14 Aug
2007
14 Aug
'07
8:03 p.m.
William Donzelli wrote:
Mr. Low-tech sez:
I don't like doing aluminum with power tools unless I can set up a
jig. A hand saw is a lot more work, but for me it's more likely to
leave a good-looking product.
A decent 6" scroll saw will cost you $14 or so, and blades a couple
of bucks. The saw frame will let you set the blade at right angles to
the frame itself, and the 6" is the depth of the frame, not the length
of the blade.
Having said that, if you use the drive cages from scrap PCs, as
somebody mentioned, if they're bolted in first they'll make a fine
router guide for smoothing up the rough cut.
Doc
I'm not
sure how, using the tools I have, to carve big holes in a
thick aluminum blank panel plate. Would a 3 HP router and a carbide
bit do it?
Get an engraving bit - that is more or less what they are designed
for. If you get one perhaps 1/8 inch diameter, you would only need to
file out the corners a little bit. With an 1/8 inch thick panel, you
might need to make the cut five or six times, but it will go fast.