Quote:
Originally Posted by iang454
Thank you gents for your input.
I won't be cutting it by hand, I have drawn the chassis and will get it laser cut.
I will have to bend up the front section and I was looking at a slight bend longitudinally on each side due to the length of it for stiffness.
I will also be making a top deck as well.
Thank you
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If your only making 1 or a handful of items, the expense it will cost to get it laser cut probably won't be worth it. You can cut 7075 T6 ok with a band saw and hand finish by draw filing. As long as your drills and countersink cutter are good and sharp you will be fine.
When you fabricate the chassis, make sure the grain runs length ways along the chassis so the kick up will be against the grain, which will be less prone to cracking (without giving you the long winded scientific answer) when you carry out that process.
It's worth finding out the aviation forums and asking any of the users on there if there workshops have any off cuts, there is an awful lot of "waste" when dealing with that sort of work.
LAS aerospace are usually ok for stock as well, and they do 4' x 2' which is better than the normal 12' x 4' . They are a bit more pricey than most metal suppliers but at least you can some in a smaller quantity.
Don't forget American aircraft will be dealing in imperial, so if you need 2.5 mm, 3/32" is the equivalent and for 3 mm 1/8 will be 0.2 mm thicker.
Hope any of that helps.