[R-390] Cutting Aluminum sheet for your R390

[Doug Hensley]

Perry, the right way to do that is to have a shop chop it on their cutting shear.  If that is prohibitive for you, laying it out with clear marked lines that you can see and using a double cut saw would be easiest.


http://www.harborfreight.com/5-in-75-amp-heavy-duty-double-cut-saw-62448.html


or an electric hand shear:


http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200641785_200641785?cm_mmc=Google-pla&utm_source=Google_PLA&utm_medium=Power%20Tools%20%3E%20Cutters,%20Shears%20%2B%20Nibblers&utm_campaign=Ironton&utm_content=46257&gclid=CLzhlP3Z_c8CFUUbaQodXH0G_A


On a table saw, the blade is going to want to pull on the sheeting if your feed pressure or clamping jig is not right.  Then  it will try to kick the sheet metal up over itself.  Not a good thing to do.  To control the sheet, you could sandwich sheeting between two pieces of plywood or pine wood and that will dampen the vibration enough so that you can cut through.  But then, accuracy is tough to get that way.


The problem is not the cutting of the aluminum, its preparing the sheet metal so that the saw passes through it without moving it.  I went to NASA on the Gulf Coast one time for a university I was working for and cut off a twelve foot by eight foot piece of 1 1/8" T6061 with a skillsaw and bottle of spray lubricant.  Taking my time, it cut like butter but you see the plate did not move and so the saw just took its sweet time and enjoyed the ride !  The magic is all in the planning.


Good luck,


Doug W5JV




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Message: 6
Date: Fri, 28 Oct 2016 05:47:35 +0000 (UTC)
From: Perry Sandeen <sandeenpa at yahoo.com>
To: "r-390 at mailman.qth.net" <r-390 at mailman.qth.net>
Subject: [R-390] Cutting Aluminium Plate


List,
Some of my A's are missing the Utah plate.
I have some very nice sheeting of about the same thickness.
I'd like to cut them on my table saw that has a new 10 inch 40 tooth carbide blade.
Good idea? Bad idea? ?Pitfalls to avoid?
Regards,
Perrier

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