How do I get this widget made (a small rectangular bit of 1.6mm mild steel)

[Ross77]

I'm wanting to make a low profile variant that sits on top of the guitar body (hence the blade needs to be rather squat) ...there ain't nothing out there in the dimensions that I seek.

How about getting the blades from mojotone (addiction-fx are usually cheaper if they do them) and ask some one with a guillotine to cut them down? the cut edge could go at the bottom where it wont be seen so doesn't matter if there are slight shear marks. if you could get away with cutting it in the middle you could get curved and straight from one piece.

[HankMcSpank]

I like your train of thought...and yes, I'd end up with a lovely top finish, but I'm then still back to the problem about cutting thin pieces of metal (& I'd imagine a guillotine on such a small piece of steel will see curling deformation).

[oscar]

Get a length of 4mm thick ground flat stock, 1"1/2 wide. Mill the width down to 33mm (if you can get away with a width of 31.75mm, just get 1"1/4 and no milling involved). Then take it to a local wire EDM place and get them to slice it down into 1.6mm pieces. Quick rub of all faces on some wet and dry placed on a flat surface, jobs a goodun.

[Robin Hewitt]

I have a notion that you need soft iron if you want to do magnetic stuff. I could be wrong but hot rolled sounds a lot more appropriate than gauge plate. Sure cuts easier.

[spluppit]

If you need this job looking at its pretty straight forward. Lots of very elaborate and overkill ways have been suggested to make this part and its really very simple and is not a job that warrants fancy machining methods to produce at a cost, A lot that have been suggested will cost you a small fortune. It's some 1/16 cold rolled sheet stripped up and machined to a size............... that's all it is really. If you need a super finish on the visible edge then there are methods that are available to achieve that finish without fancy and expensive grinding.

If I can be of any help please feel free to contact me.


Kind regards,


Scott

[HankMcSpank]

As it transpires, since my initial post, I've now established that I probably need the part to be something like 430fr stainless (on account it has higher electrical resistivity, therefore less eddy currents - and eddy current heat seems to be more of a problem than I first realised - especially at higher frequencies) ....430fr also resists corrosion (which was something else that was troubling me)...so right now, I'm on another quest to find a 430fr supplier that won't want me to buy 0.5 tons as a minimum order! (& the early indications are that it's likely to end in a cul-de-sac, because 430fr seems to be mainly supplied in rod form ...& in large quantities - it's a wonder anything new gets to market made by the small guy!)

Thanks to all who contributed ...& Scott, I'll definitely be in touch when I need such work done.