8 plate about 1 1/2 deep with out coming through the side thanks .
Regards Gary .

[Gary BrookeParticipant @garybrooke63895]

[Andy from WorkshopshedParticipant @andyfromworkshopshed]

Gary, you’ve not said what material you want to make a hole in. There are some clever tools that allow you to “drill” square holes but this is quite small and I don’t think those would work.

Perhaps a small cold chizel is the solution?

[Gary BrookeParticipant @garybrooke63895]

Thanks for the prompt reply. The material is BMS. But would a small chisel distort the outer surface as I reckon there will only be op 1/32 left each side

Regards Gary

[Andy from WorkshopshedParticipant @andyfromworkshopshed]

Yes, that’s quite possible.

 

The only other idea I can give you is to drill all the way through, use a broach to square off the hole and then plug the back of the hole. Looking at the MEW index #26 has an article on broaching

 

Here’s an example of a chap whole made a 1/8th blind hole that way.

 

http://www.chaski.com/homemachinist/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=82230&start=135

[Andy from WorkshopshedParticipant @andyfromworkshopshed]

That article in #26 looks good and has some advice on making broaches too. There’s another article in MEW #135 too which has advice on making them

[Keith LongParticipant @keithlong89920]

Gary, could you attack this another way, by making a sandwich of 5/16 for the filling with the space left in it for the hole you’re after and 2 side cheeks of 1/32. Join the whole lot together by silver solder or rivets?

Just a thought – never built a loco and probably never will!

Keith

[Ian S CParticipant @iansc]

Another way, use a piece11/32″ thickand machine a slot 5/16″square,then silver solder, or other wise attach a 1/32″ plate. isc

[Ian S CParticipant @iansc]

Another way, use a piece11/32″ thickand machine a slot 5/16″square,then silver solder, or other wise attach a 1/32″ plate. Ian S C

[NilochParticipant @niloch]

From ME 3705 – 20 to 31 May 1983:

A New Method of Slotting Square and Rectangular Holes by Arnold Throp

His introductory paragraph reads:

When I wrote the article on my new slotting attachment which appeared in ME 3598/3599 I described one method of slotting holes, using a D-shaped cutter, and indexing from the jaws of the four jaw chuck. Since then I have produced many square holes this way, including some only 1/8″ square in the valve operating levers of my Corliss engine model. Such tasks are easy but as the size of the hole increases the tool is more prone to elastic deflection and “push-off” when cutting across a wide face.

However, I have been able to devise a new method I have not seen elsewhere, which overcomes this trouble………………..

[mickParticipant @mick65121]

Hi. All.

Perhaps we’re looking at this problem from the wrong direction. The amount of heat required to silver solder the fabrication would certainly be enought to make it bend like a banana.

I think it would be nigh on impossible to cut a 5/16th square cleanly through an inch and a half of 3/8th squ. MS even if you could hold it you would need an industrial broach and these are quite long, you would also need a decent size fly press.

The only way I can see is to get an industrial workshop to cut the squ in a larger section, at least 5/8th. Then produce a 5/16th squ packing piece that is a decent push fit to the broached squ. then mill the service stock away to produce the 3/8 squ. then remove the packing, but I would think even this approach would distort the section.

I can’t imagine what this is for, but its an awful lot of trouble to achive.

[Andy from WorkshopshedParticipant @andyfromworkshopshed]

Some out of the ball park ideas….

 

Drill a large round hole and pack the sides with 4 pieces cut from a round bar to leave a square hole in the middle.

 

or use an electrical discharge machine

[VersabossParticipant @versaboss]

>>Time to get on with our loco.the question is how do you make a 5/16 square hole in 3/8 plate about 1 1/2 deep with out coming through the side thanks . <<

As a non-locomotive builder it would interest me which part of a loco needs a deep square hole in the side of a 3/8″ plate. What’s the purpose on the original, and how did ‘they’ make it? (supposing the scale relationship is the same).

Greetings, Hansrudolf

(**cking editor: when I use the quote mechanism I cannot return to normal mode!!! 

Edited By Versaboss on 15/09/2011 21:03:19

[Gary BrookeParticipant @garybrooke63895]

Hi Versaboss.
The hole is in the link bracket that I am fabricating. Not quite sure what it’s for time will tell. I assume that in full size it would be a casting.
Regards Gary

[Clive HartlandParticipant @clivehartland94829]

I have a Japanese video of a square hole drill, I dont know how to put it on the forum.

I can send it to someone as an email who can then post it if possible.

Its quite an amazing bit of kit and is shown in slow motion.

 

Clive

[adyParticipant @ady]

Probbly this one?

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALiqAXiTQBg

 

 

[Kerrin GalvinParticipant @kerringalvin72662]

Hi Gary,

“Hi all just got back from holiday. Time to get on with our loco.the question is how do you make a 5/16 square hole in3/8 plate about 1 1/2 deep with out coming through the side thanks .
Regards Gary .”

A little confused if the plate is 3/8 thick, then a 1 1/2 deep hole is going to stick out the back a bit! I’m guessing that you are putting it into the 3/8 thickness? As a suggestion, find a water cutter company close to you & go see what they can do for you, the hole will come out the back but you can easily plug that.
Cheers Kerrin

[Clive HartlandParticipant @clivehartland94829]

Yes, thats the one so no need to email to anyone!

 

Clive

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