bradyb1234
Plastic
- Joined
- Mar 13, 2018
- Location
- Abilene, Tx
Hi,
New here.
I am trying to come up with a solution to cutting almost through aluminum (7 different shapes) so I can bend it into a 90 degree angle. I know there are fancy double miter saws out there that do this but they are usually $10k+. I know that if I am able to accomplish what I'm wanting, I will save a huge cost in labor as these products will come together much faster, it'll be a cleaner look and more precise.
So I have 7 shapes, 3 kinds (valence extrusion that makes a lid - first photo, double angle extrusion - second photo, and U-channel trim). The other photos are some of what we make.
What I'm ideally wanting to do is make one cut of aluminum (and the shape this will make the most time and cost savings is the first one so if that's all I accomplish, that's fine for now) make a V cut through the aluminum to about 1/16" and the center of that cut be 5" from the edge (we'll flip it and cut the other side unless there's a better method). All the shapes should cut down to the same depth (the inside channels either fit 1/4", 3/8" or 1/2" wood or panel) but they should all cut to the same depth. So if it is a bit or saw that cuts from the top, it shouldn't matter what shape or thickness, it needs to cut a little less than 1/16" from the bottom of the material.
Photos
Valence:
Double Angle:
U Channel trim:
This is just standard trim (realized there's a 5 image limit when creating this post).
Some of what we build:
Custom Built ATA Cases – Brady Cases
(Apparently I've reached my photo attachment limit - would love to add a few more, mostly for clarity sake)
So the valence is the main thing we want to cut almost through and bend the most and it can be a fixed placement if needed - 5" is our standard but if there is a way to have it move that'd be great. Especially for the U channel trim which is for a product that has a bunch of different sizes and makes a full frame around the product. But the photo of the valence above is what I'm wanting to accomplish except not cutting all the way through.
I bought out a company and they did this on their products. They used a sliding DeWalt DWS780 sliding compound miter saw and they would set it to cut a certain depth and figured out how to make it work to cut both sides (it only tilts 45 degrees to the left, not to the right - so they had to cut 1 x 45 and then flip it around and move it slightly to cut the other 45 and sliding it back and forth). I never figured out how they did it, I asked but never got a reply (the main guy who was in charge left the business to his wife and he skipped town and she didn't know that part of the process).
I have also bought a router and a large bit that I'm going to mount and have run back and forth, but I am worried about it cutting cleanly. I can build a CNC that runs this router and large bit and a clamping system to hold down the aluminum, but worried that it maybe a waste of time.
Router bit
So we build ATA cases - the 5" cuts are from the corner to the latch (and we're CNC cutting those out so even more reason to have these cuts be more precise). On a case with 2 lids, having the 90 degree V cut will make our lid aluminum cuts go from 32 cuts, all having to be aligned, clamped, drilled and riveted and making sure there's no gap, everything is even and flush - down to 16 cuts - 8 of those just being straight cuts between the latches.
My question is - do you see a way to accomplish this fairly easily with some sort of jig using the sliding miter saw? Do you think having the router with the pictured bit (or another router solution) would work? Is there a machine I am wasting my time on that I have not discovered that can do this fairly cheaply? Any suggestions welcome!
New here.
I am trying to come up with a solution to cutting almost through aluminum (7 different shapes) so I can bend it into a 90 degree angle. I know there are fancy double miter saws out there that do this but they are usually $10k+. I know that if I am able to accomplish what I'm wanting, I will save a huge cost in labor as these products will come together much faster, it'll be a cleaner look and more precise.
So I have 7 shapes, 3 kinds (valence extrusion that makes a lid - first photo, double angle extrusion - second photo, and U-channel trim). The other photos are some of what we make.
What I'm ideally wanting to do is make one cut of aluminum (and the shape this will make the most time and cost savings is the first one so if that's all I accomplish, that's fine for now) make a V cut through the aluminum to about 1/16" and the center of that cut be 5" from the edge (we'll flip it and cut the other side unless there's a better method). All the shapes should cut down to the same depth (the inside channels either fit 1/4", 3/8" or 1/2" wood or panel) but they should all cut to the same depth. So if it is a bit or saw that cuts from the top, it shouldn't matter what shape or thickness, it needs to cut a little less than 1/16" from the bottom of the material.
Photos
Valence:
Double Angle:
U Channel trim:
This is just standard trim (realized there's a 5 image limit when creating this post).
Some of what we build:
Custom Built ATA Cases – Brady Cases
(Apparently I've reached my photo attachment limit - would love to add a few more, mostly for clarity sake)
So the valence is the main thing we want to cut almost through and bend the most and it can be a fixed placement if needed - 5" is our standard but if there is a way to have it move that'd be great. Especially for the U channel trim which is for a product that has a bunch of different sizes and makes a full frame around the product. But the photo of the valence above is what I'm wanting to accomplish except not cutting all the way through.
I bought out a company and they did this on their products. They used a sliding DeWalt DWS780 sliding compound miter saw and they would set it to cut a certain depth and figured out how to make it work to cut both sides (it only tilts 45 degrees to the left, not to the right - so they had to cut 1 x 45 and then flip it around and move it slightly to cut the other 45 and sliding it back and forth). I never figured out how they did it, I asked but never got a reply (the main guy who was in charge left the business to his wife and he skipped town and she didn't know that part of the process).
I have also bought a router and a large bit that I'm going to mount and have run back and forth, but I am worried about it cutting cleanly. I can build a CNC that runs this router and large bit and a clamping system to hold down the aluminum, but worried that it maybe a waste of time.
Router bit
So we build ATA cases - the 5" cuts are from the corner to the latch (and we're CNC cutting those out so even more reason to have these cuts be more precise). On a case with 2 lids, having the 90 degree V cut will make our lid aluminum cuts go from 32 cuts, all having to be aligned, clamped, drilled and riveted and making sure there's no gap, everything is even and flush - down to 16 cuts - 8 of those just being straight cuts between the latches.
My question is - do you see a way to accomplish this fairly easily with some sort of jig using the sliding miter saw? Do you think having the router with the pictured bit (or another router solution) would work? Is there a machine I am wasting my time on that I have not discovered that can do this fairly cheaply? Any suggestions welcome!