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Thread: Help! What Steel To Use For Chip Deflector?

  1. #1
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    Question Help! What Steel To Use For Chip Deflector?

    I want to make a chip deflector for my miter saw and I'm not sure what steel to use.
    I really don't know much of anything about working with metal. I know what I want to do and what shape I need to cut & bend it into. What I don't know is what steel to use. I want to be able to cut & bend it easily enough that it's not a struggle (I am disabled and I have some weakness in my dominant right arm), yet hold its shape without deforming every time I look at it. There will be no real stress on it. it's just going to hang on the back to help deflect more chips & dust into the vacuum chute.
    So what do you think? 22 gauge? 28 gauge? More, less, in-between? Or another suggestion?
    Last edited by Stew Hagerty; 06-29-2016 at 4:52 PM.
    "I've cut the dang thing three times and it's STILL too darn short"
    Name withheld to protect the guilty

    Stew Hagerty

  2. #2
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    My other thought was to use some brass. That works pretty easy, but it's more expensive.
    "I've cut the dang thing three times and it's STILL too darn short"
    Name withheld to protect the guilty

    Stew Hagerty

  3. #3
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    Why not use aluminum?

    I frequently make brackets for attaching lights to machines, safety covers, etc. and have very few metal working tools anywhere near my wood shop. I would think a piece of 1/16 or 1/8" aluminum would do what you need. A small piece 1-2 ft square can be purchased from Lowes or Home Depot. They also sell aluminum flat strips and angles up to 4' length and various widths. The 1/16 can be cut with Aviation type snips, but with a full face shield (for hot chip protection) you can cut 1/8 or 1/16 aluminum with your table saw, or miter saw (use an older fine tooth blade, if you have one). For hand sawing, I use a hack saw, as the finer teeth will make it easiest to use. I use my vise to do the bending needed, or two pieces of 2 X 4 clamped to both sides of the aluminum and then held in the bench vise while I slowly bend it along the edge of one of the 2 X 4s. A tighter bend can be achieved using another piece of 2 X 4 as a cushion, hit with a hammer to tighten the bend radius. If you want smooth edges and no burrs, a few strokes of metal cutting mill file smooth the edges and remove burrs after the cutting. I frequently use my ROS with 150 sand paper to remove scratches from the surface and leave a smooth, even, but dull finish. You won't make anything super precise this way, but for one off projects it can work fine. Buy enough metal to make at least two, because the first is likely to not turn out well. The more metal working you do, the better you will get at this.

    Brass is expensive, and hard to find, but it can be soldered together relatively easy. I wouldn't use it for making anything this large. Steel is harder to work, and it rusts if not painted or electro plated. I wouldn't use either for a saw dust collection bin.

    My son's welding shop is where I go when needing serious metal working, but his shop is 10 miles away. I gave him all of my metal working tools, MIG and TIG welders several years ago, so I have to go to his shop now to use them. For small brackets, guards, etc. I usually just stick with aluminum or Lexan and make what I need in my wood shop.

    Charley

  4. #4
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    When I made safety shields at work we used plexiglass or lexan. You could heat it up with an hot air gun or propane torch and bend it to suit the purpose.
    You have to be careful not to heat it up too much, else it would bubble and melt.

  5. #5
    Steel is less expensive than aluminum, brass or plexiglass. It is easy enough to bend thin steel to make that a non-issue. Cutting and joining could be issues although cutting 22 - 28 ga is easily done with snips. As to what thickness you need, it depends on the size of the part and the stiffness that is needed. If I were making a deflector for my miter saw, I would use whatever thickness I had around the shop for a proto-type. Metal roofing is commonly 26 ga (sometimes thinner) and a scrap of that might work. 55 gallon barrels are a good bit thicker and a piece cut from one of those would make a strong deflector. I do agree with getting more than you need and expecting to make more than one before getting one that works well and looks good.
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  6. #6
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    I picked up a 12"x12" piece of 28ga galvanized on Amazon for $5 delivered. I haven't started making the deflector yet, but I have thought about using the metal for figuring out the best size & shape for the deflector then using it as a template for making a brass or plexiglass one just in case it would loosen up one day.
    "I've cut the dang thing three times and it's STILL too darn short"
    Name withheld to protect the guilty

    Stew Hagerty

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by Stew Hagerty View Post
    I picked up a 12"x12" piece of 28ga galvanized on Amazon for $5 delivered. I haven't started making the deflector yet, but I have thought about using the metal for figuring out the best size & shape for the deflector then using it as a template for making a brass or plexiglass one just in case it would loosen up one day.
    For figuring out the shape and fit thin cardboard also works well and makes a nice template. Sometimes I use stiff paper.

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by John K Jordan View Post
    For figuring out the shape and fit thin cardboard also works well and makes a nice template. Sometimes I use stiff paper.
    Yeah, I usually use heavy construction paper for stuff like this, but I may well just use it as is and not make one from brass or whatever. If I feel confident that it will not slip, come loose, move, or otherwise get in the way of my blade, then I will most likely just use it.
    "I've cut the dang thing three times and it's STILL too darn short"
    Name withheld to protect the guilty

    Stew Hagerty

  9. #9
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    The deflector on my saw is cardboard. Another inexpensive option is thin pvc pipe. Cut it with a jig saw and shape it with a heat gun.

    If you are just needing a small piece ask someone doing roofing or gutters for some scrap flashing or aluminium gutter/downspout material. You may get it for free or a couple bucks.
    Chuck

    When all else fails increase hammer size!
    "You can know what other people know. You can do what other people can do."-Dave Gingery

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