Pete-B Posted August 14, 2014 Share Posted August 14, 2014 Hi, A call to the more technically knowledgeable among us. I need to cut some 2mm aluminium treadplate sheet which will screwed to a plywood sheet to make a hard lid for the small trailer we tow behind the van. My question is, considering the sheet is 8ft x 4ft and the only tools I have are a jigsaw but with only, what I think, are wood blades and a Dremel with small cut off disc's, (how to do it). Thanks for any help or suggestions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sshortcircuit Posted August 14, 2014 Share Posted August 14, 2014 Metal blades for the jig saw are not that expensive and you will be able to cut aluminium no problem, its keeping a straight line that the difficult bit. If you are going to cover edges with aluminium angle then not as critical. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silverback Posted August 14, 2014 Share Posted August 14, 2014 with great difficulty (!) *-) your only chance is to buy some metal cutting blades for the jigsaw...get a few they won't last long, its gonna be a longish job... then get the dremmel with a grinding oblong ball attached and chamfer the cut edge or a metal cut file will do jon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ninian Posted August 14, 2014 Share Posted August 14, 2014 Get some coarse cutting metal blades for your jigsaw. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pelmetman Posted August 14, 2014 Share Posted August 14, 2014 Clamp a straight edge to the tread plate to act as a cutting guide ;-)........... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted August 14, 2014 Share Posted August 14, 2014 Go to a small, local, sheet metal company with a couple of quid "for the tea fund" and get them to guilotine it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
candapack Posted August 14, 2014 Share Posted August 14, 2014 I would agree with Colin. Quite apart from the right cutting blade, and getting a straight line, have you got something that will hold an 8 by 4 sheet securely enough so you can cut both accurately and safely? (Eg, all I've got is a Workmate, which would be pretty useless). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete-B Posted August 14, 2014 Author Share Posted August 14, 2014 Thanks for all the help, you've come up trumps again. I'll go down to Screwfix in the morning and get some coarse metal cutting blades. I can rest the sheet on top of trailer and try to clamp it somehow. Thanks again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Retread24800 Posted August 15, 2014 Share Posted August 15, 2014 Pete-B - 2014-08-14 10:33 PMThanks for all the help, you've come up trumps again.I'll go down to Screwfix in the morning and get some coarse metal cutting blades. I can rest the sheet on top of trailer and try to clamp it somehow.Thanks again. Thin sheet requires a small pitch between the teeth on the cutting blade, the pitch should be less than the thickness you are cutting ie 2mm so that there is always at least a tooth in contact with the cut surface thus you need fine cut blades not coarse and lubricate the cut with a line of grease or lard if possible to stop the blade from picking up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StuartO Posted August 15, 2014 Share Posted August 15, 2014 I know a man wh builds trailers and he cuts this type of aluminium sheet using a hand-held circular saw with an ordinary (i.e. wood) blade in it. I've seen it done. Makes an incredible racket but it does cut - and it doesn't seem to knacker the blade either! Keeping a striaght line is relatively easy this way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted August 15, 2014 Share Posted August 15, 2014 StuartO - 2014-08-15 3:34 PM I know a man wh builds trailers and he cuts this type of aluminium sheet using a hand-held circular saw with an ordinary (i.e. wood) blade in it. I've seen it done. Makes an incredible racket but it does cut - and it doesn't seem to knacker the blade either! Keeping a striaght line is relatively easy this way. I wouldn't cut one with a wood blade, but I do have a blade which will cut throu wood, Ali, and steel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete-B Posted August 15, 2014 Author Share Posted August 15, 2014 All done and dusted thanks, bought a couple of jig saw blades this morning but only used one. I finished the edges off with my angle grinder and the dremel. I'm now putting a 20mm ali angle all round and bolting the sandwich of angle 2mm treadplate, 12mm external ply and under the outside edge a strip of 30mm x 5mm ali with stainless steel bolts. should look good when finished and £200 pound cheaper than the purpose built one supplied by the trailer manufacturer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Retread24800 Posted August 15, 2014 Share Posted August 15, 2014 Pete-B - 2014-08-15 6:41 PMAll done and dusted thanks, bought a couple of jig saw blades this morning but only used one. I finished the edges off with my angle grinder and the dremel. I'm now putting a 20mm ali angle all round and bolting the sandwich of angle 2mm treadplate, 12mm external ply and under the outside edge a strip of 30mm x 5mm ali with stainless steel bolts. should look good when finished and £200 pound cheaper than the purpose built one supplied by the trailer manufacturer. Stainless and Aluminium do not mix well especially in a damp environment, suggest you bond the Items together with an adhesive like Sikafix -11FC+. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete-B Posted August 15, 2014 Author Share Posted August 15, 2014 Should have realised about the different metals reaction having built my own Caterham kit car some years ago which was mainly Ali. Trouble is I've bought the stainless bolts and started drilling some of the holes. Could I cut I cut some rubber or fibre sheet and make my own washers? That ought to stop the lecky transfer between the two metals shouldn't it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cliffy Posted August 16, 2014 Share Posted August 16, 2014 Pete-B - 2014-08-14 8:31 PM Hi, A call to the more technically knowledgeable among us. I need to cut some 2mm aluminium treadplate sheet which will screwed to a plywood sheet to make a hard lid for the small trailer we tow behind the van. My question is, considering the sheet is 8ft x 4ft and the only tools I have are a jigsaw but with only, what I think, are wood blades and a Dremel with small cut off disc's, (how to do it). Thanks for any help or suggestions. I would have a word with a member of the engineering staff at a local Technical College or training centre and ask if they would cut it for you. They will advise how to mark it out to suit their method of cutting. They like to have actual jobs to train people on rather the just exercises. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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