kwik-kid Posted August 14, 2009 Share Posted August 14, 2009 ill be needing to cut some 1mm t6 alluminum soon, i was wondering what the easyest way is.... i know people have lots of differnt methods, but would a dremel work (a proper one) as i was thinking of getting one anyway many thanks chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Terminator Posted August 14, 2009 Share Posted August 14, 2009 A bandsaw is the best way and neatest,otherwise its a hacksaw.I wouldn't use a Dremmel unless you have a steady hand and plenty cutting discs,they're great for cutting screw heads and suchlike but start to eat through cutting discs on anything like that.I've used a Dremmel in the past to do it though,just takes ages and isn't the neatest way of doing it if you want a straight edge.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe of loath Posted August 14, 2009 Share Posted August 14, 2009 A jigsaw with a really fine toothed blade works well too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cybermenace Posted August 14, 2009 Share Posted August 14, 2009 just take it to your local metal work shop and they will do it for you for pennys Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrklaw Posted August 14, 2009 Share Posted August 14, 2009 just take it to your local metal work shop and they will do it for you for pennys if its only 1mm, can't you use tinsnips or something like that? And how about bending it? Is there a simple way, or should you just buy angled pieces in the first place if you want to make a bracket? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kwik-kid Posted August 14, 2009 Author Share Posted August 14, 2009 im using it for a chassis, but not just the 1mm.... 2 sheets of 1mm aluminum, and then a 2mm sheet of balsa (coated in epoxy) inbetween... hopeing it will give a stiff, light, cheap substitue of 3mm aluminium... emphasise on the word hopeing.... and its going to be like a 1.5m chassis, so a hacksaw will be soo labour intensive.... but i guess ill have to.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
midi-mania Posted August 15, 2009 Share Posted August 15, 2009 jigsaw mate, just get a cheap pack of metal cutting blades and your sorted hacksaw will fail epically, you will have to keep cutting it off in chunks due to the design of hacksaws Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sonic2810 Posted August 15, 2009 Share Posted August 15, 2009 i would use jigsaw on a slow speed my self Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evilclive Posted August 15, 2009 Share Posted August 15, 2009 im using it for a chassis, but not just the 1mm.... 2 sheets of 1mm aluminum, and then a 2mm sheet of balsa (coated in epoxy) inbetween... hopeing it will give a stiff, light, cheap substitue of 3mm aluminium... emphasise on the word hopeing.... and its going to be like a 1.5m chassis, so a hacksaw will be soo labour intensive.... but i guess ill have to.... Sounds interesting, whats it for? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TerrorTrooper Posted August 15, 2009 Share Posted August 15, 2009 Sounds interesting, whats it for? Jigsaw with a fine Metal blade on a slow speed is your best bet... Am i right on assuming your going to make a start on that speed machine you were designing?? Should be an awesome project.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kwik-kid Posted August 15, 2009 Author Share Posted August 15, 2009 Jigsaw with a fine Metal blade on a slow speed is your best bet... Am i right on assuming your going to make a start on that speed machine you were designing?? Should be an awesome project.. the one in my pi <------- except a newer design, im waiting on the software to come through my door (as that was a free trial ) the new one wont be as wide, and it will be a differnt design, with a differnt type of rocket (liquid) ill need to use hand tools to cut it, as im making it at home and we dont have a jigsaw... i might find a local metle working shop or something, as it needs to be deadly accurate... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain_Caveman Posted August 15, 2009 Share Posted August 15, 2009 A fine toothed blade? Yeah maybe a fine toothed compared to a wood cutting blade but don't get the finest you can find. I take it none of you have filed aluminium with a proper file . If your blade is to fine, the teeth will just clog up and you'll have to keep wire brushing it. Get a blade designed specifically for aluminium, you will find it has less teeth than a steel blade. you will also want a fast speed but a slow feed (so your jigsaw to go up and down quickly but don't move the jigsaw around to quickly if that makes sense) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arris Posted August 15, 2009 Share Posted August 15, 2009 yeah you want a pretty course blade for aluminium as its soft, so will just clog up the blade, tbh tho i cut 1mm ally all the time an i jus score it with a knife an bend it an snaps it, but hacksaw will do trick, problem is not bending warping it when doing this, same with a jigsaw it will bite an bend it due to it being so thin, then you want a rough or ******* file to finish it off, depending on how good a finish is needed, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe of loath Posted August 15, 2009 Share Posted August 15, 2009 If you ask nicely you'll have a mate with a jigsaw you can borrow for half an hour. You can be very accurate with a jigsaw, especially one of those 'laser guided' ones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HappyLad Posted August 15, 2009 Share Posted August 15, 2009 how you planning on laminating this stuff together?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kwik-kid Posted August 15, 2009 Author Share Posted August 15, 2009 i dont have any mates.....with jigsaws.... to be honest, i have a year to build it, and making the chassis is the second longest process.... (the first being the body) what i could do as ill need 2 identicle pieces for the chassis is to cut the sheet in helf and cut both sides out at once? i may look for a metle work shop, whats the best thing to search for on google? thanks for the help guys... i cant wait till i start building it.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe of loath Posted August 15, 2009 Share Posted August 15, 2009 i dont have any mates.....with jigsaws.... to be honest, i have a year to build it, and making the chassis is the second longest process.... (the first being the body) what i could do as ill need 2 identicle pieces for the chassis is to cut the sheet in helf and cut both sides out at once? i may look for a metle work shop, whats the best thing to search for on google? thanks for the help guys... i cant wait till i start building it.... Well, assuming you spell it right in the search Google 'metal workshop bexley', or something along those lines. Go for a bike ride through an industrial estate too, chances are you'll find somewhere that will cut some metal for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kwik-kid Posted August 15, 2009 Author Share Posted August 15, 2009 Well, assuming you spell it right in the search Google 'metal workshop bexley', or something along those lines. Go for a bike ride through an industrial estate too, chances are you'll find somewhere that will cut some metal for you. me? spel thins wong? nether!!!! ill look around, i might get a job next month at a lorry mechanics, might have something there... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kwik-kid Posted August 17, 2009 Author Share Posted August 17, 2009 i found one thats in the south east region, and a quote of around Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kwik-kid Posted August 17, 2009 Author Share Posted August 17, 2009 on second thoughts... why don i just use 3mm aluminum if its going to be lazer cut.... why fuss with balsa and epoxy lol.... though over a 1.5m length, would the 3mm ali be thick enough to not flex? i know the rocket would give some support but i was wondering if i should go to 4mm? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe of loath Posted August 17, 2009 Share Posted August 17, 2009 on second thoughts... why don i just use 3mm aluminum if its going to be lazer cut.... why fuss with balsa and epoxy lol.... though over a 1.5m length, would the 3mm ali be thick enough to not flex? i know the rocket would give some support but i was wondering if i should go to 4mm? 3mm 7075 would be fine (if you need to bend it you're screwed, you need to jump up and down on it to even touch it), and 6061 with some bracing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kwik-kid Posted August 17, 2009 Author Share Posted August 17, 2009 3mm 7075 would be fine (if you need to bend it you're screwed, you need to jump up and down on it to even touch it), and 6061 with some bracing. 707what ?!?! lol havent even come across the 7075 ali yet.... would it be ok to drill? as im thinking of designing the chassis and having non of it drilled (for the drop in parts) until i have those parts as i dont want to design it around a car which i cant get (if you get me) and if its easy enough to drill, is there anything specific i need? i have a pretty standard 12v drill and an assortment of drillbits.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe of loath Posted August 17, 2009 Share Posted August 17, 2009 707what ?!?! lol havent even come across the 7075 ali yet.... would it be ok to drill? as im thinking of designing the chassis and having non of it drilled (for the drop in parts) until i have those parts as i dont want to design it around a car which i cant get (if you get me) and if its easy enough to drill, is there anything specific i need? i have a pretty standard 12v drill and an assortment of drillbits.... you'd need the drillbits sharpened and maybe a more powerful drill (mains?). 7075 looks pretty tough to drill, but not impossible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kwik-kid Posted August 17, 2009 Author Share Posted August 17, 2009 i might just stick with the T6 as once the rocket is fastend down, it goes the length of the car so should be strong enough.... ok, i think im ontop of it now.... just need to sort out what rocket im going to use, and NOT kill myself.... thanks everyone who helped last few days.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe of loath Posted August 17, 2009 Share Posted August 17, 2009 i might just stick with the T6 as once the rocket is fastend down, it goes the length of the car so should be strong enough.... ok, i think im ontop of it now.... just need to sort out what rocket im going to use, and NOT kill myself.... thanks everyone who helped last few days.... T6 is the heat treatment, what alloy are you using? 6061? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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