Help with Aluminum

Hi All,

I am trying to cut some holes in an aluminum tube. I have no problem drilling a circle through the tube. How does one cut a small shapes (oval) into alumimum. Are there any dremel attachments perhaps that can do the job.

Thanks,
Duh!

I hope you have some masking tape to help guide you, but you can always use the small grinding (cutting) stone that comes with the dremmel.

Drill your hole close to the size you want, then get some small flat files and go in and sqaure it out by hand. I did this on a saber and it worked great.
Lynn

If you can, file a flat into the aluminum, or get a dowel that will fit snug into the tube, and use a center punch and start the hole.

I find the grinding stones clog up with the aluminum filings quickly. Perhaps using some cutting oil in will help keep it clear? Has anyone else had experience with this?

since alminum is so soft, it does tend to clog grinding wheels, your almost better off with a metal type bit like an end mill. Your best bet is to drill a series of holes and to file out the sections that link them to make the oval hole ... makin a barrel extention? Sometimes the use of a JIG will help, if you can drill a hole into a flat piece of metal and then clamp that to the tube your trying to drill the hole into, the jig will align the hole and prevent the drill bit from wandering. and if you can make the oval hole in a piece of metal, then you can realign it onto the tube when your filing, and you will end up with a better hole that isn't crooked, or mishapen.

Yup, that'd sure help, Fettcicle.

Also, if by oval you mean egg-shaped, notice that there are two separate sizes of hole at the ends. Drill out these holes with the proper sized drill bits, and then file/dremel out the rest.

Thank you all for the suggestions. Extremely Helpful.