hey guys

i'm looking to fabricate my own setup instead of buying manifolds etc (which i've done / paid for before)

anyhow i was looking to make my own flanges / adapter plates etc, but was wondering what tool you guys use to make basic cuts in your sheet metal.
just making basic cuts like for for flanges like these


obviously they came from a larger piece of metal
i know some people use plasma cutters but i dont own one...

would an angle grinder + cutting disc (maybe diamond cutting disc? only $15..) or a jigsaw with metal cutting blade do the trick?
or do you reccomend anything else?

cheers
david

 

if you have a local machine shop with a mill, im pretty sure they will do it for you cheap if all your lookin for is a whole to be cut out of steel. save youself some pain and aggony, leave it the shape it is and just weld it to the manifold. thats what most others do on here.

 

I've always looked at adapter plates like this...

1) You either spend an assload of time doing it manually with a mix of power and hand tools because you're broke, and you wind up spending just about as much on materials and consumables (drill bits, saw blades, etc) as you would actually buying the flange.

2) You pay for one, be it off the net, or go find a local waterjet cutting shop and see if they'll hook you up. The local place near me is across the road from the baller speed shop in town, so they have a constant supply of head, wastegate and turbo flanges in both mild and stainless steel and their prices are competitive with what you'd grab off Egay.

 

jigsaw no , diamond wheel not, 4-1/2' angle grinder with cutting weel yes, but it will tae forever, your better off spending the 15 dollars that would cost. To cut the hole out of the center you need a plasms or a hole saw or three that will be worthless when you are done, so It is cheaper to buy them done, just workan extra hour and buy it.

and that is plate, not sheet metal.