aluminum plates and profiles

[Plinio Andres Barraza]

The best thing to cut sheet metal (only in straight lines though) is to
use a bench press.  Most people wouldn't want to buy one because it is an
industrial thing (although I have seen samll portable ones), but if you
find someone who would be willing to let you use theirs you could make
fifty pannels in an hour (not including hole punching/drilling).  

A bench press is alot like a guillotine but much heavier, it can cut 1/8"
aluminum like butter (you use your body weight). I know a guy here in 
New York that has several in his shop- he does copper roofing, but many
shops have them (I really don't think they are that uncomon) check out an
industrial area or talk to artist friends (artist doing etching need them
all the time.

Plinio



On Tue, 8 Dec 1998, Arthur Harrison wrote:

> For 0.062" or less thick aluminum of most alloys (6061, 5052, etc.), a small
> shear is far
> preferable to a saw.  Of course, engraved panels may be 0.093" or more,
> and that will require a relatively big shear.  (I understand that some of
> the finest shears
> are made in Germany.)  Here in the US, a good shear with capacity for 0.62"
> thick, 2'
> wide material costs about $2500.  BTW, cutting aluminum in the thickness
> range
> of 0.125"and up is indeed a chore, even with a BIG bandsaw.
> 
> -Art
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Dr. Davis <dcd at gower.net>
> To: Martin Czech <martin.czech at intermetall.de>; synth-diy at mailhost.bpa.nl
> <synth-diy at mailhost.bpa.nl>
> Date: Tuesday, December 08, 1998 5:03 PM
> Subject: Re: aluminum plates and profiles
> 
> 
> >Just out of curiosity, why do you say cutting aluminum is an awful job?
> >It has been my experience that, so long as you have a fine-toothed metal
> >cutting blade 3/8 inches wide (I had one made for a 14 inch bandsaw for
> >$10), a relatively low-power bandsaw works just fine.  And while it does
> >create aluminum "sawdust", it does not send it flying like a circular saw
> >does.  If you buy or make a ripfence, then cutting nice square panels is
> >quite easy.  The edges need only a minimal amount of smoothing.  Anyway,
> >just my opinion.
> >
> >Dave
> >-----Original Message-----
> >From: Martin Czech <martin.czech at intermetall.de>
> >To: synth-diy at mailhost.bpa.nl <synth-diy at mailhost.bpa.nl>
> >Date: Tuesday, December 08, 1998 9:27 AM
> >Subject: aluminum plates and profiles
> >
> >
> >>Hello,
> >>
> >>I just got an answer from Schaeffer Apparatebau (these people do engraved
> >>front panels). I asked if they could also cut aluminum plates for the
> >>other 5 sides of a module box, and also alu profiles in order to connect
> >>front panel and the 5 other sides.  Well, they can do this, but since
> >>they have no saw but only a computer controlled engraving machine this
> >>can get very expensive. OTOH aluminum cutting is an awful job, I guess
> >>a proper saw (be it circular or not) would cost about 600 DM.
> >>
> >>Does anybody know a shop in Germany or nearby where I can get my aluminum
> >>cut?
> >>
> >>m.c.
> >>
> >
> 
>