Jet 14" Bandsaw - Cutting soft aluminum?

[Mike/Mass]

I've used my Jet 14" Bandsaw in a pinch to cut thin sheet aluminum and stock... usually 1/16" sheet and sometimes a few short cuts of 1/8" aluminum, but I was wondering if there's anything like a dual-purpose bandsaw blade where I can leave the speed where it normally is. I know for cutting thick stock or steel it should be about 1/4 the speed it normally runs at, but I only cut aluminum once in a while, normally I'd be cutting wood, plastic, or mdf. I also don't want a "deep" blade if that's possible since that limits curvature cuts. Is there a good link or reference table somewheres online? TIA-Mike

 

[Retired]

Hi,

I've cut lots of thin soft (1050) aluminium on my standard woodcutting bandsaw without speed control to slow it down; I used a 4TPI band taking light cuts without the slightest problem other than needing eye protection which is a must.

Lock covers for two garden huts ready for welding.

Aluminium reflectors after metal spinning.

Two new aluminium petrol tanks for petrol mowers from aluminium.

These are just a few of the aluminium items I made cutting the blanks out of aluminium sheet on my woodcutting bandsaw. I've also cut sheet aluminium on my table saw and radial arm saw but don't recommend this; a bandsaw is much safer.

Good luck.

Kind regards, Colin.

 

[Mike/Mass]

Hey Colin... Thanks for the reply. You obviously do some nice TIG welding. I'm fabricating a "lower closeout panel" for my vintage Camaro muscle car. I've added AC which puts a condenser in front of the radiator which I'l describe as can "obstacle" for cool air. It ran a little warm in the summer so I'm closing the huge gap beneath the radiator so that air rushing thru the grill at highway speed doesn't seek an easier path to travel. Its not going to be 100% closed off but probably 95%.



Not quite finished yet, but its coming along real well. Just finished one side panel, will cut and shape the passenger side then install everything with foam gasket material on the sides as I left about 1/4" gap between sheet metal and the lower finished valance.ing

 

[Retired]

Hi,

You're most wellcome Mike/Mass. Thanks; I struggled a great deal at first with Tig welding thinking it would be easy enough because I've been arc welding for almost 60 years but how wrong I was; it proved very difficult indeed.

You've made a lovely neat job of your close out panel; well done. Here in the UK few would run what you class as a muscle car because it would need a mortgage to fuel it up; petrol and diesel are expensive and getting even more expensive; our Skoda Yeti 2.0L diesel easily does over 50 mpg and is a keeper.

I forgot to mention the bandsaw bands I use are 1/4".

Kind regards, Colin.

 

[He who knows]

Here in the UK few would run what you class as a muscle car because it would need a mortgage to fuel it up

I guess it depends on how you want to spend your money. A car like that as a pure leisure item, run on a classic car insurance policy and not used on an everyday basis would probably cost no more per year than golf club membership & fees.

 

[Retired]

Hi,

I agree He who knows; those just wanting to run a muscle car as an hobby doing few miles per year won't bother too much about fuel and my preference would be a muscle car over golf any day; however how many Americans run cars and pick up trucks with huge V8 engines as daily transport;

https://www.ford.com/trucks/super-duty/models/f250-xlt/

A typical example shown at the link; filling one of these with 29 gallons of diesel would bring tears to my eyes; US gallons smaller than a UK gallon but even so it would still hurt.

Kind regards, Colin.

 

[He who knows]

.

 

[He who knows]

https://www.ford.com/trucks/super-duty/models/f250-xlt/

That's a bit small...

 

[He who knows]

Sorry - just realised this isn't The Lounge, and I was going off topic...

(Was off-topic) fuel consumption

Hi, I agree He who knows; those just wanting to run a muscle car as an hobby doing few miles per year won't bother too much about fuel and my preference would be a muscle car over golf any day; however how many Americans run cars and pick up trucks with huge V8 engines as daily transport...

www.diy-forums.com

 

[Mike/Mass]

Yeah... I'm chuckling because you guys hit the nail on the head. Those of us whose hobby is to restore/rebuild these 50+ year old muscle cars don't usually daily drive them. They do go for joy rides and of course to cruise nites and car shows. I put on a couple thousand miles a year at most. I did take it on vacation a few years ago, drove from Massachusetts to the South Jersey Shore for a week, put on about 1500 miles round trip. And its so true that the mileage with a 461 cubic inch engine is horrible but the smiles per gallon is awesome! Here's a couple of pix.

 

[He who knows]

496 stroker - go on - you know you want to....

 

[Mike/Mass]

LOL... there's always that 572 I've dreamt about LOL. That would slip in there nicely.

 

[He who knows]

Blower & nox?

 

[Mike/Mass]

I love the sound of a blower BBC, but cutting a hole in my hood? Nah. Actually, my engine is a nice mild build, about 525 HP at the crank according to Finger Lakes Machine who built the engine. More than enough for a cruiser. All forged intervals, steel crank, rotating assembly balanced to within one-half a gram, solid lifter Comp Cam and a few other mods.

 

[He who knows]

Regular unleaded here is now the equivalent of $8.20/US gallon.

 

[He who knows]

cutting a hole in my hood? Nah.

Just take the whole thing off..