[Jmac80]

Hello everyone

This is my first post here so please be gentle
What I would like to do is cut small shapes from metal plates, mostly aluminium but at lower grades like 1050 and about 16gauge / 1.4mm thick as it would be used for jewellery.
It would be small designs and shapes, circles stars etc on average about 1" diameter.
Now I bought I found the perfect machine with a cheap Chinese cnc router but after a fair bit of reading it would seem that it's not the best machine for the job on softer metals.
Is there a machine out there that would be suitable for this? Have a budget of about 2-3000.

Thanks very much

[aarggh]

I'd focus more on how you'll hold the sheets down more so than the actual machines your looking at, as almost any of the machines commonly available would be fine.

The problem you'll have is how to hold the sheet down while machining. This is not trivial by any means. You can get upcut/downcut cutters, whatever you need, but if the sheet vibrates or can move even minutely while machining, it will give rough results or end in tool bits being grabbed and snapped. The thickness and grades available further complicates this.

cheers, Ian

[RCaffin]

Hi Jmac

It is not so much a matter of the machine as the metal. Cutting shapes out of 1000-series aluminium would have to be one of the more horrible tasks. The very soft aluminium clags up the cutters very fast, and then you get a melt-down and the cutter snaps.
Even 5000-series aluminium is difficult.

Cheers

[Jmac80]

thanks guys, how about a small desktop laser cutter? is there such a thing in this price range?

[RCaffin]

To be sure.
It might cut aluminium kitchen foil.

Cheers

[Jmac80]

To be sure.
It might cut aluminium kitchen foil.

Cheers

Thanks
so how on earth do people cut stuff like this from thin 1000 series aluminium

Aluminum Metal Blanks 20 Gauge Hearts for Hand Stamped Jewelry 20mm | eBay

5 Metal Stamping Blanks 20 Gauge Aluminum Washers for Hand Stamped Jewelry 3 4" | eBay

Aluminum Metal Blanks 20 Gauge 1 2" Blanks for Hand Stamped Jewelry | eBay

[RCaffin]

As the ad says: 'metal hand stamped jewelry'.
Stamped out with a punch and die (at that price!).
Maybe he stuck the punch and die in something like a small manual press and hand-stamped them, or maybe he just fibbed.

Pretty soft stuff, 1000-series, and only 20 guage.

Cheers

[Jmac80]

The "metal hand stamped jewelry" means it's for hand stamping with, this is what my wife does, stamps designs / fonts etc on to these blanks.
but i understand what you are saying, they are punched out... any machine i can get get to do this for my budget?

thanks for taking the time with me RCaffin heh