can you Router alloy i know i can cut it with my electric chop saw ??
as i dont have a milling machine .
has anyone tryed it??

I cut this with a router (although it was CNC controlled)



adpator plate

Cheers

Fred W B

Really, really difficult and dangerous unless the router is stationary or in a contrlled set up,I.E CNC.

You can remove very small amounts, but if it grabs you will destroy the bit and if you are unlucky bend the router shaft.

I bent the shaft on my 1800watt router trying to remove about 1 mm from alluminium.

Talking of ali- does anyone know where to get thickish sheet ali?
Metalsupermarket tend to have a slightly random collection and its not exactly close to me if it turns out they haven't got any. I need a piece of 10mm (or thereabouts) ali as a raiser plate on my dry sump...... which it looks like I'll be cutting by hand rather than with my router


I would explain what exactly I'm going to do with it but its a bit tricky to explain!! Basically- I'm replacing the mahusive sump with a flat plate. Only problem is I need a small sump to have the pickup in. Can't put one below the flat plate cos it would stick under the car (reason for doing the DS in the first place!), so I'm going to cut a sheet of 10mm ali to the shape of the engine interior which protrudes into the block (ie effectively raising the floor) and has a hole / recess cut in the middle for the pickup. I'll mill some drainage grooves from the corners of the thick plate into the center recess to aid drainage.... Doh! Just explained it!!!

Aalco (http://www.aalco.co.uk) have places in Swanley and Slough.

Though I'd call first to make sure they have what you want in stock, and the price before setting off.

[Edited on 23/1/07 by iank]

Cheers
Looks like I'll be taking a trip to Slough at some point!! Wonder if I'll make it all the way up on a tank of fuel!! My tank is tiny- filled it 3/4 the way up the other day and it cost me £12.... Oh well, guess I'll be stopping a lot!!

i might have a sheet of 10mm ally measuring 30cm x 20cm. u2u me if interested.

That could be good- I'll go measure my sump, hadn't got as far as sizes of material!!!!

Re cutting 10 or 12 mm, an electric jig saw (with suitable blade) worked for me. Drill holes to form the corners on inside edges and then cut from one hole to the next.

You can use hole saws for bigger radiuses

Cheers

Fred W B

[Edited on 24/1/07 by Fred W B]

[Edited on 24/1/07 by Fred W B]