Cutting 20mm Aluminum extrusion with a hacksaw.

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Matt Joyce

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Nov 25, 2016, 8:39:48 PM11/25/16
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Hello,

I'm cutting 20x20 square t-slot.
I have 3m lengths I need smaller, about 18 cuts.

I have a hacksaw, a t24 blade and a wooden mitrebox and some clamps.

It tough going.

The mitre box is old and worn so I'll go and get a new one. 

Just wondering if anyone has any advice around the best type of blade, or technique.

Would a cheap power hack saw be better?

Regards

Matt

tALSit de CoD

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Nov 25, 2016, 8:53:37 PM11/25/16
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Here's a dangerous idea you should never try: put a jig saw upside down on a table, and make a jig with blocks to push the extrusion perpendicular to the blade.

*goes off to buy a jig saw*

But yeah, sounds dangerous!!!


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tALSit de CoD

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Nov 25, 2016, 9:01:37 PM11/25/16
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Kinda like this, but more hacky-hack.

Ada Lim

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Nov 25, 2016, 9:01:55 PM11/25/16
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Cutting fluid. Blade optimised for aluminium.
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Andrew Larkin

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Nov 25, 2016, 9:06:35 PM11/25/16
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I put an aluminium cutting blade into my drop saw for this kind of work 

Tristan Steele

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Nov 25, 2016, 9:17:30 PM11/25/16
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As a follow up for this - even adding a small squirt of WD40 or similar to the blade will generally help the blade an (almost) inordinate amount. It's also generally more likely to be on hand then a specific cutting fluid!

Tristan

On 26 November 2016 at 13:01, Ada Lim <a...@panda2.net> wrote:
Cutting fluid.  Blade optimised for aluminium.

On Sat, Nov 26, 2016 at 12:39 PM, Matt Joyce <matt....@gmail.com> wrote:
> Hello,
>
> I'm cutting 20x20 square t-slot.
> I have 3m lengths I need smaller, about 18 cuts.
>
> I have a hacksaw, a t24 blade and a wooden mitrebox and some clamps.
>
> It tough going.
>
> The mitre box is old and worn so I'll go and get a new one.
>
> Just wondering if anyone has any advice around the best type of blade, or
> technique.
>
> Would a cheap power hack saw be better?
>
> Regards
>
> Matt
>
> --
> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups
> "Robots & Dinosaurs" group.
> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an
> email to sydney-hackspace+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.
> To post to this group, send email to sydney-hackspace@googlegroups.com.
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Ada Lim

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Nov 25, 2016, 9:35:17 PM11/25/16
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On Sat, Nov 26, 2016 at 1:16 PM, Tristan Steele
<tristan...@gmail.com> wrote:
> As a follow up for this - even adding a small squirt of WD40 or similar to
> the blade will generally help the blade an (almost) inordinate amount. It's
> also generally more likely to be on hand then a specific cutting fluid!

I have had excellent experiences using methylated spirits as cutting
fluid for aluminium.

tALSit de CoD

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Nov 25, 2016, 9:39:11 PM11/25/16
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I remember that, and the 20m exclusion zone it created...

Ventilate well!!


Matt Joyce

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Nov 25, 2016, 10:06:25 PM11/25/16
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Thank you, this is helping.  I only used a small amount.

Matt Joyce

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Nov 25, 2016, 10:13:47 PM11/25/16
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Thanks, I'm using a small amount of WD40.  I tried a T18 blade but it was to difficult.  I'm using. T32 and just taking my time.

The cut pieces are not the same size, despite measuring twice as my grandad always told me too.


On Nov 26, 2016 1:01 PM, "Ada Lim" <a...@panda2.net> wrote:
Cutting fluid.  Blade optimised for aluminium.

On Sat, Nov 26, 2016 at 12:39 PM, Matt Joyce <matt....@gmail.com> wrote:
> Hello,
>
> I'm cutting 20x20 square t-slot.
> I have 3m lengths I need smaller, about 18 cuts.
>
> I have a hacksaw, a t24 blade and a wooden mitrebox and some clamps.
>
> It tough going.
>
> The mitre box is old and worn so I'll go and get a new one.
>
> Just wondering if anyone has any advice around the best type of blade, or
> technique.
>
> Would a cheap power hack saw be better?
>
> Regards
>
> Matt
>
> --
> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups
> "Robots & Dinosaurs" group.
> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an
> email to sydney-hackspace+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.
> To post to this group, send email to sydney-hackspace@googlegroups.com.

> Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/sydney-hackspace.
> For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.

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