Two new ways (for me) to cut aluminum

Jack Olsen · Oct 1, 2011

I posted about this in my main garage thread, but I'll put it here for those who might just assume the thread is only about the garage.

I've never had a band saw. Or rather, I've had an old inoperative one sitting on a table for a few years, now. It's never been run. I got a motor and the right belt and pulley for it a while back, but I never found the time to get it up and running.

I'm making a pair of new wing uprights for my race car, and -- not having a decent aluminum cutting blade for my jigsaw -- I decided I would do the bare minimum to get the old Craftsman three-wheel working. I took a scrap piece of plywood and made a base, using a pair of old hinges so the motor's weight would keep tension on the belt. Then, since this is the internet, I put together a belt guard so people wouldn't chew me out. I used scrap from an underbelly piece I recently made for the same car.

I don't have a really good 'before' picture. But here's the saw brought up to the bare minimum to to turn the belt. The tires for the three wheels disintegrated as soon as I got it turning (it's a 1951 saw). But amazingly, with a little adjustment, it actually cut.

Wood or aluminum:

Belt guard -- temporary and embarassing:

Here's a plywood model of what I wanted to make. It's an upright to support a wing -- I wanted one a little shorter and a little wider than the previous version.

Now, I deliberately cut larger than the final piece. Which I'll explain next. But the cool thing was, the band saw worked. (The inside island pieces were done with a jigsaw -- by then, I got the right blades).

Now here's the oversized aluminum piece stuck to the correctly-sized aluminum model. I used two-sided tape to hold them together.

And here's the trick, which I read about in a thread on this forum. I used a router to trim the aluminum down to the exact domensions of the model. Aluminum shavings got everywhere, and I needed to wear a face shield and long sleeves, but it worked really well.

By my (low

) standards, that's a very clean cut.

And here's the piece, ready for some form of finishing (which I haven't decided on yet).

Jack Olsen · Oct 1, 2011

Re: A couple of new ways (for me) to cut aluminum

But that got me thinking about the saw. In addition to the tires, I decided to clean up the rust on the table and give it a quick coat of paint.

I plan on making a steel belt gaurd, but I painted this one black and it will do for now.

I also painted the plywood, and routed the edges (since the router was still out).

Bolted the guts in place:

The temporary belt guard and one side in place:

I got rid of the rust on the table and painted the sides.

And here she is, in a very messy garage (but hey, I ran out of time -- you can see the little hand is on the six).

I still need to finish the tires, but it works. :beer:

AussieDan · Oct 1, 2011

Re: A couple of new ways (for me) to cut aluminum

Nice writeup Jack

A_Pmech · Oct 1, 2011

Re: A couple of new ways (for me) to cut aluminum

Nice work on the wing brackets! I wouldn't have done it any differently, except for cutting and re-welding the saw band for the inside contours. The finish you achieved with the router looks perfect.

If you do not have one yet, consider purchasing a deburring tool such as MSC# 05752795 with a few N1 blades. It will help you take care of the burrs left by the routing and leaves a nice little chamfer with practice.

jtbinvalrico · Oct 1, 2011

Re: A couple of new ways (for me) to cut aluminum

How's that HF speed controller work with that saw?......Does it effectively vary the speed?

GirlnAgarage · Oct 1, 2011

Re: A couple of new ways (for me) to cut aluminum

Jack, nice work. On the band saws there, do they really do curved cuts with ease? When I think of curved cuts and a hacksaw/band type blade I think of blades breaking under torsional stress.

Am I crazy?

OccupantRJ · Oct 1, 2011

Re: A couple of new ways (for me) to cut aluminum

jtbinvalrico said:
How's that HF speed controller work with that saw?......Does it effectively vary the speed?

I was wondering that myself. I was under the impression that it required a brush type universal motor to be able to control speed with a dimmer.

srmofo · Oct 1, 2011

Re: A couple of new ways (for me) to cut aluminum

Why do you insist on making everything I do look like ****?

top notch

Dmaxman · Oct 2, 2011

Impressive as always. You make sure to do it beyond "good enough". On my next project i'm going to ask myself what would Jack do?

38D · Oct 2, 2011

Nice work Jack. You should drop 2 secs with the new wing setup

pirana · Oct 2, 2011

Man, that old bandsaw looks better than new! Great job on gettin her goin again.

joeswamp · Oct 2, 2011

Really great work. I badly need a bandsaw just like that one.

Jack Olsen · Oct 2, 2011

Re: A couple of new ways (for me) to cut aluminum

Thanks, everyone. I like this thing so much for wood/aluminum, I think I'm going to put together a base for a portaband saw so I have something comparable for steel.

A_Pmech said:
Nice work on the wing brackets! I wouldn't have done it any differently, except for cutting and re-welding the saw band for the inside contours. The finish you achieved with the router looks perfect.

If you do not have one yet, consider purchasing a deburring tool such as MSC# 05752795 with a few N1 blades. It will help you take care of the burrs left by the routing and leaves a nice little chamfer with practice.

I was able to bring up a picture of the tool, but this is new to me. You use it to go over the edges, like a file?

jtbinvalrico said:
How's that HF speed controller work with that saw?......Does it effectively vary the speed?

OccupantRJ said:
I was wondering that myself. I was under the impression that it required a brush type universal motor to be able to control speed with a dimmer.

I believe you're correct, OccupantRJ. It 'kind of' works for varying the speed (worrisome humming noise). But mostly, it was an on-off switch that I had on hand. That's what I'm using it for. It would be nice to be able to control the speed, but I don't think that's in the cards for this motor. I think I'd have to get a pair of multiple-sheave pulleys.

GirlnAgarage said:
Jack, nice work. On the band saws there, do they really do curved cuts with ease? When I think of curved cuts and a hacksaw/band type blade I think of blades breaking under torsional stress.

Am I crazy?

We'll see. I made those initial cuts as a test. The blade wasn't even running through the guides at that point. The blade might be very old. I have no idea. I've got some new blades for it, but I'm waiting until I get the tire material I want on Monday.

A_Pmech · Oct 2, 2011

Re: A couple of new ways (for me) to cut aluminum

Jack Olsen said:
I was able to bring up a picture of the tool, but this is new to me. You use it to go over the edges, like a file?

No, it is used to remove the burrs by drawing it down the corner like a knife.

Here's the only video on Youtube I could find which kinda shows how they work. I don't like his technique, however. I hold the tool differently, putting the blade in the nook created by the first joint back from my index fingertip for deburring long exterior lines.

E.rodz · Oct 2, 2011

Jack you can use a three phase motor and a v.f.d. drive to control the motor speed. if you want to use it for steel.If you want to use it for aluminum just use a wood blade with a wide rake then you can carve around smaller diameters. you can also use a regular miter saw , skill saw,table saw to cut aluminum as well. just use a reg. carbide blade running the normal direction unless you use it to cut really thin aluminum.then flip the blade in reverse so it will grab the aluminum and want to rip it apart. Also use a little soap on the blade to keep it from gumming up. great job on the saw.keep up the great work! :thumbup:

danski0224 · Oct 2, 2011

Re: A couple of new ways (for me) to cut aluminum

A_Pmech said:
If you do not have one yet, consider purchasing a deburring tool such as MSC# 05752795 with a few N1 blades. It will help you take care of the burrs left by the routing and leaves a nice little chamfer with practice.

Those deburring tools are also available at the big box stores near the plumbing hand tools.

RivennHewn · Oct 2, 2011

Good source for bandsaw tires:

http://www.suffolkmachinery.com/urethane-band-saw-tire-price-list/

bluebolt · Oct 2, 2011

I have the exact same saw Jack, nice to know it can cut aluminum. Following your progress with finishing rebuilding the saw.

mjb · Oct 2, 2011

Great work as usual!

On the deburring subject, I use one of these for outside edges up to 10 gauge.

A shot of how the sheet rides on the cutters and guard

dladcock · Oct 2, 2011

A plain old 1 inch wide Red Devil paint scraper works well for deburring. Have both the single bent style and the "Devil" either will get the job done. The paint scraper might be low tech, but they are easy to find.

The saw looks great, bet it is glad you turned your eye it's way! A trick for band saws and cutting tighter radius', smooth the back of the (non cutting edge) with a stone while running. Basically rounding that back edge will allow a little tighter radius and smoother action.

Lynn

muibubbles · Oct 2, 2011

nice jack, cool to see someone else use that process with the router..

sorry if i missed this, but are you replacing the end brackets or is this bolting on to the existing one you have?

NUTTSGT · Oct 2, 2011

Damn Jack, I know why you're a writer, you have one creative mind. :thumbup:

Jack Olsen · Oct 3, 2011

A_Pmech said:
No, it is used to remove the burrs by drawing it down the corner like a knife.

Here's the only video on Youtube I could find which kinda shows how they work. I don't like his technique, however. I hold the tool differently, putting the blade in the nook created by the first joint back from my index fingertip for deburring long exterior lines.

Thanks. Now it's pretty clear. I'm neither methodical or disciplined enough to do that kind of thing merely for the sake of a better finished appearance -- but I'm smart enough to know that lightly rounded edges will reduce the number of times I cut myself on this piece as I work with it. So thanks -- I'm in.

E.rodz said:
Jack you can use a three phase motor and a v.f.d. drive to control the motor speed. if you want to use it for steel.If you want to use it for aluminum just use a wood blade with a wide rake then you can carve around smaller diameters. you can also use a regular miter saw , skill saw,table saw to cut aluminum as well. just use a reg. carbide blade running the normal direction unless you use it to cut really thin aluminum.then flip the blade in reverse so it will grab the aluminum and want to rip it apart. Also use a little soap on the blade to keep it from gumming up. great job on the saw.keep up the great work!

One day, I will no doubt succumb to the three-phase (Dark) Side of the Force. But you're talking some real money there, from a guy who's too cheap to replace this old (maybe 1951?) blade because, you know, it's still cutting.

At the same time, I'm so curious about the idea of a table and base for a portaband that I'm wiling to buy a second portaband so that I can have one that's always in a vertical orientation on a base and another one that remains truly portable. They'll both be cheap (one Harbor Freight and one second-hand), but there's some expense there, and some irony. It boils down to the fact that I'm willing to spend money so long as it's in the name of being frugal. (Does that make any sense at all?)

RivennHewn said:
Good source for bandsaw tires:

http://www.suffolkmachinery.com/urethane-band-saw-tire-price-list/

Thanks, but these are very small 6" wheels. I did find one place that has ones for these (Carter) -- but I also have an idea that's significantly cheaper which I'm going to try first.

dladcock said:
The saw looks great, bet it is glad you turned your eye it's way! A trick for band saws and cutting tighter radius', smooth the back of the (non cutting edge) with a stone while running. Basically rounding that back edge will allow a little tighter radius and smoother action.

Thanks for that tip. I have a couple replacement blades that are shorter, which should help too.

muibubbles said:
sorry if i missed this, but are you replacing the end brackets or is this bolting on to the existing one you have?

These are new uprights for a new wing I'm going to make. Time constraints notwithstanding (newborn daughter is now two weeks old; I still have a full time day job), I'm going to learn how to vacuum bag a carbon fiber skin for an EPS (styrofoam) wing core I'm having made by a guy who makes wings for RC aircraft.

NUTTSGT said:
Damn Jack, I know why you're a writer, you have one creative mind.

Thank you. But what this really shows is that, like a writer, I bring some good sense to who I borrow (or steal) from. The router idea came from this board. The band saw came out of another thread on the GJ about cutting aluminum. If I hadn't read that, I'd still be doing all of this with a jigsaw and the band saw would be waiting for a wood project somewhere down the line.

But to everybody: thanks. :beer:

Jack Olsen · Oct 4, 2011

And here's the final piece on the band saw. I can get tires for 6" wheels from Carter's. But they're something like $15 a piece, and that's before shipping. So I'm trying a 'poor man's' solution I read about online, which is just to use friction tape on the wheels. I picked up a new roll, since the stuff in my tool bag could easily date back a couple of decades and I want to be sure the adhesive is fresh. I'll keep a regular check on them, to make sure they're not fraying or separating from the wheel. But here's the dirt-cheap way I did it, both still and rolling:

mdbeck1 · Oct 4, 2011

Looks good Jack. ...and the guard looks a WHOLE lot better after you painted it. On the guard cut a couple of circles out of that thin aluminum (or plywood) then put a rectangular piece of the correct length between them. If you don't want to have to bend the aluminum (for over the top of the belt) you can get a length of angle (aluminum or iron) and pop rivet it onto the apparatus previously described to cover the top/bottom of the belt. If you go the angle route you'll have to "kerf" one side of the angle to get it to go around the circle.

Kerfing is what Red Leader did on the curved portions of his shelving. You can do the same thing on your band saw, table saw, saber saw, .....

Jack Olsen · Oct 10, 2011

I found a picture of the saw the way it used to look:

And here it is today:

The guard is still kind of an eyesore. The next time I've got some leftover steel sheet, I'll cut a side piece and then bend a length of flat, thin stock for the part that runs around the pulleys and weld it in place. But truth be told, the saw itself sat for a couple of years before I got around to cleaning it up -- so the new guard might take months to appear. We'll see.

Zeke · Oct 10, 2011

Jack, you wouldn't need to weld the flange all the way. You could cut the flat and fold the long sides. Only the curves would need to be welded. For a guard, only several tack welds would be needed on the curved ends.

xpmcharly · Oct 12, 2011

Hats off, great innovation and writeup as usual, Jack. Congrats on the new baby. My grandson was born 9/29/11. Hey, I was looking at an old Harley homade primary chain cover in Cyclemo's shop, and noticed that it was imprinted "Wearever" , well I guess broiling WOULD be better for you, Huh?

GreyOwl · Oct 12, 2011

Jack, how would a section cut from an inner tube work for the wheel faces? Would it be too soft? The right size would make a band that would fit fairly snug, or so I would think.

Charles

Jack Olsen · Oct 12, 2011

xpmcharly said:
Hats off, great innovation and writeup as usual, Jack. Congrats on the new baby. My grandson was born 9/29/11.

Congratulations. I'm grandparent-aged, but just now having kids. It'll be strange to be in my seventies before I see any grandchildren. But I'll take what I can get.

GreyOwl said:
Jack, how would a section cut from an inner tube work for the wheel faces? Would it be too soft? The right size would make a band that would fit fairly snug, or so I would think.

I've read about people using inner tubes for this, and I don't see why it wouldn't work. For these 6" wheels, it's probably safe to say there's an industrial rubber-band out there that would work. But the friction tape was easy and just about free.

Jack Olsen · Oct 12, 2011

xpmcharly said:
Hats off, great innovation and writeup as usual, Jack. Congrats on the new baby. My grandson was born 9/29/11.

Congratulations. I'm grandparent-aged, but just now having kids. It'll be strange to be in my seventies before I see any grandchildren. But I'll take what I can get.

GreyOwl said:
Jack, how would a section cut from an inner tube work for the wheel faces? Would it be too soft? The right size would make a band that would fit fairly snug, or so I would think.

I've read about people using inner tubes for this, and I don't see why it wouldn't work. For these 6" wheels, it's probably safe to say there's an industrial rubber-band out there that would work. But the friction tape was easy and just about free.

Two new ways (for me) to cut aluminum

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