Re: Metal router?

I tend to agree about rotary cutting stainless with the other
posters. It will be a challenge to keep the material from pulling up
against the cutting action on the bit or vibrating and catching on
the moving bit.

There have been a lot of improvements in plasma and cutting thin
materials. Most manufacturers now offer "fine cut" tips that work
well with thin material. Some even have special machines for cutting
really thin materials. I have seen discussions about cutting
stainless with Co2 instead of air and there was a thread about
actually placing the sheet slightly under water and cutting that
way. You might want to go over to the Plasmacutting Group and post
the same question there. The amount and hardness of slag is a
function of how well you adjust the speed, height and air pressure of
the cut. Dry air is a must. Seems contidictry when you talk about
cutting under water, but at the point the plasma ball is formed in
the head the gas (air) needs to not have embedded moisture.

To cut metal with a laser requires a lot more power than things like
acrylic or just engraving coated metal, and shiney metal is worse.
Abrasive water jet is neat but the high pressures required for
cutting metals and things like disposal of the abrasive and the
maintenance of all the "plumbing" make it a technology not well
suited for small shops.

I don't know how far you will get for a 1000.00. Plasma machines
alone are more than that, and work hold down and cooling are going to
have to be included in any rotary solution. A 3 X 4 gantry router to
machine SS for less than a grand would be an accomplishment.

Certain types of stainless work harden easily and can eat bits (even
Carbide) like they were free.

I know it's frustrating for you to watch someone spend money on an
operation that you feel you could build a machine to do much cheaper
but the business owner needs to think about other things. Unless you
are going to hang around to run it for free it better be simple for
them to operate and reliable. If they are making a fair profit on
the items they make and sell under the current model they may find
more return on their time by continuing to sub out the cutting and
concentrate on selling and designing.