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geekhack Projects => Making Stuff Together! => Topic started by: Eszett on Sat, 15 September 2018, 11:46:45

Title: tool to cut my plate?
Post by: Eszett on Sat, 15 September 2018, 11:46:45

Hi makers, I need to cut a piece off my prototyping plate which is aluminum, and, unfortunately, it's even powder coated. What kind of tool would you recommend? What I currently have in mind is a miniature angle grinder with diamond saw plate, like the "PROXXON 28650". What do you think? are there better tools, products, methods? It shouldn't be too expensive ( above 100$ ) since I need it only once or twice.

Title: Re: tool to cut my plate?
Post by: Eszett on Sun, 16 September 2018, 08:38:42

Alright, thanks. Bought a grinding and milling tool from Proxxon (IBS). This will probably do the job.

Title: Re: tool to cut my plate?
Post by: fpazos on Wed, 26 September 2018, 14:45:34

I hope to arrive on time. I don't know if the proxxon would be powerful enough. I have one engraver and it's quite weak. It works well for soft to medium materials as wood, methacrylate, plastics, etc; it's good for precision things. But it almost can't with ebony. You should go for a dremmel or Chinese alike.

Title: Re: tool to cut my plate?
Post by: JianYang on Sat, 29 September 2018, 03:24:01

A rotary tool is not well-suited to cutting alu. A cutting tool like a punch is much better (for creating cutouts for switches). Or metal shears of some sort. On a limb, drilling with a drill-press and filing/sawing to final size can work, and will be much less frustrating than grinding alu.

Sidebar
I prefer grinding titanium to attempting to grind aluminium. Aluminium clogs up the wheel and binds.

Title: Re: tool to cut my plate?
Post by: Findecanor on Sat, 29 September 2018, 05:42:24

I have had two Proxxon rotary tools: too underpowered for drilling holes in 1.5 mm thick T6/6061 aluminium — which is what I suppose is precisely what your plate is. Both overheated and broke on first use. Piece of crap IMHO. Was also more expensive than the Dremel I have now and more unwieldy: I think the springy coiled cable to the separate transformer was shorter than my current Dremel's flexshaft even.

A rotary saw blade might still work for cutting sheet alu though. But I'd rather use a hacksaw — when I can fit it.
I have used a hacksaw to cut plates but it did not work well on long cuts, such as for cutting off a function key row.
A bandsaw or scroll saw might be the best tool, with the right blade of course.