Thread: Carving a Slot with a Bench Grinder

Hello!

I need to make a 1mm slot in plate of metal (Carbon Steel or Stainless Steel).
Reuge+making_56.jpg
Reuge%2Bmaking_57.jpg

I know the best way to do this is with a milling machine but I don't have the money for one right now...

Since it's a simple shape, I was wandering if I could use a Bench Grinder to make this slot.

I thought of using a rail with the plate very well attached to it(screwed), then slowly sliding it under the grinding wheel. Of course, I will need to make a simple mechanism to lift the rail little by little.

Since it's just 1mm depht and the same thickness of the wheel, maybe it's not so hard to do it. If I use a metal plate do attach the bench grinder and the rail, I think it bem be very precise(Not as much as the milling machine, of course)
What do you guys think?

If someone has a cheap and better idea, please!

Thank you in advance!

Without even suggesting a method that may be slightly feasible I would suggest and recommend that you get someone with the correct tooling to do this for your own safety.

I assume you intend to use a thin kerf metal cutting disc?
These will not work very well of a bench grinder as these run too slowly.
The thin kerf discs are meant to run at >10,000 rpm.

How accurate in
1) width and placement,
2) how deep, and
3) how straight do you need it to be?

For a start a 1mm thin kerf wheel will not make a 1.0 mm wide slot.
The width depends on the depth of the slot, and the wear on the disc.

for example , a new 1 mm Makita thin kerf abrasive wheel making a full depth cut through 5 mm steel makes a kerf between 1.35 and 1.25 mm wide, a 1/4 used abrasive wheel is between 1.17 and 1.15 mm thick and that is ~10 mm back from the start of the cut.

If the cut is less than all the way through the metal, the kerf will be more than this. Also it will not be very straight .

Originally Posted by BobL

I assume you intend to use a thin kerf metal cutting disc?

I'm pretty sure he means grinding a 1mm deep trench like in the pics.

Hi Guys,

One possible way would be to use a two or three mm thick abrasive disk on a skill saw instead of the saw blade, then you have a depth adjustable machine. From there you need a secure method of fastening down the work and suitable fences so you can control the width of the cut.

A 1mm depth of cut should be doable in one go, then move over the blade thickness and make another cut, till you get to the slot width you want.

Please use eye protection because the sparks will be coming straight at you.

Good luck !

Hi frrnd ,

Welcome to the Metal Work Forums

I can only recommend that you do not try this method. It just screams unsafe.

Your life and Health and Safety is far more important than just a mere project. Take good advice given here and pay someone with the correct equipment and tools to do this job.

There is a saying here in Australia.

"An accident going somewhere to happen"

Please, don't be that accident!

Grahame

Many moons ago such a thing would have been done with a file, I'd imagine. Slow, yes. But perfectly doable.

Thank you guys for all the anwers!

I'm basing this melhod from this video at 0:20 to 0:50

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yf6QV-XdJM4

Please, watch it and tell me what you think.

Thanks!

I think this is a bad idea. If you approach any nearby machinist with some beer, and explain how you were going to do this; He will swiftly do the job for you

Sent from my SM-G973F using Tapatalk

Originally Posted by frnnd

Thank you guys for all the anwers!

I'm basing this melhod from this video at 0:20 to 0:50

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yf6QV-XdJM4

Please, watch it and tell me what you think.

Thanks!

He's doing it on a proper surface grinder that is designed for this purpose. Making some rail system for a bench grinder and attempting to feed it by hand might land you in the emergency department. Don't do it.

That looks like the blank for a music box comb.

Maybe one way of doing it by hand would be to use a drill press, set a depth stop, mark out the area, drill as many shallow holes as possible then finish with a file.

It looks like a job for a shaper.