Whats the rule of thumb for working with aluminum diamondplate


How do you tell which way the grain goes on a 4 x 8 sheet?

do you bend with the grain or against it?

should I "akneel" it before bending it?

when using a cir. saw or table saw which is better cutting with the blade, in normal rotation or cutting it with the blade in reverse rotation?


I don't wanna screw up this stuff... any advice is apprecited.


Thanks

Travis

If you have to grind, or trim it wear ear muffs. I thought I was gonna go deaf!

To find the grain you have to look at the surface. You will be able to see smudge marks. The direction of the marks is the direction of the grain. You want to bend it across the grain. If you bend it with the grain it will crack.
Now cutting it....with a skill saw....if that doesnt get the nieghbors attention. I would go with a fine tooth running in reverse. Oh yeah buy about 20 of um. First, see if you cant get your hands on a plasma cutter, thats the way to cut it. If not I would use cut-off wheels on a grinder.
Let me know what you are trying to do and maybe I can find out any tricks that might help.

Traviss, I would buy a fiber blade to cut it with. I think it may be a little too thick to cut like metal siding (turning a blade backwards in a circular saw). As far as the grain, I would bend it where you need it bent. I think it sortof has a grain from either direction. It may mak a dif if you are trying to do an inside corner as to an outside corner. I would think it may bind up a little if you do an inside corner.

We cut all thickness' of alum all the time with a straight tooth (not a foward rake)carbide tipped blade on a circular saw(normal rotation). For curves, use saber saw. A flap wheel on a hand grinder does a nice job on deburring the edges. As far as bending, never really saw a grain on the polished stuff before, just bent it however I needed it.

How about securing it to the stringers? I want to be able to remove the stuff so I can get at the bilge pumps and the thing for the depthsounder.............Doug

I used a circlular saw on 1/4 inch stuff. Works fine and leaves little square shavings. I would just use a new blade.

Bend it however you need it bent.. you migh ttry calling a local air cond shop with a sheet metal deptartment they may bend it for you on a brake for next to nothing... and shear cut too. thats where i do all my metal work. of course i work there....but i have cut it with circ saws , plasma machines, saber saws,jig saws... it is pretty easy to work with.... but i do recomend finding someone with a brake to bend it...

good luck..

Just like 27 Fountain said. I used to work in a shop and we cut it on a table saw with a fine carbide tooth blade. I recently cut my dash panels out of 1/8 aluminum on my sliding mitre saw with a 60 tooth carbide blade.

find out the material, more that likely 6061 T-6, the t-6 is the heat treating of the metal. T-6 is hard to bend and depending on thickness you may need a power brake. go against the grain but slowly and also allow for your bend radius in your measurement.
you may need 1/2 in for the radius. depending on cost you may want to get the metal in T-o and do your bends then heat treat.
hope this helps.