Scraping Aluminium ?

**Anorak Bob** · 31st August 2012, 12:39 AM

Originally Posted by jhovel

Bob,
I would have thought that cast iron would be a better choice of material - especially since you would want it as thin as feasible.
You can get cast iron in around that size from tractor or grader ballast weights. They are thicker and you would have to either get someone with a big bandsaw cut it to the sze you need and then - if you are lucky enough to find a really big one - have it sliced in thickness to the size you need. Then you would need someone to machine the cast side of the slice (or both sides if you can't get it sliced). Engine reconditioners usually have very large multi-tooth face cutters in a vertical spindle, rather than abrasives, and do a very good job in cast iron in a very short time.
See if you can find someone who reconditions truck or mining machinery, shouldn't be too difficult in the West?
Then you have a very accurate flat surface to start with and scraping won't be so onerous.
The last option is of course something like surface ground steel plate - no scraping. You would get away with 1/2 plate I would think. Pity you are no closer - I bought a $20 piece of used 1/2" ground plate with a pile of drilled and tapped holes in it for a similar purpose sometime down the track, but it is about 24" x 18" and I'd be happy to let you have half of it.... Maybe I should weigh it to see if half could be posted?

Cheers,
Joe

Hey Joe,

Let me see if I hear from Calm about their cast aluminium before you reach for the hacksaw. I need to remove the table for a feasibility study before I venture too far with my dreaming. Thank you for your preparedness to offer me some of your rainy day hoard.

BT

**Anorak Bob** · 31st August 2012, 12:48 AM

Originally Posted by Machtool

G’day Bob.

Aluminium scrapes easy enough, as you would expect, being so soft. It has a habit of tearing or scratching. So some times hard to make pretty.

I’d drop back to a HSS blade aiming for really sharp, and probably a positive edge @ 5 – 10 degrees, Positive being opposite the way we sharpen carbide. You lose an edge, but you don’t have to sharpen nearly as often.

Burrs are best taken off with Hard wood. Red gum works for me, on end grain, just fly cut or ground. Use it just like a stone. Its what we do with white metal or bronze bearings so you are not loading it up with abrasives.

Neil’s suggestion of cast plate is a great one. Less stress in it. But just keep in mind, it will move around more with temperature. (That’s Aluminium in general, over cast iron or steel). Just don’t make luv to it when you're handling it.

Regards Phil.

Hello Phil,

Was walking home and talking to Bruce "Abratool" before his bedtime and naturally he was reading the latest forum posts while he was talking.( Multi tasking, a skill to be admired

.) He said you had posted a response to my query. It is exactly what I was hoping for. Thank you.

Bob.

Originally Posted by Greg Q

If only...

I have an extra Deckel fixed table, but its from an FP2, and its the optional large size at that. I reckon it is too big because it has two extra tee slots. Probably weighs 60 kg. let me know if you want it.

Greg

Hello Gregory,

Another generous offer that I feel I must decline.

A perusal of my literature reveals a difference in the longitudinal slide's vertical table tee slot spacing. The 13's slots are on 120 centres. The FP2 slots are on 45mm centres. Not the security in numbers fixing wise if there was a Swiss - German alliance.

Quentin can now uncross his fingers.

BT

**Anorak Bob** · 1st September 2012, 12:55 AM

Originally Posted by Neil317

Bob have you priced ATP-5 plate? I generally use 5083 (which is sometimes badly "unflat"), but for flatness and stability cast plate is great.
www.calm-aluminium.com.au

Hello Neil,

I was not really expecting a reply to my query about a bitty piece of aluminium ....

Hello Bob,

ATP-5 (5083) precision cast tooling plate
19.05mm x 200mm x 450mm at $87.50 each plus GST
Price is ex our store
Additional freight charge applies

Regards,

Laurie Sutton
Managing Director

Not too stiff. I've asked Laurie about the freight. I was set to abandon this little project when I chanced upon a J head Bridgeport this morning. After being underwhelmed by the BP this is back on the boil.

Thanks again.
Bob.

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