Hot rolled steel

Chris Launders

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Every time I have something steel laser cut it's still got the black scale on it and I'm fed up with using an angle grinder on it as it takes an age and obviously marks the plate underneath. Does any one know a better way of removing the scale, I assume shot blasting will do it but is there anything else that's cheaper and easier.
Chris.
 

Pete Appleton

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Are you talking about the cut edge having scale on it or do you mean the flat surface of the plate?

My local people go on about laser cutting in their advertising but usually just whack it through the plasma cutter because it is cheaper. To get a really nice finish on the cut edge you would need to use water jet cutting.

How big is the item that you are having made? Starting off with a bar of bright mild steel would get you a nicer job, so long as you can find some to start with.

Having it plough ground would also work but I am not sure of the costs. www.pegasusprofiles.co.uk/grinding/
 

Chris Launders

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VOC Member
It's not the cut edge, it's the surface, just your normal hot rolled steel. there are various things, brake plates, engine plates, and all sorts of other stuff, I don't want to ask for them made from bright steel as they're "back door" jobs and I get them as favours.
 

vibrac

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Water jet is the best way different edges dependent on finish required give them a template and they soon have it copied to the computer I often take them a paper one
 

davidd

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I may be telling you something you know, but I had some steel that had some very strong scale on it. It was thin, but it was like steel. I typically don't pay attention to the wire wheel, but I wore one out trying to get the scale off. The spare I had was incredibly course wire. I realized that the one I wore out was not. The course wire wheel took the scale off quite quickly and I realized that I was caught out due to being lazy and not using the right tool.

I also use cold rolled when I can. However, the scale can be a preservative to some extent if the steel is going to hang around for a long while.

David
 
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