Hi guys and MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL ON FTE !!!!!

I'm in the fabrication stage of an engine run in stand to fire up a newly built 460... stand is built... "dashboard" is being fabricated... holes are drilled for tach, water temp, oil pressure, starter button and on/off switch... I need to mount a throttle control/cable and want to use an existing small engine throttle cable assembly with the throttle bracket bolted to a "L" bracket under the dashboard and the throttle lever extending up through the dashboard.

I need to find a way to make a nice clean slot in 3/16" aluminum plate...approx 1/8" wide and 2 to 3" long. guess I could drill a 1/8" pilot hole and file the slot but that's a lot of filing... give me some ideas on a way that includes some precision and cosmetically pleasing...

guess I could do it with a cutoff wheel and dress it with a file or a dremel tool... but it would eat/gum up some little cutting wheels...

suggestions ???

this is what I'm trying to do

thanks
John

 

Building a "break-in stand" is on my bucket list, so good on you.

If it were me, and with the tools I have available, I would tape over the area of the slot to resist scratches, then drill a hole at one end of the measured and marked slot, then saber saw along a guide line as best I could to remove bulk material, then use a die grinder bit chucked in a bench-top drill press and "route" the line using some C-clamps and L-channel for a guide bar, and lastly do some final finishing with a file.

But that's just me... looking forward to posts from others more creative.

Cheers... Brian

 

I was thinking router too... they have bits for cutting metal, including aluminum.. nice guide on both sides and voila.

Sam

 

John,
Just one word---
Bridgeport

 

LOL... Wish I had one of them... And if it was CNC would make it even better...

 

me too Moe, me too

think I'm going to try the carbide bit in a router... or maybe a cutoff wheel... then put a nice cover plate over it...

thanks for all the suggestions... I'd have never thought of wood tools to do aluminum cutting...

later
john

 

Bill, beat me to it!!

 

John I have a full machine shop if you ever come up this way. Take about 5 minutes to set it up and slot it nice and clean.

 

but they make router bits just for this..

Amazon.com: CRL Double Flute Down Aluminum Cutting Router Bit: Home Improvement

Sam

 

John, take him up on it.... the rotor will work but it's had to hold the metal, setting up a guide and keeping a true vertical (from the bottom) to cut your grove.... As you know a lathe is the way to go!

 

Lots of good sugestions, I wanted to make a slot and I just stacked a few cut off wheels to the right width and cut the slot,dressup the ends with a carbide bit in a air dremmel. I did it on steel I never tried it on aluminum.

 

no fair coming up with the innovative approach! neat..

don't think I ever would have thought of that..

Sam

 

I cut 1/4" aluminum on my table saw and miter box saw all of the time. I have wood blades on both and never noticed any problems with wear. The aluminum can gum up the blades then you just have to fleck it off. Also, on the table saw it gets noisy as heck and little pieces of aluminum fly all over so face and ear protection is required. Wear a hat too, you'll be picking pieces of aluminum out of your hair, unless you're folliclely challenged, like me, then you just feel the metal hitting your scalp.

 

John, if it were me, I would use my radial arm saw. You can mount a metal cut-off blade on it and lock the slide in the proper position just above the aluminum. After turning the motor on, just slowly lower the blade with the crank until the slot is the desired length. This will give clean edges and a precise placement. Good Luck, Jag

 

Alway's different ways to do things. I have an adjustable vise on my drill press and use a milling bit like the one above for cutting slots, all kinds of things in aluminum, brass, wood.