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I have a couple of .080 4' x 5' ovals to cut this afternoon. Jigsaw(handheld) and some new blades are my only method right now. How do you cut large shapes in metals?
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I don't! Too much of a pain in the tukass. I order from a supplier usually Grimco. I then pass the price along to the customer. At $65.00 an hour, shop time, cuting metal panels, cleaning them up, priming and painting them makes for very expensive panels. Cheaper to order them. Just my opinion.
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Santo, I have to do the same but only cut out of sintra, I was thinking of using my small projector to get my oval right, cut one then use it as a template to cut the others with my jig saw,anyone have a simple way?Thanks Heads! Steve
-------------------- "I can draw anything but unemployment" Steve Spiry Madd Artist Murals&Signs Brandon,Mb. Canada Posts: 66 | From: Brandon,Mb. Canada | Registered: Jul 2001
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I like to cut stuff like that out on a piece of 1.5" styrofoam that's on top of plywood. You just have to make sure that the blade doesn't cut through the plywood. You could use 2 pieces of foam if you have long blades.
Good Luck!
-------------------- Pat Neve, Jr. Sign Man, Inc. 4580 N. US 1 Melbourne, FL 32935 321-537-8675 Capt. Sign
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Steve, Check the Tips & Tricks forum. Dave Draper recommended laying out a 1/4 of the oval on cardboard. Seems pretty good. I used a pen in my plotter on some pounce paper and pounced.
Thanks Pat. I was thinking about the wobbling and noise and getting a headache already.
1. put a pen in the plotter to draw the oval to scale on some pattern paper.
2. lightly spray-mount the pattern to the aluminum.
3. cut the aluminum to the same size as the oval (ie, cut down the 4x8 sheet to 2' x 3' or whatever the rough size is). i had this done by the aluminum supplier, since they have a sheer cutter.
4. stack two to five sheets of aluminum and clamp them toghether. (my $29 Black and Decker jigsaw can handle about 4 sheets of .080 at a time).
5. cut the sheets following the glued-in-place pattern.
6. (optional) clean up the stack using a router with a straight bit.
7. print a new pattern and repeat, or else trace one of the ones you just cut.
NOTE: the better way, if you're doing a lot, is to make a very good pattern, from scrap plywood or masonite, and then use that as a pattern to let the router follow. that way you can rough cut with the jig saw, about 1/16" outside the cut line, and then let the router follow the pattern for the final (and clean-up) cut.
All that said... if you have the time to wait, its better to have the supplier do it. Grimco and the others can do it, but you have to give them a few extra days. It doesn't take long to cut, but it took me an extra 45 minutes to vacuum up all the aluminum cuttings.
-------------------- :: Scooter Marriner :: :: Coyote Signs :: :: Oakland, CA :: :: still a beginner :: :: Posts: 1356 | From: Oakland (and San Francisco) | Registered: Mar 2001
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Simple ovals and circles I usually cut calendared cheap (oracal???) vinyl and apply to the alum. Keeps the face from getting scuffed from the shoe of the jigsaw. Then I clamp them together using 4 clamps and when I hit a clamp I remove it, cut through, replace and go my merry way to the next one... seems to work so far...
-------------------- Eric Patzer A.S.A.P. Design Lafayette, CO epatzer@earthlink.net Posts: 208 | From: Lafayette, CO USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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