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Topic: What are the right tools? |
b0b
From:
Cloverdale, CA, USA
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Posted 23 Sep 2012 8:10 am |
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I just did a horrible job of cutting a piece of sheet aluminum for a fretboard - using my Dremel! What is the correct tool for cutting aluminum?
And to take it further, what are the necessary tools for making small steel guitar parts? Nothing in my garage is well suited for the tasks. Is it possible to outfit a garage or basement shop for metalwork for under $1000? Under $500?
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-𝕓𝕆𝕓- (admin) - Robert P. Lee - Recordings - Breathe - D6th - Video |
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Henry Matthews
From:
Texarkana, Ark USA
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Posted 23 Sep 2012 9:22 am
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Bob, I use a metal cutting blade on a small band saw and drill press and a scroll saw and I can make most small parts. Thinking about getting one of those small metal lathe. They are about $500 bucks but work great for small parts.
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Henry Matthews
D-10 Magnum, 8 &5, dark rose color
D-10 1974 Emmons cut tail, fat back,rosewood, 8&5
Nashville 112 amp, Fishman Loudbox Performer amp, Hilton pedal, Goodrich pedal,BJS bar, Kyser picks, Live steel Strings. No effects, doodads or stomp boxes. |
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Jerry Jones
From:
Franklin, Tenn.
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Posted 23 Sep 2012 9:34 am
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Bob, a stomp shear will make nice straight-line cuts in thin plate aluminum. As far as outfitting your basement, I doubt $1000 will buy too much, but I would put all of my first money into a milling machine with digital readout. My second money would go for the best milling vise I could afford. Not too much you couldn't make then.  |
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Alan Brookes
From:
Brummy living in Southern California
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Posted 23 Sep 2012 9:58 am
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The best thing to cut sheet aluminum and get straight lines is a press brake. They usually run to about 12' x 8' and weigh 10 tons. Alternatively, a laser cutting unit, about as big as two living rooms and value about $1,500,000 will do a good job of it. I used to have access to both until I retired. Now I have access to neither.
Since most of the instruments I build are acoustic, fretted instruments, when I build lap steels I tend to build the fingerboard in the traditional way, with wood and fretting material hammered into slots. I've also made painted fingerboards, by masking the fingerboard and then cutting strips out where the frets go, then painting between the slots, finally removing the masking tape.
If you have to have an aluminum fingerboard, I recommend that you buy one ready-made. |
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chris ivey
From:
california (deceased)
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Posted 23 Sep 2012 10:00 am
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| b0b..i wonder if you actually 'get' how amazing your website has become!! |
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Ray Anderson
From:
Jenkins, Kentucky USA
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Posted 23 Sep 2012 11:34 am
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When I cut aluminum I use a small circular saw, but I turn the blade around. This also works on light guage sheet metal.  |
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Lane Gray
From:
Topeka, KS
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Posted 23 Sep 2012 1:38 pm
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A Dremel and more practice is probably the cheapest. Cut slightly larger, trim with file (or Stanley knife, if it's thin enough: I've cut aluminum gutters with Stanley knife).
Of course that's just for thin stuffs. All the above gear would work for real metal work better
_________________
2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects
Last edited by Lane Gray on 23 Sep 2012 2:35 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Craig Schwartz
From:
McHenry IL
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Posted 23 Sep 2012 1:50 pm
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what Ray said...
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SO MANY LURES, SO LITTLE TIME.... |
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b0b
From:
Cloverdale, CA, USA
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Mac Knowles
From:
Almonte,Ontario, Canada
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Posted 23 Sep 2012 2:20 pm
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Although a small metal lathe is useful, a small milling machine will make parts with a lot more accuracy while being easier as well. If you're going to cut aluminum with a bandsaw, I find the best blade is a wood cutting blade rather than a metal cutting one. a 3/8" 6TPI is what I use. I cut up to 3/4" aluminum stock with it. Use lots of lubricant on the blade, regular 10/30 motor oil is just as good as anything else like power steering fluid, kerosene etc. I've built 15 pedal steels so far with this setup. Of course CNC is the best but unless you're going into it in a big way the cost of even a used CNC miller is pretty steep. I'm in the process of building a CNC miller right now from a big old heavy duty flat bed plotter. You'd be surprised what $500 would get. A bandsaw for about $150, get a 1" belt and disk sanding machine like a Delta for less than $100....and have fun!
Cheers,
Mac |
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Glenn Uhler
From:
Trenton, New Jersey, USA
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Posted 23 Sep 2012 5:34 pm Least expensive straight line cut!s
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This is a two step process, b0b. Cut the aluminum slightly oversize with a metal shear or a nibbler. My friends at Micro-Mark here in NJ (www.micromark.com) have a hand nibbler for $10.75. Radio Shack also used to carry them.
Second, use your Dremel to trim the edges with a router bit. Clamp the fretboard between a wide board and a straight edge. Place the fretboard 1/4" past the edge of the wide board. Place the straight edge 1/2 the diameter of the Dremel base back from the edge of the fretboard. Clamp all three together and run the router along the edge. The edge will be as straight as the straight edge.
Total cost: $10.75 plus board plus straight edge! A mini-lathe and a mini-mill from Micro-Mark are about $1000 plus shipping.
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1974 Marlen S-12 1968 Tele 1969 Martin D-35H |
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Bill Moore
From:
Manchester, Michigan
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Posted 23 Sep 2012 5:56 pm
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| B0b, if you can find a sheet metal shop in your area that has a plasma cutter, they could cut out things like the fretboard. This is used to make furnace duct work. They cut the parts out of large sheets, then bend them into whatever shape need for the duct. It's very accurate, all you would probably need to do is lightly sand the edges a little. Check the yellow pages for custom sheet metal duct work. |
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Bobby D. Jones
From:
West Virginia, USA
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Posted 23 Sep 2012 7:10 pm What is the right tool
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| If the alumnium is thin like roll flashing material. A good steel straight edge and a utility knife will work great. Use a new blade in the knife and touch the sharp point to a grinder just enough to take the sharp tip off the blade or it will break off in the alumnium. Clamp the straightedge and alum. to a good backer. Score with a firm full stroke of the knife. then wiggle the piece back and forth it will break. A fine file a few strokes will smooth the edge. If the alum. is thicker, a band saw, 8 tpi. blade and wax. Turn saw on. touch both sides of blade with wax to lubricate, then cut slow and careful. Dremel tools have a place but not for cutting long straight cuts. Good luck and be careful. |
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Jerry Jones
From:
Franklin, Tenn.
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Lane Gray
From:
Topeka, KS
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Posted 24 Sep 2012 4:35 am Re: What is the right tool
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| Bobby D. Jones wrote: |
| If the alumnium is thin like roll flashing material. A good steel straight edge and a utility knife will work great. Use a new blade in the knife and touch the sharp point to a grinder just enough to take the sharp tip off the blade or it will break off in the alumnium. |
Dang. I wish I'd thought of that: I just broke the tip of with a pair of pliers
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2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects |
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Martin Weenick
From:
Lecanto, FL, USA
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Posted 24 Sep 2012 4:39 am Shop
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B0b, here is the new shop I am finishing up out behind my house. Something that will cut thin aluminum real well and straight are WISS aviation snips. you should get 3 pair, left , right , and straight cut. They are about $12.00 each. Martin.
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Several custom steels. NV-112 Boss DD-7 |
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Bill Ladd
From:
Wilmington, NC, USA
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Posted 24 Sep 2012 4:48 am Re: Shop
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| Martin Weenick wrote: |
| B0b, here is the new shop I am finishing up out behind my house... |
Wow. Nice shop!! |
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Ransom Beers
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Posted 24 Sep 2012 5:35 am
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B0b,chk. your PM.
Or: Sherline Products Inc.
3235 Executive Ridge
Vista,Ca.92081-8527
(760)727-5857
This Co. has a complete line of small machines for doing stuff for hobbyists & such.
www.littlemachineshop.com |
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Walter Killam
From:
Nebraska, USA
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Posted 24 Sep 2012 6:01 am Depends on how thick the aluminum is
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for 14 guage & smaller I use a powershear I got from Harbor Freight:
http://www.harborfreight.com/14-gauge-swivel-head-shear-68199.html
it works surprisingly well.
If you need straight lines use a table saw (just go slow, with a tungsten toothed finish blade that you don't care too much about) - I've cut up to 1/4" plate on my table saw with excellent results. You can use double sided sticky tape to adhere the aluminum to a backer board or plywood if needed.
for curves a scroll saw with a metal cutting blade.
No Offense to the powertool fans, but if you're not going into production, fabrication of small parts is best done with hand tools IMHO.
A small drill press, vice, jewelers saw and a decent set of files will take you a long way - you might be surprised how precise you can be when you pay attantion to what you are doing. (I was a jewler/metalsmith in my early years, & lived in the metal shop in high school)
If you go the hand tool route, be prepared to waste some material as you become proficient.
What sort of small parts are you trying to manufacture?
_________________
Mostly junque with a few knick-knacks that I really can't do without! |
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b0b
From:
Cloverdale, CA, USA
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Posted 24 Sep 2012 8:17 am
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Martin, your shop is gorgeous, but way beyond anything I could afford.
Ransom Beers, thanks for the link. Very informative.
Walter, that little powershear probably would have saved me some time. I've been thinking about getting a small table saw for a while now. That, a drill press and the hand tools you mentioned might be all I really need.
I'm not going into production or anything - I just need some tools for occasional projects.
_________________
-𝕓𝕆𝕓- (admin) - Robert P. Lee - Recordings - Breathe - D6th - Video |
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Storm Rosson
From:
Silver City, NM. USA
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Posted 24 Sep 2012 8:35 am
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 Martin, I must concur with B0b, your new shop is frikken awesome! If I had shop of that ilk ,It would be where I live at 99% of the time....way cool...Stormy  |
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Hook Moore
From:
South Charleston,West Virginia
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Henry Matthews
From:
Texarkana, Ark USA
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Posted 25 Sep 2012 5:18 am
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If I had a shop like that, I would build a steel guitar from scratch, wow, that's nice.
_________________
Henry Matthews
D-10 Magnum, 8 &5, dark rose color
D-10 1974 Emmons cut tail, fat back,rosewood, 8&5
Nashville 112 amp, Fishman Loudbox Performer amp, Hilton pedal, Goodrich pedal,BJS bar, Kyser picks, Live steel Strings. No effects, doodads or stomp boxes. |
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Ransom Beers
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Posted 25 Sep 2012 6:37 am
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| Henry Matthews wrote: |
| If I had a shop like that, I would build a steel guitar from scratch, wow, that's nice. |
Ya got too many steels now,give me one  |
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Donny Hinson
From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
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Posted 25 Sep 2012 7:45 am
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| Good sugestions here for doing straight cuts, but I've found that you can sandwich the metal between two pieces of 3/8" plywood, and get nice neat, straight cuts on a table saw. When you're done, the edges can be deburred with just a small piece of 240 or 320 wet-or-dry paper. |
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