Aluminum cutting and bending

[Jlipton]

I'm starting to build a kit car and need some recommendations for light use metal work tools. I need to cut some 0.05" aluminum sheets very neatly to make a few removable panels, and also make some 90 deg bends to forms some small boxes/compartments. Not very many. I will attach these parts using Pemnuts, Rivnuts, and rivets.

So my questions are:

1- For the cutting, can I get clean and straight cuts with a fine jigsaw blade and some care, or should I get a hand, pneumatic, or electric nibbler from Eastwood, HF, or somewhere else?

2- For the bending, I looked at some of the smaller Eastwood and HF bending brakes, but they look cheap and the reviews aren't great. They still may be adequate for my use. What do you recommend?

Thanks!

 

[Boiler]

I've cut plenty of tube and flats on a chop saw at my friends house. No idea what kind of blade it was. Assuming you had the right blade in a circular saw I would think that would work the same way? If so you could set up a fence (straight edge in the right place) and just follow it with a circular saw.

Jigsaw with a fence would probably give a decent cut too, if you don't clog the teeth. I know we clogged the heck out of some hole saw teeth doing aluminum, I'd guess a saw would do the same. May want to do a little research on the right blade and just do some test cuts.

No opinion on the forming. Have always had industrial press brakes at my disposal for that job.

I assume you're using 5052 or 3003 sheet? Either should form well.

 

[snorky18]

Clearly I'm not a professional at this, but....

I use a HF Nibbler for cutting, and my bench vise for making bends. Predominatly motorcycle panels, car audio work, that type of thing.

For bends longer than the length of the vise, I use angle or plywood on either side of the AL.

For making perfectly straight cuts you'd want something with a fence or guide. The nibbler leaves little half moon looking shapes around the edges, and it's hard to cut perfectly straight with it.

 

[readhead]

Aluminum works pretty much like wood. Use carbide cutters.

 

[nanofrog]

You can use a circular saw to cut sheet if you don't have a shear. Just use a carbide tipped blade (high tooth count), or a metal cutting blade meant for aluminum (usually are). Don't use a large diameter blade if it's on a table saw, as the cutting speed is too fast (say 7-1/4" diameter blade max).

If you don't get a sheet metal brake, there are ways to bend it.

For example, if you have an oxy-acetylene torch, you could take a look at this method.
Another method that doesn't involve a torch (form block + hammering it into shape).

 

[Richard D]

Maybe santa will bring you one of these...

 

[brawls43]

Get the right blade to start. I don't know if there's a metal supermarket near you, but my local one does inexpensive shears cuts for me. I didn't like using a nibbler, as it launched the little cressant moon shaped pieces all over. I'd rather have smaller bits. No matter which cutter type, if you want a straight edge cut, I'd use some type of fence or guide.

 

[Jlipton]

I do have a circular saw, but I'm thinking my jigsaw with a good blade and a fence may do a better job, and allow me to make rounded cuts by the corners. Would the jigsaw work well?

 

[readhead]

Jigsaw will work fine. Do not use a metal blade. It will clog up right away. Use cutting wax or WD-40 on the blade while you are cutting.

 

[DIC]

For small jobs a jigsaw works just fine.You can sand the edges smooth sandpaper on a rubber sanding block. The bends can be done over the edge of work bench or blocks of wood. If your careful you can get nice results..

 

[Jlipton]

Jigsaw will work fine. Do not use a metal blade. It will clog up right away. Use cutting wax or WD-40 on the blade while you are cutting.

What blade is best?

 

[readhead]

Something for wood that is not real course. If you were in my shop I could hand you one. Try a few different blades.

 

[MadMechMaster]

More than one tooth should engage the material, so greater than 20tpi.

 

[Jlipton]

Something for wood that is not real course. If you were in my shop I could hand you one. Try a few different blades.

Excellent, thanks. I have a ton of wood blades so I'll find a fine one.

 

[Zeke]

If you have a choice as to how much rake the teeth have, use less rake.

 

[RVDan]

For .05" I'd just cut it by hand with a good set of aviation snips. If you don't have a whole lot of bends to make just have a local sheet metal shop do it

 

[Jlipton]

I have a decent pair of tin snips, but they always seem to bend the metal toerd the edge and often leave jagged edges. It's ok for duct work, but I want something neater for this project.

 

[Bobf]

I built a tear drop trailer (4 X 10) about 12 years ago and used .050 alum to cover the plywood. It came in 12' sheets so it was flimsy to handle. You need some type of table or saw horses with plywood sheets to act as a table for long cuts. I used a sabre saw with a fairly medium blade for long cuts. Use masking tape on the alum under the saws path to keep from scratching. I used plain old tin snips and aviation snips for most all the shorter cuts.
For bending I got a section of 1/4" x 4" steel channel about 5-6' long and put it in a vise I have on a floor stand. Used a long piece of angle iron and C-clamps with wood blocks and hammers to make bends over the edge of the channel.
I was only doing one of these so I couldn't see investing in the "correct" tooling.

 

[nehog]

First, my company cuts extrusions for heat sinks. The bases are thick, perhaps 0.25 or more, while the fins are about what you describe. We cut thousands of them. We fill 45 gallon drums with 'saw dust' (wish I had a better market for the stuff other than scrap dealers...) A vacuum containment system helps greatly but it is messy when do do a production run (a typical production run will generate about 10-20 lb of chips...)

You can use a circular saw to cut sheet if you don't have a shear. Just use a carbide tipped blade (high tooth count),

We've been using standard carbide tipped blades (made for wood) and getting very good cuts from them. Our main saw is a 9" (yes nine!) Rockwell that we've been using for about two years. Tough saw and I'll miss it when it finally dies. Cheap saws (our first was a Crapsman) would last a week or two max, then the motor would start emitting massive amounts of air pollution!

Jigsaw will work fine. Do not use a metal blade. It will clog up right away. Use cutting wax or WD-40 on the blade while you are cutting.

Lubricant: we use (only) used ATF! OK, we generate a lot of it, but I've tried a lot of other solutions and the ATF works best, and gives the cleanest cuts. Cutting wax was a total failure. WD-40 was not practical, it smoked away instantly--just too volatile. We also tried various oils but nothing ever worked as well as ATF!

OP: if straight cuts are important, don't use anything other than a circular saw. A jig saw will tend to wander. If this is a one time job, I'd grab a carbide 'finish' blade (40 tooth?) and start your cuts slowly and carefully. Slow and easy is important, but you can make things much cleaner and easier by clamping some wood on both sides of the cut and cut the wood and metal at the same time.

 

[tcianci]

+1 on the circular saw blades. The best cuts outside of a big stomp shear will come from a table saw with either a semi fine wood or a specific non-ferrous metal blade. Since the material you want to cut is so thin, keep the blade set very shallow in the material. Better still, if you can set up your cuts, sandwich the stock between 2 pieces of plywood screwed through the waste area with drywall screws. It will feed through the table saw like butter and give a very clean cut

 

[Jlipton]

+1 on the circular saw blades. The best cuts outside of a big stomp shear will come from a table saw with either a semi fine wood or a specific non-ferrous metal blade. Since the material you want to cut is so thin, keep the blade set very shallow in the material. Better still, if you can set up your cuts, sandwich the stock between 2 pieces of plywood screwed through the waste area with drywall screws. It will feed through the table saw like butter and give a very clean cut

Just so I'm clear, when you suggest setting the blade shallow do you mean low, so only a small amount is above the cutting surface?

 

[GRX]

A circular saw would work very well. No reason why you shouldn't be able to get good cuts with a jig saw. Here is one of my projects from a little while back - 8-foot by 3-foot cuts.

.050" aluminum sheet, a straight edge, quality 32 tpi blades, and some *Cut Lube.

 

[machine_punk]

I've cut aluminum a LOT of different ways (go check out my Aerodrome thread). For what you want to do, though, a few small boxes and cover plates from 0.050 Aluminum...you just need a pair of shears (I like big, heavy tin snips, but most folks like aviation snips) Don't buy HF junk for aviation snips, though...get a decent brand. Most folks agree that Midwest brand is good.

Kev

 

[nanofrog]

First, my company cuts extrusions for heat sinks.

What company?

I have occasion to need this from time to time, and if you sell in smaller quantities, that would be brilliant (1 stick or less).

We've been using standard carbide tipped blades (made for wood) and getting very good cuts from them. Our main saw is a 9" (yes nine!) Rockwell that we've been using for about two years.

How old is it?

Not all that familiar with their saws, but from what I recall of their drills I had access to, they ran at lower RPM and higher torque. Might have been the specific models though (IIRC, 730 was the biggest).

Perhaps that's why the 9" blade isn't a problem?

I ask, a typical 10" saw runs too fast from what I've seen.

 

[nehog]

What company?

I have occasion to need this from time to time, and if you sell in smaller quantities, that would be brilliant (1 stick or less).

PMDCooler.com. Email to [email protected]. We generate some scrap in addition to our cuttings. The scrap is usually 1 to 2 inches long. We start with sticks that are 5 to 6 ft in length, our final products are 4 inches (less the saw's kerf) long.

What company?
How old is it?

Not all that familiar with their saws, but from what I recall of their drills I had access to, they ran at lower RPM and higher torque. Might have been the specific models though (IIRC, 730 was the biggest).

Perhaps that's why the 9" blade isn't a problem?

I ask, a typical 10" saw runs too fast from what I've seen.

Pretty old! I found it at an auction house that does online auctions. The auctioneer didn't want to list it, so I asked what he'd take for a cash price. He contacted the owner and got a price (that I liked!) and it was sold! Thing's heavy, iron base etc., and hefting it around builds muscles!

If I remember, I'll check the RPMs. However, unless you lubricate you will end up with gummed up cuts that look like ****. With lubricant (ATF in our case) the cuts are bright shiny and clean.

 

[NUTTSGT]

If you're considering a three in one brake,shear, press like this one.

http://www.harborfreight.com/30-inch-shear-press-brake-and-slip-roll-5907.html

Forget it, and don't waste your time. It states that it will shear 20 gauge, I tried a piece of 28 or 29 gauge and all it wanted to do is bend it.

 

[nanofrog]

PMDCooler.com. Email to [email protected]. We generate some scrap in addition to our cuttings. The scrap is usually 1 to 2 inches long. We start with sticks that are 5 to 6 ft in length, our final products are 4 inches (less the saw's kerf) long.

Thanks. I'll have to check it out.

Pretty old!

Definitely not the Chinese firm using the name Rockwell then.

 

[ilovevocs]

Snips, HF throat less sheer, jig saw, or circ saw, squaring sheer. I sometimes use one or all depending on the type of cut.

A good set of offsets would do the job, may take a little longer than some of the other tools mentioned but its likely your cheapest option. I prefer Midwest, menards has been stocking them.

If your going to use a jig saw I would buy a sheet of extruded poly styrene to set on your bench and cut on top it. It makes cuts much simpler.

 

[Graham08]

Until I got a jump shear, I used a set of Milwaukee electric shears to cut aluminum up to 0.063" thick. I still use them for stuff I can't get to with the shear.

This is the current model: http://www.milwaukeetool.com/power-tools/corded/6852-20

I used the 3' Harbor Freight brake for a long time to do aluminum work until I got a bigger one. I think they rate it at 12 gauge "metal", which is laughable, but it does a great job with 0.050" aluminum.

 

[Richard D]

If you're considering a three in one brake,shear, press like this one.

http://www.harborfreight.com/30-inch-shear-press-brake-and-slip-roll-5907.html

Forget it, and don't waste your time. It states that it will shear 20 gauge, I tried a piece of 28 or 29 gauge and all it wanted to do is bend it.

+1! I broke the casting in half on one of those pieces of ****, 4" cut in 20 ga, it was rated for full cut in 16 ga. This was the 48" model about 6 years ago.
However, I use their cheap hand held electric shear I also bought back then, goes through 16 ga like butter. Go figure!

 

[bigwigracecars]

Until I got a jump shear, I used a set of Milwaukee electric shears to cut aluminum up to 0.063" thick. I still use them for stuff I can't get to with the shear.

This is the current model: http://www.milwaukeetool.com/power-tools/corded/6852-20

I used the 3' Harbor Freight brake for a long time to do aluminum work until I got a bigger one. I think they rate it at 12 gauge "metal", which is laughable, but it does a great job with 0.050" aluminum.

This guy has it right.

You probably can't justify the cost of a stomp shear. Electric shears on .050 are the way to go. I use Dewalt 16-ga variable speed shears. The variable speed is important on the thicker material (.050 and .063). Slower blade speed works better on the thick aluminum. I use KETT shears on the thinner interior race car panels I bulid (.032).

I hate nibblers. They make a huge mess. I use shears whenever possible, and tin snips after that. Shears give the best edge. You can cut tighter outside curves with the shears if you cut first with snips, about 1/8" outside your cut line, then final cut with shears. With the 1/8" curl, you're only using one side of the shear blades, so you can lean them slightly and get a tighter curve.

When I have to use snips, I tap the cut edge lightly with hammer/dolly to get rid of the kinks left by the snips, then finish the edge on a belt sander.

If you get a cheap brake, the machining on the pieces that contact the workpiece will probably be poor and therefore leave scratches on your material. This is true to some degree on all brakes, but can be terrible on the really cheap brakes. Use masking tape or posterboard as a liner between the brake (top & bottom) and your workpiece. Still, even a cheap brake is generally better than 2x4's or angle iron and a hammer.

Hope that helps.

 

[nehog]

Thanks. I'll have to check it out.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/300578933109?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649 is our product. There are other versions as well, and we have a number of distributors and resellers as well.

Definitely not the Chinese firm using the name Rockwell then.

IIRC, it's made in Italy! When they changed to Delta that saw continued with the 'new' name. All metal (not a bit of plastic) and at the end of a cutting run, the handle will be hot enough that wearing gloves is a necessity! (I measured it at 150 degrees.) I modified the saw with full time forced air cooling which helped greatly. That way there is cooling air even when it is not cutting.

 

[nanofrog]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/300578933109?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649 is our product. There are other versions as well, and we have a number of distributors and resellers as well.

Would you be able to get hold of a datasheet on the extruded profile? Or tell me what it is (manufacturer and P/N) if obtained from a manufacturer in bulk so I can download it myself?

I'd need it to see what the temp coefficient curve is (C/W across a temperature range) to know what I can/can't use it for.

Thanks.

IIRC, it's made in Italy! When they changed to Delta that saw continued with the 'new' name. All metal (not a bit of plastic) and at the end of a cutting run, the handle will be hot enough that wearing gloves is a necessity! (I measured it at 150 degrees.) I modified the saw with full time forced air cooling which helped greatly. That way there is cooling air even when it is not cutting.

Excellent idea to use forced air cooling, as 150 is just too hot (55C/125F is the max accepted temp for safety <human contact>).

Hadn't realized they ever produced any tools in Italy (I recall Pittsburgh, PA on the drills).

 

[Riverside]

I work with aluminum almost daily. I keep a block of paraffin on the bench to lubricate jig saw blades and die grinder burrs. Whenever the cutting seems to be slowing down (about every minute, if I am cutting curves) I touch the paraffin to the blade or burr and it melts into the crevices. When I start cutting again, the lodged chips soon come loose. For jig saw blades, or circular saw blades, just be sure the teeth are not too widely spaced or the saw will tend to catch in unpleasant ways. It is also important not to force the cut; that tends to create a lot of heat, which softens the aluminum, which clogs the blade. No one has mentioned a bandsaw; I use mine for aluminum frequently.

 

[arrowhead]

The problem with really thin aluminum like your using is it deform easily when cutting, so you no longer have a nice piece of flat metal. I've tried variuos methods as mentioned like circualr saw, jig saw, snips, ect. (I built a Factory Five hot rod which uses extensive amount of aluminum panels) For straight cuts I've used a 4-1/2" grinder and metal cut off wheel. It's not he best way to cut as it more or less melts the metal away and you have chaff to cut away, BUT you won't distort the panel and you can get pretty striaght cuts if you have a steady hand. Just another thought.

 

[nehog]

Would you be able to get hold of a datasheet on the extruded profile? Or tell me what it is (manufacturer and P/N) if obtained from a manufacturer in bulk so I can download it myself?

I'd need it to see what the temp coefficient curve is (C/W across a temperature range) to know what I can/can't use it for.

Thanks. ..<human contact="">.

I buy my extrusions from

http://alexandriaindustries.com/whatwedo-heatsinks-aluminum.php and
http://alexandriaindustries.com/products/products-flatback-flange.php

We use MM13802 and MM80167 (the second one I'd have to check to be 100% sure.) Our final products are about 4" square for example. We do a few double length for reliability critical applications where two modules are bolted to the same heat sink; one serves as the in use module, the second as a ready spare. That way the user can switch connectors to change modules. </human>

 

[nanofrog]

I buy my extrusions from

http://alexandriaindustries.com/whatwedo-heatsinks-aluminum.php and
http://alexandriaindustries.com/products/products-flatback-flange.php

We use MM13802 and MM80167 (the second one I'd have to check to be 100% sure.) Our final products are about 4" square for example. We do a few double length for reliability critical applications where two modules are bolted to the same heat sink; one serves as the in use module, the second as a ready spare. That way the user can switch connectors to change modules. </human>

Thanks.