Aluminum skin thickness?

[halfdome, Danny]

You could buy enough 4' x 10' sheets of aluminum, cut in half (4' x 5') and do a lap seam using VHB tape.

As you can see you can just tape it down (left seam) or tape & screw it down (right seam) with proper sealants.
Next time I'll just clamp both VHB taped seams for 36 hours and forget the screws.
Danny

[linuxmanxxx]

If you are near austin you need to brush up on your google and phone book skills try westbrook metals and if you want colored aluminum contact the trailer manufacturer in waco and you can get it any length and 49" wide with a wide assortment of colors and I got it for around 9 a running foot when I bought some last year. They are Continental Cargo and look for the contact information for waco and give them a call if that width works for you.

[Javanino]

If you are near austin you need to brush up on your google and phone book skills try westbrook metals and if you want colored aluminum contact the trailer manufacturer in waco and you can get it any length and 49" wide with a wide assortment of colors and I got it for around 9 a running foot when I bought some last year. They are Continental Cargo and look for the contact information for waco and give them a call if that width works for you.

Ahh.....there lies the problem young Skywalker. Tons of places have 49". I want seamless from the front to the back so I need long unlimited coils. Worth the drive or whatever. I think I may have found a place that sells 103" wide as long as you want in San Antonio but I won't know for sure until Monday.

To be continued......

[2bits]

The 103' wide is typically the roof material for tractor trailers. I feel your pain though. People always post to ask "Sign shops" which doesn't exactly give any kind of results. I had a hard time finding the right search criteria myself. Focus on trucking companies and you'll get exactly what I wanted too... 103 wide and as long as you want...

Here isa quote from another thread... this is quite the common topic...

When I built mt 4X10 TD I couldn't find a local supply of sheets of aluminum long enough for the projeact. I got my long pieces from an outfit called Airpart Inc. in Kansas City , KS. They sell 5250 in sheets up to 12 long and thet roll them for shipping, so they can ship UPS. I just checked the current price of .032 4' wide is 10.95 per foot. I used one 8' sheet two 10' sheets & one 12' sheet. At the time I bought mine it came to a little over $450.00 with shipping. The increased prices of every thing I bet it would come to $500.00 today.

[Javanino]

That's a good alternative Danny, hadn't been familiar with that product before.

What tool seems to work best for you in cutting .032 material. Does aluminum really cut that well with a router?

[2bits]

aluminum likes to melt with a router, you can get a deal that lowers the speed of the router by limiting the current, but I had thick aluminum on mine and with a fine tooth blade it cut like butter using a jigsaw which is much easier to control freehanded

[Javanino]

aluminum likes to melt with a router, you can get a deal that lowers the speed of the router by limiting the current, but I had thick aluminum on mine and with a fine tooth blade it cut like butter using a jigsaw which is much easier to control freehanded

Yes, that was my concern. Not to mention flying bits of metal. I'm going to invest in a pair of electric shears. I believe they'll be perfect for aluminum. The kind that takes a small chunk out that coils as you cut work great. I haven't tried the roller style, they may be better still.

[halfdome, Danny]

That's a good alternative Danny, hadn't been familiar with that product before.

What tool seems to work best for you in cutting .032 material. Does aluminum really cut that well with a router?

Javanino, I cut the aluminum sheet in half on my table saw with a carbide tipped 80 tooth blade.
If were me I'd use nothing less than .040 aluminum on the roof.
I've used .050 and it was easy to use even on my tight roll pan radius's.
Like mentioned before aluminum wants to melt while routing especially with a 2 flute 1/2" bottom bearing bit.
I use a 1 1/2 HP Porter Cable router & the aluminum cuts like butter with a 3/4" bottom bearing flush trimming bit with two flutes.
I have a pneumatic Harbor Freight piece of crap shears and only use them on rough cut wall radius's followed up with the above mentioned router and bit.
If you have excess aluminum to play with you could clamp the sheet to a straight edge and route a straight cut.
Make sure to use plenty of masking tape as the routed chips land in the path of the router base.
It's helpful to have an air nozzle close by to clear chips.
Always wear face and eye protection. Danny

[Javanino]

Thanks Danny,

I have only used the shears I speak of on 26 gauge galvalume and they worked great. Have you ever tried the roller style shears? Can't find a photo but they have 2 little wheels that do the cutting. There's a name for them but I don't know what that is. I've worked with wood for the past 30 years but metal is an entirely different animal that I have limited experience with.

Love your quote BTW. Very true how many use every excuse imaginable for inaction.

[halfdome, Danny]

Thanks Danny,

I have only used the shears I speak of on 26 gauge galvalume and they worked great. Have you ever tried the roller style shears? Can't find a photo but they have 2 little wheels that do the cutting. There's a name for them but I don't know what that is. I've worked with wood for the past 30 years but metal is an entirely different animal that I have limited experience with.

Love your quote BTW. Very true how many use every excuse imaginable for inaction.

Javanino,
My only experience with shears is the ones I mentioned.
I wonder if those two little wheels would disfigure aluminum.
What I don't like about my Harbor Freight shears is it's very difficult to get them to start cutting.
Once started they work fine, for a brief period, but stop occasionally while in the cut.
I've taken the cutter apart, lubed it all and they work better, for awhile.
I had to put a 90 deg fitting on the air intake just to get it to work as the hose gets in the way.
Some day I'll find something more suitable to do the job.

If you've worked with plam in the past aluminum is kinda the same drill.
I worked with aluminum & brass trim on high end store fixtures so I had some experience before getting into teardrops.
Danny

[KCStudly]

I've always known the three finger shears to be referred to as "Kett" shears. I'm sure this is a brand name, tho. Like Skilsaw.

[2bits]

Not thinking about the jigsaw at all? It doesn't mater to me what you use since all the choices are good ones, but it was like cutting 1/8" ply in my opinion and you wouldn't need to buy anything new. Just cut on the back side so as not to leave any marks

[2bits]

Not thinking about the jigsaw at all? It doesn't mtater to me what you use since all the choices are good ones, but it was like cutting 1/8" ply in my opinion and you wouldn't need to buy anything new. Just cut on the back side so as not to leave any marks

[aggie79]

Not thinking about the jigsaw at all? It doesn't mater to me what you use since all the choices are good ones, but it was like cutting 1/8" ply in my opinion and you wouldn't need to buy anything new. Just cut on the back side so as not to leave any marks

I'm with Thomas. A jig saw is the way to go. That's how I cut most of my aluminum.

[Javanino]

Different strokes as they say. Personally I have found that the 3 finger style shears to be far easier to work with than a jigsaw. Particularly with thinner material. There may be better ways still. I'll post up what I think of the wheeled style cutter if I can find one to try. If it can do curves the way they say, it'll be the way to go.