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Main Boards => Hunting Knives and Crafters => Topic started by: jgbennett6 on April 18, 2008, 08:34:00 AM

Title: Aluminum!!!
Post by: jgbennett6 on April 18, 2008, 08:34:00 AM
Well i've got to admit it, i've made 100 or so knives usually jsut for some friends and such, i got a request for a small drop point with aluminum finger guard and buttplate!!... i have never worked with aluminum and holy poop does it heat up fast!!!!!, anyone else have this realization!!
Title: Re: Aluminum!!!
Post by: skullworks on April 18, 2008, 08:35:00 AM
Never have worked with it but if heats up quicker than copper it would get you quick! LOL!
Title: Re: Aluminum!!!
Post by: kbaknife on April 18, 2008, 10:04:00 AM
It gets hot INSTANTLY!
Title: Re: Aluminum!!!
Post by: Ray Hammond on April 18, 2008, 11:47:00 AM
try german silver instead.
Title: Re: Aluminum!!!
Post by: jgbennett6 on April 18, 2008, 12:04:00 PM
In teh past i have used Nickel instead, hahahbut i figure for a lightweight application aluminum is nice and real real cheap (compared to silver)..but whoa!!! she gets hot... almost ruined a few carbide rasps.
Title: Re: Aluminum!!!
Post by: KHALVERSON on April 18, 2008, 05:41:00 PM
when  grinding aluminum it helps to coat your disk or belt with wax bees wax works the best but regular old pariffin wax also works
this helps keep the belts or discs from loading up with aluminum  and also leaves a smoother finish
this should work on files or rasps also
all though i have never used it on files
Title: Re: Aluminum!!!
Post by: Lin Rhea on April 18, 2008, 08:18:00 PM
Yea, it gets hot really fast! It also absorbs heat fast, thus some of the guys are actually quenching their blades (dry) between two plates of aluminum. Squeezing the plates keep the blade from warping too.
                              Lin
Title: Re: Aluminum!!!
Post by: jgbennett6 on April 19, 2008, 10:58:00 AM
I havn't thought of wax, tahnks u tried using chalk... i'm afraid (i do a lot of my shaping with it already attached) that is will melt the epoxy or burn the wood, I just have to work slow and cool it often