Cutting aluminum

[Vicg]

You can reverse the blade and cut the alum that way its safer of youv'e never cut before. you can also cut the 090 that way with a aswell as long as its not larger than your miter.
otherwise i would suggest a nibbler for the sheet.
Vic

 

[signage]

just use a sharp carpet knife!

 

[Patrick46]

Well???....how'z progress going???

BTW... you NEVER DID tell us what kinda plane you're building.
I've got 2 friends that have completed KitFox's recently, and have several others that have built RV-4's...now those planes are FUN!!!! WooHoo!!!

 

[diverscott]

Not sure what kind of equipment you've got in the shop, but I do all aluminum cutting from .020" to 3 inch on our CNC with a 11 foot cutting table. I found it to be the best way to get precise cuts and shapes for those larger jobs, like building that airplane is sure to be. Pilot holes for threaded taps and routing cutouts for wiring and tubing are also easy to lay out into the design. It can also mill out some of your thicker metal stocks to lighten the structural weight for bulkheads, spars, longerons, etc. For tubing, a standard miter saw works well, as previously mentioned. While a CNC may not be standard equipment in your operation, if you do have access to one, it will make repetitious or intricate cutting a whole lot simpler.