My process for Dremel cuts is as follows:
1- Tape the entire surface with painters tape [
1]
2- Carefully and ACCURATELY draw your cuts out onto the tape in with a
black pen. [
2]
3- Carefully draw a second series of cuts slightly smaller than your first in
blue pen. Trying to stay about 1/16"-1/8" of an inch away from the first lines.
4- Get yourself these cut-off wheels. The reinforced cutters are my personal favorite for aluminum (#426). [
3]
5- Get a "flexishaft" for your Dremel - this makes everything much easier.[
4]
6- Start cutting, following your BLUE LINES! ignore the black ones entirely. This way you'll be guaranteed to be leaving yourself 1/16"-1/8" extra material.
7- Get yourself a cheap set of metal files (~$15-$50)
8- Slowly file away the excess material using a rough file - file up until a fraction of an inch away from your black lines.[
5]
9- Step up to a finer metal file, clean the last bit of your edge down to the black line.
10- Get some 400 grit sandpaper and sand the edge - leaving a smooth finish.
10.5- *optional* Do any final bending, if your part requires bending. Also drill your holes now (do this last because, if you mess up the part during cutting, drilling is one less step to have to repeat).
11- Test fit
12- Make any necessary changes
13- Test fit again
14-
Don't remove the tape until you're absolutely certain the part is done.[
6]
NOTES:
[
1]-I like to use 2-layers of tape, I find that if the Dremel slips 1-layer wont save your surface while 2-layers usually will. Also it will be more durable to clamping if you need to bend your part.
[
1]-I like to use 3M's blue painters tape - it leaves very little residue and the glue reacts very well to the extreme heat created with the Dremel grinding the metal - the cheap stuff leaves residue where the glue got hot.
[
2]-When drawing your cuts make sure to clearly identify erroneous markings, and scribble them out. I can't tell you how many times I've prepared a part and still ended up cutting the wrong line.
[
3]-If you press lightly but firmly you'll make your Dremel disks last longer - forcing the cuts will burn them off like butter.
[
4]-The biggest reason I like to use a flexishaft is that if Dremel slips and jumps across the surface of the panel -scratching it while it goes- it's very had to stop abruptly
(see: inertia). The flexishaft makes a quick reflex recovery easier, and it makes tight details more manageable.
[
5]-Be careful using a half-round file in the corners because you'll be prone to removing too much material there. To prevent having small bumps in your corners make sure you have a SQUARE file for use there, and having a couple different triangular files is good for odd angle corners.
[
5]-For long perfectly straight edges clamp the panel in a vice between two straight edges - file all the was until your flush against these edges, then sand.
[
6]-I don't usually remove the tape until my mod is complete, there's nothing worse than a new project covered in surface scratches.
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For an example of fine hand-crafted aluminum please see project:
CygnusX1 - by
oldnewby. In his log he takes you though some very good protocol for hand forming aluminum panels; he also offer a lot of great advice with fantastic pictures. I'm positive seeing his work (following a very similar method to my guide above) will inspire a new level of precision in your metal fabrication.
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That's all for now. Until next time - Happy Modding.
-Jesse
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HWZ 1st Honorary Member @ 2007.01.27/2009.11.18~♥
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