cutting 0.8mm alminium sheet

[brendan h]

i need to cut some 0.8-1.6mm aluminium sheet. not full sheet just hobby size (300wide max) problem is i need it stright but cant offord a guillotine. i was thinking maybe a paper guillotine? can get them for around 30bucks. but would they work? can anyone try this out?

thanks

 

[rtbcomp]

There's a selection of different devices on this page. Not sure about a paper guillotine, mine has quite a bit of sideways movement on th blade and I suspect metal would just fold.

http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/categories/search/metal-cutters-shears-folders-formers

 

[Wozzaaah]

A jigsaw with a good quality blade works well or if your budget will stretch to it, a metal cutting circular saw will fly through it like it's not even there.
A paper guillotine might just work on the 0.8mm but I don't reckon it would it cut the 1.6.

 

[English Steve]

I have a bench shear as in the link posted by RTB. With a bit of practice you can cut good straight edges. I use mine upto 3mm steel, so it would cut the alum no problem.

 

[brendan h]

thing is im only working with small bits. normaly 200mm to 100mm

 

[piman]

Brendan,

why not use aviation metal shears? Not expensive and easy to use on such thin metal.

Alec

 

[Bigjoe]

How about using a straight edge and scoring the cut several times and then snapping it?

Ive done it on small pices of 1.2mm ali before and just a wipe over with some abrasive paper to give a nice edge

Bigjoe

 

[Luke]

angle grinder and 1mm disc works for me