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Cutting aluminum at home

JgS

JgS

New Member
I want to make a couple signs for a friend this weekend and I don't have time to send out the aluminum sheets to be cut down. The plan is to take them home and cut them there. The aluminum is 18 gauge.

This is a noob question but what do you think the best tool for this would be? I have a table saw, a circular saw, jig saw, or I could pick up some automatic shears. Also what blade do you recommend? The goal is to have the cleanest edge possible.
 
S

SqueeGee

New Member
I'm not sure how thing 18 gauge is but we used to score .040 several times with sharp knife(box cutter) and then snap it on the edge of a table. It works in a pinch.
 
Mosh

Mosh

New Member
I thought this forum was for sign PROFESSIONALS!!!! Not cricut, make signs in your livingroom hacks!!!

I have a $3,000 52" Tensmith shear, that is how I cut .040 aluminum, it cuts it like a hot knife in butter, and leaves a factory type smooth edge. No saw is going to do that.
BTW aluminum is not measured in "gauges"

For @#cks SAKE!!!!
 
JgS

JgS

New Member
Sorry .040 alluminum. I'm just starting out and don't have a fancy shear yet. I have to have a metal shop cut it, but I don't have time on this job. Plus I am giving the signs away for free and don't really want to pay more then I have to.
 
C

CanuckSigns

Active Member
JgS said:
Sorry .040 alluminum. I'm just starting out and don't have a fancy shear yet. I have to have a metal shop cut it, but I don't have time on this job. Plus I am giving the signs away for free and don't really want to pay more then I have to.
Click to expand...

Giving signs away for free is a solid business plan...
 
B

bois323

New Member
Just use a box cutter with a new blade. Start out by lightly scoring it and then when you get a good groove press a bit harder.

Repetition will cut it not pressure. Putting too much pressure will only make the blade stick and you could cut yourself. Take your time and you should be fine.

0.040 aluminum should take you about 12 to 15 swipes to cut. After file the edge with a regular file to take the sharpness off.
 
T

TonyC

Guest
Cutting aluminum

You can cut .040 aluminum easily with sheet metal sheers. Go to a local HVAC supply house and ask for 12" aluminum handle metal shears. The cutting edge of the shears is 4" long. Practice cutting with them to learn how to handle the metal so the shears don't bind and the cutting will be easy.
 
Z SIGNS

Z SIGNS

New Member
You can cut it pretty cleanly with a table saw with the right blade.Tape a stick next to the fence so the sheet does not go underneath it and kick back.Clean the edges with a de-burring tool.If they don't like the edges tell them you will give them their money back.
 
Techman

Techman

New Member
As I posted years ago with a vodeo. And as several others have posted
Use a box knife and cut it several times.
Then carefully bend it up and down and it will snap right off with a clean edge.

.040 is so thin it is easy to work with.

18 gauge is .0403
 
GAC05

GAC05

Quit buggin' me
Yep,
snap it like acrylic or take a half dozen six-packs over to Mosh & talk him into doing it for you after 1 or 2 (packs).....

wayne k
guam usa
 
TyrantDesigner

TyrantDesigner

Art! Hot and fresh.
Techman said:
As I posted years ago with a vodeo. And as several others have posted
Use a box knife and cut it several times.
Then carefully bend it up and down and it will snap right off with a clean edge.

.040 is so thin it is easy to work with.

18 gauge is .0403
Click to expand...

This. I also have a saw gator with a metal cutting blade for things like really thick aluminum, alumacore and stuff like that ... less chance of kick back and won't tear your hand up. Link to amazon listing. ... also you could use a jig saw ... but those things leave loppy edges and are made for small cuts.
 
DizzyMarkus

DizzyMarkus

New Member
Scares me more the things people come up with :thumb:

Did they order the signs overnight? You had to have known you needed material cut before this point. Take it to a local shop and have it done right -- the shear is the bestest edge ;0)

Markus
 
signage

signage

New Member
Techman said:
As I posted years ago with a vodeo. And as several others have posted
Use a box knife and cut it several times.
Then carefully bend it up and down and it will snap right off with a clean edge.

.040 is so thin it is easy to work with.

18 gauge is .0403
Click to expand...

Techman here is the post from back then! Looks like the video has been removed though.
 
SignProPlus-Chip

SignProPlus-Chip

New Member
Mosh said:
I thought this forum was for sign PROFESSIONALS!!!! Not cricut, make signs in your livingroom hacks!!!

I have a $3,000 52" Tensmith shear, that is how I cut .040 aluminum, it cuts it like a hot knife in butter, and leaves a factory type smooth edge. No saw is going to do that.
BTW aluminum is not measured in "gauges"

For @#cks SAKE!!!!
Click to expand...

Not everyone buys or can afford the fancy tools right pout of the gate. Many of us start with almost nothing, make due and build our business, as well as our stock of tools and equipment as we go.

Such an unenlightened response is unbelievably rude to those trying to get simple answers to honest questions.
 
SignProPlus-Chip

SignProPlus-Chip

New Member
OldPaint said:
18 gauge is .407 decimal
Click to expand...

No, 18 gauge is equivalent to .040, .407 would be over 4mm thick.

For the record, .047 would not be correct either, 18 gauge mics up at about .0403. Standard measure requires the use of THREE decimal places which is why it's rounded to .040. If it were .047 it would be .041.
 
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