[R-390] cutting aluminum
Barry
n4buq at knology.net
Fri Oct 28 15:04:17 EDT 2016
As I recall, those water-jet machines are not exactly quiet either... :)
Thanks,
Barry - N4BUQ
----- Original Message -----
> From: "Ron Bussiere via R-390" <r-390 at mailman.qth.net>
> To: r-390 at mailman.qth.net
> Sent: Friday, October 28, 2016 2:00:32 PM
> Subject: [R-390] cutting aluminum
>
>
> Life's too short for this kind of hassle. Just get a plasma cutter. You'll
> never go back to any other method.
> At IBM we had EDM and water jet machines. Plus, a Tool and Die Maker who was
> my pal. ha ha
>
> ron
> N4UE
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: r-390-request <r-390-request at mailman.qth.net>
> To: r-390 <r-390 at mailman.qth.net>
> Sent: Fri, Oct 28, 2016 2:34 pm
> Subject: R-390 Digest, Vol 150, Issue 31
>
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> Today's Topics:
>
> 1. Re: aluminum (Frank Hughes)
> 2. Re: Cutting aluminum sheet (Bill Guyger)
> 3. Re: Cutting aluminum sheet (Charles Steinmetz)
> 4. Re: Cutting Aluminum sheet for your R390 (Mike Bracey)
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Message: 1
> Date: Fri, 28 Oct 2016 14:02:04 -0400
> From: Frank Hughes <fsh396ss at gmail.com>
> To: r-390 at mailman.qth.net
> Subject: Re: [R-390] aluminum
> Message-ID:
> <CAKLfjCnreFFdY9mCyWJxwVcTmcGjZdZ7q=uv06LqQ0FQTZDSEA at mail.gmail.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8
>
> I cut up to 1/2" aluminum plate routinely with a 60 tooth, 10", carbide
> fine crosscut. Radial arm saw. I use WD40 to keep the blade from sticking.
> I use eye and ear protection, it is loud!
> 73
> Frank
> KJ4OLL
>
> On Oct 28, 2016 10:56, <r-390-request at mailman.qth.net> wrote:
>
> Send R-390 mailing list submissions to
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> When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific
> than "Re: Contents of R-390 digest..."
>
>
> Today's Topics:
>
> 1. Re: Cutting Aluminium Plate (Charles Steinmetz)
> 2. Re: Cutting Aluminium Plate (Alan Victor)
> 3. Re: Cutting Aluminium Plate (jbrannig)
> 4. Re: Cutting Aluminum sheet for your R390 (Doug Hensley)
> 5. Re: Cutting Aluminum sheet for your R390 (Robert Nickels)
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Message: 1
> Date: Fri, 28 Oct 2016 03:49:48 -0400
> From: Charles Steinmetz <csteinmetz at yandex.com>
> To: r-390 at mailman.qth.net
> Subject: Re: [R-390] Cutting Aluminium Plate
> Message-ID: <5813031C.8040104 at yandex.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8; format=flowed
>
> Perry wrote:
>
> > 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?
>
> 40 teeth is WAY, WAY too coarse to cut aluminum of any kind, and most
> especially thin sheets. You need a 100-tooth "non-ferrous metal" blade.
> And unless you have a very good table saw, you won't have enough power
> to cut aluminum with a 10" blade. Most folks use 7-1/4" or 8" blades
> for this (even if they DO have a very good saw).
>
> Aluminum tends to catch the saw teeth and buck, so you need very good
> blade guards that hold the workpiece firmly down on the table, and
> anti-kickback prevention.
>
> Cutting aluminum makes LOTS of noise. Neighbors-may-call-the-police
> loud. It sounds like a thousand angry monkeys screaming.
>
> A metal-cutting bandsaw is a much better tool for this job.
>
> Best regards,
>
> Charles
>
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 2
> Date: Fri, 28 Oct 2016 02:08:51 -0700
> From: Alan Victor <amvictor at ncsu.edu>
> To: Charles Steinmetz <csteinmetz at yandex.com>
> Cc: 390 list <r-390 at mailman.qth.net>
> Subject: Re: [R-390] Cutting Aluminium Plate
> Message-ID:
> <CAO-B_TcVc0VZg=L=z-sLvz7+DZSZtV5T2psyjLmbFTCeYX80Kg at mail.gmail.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8
>
> Cut mine out with a hacksaw. Took about 15 minutes. Laminated a photo
> image of the LC xmfr networks and the alignment blocks into plastic and
> attached that to the plate. Images came from the Y2K manual. Looks FB. Alan
>
> On Fri, Oct 28, 2016 at 12:49 AM, Charles Steinmetz <csteinmetz at yandex.com>
> wrote:
>
> > Perry wrote:
> >
> > 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?
> >>
> >
> > 40 teeth is WAY, WAY too coarse to cut aluminum of any kind, and most
> > especially thin sheets. You need a 100-tooth "non-ferrous metal" blade.
> > And unless you have a very good table saw, you won't have enough power to
> > cut aluminum with a 10" blade. Most folks use 7-1/4" or 8" blades for
> this
> > (even if they DO have a very good saw).
> >
> > Aluminum tends to catch the saw teeth and buck, so you need very good
> > blade guards that hold the workpiece firmly down on the table, and
> > anti-kickback prevention.
> >
> > Cutting aluminum makes LOTS of noise. Neighbors-may-call-the-police loud.
> > It sounds like a thousand angry monkeys screaming.
> >
> > A metal-cutting bandsaw is a much better tool for this job.
> >
> > Best regards,
> >
> > Charles
> >
> >
> >
> > ______________________________________________________________
> > R-390 mailing list
> > Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/r-390
> > Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
> > Post: mailto:R-390 at mailman.qth.net
> >
> > This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
> > Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
> >
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 3
> Date: Fri, 28 Oct 2016 05:30:04 -0400
> From: jbrannig <jbrannig at verizon.net>
> To: Charles Steinmetz <csteinmetz at yandex.com>, r-390 at mailman.qth.net
> Subject: Re: [R-390] Cutting Aluminium Plate
> Message-ID: <jxsswrv62ukvcl3t1h1roikb.1477647004505 at email.android.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8
>
> I have used a fine panel cutting blade to cut aluminum on a radial arm saw.
> The trick is to cut BACKWARDS.....
> This works with chassis and rack panel thickness.
> Jim
>
>
> Sent from my Galaxy Tab? A
> -------- Original message --------From: Charles Steinmetz <
> csteinmetz at yandex.com> Date: 10/28/16 3:49 AM (GMT-05:00) To:
> r-390 at mailman.qth.net Subject: Re: [R-390] Cutting Aluminium Plate
> Perry wrote:
>
> > 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?
>
> 40 teeth is WAY, WAY too coarse to cut aluminum of any kind, and most
> especially thin sheets.? You need a 100-tooth "non-ferrous metal" blade.
> ? And unless you have a very good table saw, you won't have enough power
> to cut aluminum with a 10" blade.? Most folks use 7-1/4" or 8" blades
> for this (even if they DO have a very good saw).
>
> Aluminum tends to catch the saw teeth and buck, so you need very good
> blade guards that hold the workpiece firmly down on the table, and
> anti-kickback prevention.
>
> Cutting aluminum makes LOTS of noise. Neighbors-may-call-the-police
> loud.? It sounds like a thousand angry monkeys screaming.
>
> A metal-cutting bandsaw is a much better tool for this job.
>
> Best regards,
>
> Charles
>
>
> ______________________________________________________________
> R-390 mailing list
> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/r-390
> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
> Post: mailto:R-390 at mailman.qth.net
>
> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 4
> Date: Fri, 28 Oct 2016 14:29:19 +0000
> From: Doug Hensley <w5jv at hotmail.com>
> To: "r-390 at mailman.qth.net" <r-390 at mailman.qth.net>
> Subject: Re: [R-390] Cutting Aluminum sheet for your R390
> Message-ID:
> <CY1PR15MB0615CE233B721728B91537ED91AD0 at CY1PR15MB0615.
> namprd15.prod.outlook.com>
>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
>
> 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
>
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> 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
>
> ------------------------------
>
>
> ________________________________
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 5
> Date: Fri, 28 Oct 2016 09:56:43 -0500
> From: Robert Nickels <ranickel at comcast.net>
> To: r-390 at mailman.qth.net
> Subject: Re: [R-390] Cutting Aluminum sheet for your R390
> Message-ID: <12874bec-d0e2-cd09-743e-7949a77c881a at comcast.net>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=windows-1252; format=flowed
>
> Some of you may have seen the excellent work my friend Mike KG7TR has
> done in his ER articles on his homebrewed SSB gear as seen here:
>
> http://www.kg7tr.com/
>
> Mike gave a presentation at the Jonesborough TN Central
> Electronics-Vintage SSB gathering this year on his construction methods
> and tools. He stresses that he doesn't own a brake or shear and makes
> the panels and cabinets for all this beautiful gear using a square,
> sabre saw, and "lots of filing". If you're in production, you want to
> use the right and best tool for the job but if you're a hobbyist making
> a one-off project, patience and elbow grease are acceptable substitutes.
>
> 73, Bob W9RAN
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Subject: Digest Footer
>
> _______________________________________________
> R-390 mailing list
> R-390 at mailman.qth.net
> http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/r-390
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> End of R-390 Digest, Vol 150, Issue 29
> **************************************
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 2
> Date: Fri, 28 Oct 2016 13:11:41 -0500
> From: Bill Guyger <bguyger at yahoo.com>
> To: Tisha Hayes <tisha.hayes at gmail.com>
> Cc: R390A <r-390 at mailman.qth.net>
> Subject: Re: [R-390] Cutting aluminum sheet
> Message-ID: <2B3B7DB3-47BF-4111-8F4F-C5594EE50DD2 at yahoo.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
>
> As I mentioned earlier I use a saber saw but I do use a fairly course blade
> IIRC 14 teeth/inch. Fine toothed Blades gaul quickly because aluminum is so
> soft (this is of course ignoring the hard alloys that are intended for
> milling). In other words fine tooth blades get clogged rapidly and cease
> cutting.
>
> Bill AD5OL
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
> > On Oct 28, 2016, at 12:40 PM, Tisha Hayes <tisha.hayes at gmail.com> wrote:
> >
> > Right out of college I was working for a company that also fabricated their
> > own custom control cabinets out of aluminum. They used a table saw with a
> > pretty coarse blade. No guards, no shields, they were dragging these big 4'
> > x 4' sheets of 1/4" aluminum and one guy would wrestle this through the
> > saw.
> >
> > The entire process horrified me; I was picturing just about every way it
> > could go bad. Sometimes the metal sheet would ride up and the blade would
> > cut a nasty gouge on the bottom the sheet as it tried to launch this big
> > piece of aluminum back in to the belly of the guy who was feeding the
> > monster. My imagination for how bad it could get would be perfect for movie
> > making or nightmares.
> >
> > When I was making prototypes or test jigs out of a bed of nails with POGO
> > contacts I had to be in the same room. I made every effort to not be there
> > on aluminum cutting day.
> >
> > From what I recall, the blade had to be riding pretty high off of the deck
> > to minimize the bucking.
> >
> > It also did make a horrendous noise. Even a half-a-building away I could
> > hear it when they were cutting aluminum.
> >
> > *Ms. Tisha Hayes, AA4HA*
> > *"*There are many who live in the mountains and behave as if they were in
> > **the
> > town; they are wasting their time.*
> > * It is possible to be a solitary in one's mind while living in a crowd;
> > and it is possible for those who are **solitary to live in the crowd of
> > their own thoughts.*"*
> > **-Amma Syncletica of Alexandria**
> > ______________________________________________________________
> > R-390 mailing list
> > Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/r-390
> > Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
> > Post: mailto:R-390 at mailman.qth.net
> >
> > This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
> > Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 3
> Date: Fri, 28 Oct 2016 14:30:15 -0400
> From: Charles Steinmetz <csteinmetz at yandex.com>
> To: r-390 at mailman.qth.net
> Subject: Re: [R-390] Cutting aluminum sheet
> Message-ID: <58139937.8090101 at yandex.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8; format=flowed
>
> Bill wrote:
>
> > As I mentioned earlier I use a saber saw but I do use a fairly course blade
> > IIRC 14 teeth/inch.
>
> That is extremely fine compared to the OP's blade. Your blade has over
> 300 teeth (assuming it is a standard 7-1/4" blade), while his has only
> 40 (about 1.25 teeth/inch).
>
> Best regards,
>
> Charles
>
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 4
> Date: Fri, 28 Oct 2016 18:32:49 +0000 (UTC)
> From: Mike Bracey <mikebracey at att.net>
> To: John Saxon <johnbsaxon at yahoo.com>, "W9RAN at oneradio.net"
> <W9RAN at oneradio.net>, "r-390 at mailman.qth.net" <r-390 at mailman.qth.net>
> Subject: Re: [R-390] Cutting Aluminum sheet for your R390
> Message-ID: <858284706.763874.1477679569850 at mail.yahoo.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8
>
> The quality of his work is amazing! I wish I could come close to his level of
> craftsmanship.
> 73, Mike/KE5YTV
>
>
> From: John Saxon via R-390 <r-390 at mailman.qth.net>
> To: "W9RAN at oneradio.net" <W9RAN at oneradio.net>; "r-390 at mailman.qth.net"
> <r-390 at mailman.qth.net>
> Sent: Friday, October 28, 2016 10:34 AM
> Subject: Re: [R-390] Cutting Aluminum sheet for your R390
>
> Just wanted to say...I think Mike, KG7TR, is a homebrew genius. ?I have
> admired his work for a long time, and I have a folder filled with the info
> from his website. ?I find it inspirational that he uses tools that are
> readily available to most of us, and not that expensive.
> 73,JohnK5ENQ
>
> ? ? ? From: Robert Nickels <ranickel at comcast.net>
> To: r-390 at mailman.qth.net
> Sent: Friday, October 28, 2016 9:56 AM
> Subject: Re: [R-390] Cutting Aluminum sheet for your R390
> ?
> Some of you may have seen the excellent work my friend Mike KG7TR has
> done in his ER articles on his homebrewed SSB gear as seen here:
>
> http://www.kg7tr.com/
>
> Mike gave a presentation at the Jonesborough TN Central
> Electronics-Vintage SSB gathering this year on his construction methods
> and tools.? He stresses that he doesn't own a brake or shear and makes
> the panels and cabinets for all this beautiful gear using a square,
> sabre saw, and "lots of filing".? ? If you're in production, you want to
> use the right and best tool for the job but if you're a hobbyist making
> a one-off project,? patience and elbow grease are acceptable substitutes.
>
> 73, Bob W9RAN
> ______________________________________________________________
> R-390 mailing list
> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/r-390
> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
> Post: mailto:R-390 at mailman.qth.net
>
> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
>
>
> ?
> ______________________________________________________________
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>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Subject: Digest Footer
>
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>
> ------------------------------
>
> End of R-390 Digest, Vol 150, Issue 31
> **************************************
>
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