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Small project "slot template"

A

AntCaps

Member
Hey everyone,
This is my first post i found this forum trying to track down somone for a small job, I need a template made for cutting slots in Kydex.
The material is not super imortant but it needs to be at least 1/8" thick preferably stainless. Ill try to include a picture to give an idea of what i need please feel free to ask anything you need to know to properly quote this.
If the picture i post is too hard to figure out or just too busy i can send anyone the cad file.
Thanks in advance for any help with this.
wvdth6r.png
 
How wide is the strip? Looks to be about 0.750 or so. Is it critical?

You going to use a router and use this template as a guide to cut the slots and holes?
 
The hole and slot placement on the x axis also is a little hard to interpret. The holes - counter sink perhaps in thicker material? For getting any anchors out of the way?
 
sorry guys a local guy is giving me a hand with this so im good. in case you were still curious it was 1/2 inch wide and sort of im going to use a burr in my dremel to cut the slots. the holes are there to help align the slots between 2 eyelets.
 
Hey Guys,
I got my part and without getting rude about it im not happy with it slots arent straight the surface finishes are terrible ect...
anyways anyone want to quote me on this done properly?
Thanks in advance,
Anthony
 
Sorry to hear it didn't work out, hopefully someone here can make it right.

I am curious about the application though - you say its a template, but the Dremel burr is being guided by the slot? Do you mean the shank of the burr (vs. the cutting edge). Is the shank undersize the 0.125" & runs around inside the periphery? A picture might be helpful. Only reason I say this is I don't really see the need for stainless unless I'm missing something. Depending on the alloy, it may not be the most forgiving stuff to machine & serve your purpose any better. If you after smooth action & wear resistance, other materials might make good choices.

Also, if you drop a 0.125" dia end mill in & make the slot, one side of the cutter is climb milling the other not. So again, depending on the material could be a recipe for one surface being ok & other less so. So either you could relax the width constraint & make it say 0.130" using a .125 EM. Or if 0.125" is critical, then machinist may need to start with a smaller EM & the end radius may look a bit different. So just bit of end use feedback in this regard would be useful.
 
Hey Peter ill do my best to answer your questions, stainless is only preferable so if i forget to oil it it wont rust so easy. Yes the slots are guides for the shank of a burr to ride on while the burr makes the slot. I put a dowel threw the holes and into corresponding holes in the plastic and clamp them together. The reason for the 2 lengths of slots is to accommodate 1 and 1.5 inch webbing depending on what is required. 0.130 would be fine as long as they were straight.

The part i received was just poorly made the holes weren't even round maybe ill snag a picture tomorrow but in attempt to make it somewhat acceptable i sanded and blued it so im not sure how bad it was will show.

Im sorry im so poor at describing my thoughts i dont know much at all about machining.
 
AntCaps, Most stainless alloys work harden as you mill them. This job is fairly easy in aluminum. but takes a lot longer - up to 3 times as long, to do in stainless. Cold rolled would take up to twice as long... It would dull at least one HSS cutter as well in stainless (that alone would increase the cost a lot).

I recently did a job in 1/8" stainless 316: 5 - 3/8" holes. I had to sharpen the drills 4 times to make the 5 holes, and it took about an hour to cut them. It takes time to do an accurate job so the holes are to size and round in stainless.

If you really need long wearing, the ideal material is 4140, milled and heat treated. this is very easy to machine annealed, but hardened it is long wearing. BUT If you REALLY need corrosion resistance, use 154CM, a knife making material - it is often referred to by machinists as a 'near stainless' and it can show some discoloration over time due to oxidation, but is very workable, and hardens well in heat treat. It doesn't corrode like soft steels, however.

- for the really picky people: 154CM is sold as stainless, but it does corrode a little over time.
 
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