Cutting Aluminium Sheet

[davidimurray]

Looking back through the search function I found this -

http://www.haynes.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=3288&highlight=cutting

Can anyone reccomend where to get any thin 115mm aluminium cutting discs from. Struggling to find any on ebay and Screwfix seem to be out of stock.

Cheers

Dave

[Davey]

Don't know where you can get the discs from but I would urge caution with cutting ali with abrasive discs. If you must take this route be sure to wear a good face mask, aluminium builds up in the human body and has been linked to altzheimers disease.

D.

[AshG]

im stuffed then :D cut all mine with the grinder :(

[Talonmotorsport]

If you have a 50ltr compressor or bigger I'd say use a body panel saw that takes hack saw blades. You just need to clamp to a table or worktop with a straight edge on top as a giude,makes realy nice curve cuts too. I did a whole set of body panels with half a hack saw blade.

[dogwood]

im stuffed then :D cut all mine with the grinder :(

Me to....I think...

What was we talking about...:confused:

[deezee]

I think we're pretty safe making a few cuts in aluminium :D That kind of advice is a little dramatic. I've built a dozen furnaces making aluminium powder for both the automotive industry (paint additives) and also for the European Space agency (solid rocket boosters) and the industry isn't filled with lunatics and mentalists.

Although its also worth mentioning that even the government doesn't rate the research.
"It appears that the aluminum content of the brain is less an issue relating to exposure to aluminum than an issue of a blood-brain barrier defect"

[Bonzo]

Hi Dave

I bought a pack of these Cutting Disks (http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/20-X-METAL-CUTTING-DISCS-115mm-4-ULTRA-THIN-1mm-/250632251291?cmd=ViewItem&pt=UK_Home_Garden_PowerTools_SM&hash=item3a5ad8a79b)

I know they are maked for stainless but they cut through alloy like butter & made short work of my alloy sump chop :)
Finding them very durable on all metals & do not clog to badly with alloy like some of the slitting disks I have used in the past.

If you don't fancy using a grinder, a decent jigsaw should be more than able to cut the alloy.
Given a little diligence, quite a straight cut can be produced & can easily be fettled with a flap disk.

Take care using abrasives on alloy .... Decent eye protection is a must, Spent a miserable week once because of alloy particals in my eye .... Didn't care for that too much either :eek:

Dust mask too .... I am in the same boat as ASh & David, too late for me :rolleyes:

[Davey]

I don't see why advisding the use of a good dust mask is "dramatic". Surely it is just good sense to look after your health so any process that causes dust or fumes in the atmosphere should give cause for using a good facemask just like any process causing sharp particles in the air should be good cause to use safety glasses surely?

D.

[davidimurray]

Thanks for the info guys.

Ronnie I will get some of those discs on order - never had much luck with the jigsaw! :p

[MightyMouth]

Don't know where you can get the discs from but I would urge caution with cutting ali with abrasive discs. If you must take this route be sure to wear a good face mask, aluminium builds up in the human body and has been linked to altzheimers disease.

D.

I think it is good advice to wear a face mask when grinding anything but the Alzheimer's - Aluminium link is all but a myth, there has been no conclusive study which links the two.

I have looked into it in depth as I use aluminium pots to brew beer and wanted to be sure it was safe. There was one study with rats that linked very high aluminium intake with a kind of neurofibrillary tangle but when viewed with an electron microscope were found to be different to those associated with Alzheimer's.

[Davey]

Fair enough, ignore my comments regarding aluminium and Alzheimers, I was going on what I heard about 13 years ago, still use a dust mask though;) .

D.

[HandyAndy]

still use a dust mask though;) .

D.

But then I burn it when having an Andy Capp (fag) ,

hey , I,m not kidding....had a ciggie in my mouth then put my goggles on then my face mask .....phut phut phut :D :D

cheers
andy

[gingea1pom]

Andy,

That reminds me of when I was in basic training,

There was a guy having a shower, wearing his respirator (gas mask (to clean it)), he had a cigarette stuffed in the drinking straw, so he could smoke whilst showering!:eek:

Squaddies!!

[AshG]

that was you wasnt it ginge :D i have see how itchy you get when you cant duck out for a fag lol.

as for the cutting discs, as ronnie says 1mm stainless ones will do the job. go for ones that are made with inox as they will cut anything even hardened steel they also last ages compared to normal ones.

[davidimurray]

Thanks for all the help from everyone. While my paint is drying I am going to get my pencil and ruler out and start making my lining paper bodywork templates. Then it's out with the grinder to start cutting panels :D

[baz-r]

just a quick one grinding discs marked inox or stainless are only iron free so when used thay dont make your stainless form a rust on where its cut or ground

this is what i was told buy a rep who supplied us abrasives we used to sell when i was a welding tec/support advisor

its a bit like puting a rusty wet bolt or iron grindings on a bit of stainless it will start to rust

[Trophy Blue]

While faffing around with cutting discs, a good set of tin snips will cut 2mm ally very quickly and cleanly when lubricated with parafin - just a thought

[bigheppy]

Hi Dave

I bought a pack of these Cutting Disks (http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/20-X-METAL-CUTTING-DISCS-115mm-4-ULTRA-THIN-1mm-/250632251291?cmd=ViewItem&pt=UK_Home_Garden_PowerTools_SM&hash=item3a5ad8a79b)

I know they are maked for stainless but they cut through alloy like butter & made short work of my alloy sump chop :)
Finding them very durable on all metals & do not clog to badly with alloy like some of the slitting disks I have used in the past.

If you don't fancy using a grinder, a decent jigsaw should be more than able to cut the alloy.
Given a little diligence, quite a straight cut can be produced & can easily be fettled with a flap disk.

Take care using abrasives on alloy .... Decent eye protection is a must, Spent a miserable week once because of alloy particals in my eye .... Didn't care for that too much either :eek:

Dust mask too .... I am in the same boat as ASh & David, too late for me :rolleyes:

Those discs are 12 for £5 at my local car boot sale. Whitley Bridge next to J34 M62