Thread: How to cut small quanities of aluminium sheet?

This could be easily cut with a hack saw, rub wax periodically on the teeth to stop the al from sticking.

It could also be easily cut with a woodworking table saw.
Ideally a negative raked tooth blade with many small teeth would be used but failing that any fine toothed blade used slowly would work.

The way I would do it is to buy a ~200 mm long piece of Aluminium strap, 30 mm wide and 5 mm thick.
Then slowly rip the end to the width you need.
Then cut the end corners off the end of the strap to make a corner of the hexagon, and then cut the other corner on the bar i.e. don't cut to rough shape before cutting the final corner

i.e. cut the corners off the bar like this
--------------\
| . . . . . . . . \
| . . . . . . . . /
--------------/

Then this cut

---------/----\
| . . . / . . . \
|. . . . . . . . /
--------------/

Then the final cut
---------/----\
| . . . ./. . . . \
| . . . .\ . . . ./
---------\----/

Do you have a woodworking bandsaw? Even if it will be a little fast, it will cut Aluminium pretty well (and safely for you). Choose the finest tooth wood saw you have at hand.
Else use your jigsaw. Or buy a metal hacksaw for $10, with a coarse blade. You can finish up the cut edges with a woodworking belt sander or any other sander you have. With a bit of time you can also finish by hand with emery paper.

Cutting Aluminium with a table saw or handheld circular saw or mitre saw is possible but VERY dangerous, especially for the first time before you know what can/will go wrong. At the very least use a negative rake blade.

I think the OP wants to cut a piece of plate into a hex rather than join bar. Looking at his other post where he is asking about sheet timber products that can be cut with a handsaw, there are no powertools in this build (either metal or wood). I would suggest only basic experience too.
The answers seem to be hacksaw and file or find someone with gear to do the job for him.

Michael

I don't have much in the way of power tools, my concern with using a hacksaw or other hand tool is that i might end up with jagged edges
i have no bandsaw or power sander of any sort
i probably have a hacksaw somwehre (which probably needs a new blade), and a smaller coping saw i used for a few things

are there possibly like, any services or groups i might be able to locate?
i thought if i could find a makerspace/hackerspace, they would probably have tools and knowhow needed, but i can't find anything within a reasonable distance

Originally Posted by kidsam

I don't have much in the way of power tools, my concern with using a hacksaw or other hand tool is that i might end up with jagged edges
i have no bandsaw or power sander of any sort
i probably have a hacksaw somwehre (which probably needs a new blade), and a smaller coping saw i used for a few things.

Yes it will give jagged edges but a file will removed the jaggies and you can polish it up with some form of sand paper.

Do you have a Mens Shed near you? They would be able to cut the material for you, otherwise where you get the ally from may cut it for you.
Kryn

Originally Posted by KBs PensNmore

Do you have a Mens Shed near you? They would be able to cut the material for you, otherwise where you get the ally from may cut it for you.
Kryn

Never heard of them before, just did a search for them, it seems there are 2 groups within reasonable distance (which is surprising), Do they basically supply woodworking/metalworking tools/expertise for youths or something?
Would there be a chance that they might have a suitable piece of aluminium with them?

anyway, i emailed an ebay seller i was looking at, they aren't able to cut it, and what i've seen, bunnings don't have a cutting service

FWIW I've used a wooden wood plane to smooth the edges of aluminium sheet and get a flat edge. OK it's not commonly done but it works fine ! You do have to watch out for the very sharp edges left, but as others have said, sandpaper will rapidly remove them.

HTH.

Originally Posted by kidsam

Never heard of them before, just did a search for them, it seems there are 2 groups within reasonable distance (which is surprising), Do they basically supply woodworking/metalworking tools/expertise for youths or something?

Men's sheds are more a social opportunity for men to get together while learning/ practicing skills.
(see http://www.mensshed.org/home/.aspx)
This is taken from one of their web sites -

What happens in the "Shed"

THE MEN'S SHED is a fully equipped workshop where skilled and unskilled men can share time with each other, swap yarns and work together on community projects.

Members make and repair furniture, toys, craft items or work on their own personal projects. Many items are donated to community groups whilst some are sold to buy materials and new tools for the Shed. For some years we have repaired many toys for a local "Toy Library"

The Shed is a place for:

• Retired men to be social, sharing company whilst feeling productive

• Learning new skills and honing old ones,using good tools on interesting projects

• Pursuing hobbies, pastimes and interests

• Contributing to the community by special projects and donated products

Some do have metal work facilities while others are just wood. Some are provided by community organisations (churches or service clubs) while some are more private groups where members take it in turns to host gatherings.
There should be someone at these places who will know how to cut your Al. Whether they have the equipment is another matter.

Our company has donated surplus timber to a couple of sheds which was much appreciated, so if anyone has access to good stuff that would otherwise go to waste (like timber off cuts) contact a local shed and see whether they would be interested in taking it off your hands.

Michael

A sheet metal fabricator or supplier could use a guillotine.

Jordan

I've asked 3 different suppliers if they would be able to cut the sheet before mailing it to me, no luck

perhaps i can find someone willing to cut & sell me the piece i need for my project on these forums?

So it's a hexagonal shape, 29cm square and from 5mm thick aluminium and you need one of them?

Hacksaw and file. 5mm is probably too thick for the average guillotine.

You could go to the hardware shop and have a look at TV antennae fittings, screen door parts etc and try to find something that is roughly the right size, then cut it down from that. Or maybe visit the tip and see if you can find something, although if it's anything like ours all that sort of stuff goes in the scrap metal pile and they won't let you near it.

Or go to a sheet metal works/light engineering place and see if you can scavenge a bit of scrap. That's what I would do because my brother in law has a sheet metal biz...

Not 5mm thick, anything thick enough to remain stiff & hold shape, and some threads

Originally Posted by kidsam

Not 5mm thick, anything thick enough to remain stiff & hold shape, and some threads

Put up a sketch or drawing of exactly what you need.
You have a lot of people trying to help but we're all in the dark as to what you need.
I probably have a piece if scrap here I could make what you need but you need to supply more detail of what that is.
H.