Recommended methods for fabricating Do-It-Yourself Aluminum with ordinary woodworking tools in the home workshop.

Marking

Be sure the surface is free from oil and dirt. Use an ordinary pencil of medium softness (2B or 4B). For embossed sheet, a softer pencil (6B) or a crayon will be better, as this rougher surface is more difficult to mark. A sharp nail or metal scriber will also work well on all smooth surfaces, but avoid a deeply cut mark as it will weaken the material. Also, it will be difficult to remove when finishing the surface.

To transfer a pattern or design directly to an aluminum surface, use ordinary carbon paper and a fairly hard pencil (4H or 6H). For irregular outlines, simply fasten the pattern to the sheet aluminum with rubber cement and then cut through both pattern and sheet at the same time.

Cutting

Use ordinary shears (Fig. 2-1) to cut plain, embossed, or perforated aluminum sheet. Do not use scissors that have the pivot point close to the finger grips; instead select "kitchen" or "household" shears having the pivot halfway or more toward the blade tips. This type provides more leverage and makes cutting easier.

Avoid closing the shears completely when cutting, as this will cause the sheet to wrinkle where the tips of the blade twist the metal. Where many long cuts are involved, tin snips with angled blades permit working above the sheet surface, as in Fig. 2-2.

When cutting an outside corner, make the first cut past the exact corner (or into it from an outside edge) as in Fig. 2-3. Then remove the shears from the cut and make a second cut from the outside directly toward the other side, forming the corner as diagrammed in Fig. 2-3. This avoids distorting the sheet which would occur if you just turned the shears at the corner and continued the first cut. For the same reason, use two cuts as shown when making an inside corner.

Fig. 2-1.

Fig. 2-2.

Fig. 2-3.

A Boy Scout knife or ordinary pocket knife will cut burrs from tube, bar, rod, or angle stock as in Fig. 2-4. It will also cut sheet without damaging the blade. Simply score heavily several times, and then break the sheet apart on the cut line. The knife will cut slight arcs as well as straight lines.

Various sized wood chisels are also useful in cutting sheet. Figure 2-5 shows a typical cutting pattern for a continuous hinge. For cuts extending in from an outside edge, shears are handiest. But for making internal cuts .... cuts that do not extend to the sheet edge .... the chisel works best.

Fig. 2-4.

Fig. 2-5.

Fig. 2-6.

Back up the sheet aluminum with scrap wood. Use a hardwood scrap, as the harder the wood, the less the chisel will distort the edge in cutting.

Hand Sawing

Any wood handsaw cuts aluminum satisfactorily, providing the saw has at least 11 teeth to the inch. Coarser saws cut roughly and tend to hang up on the metal edges when sawing tubing and the like, so they are not recommended.

Keyhole saws (Fig. 2-6) and ordinary wood handsaws will work, but feed lightly and use a fast stroke. When cutting tubing with a regular wood handsaw, use short, fast strokes and only the half of the blade nearest the handle to avoid "bucking." Slacken up on cutting pressure as the cut nears the halfway mark because the saw teeth may tend to lock over the tube walls.

Fig. 2-7.

Fig. 2-8.

Fig. 2-9.

For this reason, many craftsmen prefer to cut tubing with a saw having finer teeth, such as the ordinary hacksaw.

The coping saw (Fig. 2-7) is especially recommended for cutting the miters in the screen and storm-window sections and other light work such as sawing out openings in sheet.

Fig. 2-10.

Fig. 2-11.

Fig. 2-12.

The hacksaw (Fig. 2-8) is especially suitable for cutting aluminum because of its rigid blade and fine teeth. It is used exclusively by manufacturer's representatives demonstrating Do-It-Yourself Aluminum.

To eliminate any tendency toward chattering or dragging when sawing aluminum, lubricate the blade with a paraffin block or an old candle stub.

Power Sawing

For making straight cuts in aluminum sheet, an ordinary circular saw (bench saw) is hard to beat. To prevent chatter and to hold the sheet onto the worktable, make an L-shaped wood jig as shown in Fig. 2-9. Lower the saw blade below the level of worktable, and clamp this jig to the rip fence with a C-clamp as illustrated in Fig. 2-10. Start the saw, and raise the blade till it extends up into or through the jig as in Fig. 2-9. The jig should clear the surface of the work-table just enough to allow the aluminum sheet to slide through easily as the cut is made.

This jig also provides increased safety. It holds the sheet to the worktable and helps to confine chips. For your own safety, always wear glasses or a safety shield over your face when using any power tool. Be sure to obtain and mount on your equipment every possible safety device such as the guard on the saw in Fig. 2-10.

For the same reason, sweep your shop floor frequently to remove any shavings or scraps that might cause you to slip or lose your balance. A rubber floor mat in front of every power saw and power drill is well worth its slight cost because of the sure footing is helps provide.