rodgling
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| posted on 27/8/13 at 08:56 PM |
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Cutting aluminium
I'm looking to make some new aluminium panels to tidy up the interior over the winter. What's the best tool for cutting long (ish - about
20cm) straight edges?
I've already got side cutters and a nibbler, neither of these give very neat results in my hands.
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richmars
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| posted on 27/8/13 at 09:16 PM |
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Stanley knife.
Fix metal rule to Al panel, score along rule with knife. repeat.
You'll need a new blade for every cut, but gives a good straight cut.
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avagolen
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| posted on 27/8/13 at 09:17 PM |
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Hacksaw and file work well - in the absence of a guillotine.
Set the hacksaw with the blade at 90 degrees to normal then you
can cut long edges.
Snips or jigsaw can be used for initial cuts, just do not get closer than 10mm to the
desired edge.
Use a straight edge to check for high spots and file slowly.
Use a fine file when you get close to the finished edge.
slowly, slowly, gets results.
have fun.
The Answer for everything, but never the last word....
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plentywahalla
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| posted on 27/8/13 at 09:38 PM |
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Plasma!
Rules are for the guidance of wise men ... and the obedience of fools. (anon)
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loggyboy
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| posted on 27/8/13 at 10:28 PM |
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Guillotine for straight cuts, jigsaw for curved. Jigsaw will need good ally blades, and edges finished with file/grit paper.
Mistral Motorsport
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rodgling
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| posted on 27/8/13 at 10:36 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by plentywahalla
Plasma!
This is exactly the kind of tool buying advice I was hoping for :-) Although if I'm honest a guillotine sounds less likely to take my legs off.
A regular paper guillotine will do the job?
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loggyboy
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| posted on 27/8/13 at 11:06 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by rodgling
quote:
Originally posted by plentywahalla
Plasma!
This is exactly the kind of tool buying advice I was hoping for :-) Although if I'm honest a guillotine sounds less likely to take my legs off.
A regular paper guillotine will do the job?
Assuming your joking I wont take piss, but will point you to these...
www.ebay.co.uk/sch/Guillotines-/12578/i.html?_sop=1
So jigsaw is the cheaper option.
Mistral Motorsport
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Smoking Frog
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| posted on 27/8/13 at 11:20 PM |
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Used a jigsaw and finished off with a file for all my panels. Correct blade, jigsaw settings and support the panel both sides of the cut. Cut from
reverse side as the sole plate will always leave scratches. A squirt of DW40 on the blade helps. Be careful when reaching the end of the cut as the
blade tends to snag.
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cliftyhanger
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| posted on 28/8/13 at 07:10 AM |
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if using a nibbler, clamp a straight edge as a guide. I have done that many times with steel sheet, and it gives excellent results. I use a pair of
speedclamps for the job. Also handy for using with a circular saw for wood, worktops, fitting kitchens and so on.
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Doctor Derek Doctors
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| posted on 28/8/13 at 07:20 AM |
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I found that a jig saw with a nice straight but of angle clamped to the sheet to run it along made a decent cut with the tool I had.
Although the easiest way to get a nice straight edge was to just use the straight edge of the supplied ally sheet as the main straight lines for the
bopdywork.
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plentywahalla
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| posted on 28/8/13 at 07:29 AM |
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quote:
Originally posted by rodgling
quote:
Originally posted by plentywahalla
Plasma!
This is exactly the kind of tool buying advice I was hoping for :-) Although if I'm honest a guillotine sounds less likely to take my legs off.
A regular paper guillotine will do the job?
I was being quite serious, and you can always hire one.
On thin sheet aluminium they are amazing. As they put no stress on the sheet when cutting there is no surface damage or distortion. It is literally
like the proverbial knife and butter job.
You will get a bit of dross on the edge but it will be much less than a saw blade will leave, and it will clean up with a file.
Rules are for the guidance of wise men ... and the obedience of fools. (anon)
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ashg
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| posted on 28/8/13 at 01:29 PM |
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angle grinder with a 1mm inox cutting disc, goes through ali like butter and cuts real nice straight lines.
Anything With Tits or Wheels Will cost you MONEY!!
Haynes Roadster (Finished)
Exocet (Finished & Sold)
New Project (Started)
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snakebelly
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| posted on 28/8/13 at 04:03 PM |
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depends how thick, we used some .9mm sheet last weekend to close in the front doors of the Hindenberg and found the easiest way was a Stanley knife up
against a long steel ruler, scored it 2 or 3 times them just bent it back away from the score and it came apart clean and easy.
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rodgling
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| posted on 28/8/13 at 04:44 PM |
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That's quite lo-tech, but I will give the stanley-knife approach a try, thanks.
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The Black Flash
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| posted on 11/9/13 at 11:23 AM |
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Bit late but anyway...
I have a sheet metal saw which is a hacksaw blade holder, but rather than a big tubular frame, it's more like a wood tenon saw without teeth,
and the hacksaw blade bolts on the bottom, where the teeth would be. Great for cutting straight lines in sheet material, but I've googled and
can't find one anywhere. It is quite old so maybe nobody uses them anymore?
Edit - one of these, this 'un is rather rusty:
 .
"Vintage", apparently. Bloody useful, says I
[Edited on 11/9/13 by The Black Flash]
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The Black Flash
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| posted on 11/9/13 at 11:32 AM |
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Bit late but anyway...
I have a sheet metal saw which is a hacksaw blade holder, but rather than a big tubular frame, it's more like a wood tenon saw without teeth,
and the hacksaw blade bolts on the bottom, where the teeth would be. Great for cutting straight lines in sheet material, but I've googled and
can't find one anywhere. It is quite old so maybe nobody uses them anymore?
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nick205
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| posted on 11/9/13 at 01:38 PM |
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I favour a decent manual nibbler, with plenty of WD40. Always cut with the good face down to keep it clean and go steady. I get good results and
minimal finishing afterwards.
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jps
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| posted on 30/9/14 at 08:19 AM |
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Nibbler recommendation please...
Helpful tips here - i'm in possession of some, but not all, of the tools mentioned - so want to get a 'nibbler'. Can anyone
recommend this one? https://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/product/details/clarke-dhc-2-double-headed-metal-nibbler
Ta!
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rodgling
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| posted on 30/9/14 at 08:25 AM |
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I have one of those. It's alright, it cuts nicely but it's a bit hard to steer so it can wander off course. But it does do the job. You
may find it better to mount the drill in a vice and feed the aluminium by hand.
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Badger_McLetcher
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| posted on 1/10/14 at 06:12 AM |
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quote:
Originally posted by snakebelly
depends how thick, we used some .9mm sheet last weekend to close in the front doors of the Hindenberg
Hadn't realised this thread was quite this old  
If disfunction is a function, then I must be some kind of genius.
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