Gerald J.,
I had thought about using my "RotoZip", "SpiralCut" saw for the Aluminum
sheeting. It works kinda like a router but its a lot lighter and easier to
work with. I may still try it. I've since decided to try and rebuild the
old Vent covers first. I took the the one I have out apart today, you're
right about that dremel taking forever, but it did get the job done. I used
the cut off disc to remove the tops of the rivets. There was plenty of room
to work with the thickness of the old plastic there to insulate the cover
from the evil cutting action.
Quick question here, what was the material used to originally caulk the
plastic sheet with, the old stuff was still pliable after all these years,
it had the consistency of plumber's putty, only slightly stickier. It cam
off pretty well, except where it had been exposed to direct UV. It turns
rock hard in these areas and kinda chipped off. Any ideas on caulking
material to use between the aluminum and lexan would be appreciated.
Thanks
bobb
"Dr. Gerald N. Johnson" wrote:
> The air operated die grinder is to the working world what the Dremel is
> to the model world. Does the same tasks but with enough more horsepower
> to actually complete them in the lifetime of the user. And the lowest
> end die grinder costs less than half the price of a Dremel.
>
> Cutting aluminum with an abrasive wheel often ends up melting the
> aluminum into the abrasive wheel and destroying it. Router bits or
> rotary files often do better, but can easily leave a large burr. A
> router with a 1/8" or 3/16" diameter straight bit would be faster than a
> nibbler and if guided would do a fine job on the aluminum canopy. The
> bit would be happier at 2000 rpm than 25,000 rpm though. A good large
> flat single cut file will be handy for cleaning up burrs in any case.
>
> Gerald J.
--
Bob Basques
'73 Excella 500, 31'
