I was wondering… Can a Waterjet cut through tubing? For instance 4x4x1/8" Square Tube Aluminum? I know waterjets do great work with plate, but can they do the same things with tubing, such as cut isogrids.
And if so, would they be able to accurately cut the same pattern on the opposite side of the piece in one pass? (would this be different for different sized peices, say, 1x2?)
I know a CNC Mill would be able to do this, but just wondered if waterjet would be able to do it quicker and neater.
Not really. A water jet can but after the jet of water cuts though the first surface the water starts to spread out and the second cut is not nearly as clean. We tried it once with 1 by 2 and it came out ok… We were just cutting holes for weight and we ended up just machining it. I don’t think it would work for a 4 by 4 very well at all but you could try it.
ya that makes sence.
I wonder if you could somehow block the water from cutting through the second side with like a metal plate or something and then just have the machine do a second pass (with the plate removed) to cut the other side.
I wonder if you could somehow block the water from cutting through the second side with like a metal plate or something and then just have the machine do a second pass (with the plate removed) to cut the other side.
Well don’t it make sence for the only first and very short period of time? I believe that can’t work always…
you can put a 4x4 or a pair of 2x4s inside the box and cut the four sides individually. it will be decent and if you are powdercoating, you will never know it wasnt milled.
mike d
There must be some way to keep the pressure low enough to cut through the 1st and not the 2nd. No?
I would imagine that the best way would be to cut each side separately. If the top was cut above water and the bottom submerged, you might not have a problem, especially with a slower travel and lower pressure.
Anyone who runs a waterjet will know how to do that.
This Thread has a link to some photos showing an Xbox cntroller cut up by waterjet - demonstrates that thick objects can be cut as well.
If you look at the X-box cut into an X photo, you can see how poor the finish is on the exit cut, relative to the entry cut.
If you tried to do both sides in one shot, that’s probably what’s going to happen. If it was solid, you could cut something 12" thick if you really wanted to, and had a big enough pump, and the exit cut would be pretty decent.
the block of wood inside the tubing sounds pretty easy and simple to me.
I don’t really think sticking something in there will stop the water. Waterjets can cut through 8" thick steel like butter.
-Vivek
Mike is a waterjet expert. If he says you can put a 4x4 in there, it’s good enough for me 
If I remember right, the waterjet has the capability to cut through that much steel, but adjusting settings on pressure/speed can change a lot of things you do with it…I think. so, set it for 1/8th aluminum is a fairly fast pass. and 4 inches of wood is a lot…
not sure on this stuff, but if that makes any sense.
I believe that the purpose of the wood would not be to stop the water, but to create the same effect as a solid piece of metal. If the jet dosen’t have any room to spread out, it will retain its power all the way through the tubing.
He says to cut the four sides individually, so It probably isn’t going all the way through. The wood must be doing something to the water to keep it from cutting through.
Either way, I’d take his word on waterjetting.
Thanks Cory, but I am no expert.
I have played with waterjets for about the last ten years and have tried many different operations.
The wood will disperse or defuse the water to the point that it wont go thru the second wall, which allows you to flip the part and get a nice cut on both sides.
You doo need to play with the cut speed and pressure as it is much like voodoo, works great one time and no so great the next.
I will try and bring a sample to IRI if possible.
mike d