Hey For my current project I would like to have the front, top, left and right panels laser cut, the front and top will be a solid peice made from 3mm aluminum and the sides will be 1mm thick but I have no clue where to start looking??? or if laser cutting is the best option. Any advise ? thanks
Just find a local place that does laser cutting and ask them? Yellow Pages/what have you over there should help. Also 1 mm aluminum is extremely flimsy! I made a temporary side panel from that stuff and it's useless.
Also look into waterjet cutting and CNC routing. 1mm aluminium will be flimsy until you put a 90* bend in one end, at which point it becomes rather inflexible.
If I recall, the mammoth that is Aluchill was made from mostly 2mm aluminium, which is what I would go with for anything structural. I would only use 1mm for cosmetic pieces.
If your at nottingham trent, which i seem to remember, head down to the workshop in Maudslay Building and ask Alan Chambers to cut it out on the waterjet.
Oh wow cheers Burnout I will have a look into that, not back at uni till october hopefully I will be aloud in the workshops this year, wasnt aloud as a 1st year any idea on the costs as I dont expect they will want to do it for everyone especially an architecture student on the subject of 1 mm aluminum its being fitted to a frame so is indeed purely cosmetic.
if its a small job and you ask very nicely there happy to help. Also get in super early as it goes nuts down there very quickly. Usual cost = free They stock a mental amount of sheet aluminium, but don't get crazy idea's they'll happily do a one off if its small, like the front of case in my project. Well that was big but I've known them for 4 years.
Thank I will have ask them once I get back and I already have my aluminum so no worrys there. Any idea what programs they use ?
