Cut your ChromaLuxe panels with a shear or guillotine
There are several options for creating a finished look to ChromaLuxe aluminum. Here is more info about shearing.
You can use a shear to cut aluminum. You can also cut steel but this is not recommended.
SHEARS AND GUILLOTINES
There are several options for shearing metal. The best known is a machine called a power shear or guillotine. The machine may be foot powered, mechanically or hydraulically powered. A moving blade comes down across a fixed blade to shear the material.
QUALITY
Shearing ChromaLuxe panels is easy and inexpensive, but if compared with saw cutting or CNC routing, it is not the best option. The power of the guillotine blades can 'damage' our coating, which can cause chipping when used in the heat press.
We suggest to always sand the edges after shearing with a sandpaper designed for metal:
- For the initial sanding, keep the block with sandpaper at about a 45-degree angle
- After that you can smooth the edges with a side to side motion
- Suggest using sandpaper in the 150 to 220 grit
TIPS
- You should keep the shear blade gap under 0.003 inch
- Blades need to be sharp and clean, with nothing stuck to them
- We suggest shearing coating side up
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