Grinding Aluminum (Page 2): You can go to any hardware store or welding shop and get grinding disks made just for aluminum. They look the same but will not plug. Then to Smooth it up...

Egghead

You can go to any hardware store or welding shop and get grinding disks made just for aluminum. They look the same but will not plug. Then to Smooth it up use a stainless wire wheel that fits the same grinder. The aluminum grinding disk will say aluminum on it. I weld ALOT of aluminum. If you want it polished like a mirror I will tell you how to do that to if need be. Lol it's easy.

Captain Lahti Loc: Kennewick, WA

Seems like we were thought to rub a chunk of chalk on the file to help keep it from loading up with soft metal. It would likely work to use powdered snap line marking chalk as well.

Jeremy Loc: America

plumbob wrote:

I agree with the young Jeremy. He isn't as bad as you guys said he was.

Between a file and 80 grit sand paper on a bench belt sander was my go to back in the day.

Well I respect my elder so that would definitely include old cool guys like you PB :)

Jeremy Loc: America

Egghead wrote:

You can go to any hardware store or welding shop and get grinding disks made just for aluminum. They look the same but will not plug. Then to Smooth it up use a stainless wire wheel that fits the same grinder. The aluminum grinding disk will say aluminum on it. I weld ALOT of aluminum. If you want it polished like a mirror I will tell you how to do that to if need be. Lol it's easy.

yeah what Egghead said. I forgot about these.

Rob March Loc: Baltimore md.

Use a resin fiber disk . these are a cheap buy at your local home depot or harbor freight. The other option is to use silicone carbide wheel also found at those places. Dont take it from me though only work at the oldest continuously running. Blacksmith shop in america.

Jeremy Loc: America

You just tap and use wire wheel on loaded file. If there is a jagged or bur on one edge just put that edge toward the kayak so it is never exposed where you will get slit.

Jeremy Loc: America

Put silicone form a gasket in the sharp edge. If you put some heavy tape or something on it to keep you from cutting yourself or plastic dip or something to put a coating. once its screwed down it wont matter.

Wv mike Loc: Parkersburg area. Wv

In our shop when we would cut aluminum we cut it with a jig saw clamp it down tight you can use alcohol to lube the blade and the aluminum will not stick to the blade. After the cut use a sanding disc to smooth it up some and then fishing with a file

Jeremy Loc: America

Could use a bolt cutter practically on a lot of aluminum. Too bad could find scraps of it that was already the size you needed at a shop or metal supply yard.

Woodsman Loc: Brainerd Mn

Get a dis of about 60 or 80 grit it should not load up as bad

Woodsman Loc: Brainerd Mn

Try some 60 or 80 grit sanding discs. They should not load up as bad

Able Man Loc: North Coast (Cleveland, Ohio)

I've "broken" the sharp edges y knocked the burrs off of alot of cast aluminum/ emory-cloth, which you can wash off, when it gets "loaded", as opposed to sandpaper, which ... Well; PAPER... It'll melt, if you wash it off. I'm guessing that I would also try the emory-cloth on rolled aluminum, which is probably what you have there. I'd start out with a file, which, yes, will most certainly "load up" quick; then, finish / the emory-cloth.
You said that you had the material AT a machine shop... By RIGHTS, they should have made sure of "No sharp edges".

Spiritof27 Loc: Lincoln, CA

I didn't pay for the job, the guy who did it, did it as a favor in his spare time and would't take any money for the job. Good thing. Nah, he did exactly what I wanted him to do, and I'm satisfied with his work. Like I said, I don't need it to be pretty, just solid and not jagged. To do the thing correctly it would have to have been machined and I don't know any body who has a machine shop and I couldn't find anyone who was willing to do it for a fee.

Able Man Loc: North Coast (Cleveland, Ohio)

I gotchya on that, Spirit. Since it ain't exactly a MASSIVE piece of work, you describe, I'd just go at it / ~ 3 grits of emory-cloth, personally, ... Start out/ 40 or 60 grit, step up to 80 or 90 y to make it nice'n smooth, finish it off/ a sheet of 120.

Spiritof27 Loc: Lincoln, CA

Able Man wrote:

I gotchya on that, Spirit. Since it ain't exactly a MASSIVE piece of work, you describe, I'd just go at it / ~ 3 grits of emory-cloth, personally, ... Start out/ 40 or 60 grit, step up to 80 or 90 y to make it nice'n smooth, finish it off/ a sheet of 120.

I'ma take a picture of it and y'all can see what it is I'm dealing with. No, it's not enormous or massive but it is ugly and jagged. You'll see.

It's in my backyard and it's dark out there right now and I'm ascared. I take the picture tomorrow when the bats and spiders go to wherever it is that they go to. K?