5 replies to this topic

[Rgpracer]

Good day to all. I am a new scratch builder and am having a blast building retro Can Am and Stock Cars. I want to know from the masses how they cut sheet brass and keep it straight. I have been cutting with a coping saw and a Dremel and doing a decent job but, there has to be other ways, like nibblers or something.

Wasn't sure to post this in the "scratchbuilding" section or here, so, shooting from the hip.

Thanks
Ray

[Jay Guard]

For thin brass sheet up to 1/32" thick I'll just use my Dremel with a #409 cut-off wheel.  For thicker sheet I'll use a fine blade hacksaw to rough out the part.  Then to get the parts (thick or thin) right to the scribe line I will use a disk sander for outside cuts and the Dremel and/or a file for the inside cuts where the disk sander can't get.  I don't use tin snips as they tend to warp the material and of course a metal shear is perfect for this but generally overkill (and too expensive) for the limited number of parts you will probably be making.  I've never really tried using a nibbler but I think some do use them.

[Pablo]

Also band saw and hand files

[chasbeeman]

Back in the early 90's the St Louis club was building chassis with spring steel straps. It started as a 3.5 x 5 piece that straps could be cut from. A fellow racer made a wooden cross slide fixture that worked like a reverse table saw. The dremel with the cutoff wheel was used as the cutting device with a thumb screw to adjust the blade depth.

[SlowBeas]

I've been known to use a chop saw, but mostly use my Dremel.

[Ryan C]

A micro bandsaw works great but they are not cheap (usually $200+).