Question for Louver Guys

Have you punched stainless steel or aluminum? Does it dull the dies or hard on them? I have a small job to do in SS, don't know if I want to risk it, Thanks.........OLDBEET

 

i have punched a lot of louvers on my old mans punch the dies have to be hard and sharp stainless is hard. cedric

 

You must know my old friend Dee Wescott!................OLDBEET

 

i live pretty close my dad worked for dee in the 60's before he worked for winfield.

 

Some stainless punches good then some of it just folds the panel up into a wad. I've got Gene Winfield's old press when he was in Modesto. And it does dull the dies I get them resharpen after I did some stainless panels for Hay Truckers ! The problem I had with aluminium was the very corners had stress cracks where the louver raised up off the metal !

 

Thanks, think I'll just stick to steel............OLDBEET

 

Aluminum doesn't seem to be much of a problem though it kinda wants to hang in the die a little. Have only done a small peice of stainless was okay too but don't know about doing a large job. With the cost of dies I tend to be a little picky about what I do. Not to hijack this thread butwhile were talking louvers I had an old boy approach me about doing some panels for an antique tractor. I can't do them with my press they're about 2 feet long and probably an 1 1/2" wide. Can anyone out there help him out on this?
Mac

 

I've seen those long louvers cut with a roller machine( don't know the real name) but like a bead roller with a cutting die. They used a jig to keep them straight, like a guide on a table saw..........OLDBEET

 

Anyone else?.........OLDBEET

 

I dbbl the price on S.S. to cover getting the dies sharpened ..and always ask if they have a s**** piece of it ...just like tazhog said sometimes it will punch fine next time will just ball it up ...so always get a test panel for S.S. Aluminum I have done a lot for the roundy round guys and never had a problem !

 

yeah i work in a fab shop specializing in s/s and ali

ali will work depending on grade (marine grade and everything to that end of the scale will crack with the stress in the corners) normal grade (thats what we call it anyway) has no problem...

depending on the thickness of the s/s and the condition of the dies shouldnt really be a problem... thin (ish) material and good sharp dies work well and easily...

staino will wear down the dies quicker thouigh becsaue its a very hard material to work with

 

You need a pulmax with a louver die to do those long louvers. It will cut and form the louver any length you want. The problem I found with stainless on my press is that just when you think you are home free it will wad up a louver and the whole panel is junk.

 

I'm ordering some louver dies from Mittler for my power bead roller, I thought I'd play around with them and see how they work. The guys from Mittler were doing some neat stuff with those dies at the SEMA show last year, I was impressed.

I would think aluminum might be ok if you anneal it first?

 

Your Beetness,

If you could get hold of some 301 or 304 ,in 1/4 hard condition,try some of that.
It is fairly malleable and not too rough on the dies.

I don't know what you are making,but I had a buddy punch some louvers in said material,and it worked well.
Said material was .032 thick,and stiffened up nicely with the louvers added.

 

A guy was wanting a row of louvers down both sides of a Model A SS grill shell............OLDBEET

 

What about aluminum??????
I plan on having a sheet of aluminum louvered.....once I find someone to do it.

 

That sounds the best, have you tried getting ahold of Mittler Bros?

 

Mittler Bros tells me no problem.. 18 guage steel=14 guage stainless. Aluminum is easy they say. Thanks for all the replys..........OLDBEET