Suggestions on Scroll Cutting Alum. Sheet??l

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Hey guys,I'm doing a job with 0.125 aluminum sheet. I need to "scroll cut" several pieces, rough dems.49" x 56". The pieces are A centric, not a square edge on it. Lots of small radius and curves on bounding edges. Currently I'm using my plasma. This requires a substantial amount of finish grinding/sanding. I tested the use of a jig saw with a fine tooth metal blade. It produced a nice clean cut but was problematic, wanting to jump out of cut and was very slow. I tried a cut off disc on 4.5" grinder,,,no good. Can any of you experienced GuRus of metal fab offer any tips, tricks and methods of scroll cutting aluminum sheet efficiently?ThanksMiller TrailBlazer 251Miller HF-250-1Miller MaxStar 150 STLHyperTherm PowerMax 380 plasmaLincoln PowerMig 180Millermatic 252Miller Diversion 180
Reply:How much material do you have to remove? Can you use a pattern and a router with a bearing guide?.No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth! Ronald Reagan
Reply:Roto-Zip and wax the blade OFTEN.
Reply:A good quality scroll saw and small blade (as you have said you used) The big key here is "QUALITY" saw....A cheap saw compared to a good Bosch is like night and day... Router with small diameter bit is also good idea...
Reply:The router with bearing guide sounds like a good idea. I've never done wood working and do not own a router but considering the amount of aluminum I need to cut out, a router would be a good investment. I could produce a pattern/template using ply-wood sheet and follow with a bearing guide. As stated, I know nothing about routers or router bits. Can anyone suggest what brand/type of router and bit would work the best?Miller TrailBlazer 251Miller HF-250-1Miller MaxStar 150 STLHyperTherm PowerMax 380 plasmaLincoln PowerMig 180Millermatic 252Miller Diversion 180
Reply:I would agree with the router bit.  If you have to do multiple pieces, cut a template with the router (or scrollsaw/jig saw) out of plywood and you can just about mass produce.  As for what type of router....Mostly the name brands (Makita, Ryobi, Rigid, Craftsman, Bosch, Milwaukee, etc.)  You can plunge cut with a router setup for it, but not sure how that would work on Aluminum.  Another thing you may consider, which has been mentioned, is a Roto-zip.  I have both, and prefer my router though.  More weight, more stability.  I have a Bosch which costs me like $200 or something.  I can switch heads out for plunge cuts though.  My next concern would be the distance of the cut, meaning what you said about the measurements of the metal.  I try not to lean over my work if I can help it, which is another reason why it would be good to make a template out of plywood.  Not only will you be able to produce faster, you'll get practice with the router when you're making the template.
Reply:Wagin, heres a thread that I remeber that covered the use of a router with alum.http://weldingweb.com/vbb/showthread.php?t=46921There have been several others as well in the past. Main points. The process will throw a lot of small sharp chips. Good PPE is a must, face shield, hearing protection, leathers... Keep a good grip on the router. Don't force it. 1/2" carbide bit with wax, WD40, Do-all or some other lube to keep the alum from sticking to the bit. A down cut spiral bit will help hold the router down, but it's not manditory.I have about 6 routers. An old Craftasman, 2 Makita's, 2 Dewalts, and 2 Porter Cable's. I like the PC's the best. You can get any number of bases that will fit the same motor body. The basic body would work just fine for you, but if I was doing a ton of alum with it, I'd look at the D handle base as it would be easier to control. For interior cuts I'd drill a 3/4" hole in the scrap and drop the router in there and then go. You can get a bushing the mounts to the base that will ride the template, or get a bearing mounted bit where the bearing is on the bit itself. I've used both. The base mounted guide will let you run different bits like the spirals, but you have to figure in the extra offset. The bearing mounted bits can be used with an exact template. Any bumps etc on the plywood template will show up on your finished piece, so take a bit of time and sand it some to remove rough areas after you cut it with the jigsaw.I get most of my bits from a local place, MLCS Woodworking. http://mlcswoodworking.com/shopsite_...ushtrim_anchorhttp://www.mlcswoodworking.com/order.../bt_flush.htmlYou want to look at the pattern bits most likely with the top mounted bearings. I find them easier to work with if you have to remove extra material to reach the pattern.I've done tons of pattern cuts on wood and plastics with a router, both free hand and with table mounted routers. I've only done a small bit with alum, usually just rounding over corners or a radius that needed to be duplicated on 1/8" sheet. Always remember safety first and you should do fine..No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth! Ronald Reagan
Reply:I work with 1/8" aluminum daily, and the only time I use a hand-held router is with a flush cutting bearing against a VERY firmly affixed template or on an outside edge. And I find it's better to rough cut whatever it is you are routing, so that whatever material is left for the router, is at the very least, less than the diameter of the cutter. Trying to plow through material without rough cutting first would be (IMO) pretty dumb. The machine (CNC router table) does it all day just fine, but I will not do it manually.Copious amounts of WD-40 will keep the bit cutting smoothly without loading, I've heard bee's wax of stick wax works well too, but I have not tried them myself. Suppose they might cut down on the degreasing operations over the WD-40.I've been using a smaller Porter-Cable laminate trim router on 1/8" aluminum for years and years, and it holds up just fine for me. You can get a very nice, clean edge with a router, but you need a decent cutter and lots of lube, otherwise you will end up with fuzzy, sharp cling-ons. And do wear eye protection, tight fitting gloves, and long sleeves as the router shoots aluminum chips everywhere, and they are sharp.But it's infrequent that I pull out the router. Usually only on outside edges where I might leave a little material overhanging, and it's more expedient to take it down with the router over a DA or die grinder. Or in places I just can't get a sanding tool, like small aluminum letters and logos.For most of my manual 1/8" aluminum cutting operations, I reach for a jigsaw with not too fine of a metal cutting blade, and the can of WD-40. It's fast and it works great. Just keep an eye on the blade, it will clog with aluminum in a hurry if you don't keep it hosed with lube. I will lay my sheet of aluminum on top of some 2" blue insulation board, this allows the blade to pass freely below the cut while supporting the material.Oh, and I use a Bosch jigsaw and only Bosch or Lenox blades.
Reply:Thanks for the great info. guys! I have tons of aluminum to cut out. I'm going to try ruffing with a jig saw and finish cuts using a router with a patten. Thanks again.Miller TrailBlazer 251Miller HF-250-1Miller MaxStar 150 STLHyperTherm PowerMax 380 plasmaLincoln PowerMig 180Millermatic 252Miller Diversion 180
Reply:what TPI blade do you use? I tried a bosch with 17-24 TPI and it did not work very well.ThanksMiller TrailBlazer 251Miller HF-250-1Miller MaxStar 150 STLHyperTherm PowerMax 380 plasmaLincoln PowerMig 180Millermatic 252Miller Diversion 180
Reply:if you use a template from wood or whatever, i would make sure the edge that your bearing rides on is VARY clean and sharp, any bumps or valleys will show up on the material your cutting..