Going into JLO tomorrow morning....cutting radiator inlets and outlets.

What tools to use?

I have:

1. A nice roller bearing jigsaw

2. An air powered cutoff wheel

3. An air powered hand jigsaw

I plan on using drill bits for making the radius cuts, then using one of the above for the straight cuts.

What type of straight edge have people used? Or is it just "free-hand"

Bill P.

Bill,

I used a air powered jig saw for all of my cuts after getting a starter hole going with a drill bit. The radius can be made with the jib saw, ie you don't need a drill bit in every corner.

Use some pin stripping tape or similar to mark your opening and just follow the line. Clean it up with a drum sander and you'll be quite impressed with the results.

To get your fender openings to match, use the cut out material from the first side as a pattern for the other side. These are the most visable openings and you'll want these done right.

John

This works great for cutting body work.Body saw


Bob

Here is what I did. Freehand following a sharpie line.

Nibblers work great.


46061-0VGA
Central Pneumatic
16 GAUGE AIR NIBBLER $29.99




43063-0VGA
Chicago Electric
1/2 HP HEAVY DUTY NIBBLER $99.99




91739-0VGA
EDMA
SMALL GAUGE NIBBLER ATTACHMENT

Sharpie and an angle grinder with a cutting disk.

Quick and easy.

If it's good enought for the boys at "OCC" then it's good enough for me.

I strongly suggest actually following your lines unlike I did.

How about blades?

32 tooth?

Thanks,

Bill P.

QUOTE (nine14cats @ Jul 7 2005, 04:31 PM)

How about blades? 32 tooth? Thanks, Bill P.

I have some of each (32 and 24 I think). There really isn't much difference, they both cut about the same on thin stuff and last about as long. Probably better to use the coarser one for the thicker metal (fenderwells) but if you only have the fine ones they'll work.

Sounds like any of the tools you have will work. I like to use my high speed little air powered recipocating saw, kind of like a miniture sawsall, but air powered, cuts sheet metal like butter, and is small and controllable for tight spots. The rotory cut off wheel is not the best, they tend to leave sharp edges that need more filing thant he saws do, and the wheels are near useless for making a nice radius, the drill bit radius is not big enough, ecspecially for the wheel well cut outs
.
for the correct munder of teeth on the blade, you want to have a minimum of two teeth on contact with the metal. So the number of teeth per inch is based on the thickness to be cut. Too fine a tooth however make the cutting slower, to course a tooth and the blade will jump around, and leave a rough cut, and break bthe blades teeth.

A bit of cutting oil or even motor oil in a pinch will help the blade last much longer by lubing it and cooling it.

Be sure you have a big radius on all corners. The cut outs that are typically put in the wheel wells for hot air exit need a bigger radius that what you would get with a drill bit. Use the saw and cut nice two inch radius corners on this high stress area. Sharp carners will lead to cracks.

Cut the minimum you can, metal equals strength, so do not over do it. It is better to cut too little now, find the car runs a bit hot, and then re-cut a bit bigger, than to over cut more than you need too, and weaken the car more. Be conservative with your cutting is my advice, it is easy to cut more later, difficult to put it back if you over cut.


Think Big radius corners use two inch radius, cut minimal metal, select a blade that has at least two, but probably no more than three or four teeth per the metal thickness, and use cutting oil to increase blade life.

Finally wear safety glasses when ever cutting, bits of metal fly around, and brittle blades can snap and get you.

have fun!!!!!

What time, can I watch/give you a hand if I don't have a honey do?

The tool Bob (Bigcat83) showed in picture is the one I was trying to describe.

John