> Clamping / Holding   [to the Top]

Before you start doing anything to your lump of metal, you want to clamp it down. Not only will this let you concentrate on the actual work rather than keeping the workpiece still, its also a major safety feature. The forces involved with even minor metalwork means that a loose chunk of metal can pick up quite a bit of speed and force, and it might ruin your entire day if you should get in the way of it.

Vise

Essential stuff. When working with metals you really want to clamp down the part your working. There are a few different types out there, what you choose will depend on the type of work you want to do:

 

·         Bench Vise: As the name indicates, these are meant to be attached to your workbench, and are typically large, sturdy and made from cast iron. Most have removable jaws that can be replaced when they get worn. Some have grooves to hold tubes and round stock, and some also double as an anvil. Useful for clamping when hack sawing, filing, drilling and much more.

 

 

·         Portable Vise: Similar in appearance to the bench vise, these are usually smaller units, that can easily be moved around & clamped down where needed. Some attach with a clamp, others with a suction cup. Another good all-round vise.

 

 

·         Machine Vise: More of a speciality vise, these are made to use with drill presses & mills. They are usually made so that the base and sides are "squared" making for an easy line-up / squaring up when mounted to a milling machine. Most of these have mounting points for mounting to milling & drill press tables.

> Measuring  [to the Top]

Before making a single cut, or drilling a single hole, you will want to know exactly where you want that cut or hole. This involves a certain degree of measuring .

 

Ruler

 

A sturdy 12-14 inch steel ruler is another one of those basics you just need to have laying around. With an easy to read engraved scale it will help you take quick measurements, and with a good straight edge it will help you draw lines and whatnot. Getting one with both standard and metric scales will give even more options.

 

Square

These come in a multitude of shapes and sizes, the most usual ones feature a 90 degree angle w/ standard or metric scale engraved. The 90 degree square can function as a ruler, but will in addition give you an accurate 90 degree angle, allowing you to line up your workpiece on the table or vise. This is very usefull when lining up a part on a drillpress to ensure a "straight" hole.

 

Protractor

The protractor will give you a readout of angles, allowing you to measure a certain angle on a piece, or line up your tooling for a certain angle cut/hole. Also these come in many shapes and sizes.

 

Caliper

Also known as vernier calipers, these instruments will allow you to take precise measurments of inside dimensions, outside dimensions and depth - all with an accuracy of .001 inch. They come in 3 basic variants, the manual scale version, the dial version and the digital readout version.

 

> Marking  [to the Top]

Now that you have figured out where to cut or drill, you need to mark it.

 

Permanent marker

Nice and simple way to draw your lines or set your marks. Permanent ink will ensure that the mark stays put for a while, however coolant liquid or general wear from working can erase the marks after a while. But a pair of markers are an excellent addition to the ole toolbox!

 

Scribe

A pen-like tool with a sharp hardened point that will scratch lines into most metals, the scribe will help you make a more permanent line on your work piece, Keep in mind however that these lines can be hard to polish out later, so take care where you use it!

 

 

Center Punch

This neat li'll item works hand in hand with your drill. Ever notice when you try to start drilling that the drill wantes to "skid" sideways? The hardness of the metal surface combined with the rotation of the drill will try to "walk" the bit in the direction the drill is spinning. Well there is a cure folks! With a punch you, well, punch a "dimple" exactly where you want your hole drilled, and this will keep the bit from wandering all over the place. Trust me on this, you want one of these!

There are several types of these punches; you have the straight forward punches that you whack with a hammer, spring operated ones, and ones that allow for one-handed operation. I'd suggest a spring loaded or one-hand type, for ease of use.

 

 

> SAFETY first!!  [to the Top]

Before we get busy with the metalwork, we need to take a few steps to stay healthy. It's been said before, but it needs repeating - working with metal has some risks. It only takes a tiny shard of metal in the wrong spot to ruin your entire day (and THEN some). So I'm telling your right now - do NOT work metal without safety glasses / goggles. In addition, keep your fingers away from all rotating machinery - needless to say, those cutting tool are SHARP - not only saws, but mills, drills and files are made to cut metal - what do you think they can do to your fingers? OK - I'm done now - LOL!

> Cutting / Shaping   [to the Top]

Time to work that metal!!

Hack saw

The stuff dreams are made of...or made with. A good quality hacksaw can be one of the most useful tools for metal working. If I had to venture a guess, I'd say that 99% of all my metal work involves hack sawing something or another.

These saws usually have a 8 to 12 inch long high-carbon steel blade, which will cut thru any alloy & brass, and most steels as well. The blades are classified by the number of teeth pr inch; higher the number, finer the blade. Coarser (lower number) blades are used for softer metals (alloys and such), finer blades for harder/higher tempered metals.

 

Files

Another piece of essential metalworking gear, the file will help you shape your metal just the way you want it. Files come in a large variety of shapes and sizes, select a few of different sizes that fit the type of work you will be doing. There are also different types of teeth on these files; single and double cut. They also come in different degrees of coarseness (much like saws). Again, try to find one (or a few) that suits your needs.

 

Drilling Machines

Drills also come in quite a few shapes and sizes, but the 2 main types for our type of work are handheld drills and drill presses.

 

The handheld, such as your typical Black & Decker is a great way to drill a few fast holes "on the spot", without a lot of clamping and fastening. And they are portable. They are however not ideal for accurate work.

 

For that you want to step up to a drill press. The drill press will allow you to drill accurate (and straight) holes, as well as help you keep track of hole depth & size. They will typically also have higher torque (i.e. stronger) motors, with variable speed control. This is important because different metals prefer different cutting/drilling speeds. (more on that later)

 

 

Drill bits

These are the guys who do the actual work, so you want  make sure you get what you need. Bits come in a thousand and one different flavors, there is a stunning selection to choose from in terms of materials and coatings. We're gonna keep it real simple here, and assume that most of your RC work will be with brass, aluminum, steel, stainless steel and perhaps some plastics or composits.

 

The best "allrounder" bit would be a 2-flute HSS (High Speed Steel). This bit is able to cut plastics, wood, brass, alloys and steel. However its not the ideal bit for materials like stainless steel, as it will dull quickly. A carbide tipped bit would be a better choice for this material. If in doubt, ask at your hardware store. Remember - type of bit is one thing, but cutting speeds, feed rate and coolant also play in big part in getting the job done. Don't worry - we'll talk about that a li'll later!