Thanks: 0
Needs Pictures: 0
Picture(s) thanks: 0
Results 1 to 15 of 37
-
18th October 2014, 10:49 AM #1Novice
- Join Date
- Jun 2013
- Location
- NSW
- Posts
- 15
How to cut small quanities of aluminium sheet?
Sup all, i have a small project i want to do, which requires a hexagonal piece of aluminium approximately 29cm, and under 5mm thick across
It's the only piece of metal i foresee needing, so it's unrealistic to purchase any powertools to cut it with, the piece needs to be made of aluminium (or perhaps copper) for its heat-leading properties
are there any hand tools, or services i can use to get a nice clean cut? or perhaps someone on these forums is willing to help me & lives in the area (central coast)
i will have a look at hardware stores & ebay for an appropriate piece of aluminium once i get some advice on this
-
18th October 2014 10:49 AM # ADSGoogle Adsense Advertisement
- Join Date
- Always
- Location
- Advertising world
- Posts
- Many
-
18th October 2014, 11:45 AM #2.
- Join Date
- Feb 2006
- Location
- Perth
- Posts
- 27,795
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
---------/----\
| . . . ./. . . . \
| . . . .\ . . . ./
---------\----/
-
18th October 2014, 11:59 AM #3Cba
- Join Date
- Aug 2007
- Location
- Melbourne
- Age
- 68
- Posts
- 1,417
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.
-
18th October 2014, 12:41 PM #4Philomath in training
- Join Date
- Oct 2011
- Location
- Adelaide
- Age
- 59
- Posts
- 3,149
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
-
18th October 2014, 12:41 PM #5Novice
- Join Date
- Jun 2013
- Location
- NSW
- Posts
- 15
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
-
18th October 2014, 01:50 PM #6.
- Join Date
- Feb 2006
- Location
- Perth
- Posts
- 27,795
-
18th October 2014, 10:06 PM #7GOLD MEMBER
- Join Date
- May 2011
- Location
- Murray Bridge SA
- Posts
- 3,339
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
-
18th October 2014, 10:48 PM #8Novice
- Join Date
- Jun 2013
- Location
- NSW
- Posts
- 15
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
-
18th October 2014, 11:04 PM #9
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.Best Regards:
BaronJ.
-
19th October 2014, 07:15 AM #10Philomath in training
- Join Date
- Oct 2011
- Location
- Adelaide
- Age
- 59
- Posts
- 3,149
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
-
19th October 2014, 08:30 AM #11Mechanical Butcher
- Join Date
- Oct 2004
- Location
- Southern Highlands NSW
- Posts
- 920
A sheet metal fabricator or supplier could use a guillotine.
Jordan
-
20th October 2014, 09:44 AM #12Novice
- Join Date
- Jun 2013
- Location
- NSW
- Posts
- 15
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?
-
20th October 2014, 10:08 AM #13
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..."I don't practice what I preach because I'm not the kind of person I'm preaching to."
-
20th October 2014, 01:44 PM #14Novice
- Join Date
- Jun 2013
- Location
- NSW
- Posts
- 15
Not 5mm thick, anything thick enough to remain stiff & hold shape, and some threads
-
20th October 2014, 06:54 PM #15Jimcracks for the rich and/or wealthy. (aka GKB '88)
Similar Threads
-
Cutting aluminium sheet in rip saw mode
By rocketwiz in forum TRITON / GMCReplies: 5Last Post: 9th February 2014, 05:53 PM -
Cutting aluminium sheet
By Bob Willson in forum CNC MachinesReplies: 79Last Post: 25th September 2012, 07:55 PM -
I need to spend some money on aluminium sheet
By Bob Willson in forum CNC MachinesReplies: 12Last Post: 11th August 2012, 09:38 PM -
CNC router for aluminium and steel sheet?
By elliot42 in forum CNC MachinesReplies: 2Last Post: 23rd January 2011, 11:23 AM