what tool to use for 3/8" hole in 16 gauge

[skidoorev9]

I have about five hundred holes to put in 16 gauge sheet metal the holes will be no deeper than 2 inches from any one edge need help as I really don't want to drill all of these. Thanks for all your help.

J

[GabZip]

Try one of these. http://www.mcmaster.com/#sheet-metal-punches/=9h3lje

[GabZip]

A cheaper way, but more work is a step drill like these. http://www.mcmaster.com/#sheet-metal-punches/=9h3lje

[dave powelson]

Originally Posted by skidoorev9

I have about five hundred holes to put in 16 gauge sheet metal the holes will be no deeper than 2 inches from any one edge need help as I really don't want to drill all of these. Thanks for all your help.

J

Hougen roto broach cutters are wholly time and cost effective for what
you plan. 1 cutter set at proper SFPM, plus some cutting oil, will last
the 500 holes....I've had ones go 1,000.

-A very slight, tight breakout burr is created which is just sanded flush.

-These hold close size, roundness much better than a drill,
and this is faster than drilling, without the drill breakout, trying to grab
the sheet and spin it around.

-Should be doing this in a drill press, BTW---but hand drilling can be done.

[aevald]

Hello skidoorev9, see if any of the rental yards in your area have one of these little beauties, they might just fit the bill for your project.

http://www.hougen.com/punch_pro/punch_pro_index.html
best regards, Allan

[ed mac]

how about a air punch HF has them

[KGIOR]

What about sending it out to someone with a cnc plasma or water jet? I would think that the time saved would be well worth it.

Ken

[76GMC1500]

Originally Posted by dave powelson

Hougen roto broach cutters are wholly time and cost effective for what
you plan. 1 cutter set at proper SFPM, plus some cutting oil, will last
the 500 holes....I've had ones go 1,000.

Throw a piece of .010" stainless shim between two pieces of steel and they don't even last one hole

[dugndeep]

What they said

[dave powelson]

Originally Posted by 76GMC1500

Throw a piece of .010" stainless shim between two pieces of steel and they don't even last one hole

I've done beaucoup holes in SS with slug cutters, using proper feed/speed, and coolant
without a problem. Most folks pay no attention to speed in particular, especially when machining
SS.

Concerning your SS sandwiched shim:

-The first steel slug needs to be pulled out, then
cut the SS Shim--if one doesn't do that, they have problems....as you apparently did.
You ended up spinning the top plate slug, but not allowing the cutter to fully engage the
SS shim, generating lots of heat and burning that M4 tool steel cutter.

Understand that the cutter needs to EJECT the part thru the bottom.

-slugcutters can do very thin stock without sandwiching, just backup with wood underneath.

Back to the OP's question:
I'd figure 5 holes or more/minute in drill press, after layout and making center punch mark--for the cutter's pilot....and that's conservative.

Note to OP--many of the suggestions you're seeing are from those who have never used
slugcutters

[skidoorev9]

Thanks to all who replied decided to go with the water jet approach was dreading this part of the job just made more since to send it out to someone to take care of it. I hate to do that as I'm sure most of us do but sometimes we have to admit to ourselves that we cant do it all especially when time is money.

Thanks again J

[DesertRider33]

Originally Posted by aevald

Hello skidoorev9, see if any of the rental yards in your area have one of these little beauties, they might just fit the bill for your project.

http://www.hougen.com/punch_pro/punch_pro_index.html
best regards, Allan

I just spent most of the day drilling 200 holes in 10 ga sheet. At lunch, I came in and checked the forum and found this posting.

For the rest of the day, as I mindlessly drilled and drilled and drilled, all I could think about was how this punching tool could totally revolutionize my hole making. I was imagining punching these holes in 2 seconds, with no shrapnel to clean up, no squirting oil on the drill and no washing off the oil needed after drilling.

After a couple hours of dreaming of this cool new technology, I just had to stop, put in a call to my local Airgas and ask them how much do these things cost. They didn't call back with the price before the end of the day, but I have a feeling my hole punching fantasy will be shattered once I get the price.

Speaking of fantasies... On these jobs that involve endless hours of hole making, I usually pass the time by fantasizing about hot women while I mindlessly drill along. After seeing that hole puncher, I forgot all about the women. Damn you! You ruined my fantasy time!

[forhire]

Originally Posted by DesertRider33

After a couple hours of dreaming of this cool new technology, I just had to stop, put in a call to my local Airgas and ask them how much do these things cost. They didn't call back with the price before the end of the day, but I have a feeling my hole punching fantasy will be shattered once I get the price.

There is a BROKEN Hougen punch on ebay for $987

[Oldiron2]

.

What tool to use for 3/8" hole in 16 gauge?

Well, You could buy an old model 73 in 38-55 and try to follow in Ad Toepperwein's footsteps.....

.

[dave powelson]

Originally Posted by forhire

There is a BROKEN Hougen punch on ebay for $987

....apparently that's a Hougen Mag base drill.
You're not talking apples for apples, just throwing out a red herring.

The small slug cutter set retails at Airgas for around $75 for 3/8 thru 3/4", with mandrel,
for 1/4" thickness range.
A US cobalt drill set will cost more than that.

If one wishes they can order just the mandrel and a cutter or two
from a Hougen distributor....for around $25. I think the last small size cutters
I bought that way were around $9.

[forhire]

Originally Posted by dave powelson

....apparently that's a Hougen Mag base drill.
You're not talking apples for apples, just throwing out a red herring.

The small slug cutter set retails at Airgas for around $75 for 3/8 thru 3/4", with mandrel,
for 1/4" thickness range.
A US cobalt drill set will cost more than that.

If one wishes they can order just the mandrel and a cutter or two
from a Hougen distributor....for around $25. I think the last small size cutters
I bought that way were around $9.

Didn't mean to throw any kind of red herring. I thought these looked pretty cool, went to ebay to see what a used one might go for. About fainted. I was thinking of these hydraulic punches: http://www.hougen.com/punch_pro/punch_pro_index.html
It's this model: http://www.hougen.com/punch_pro/75002-2/75002-2.html

This it the auction, I didn't make it up, maybe the seller is asking too much, no clue.
http://cgi.ebay.com/Hougen-Hole-Punc...item3a5d859472

So can you use the mandrel and cutter without the punch tool?

Update: Just found one on Amazon $2575

Amazon

Amazon

[tapwelder]

http://roperwhitney.com/punching/punching.cfm

Those hand punches are fairly reasonable used. There are also clones, I think HF sell on thought don't know the throat size.

[dave powelson]

Originally Posted by forhire

Didn't mean to throw any kind of red herring. I thought these looked pretty cool, went to ebay to see what a used one might go for. About fainted. I was thinking of these hydraulic punches: http://www.hougen.com/punch_pro/punch_pro_index.html
It's this model: http://www.hougen.com/punch_pro/75002-2/75002-2.html

This it the auction, I didn't make it up, maybe the seller is asking too much, no clue.
http://cgi.ebay.com/Hougen-Hole-Punc...item3a5d859472

So can you use the mandrel and cutter without the punch tool?

Update: Just found one on Amazon $2575
http://www.amazon.com/Hougen-75002-5.../dp/B003M5IT6C

http://www.hougen.com/cutters/cutters_index.html

See the site above.

The small cutter set is wholly handy with a 3/8 drill if one can't or won't use a drill press.

There's bigger cutter sets, optional mandrels for using the mag base cutters in drill press
or mill.

I'll use a slugcutter over a drill, when I can--for a bunch of reasons, and on occasion
I do production, relatively precision hole making in AL, SS, or steel.

[dugndeep]

Harbor freight has regular punch for $11 or deep throat punch for $25,16 gauge limit on regular punch and 20 gauge limit on deep throat,deep throat is 3 1/4" depth but you can get name brand for less than $100

[KGIOR]

Originally Posted by skidoorev9

Thanks to all who replied decided to go with the water jet approach was dreading this part of the job just made more since to send it out to someone to take care of it. I hate to do that as I'm sure most of us do but sometimes we have to admit to ourselves that we cant do it all especially when time is money.

Thanks again J

I was doing a project that required 24 8x8 1/4" plates with 20 holes in each one. I had the plate sheared and started drilling. At the end of the first day I had a tall stack of untouched steel and a small stack of completed ones. The next morning I went around the corner to a laser guy to see how much it would cost to have him cut them for me. We laid them out on his PC and he told me how about $7.00 each with him supplying the plate. I actually laughed, I think I had already spent that much and had finished maybe 5 on my own. Was able to pick them up the next day with eased corners and perfect holes, much nicer then I was getting off of my drill press. Never made that mistake again.


Ken

[Showdog75]

I've got a Roper Whitney No. 5 Jr hand punch that works very well. Although it doesn't go up to 3/8". They do sell a larger hand punch but only goes up to a 7/32" hole for it. Although they will sell custom sizes based on customer needs.

http://www.vansantent.com/Hand_punch.htm

[bjmh46]

skidoorev9,

I know you said you didn't want to drill, but for 500 holes in 16 ga. mild, I'd strongly consider learning to grind a sheet metal point on a twist drill, and have at it in the drill press. This point is similar to a woodworkers brad point drill, and produces a round hole in even the thinnest sheet metal. Damn near as good as a rotabroach for a 3/8 hole. If ground correctly it will remove a slug, no burr on the entry side and slight burr on exit (if sharp).

Regards
Bob