Should I use aluminium or stainless sheet?

[JSYmartini]

My 2 pence worth from 25 years in the metal trade; 304 stainless, brushed not polished. Get it guillotined and folded properly, no other way to get a clean, straight edge cut. And don't use any mechanical fixings, just sticks like sh*t or similar. 0.9mm should be fine if its going on a flat surface, any wobbly bits and 0.9 will follow it too easily.

For everyday cleaning, I use Flash special surfaces cleaner, works really well and most supermarkets etc sell it.

 

[coopec]

Get it guillotined and folded properly, no other way to get a clean, straight edge cut.

Sadly most of us are on a budget. Where I come from a metal working shop could easily charge $A10 per cut and $A10 per fold (if they were interested in doing the job).:disgust:

 

[Halo]

You can make it from aluminium and then get it anodised - a very inexpensive process that will give good protection.
Stainless is good bit I would avoid anything like an angle grinder as grinding dust can cause corrosion problems - even on the best stainless 316.
If you have fixings then these can also give problems if some of the stainless can have traces of water trapped without free air.
If you use stainless give it a really good polish after you have finished working it then it should be fine

 

[reeac]

Best advice that I ever had re. drilling S/S is to make sure that you're producing swarf at all times. If the drill bit starts skating over the surface then the workpiece will work harden and the drill will blunt pronto.

 

[Topcat47]

Re HSS drills, OK if you have a few of them and don't care to use them again. My Cobalt drills are still sharp after drilling several holes in SS. the last HSS one's I used were not recoverable without a proper workshop drill sharpener.

 

[dgadee]

the last HSS one's I used were not recoverable without a proper workshop drill sharpener.

My brother - once a toolmaker - taught me how to sharpen drill bits by hand in a couple of seconds many decades ago. Very useful skill. Here's a more complex way of doing it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y0SQkzScQk0

I use the side of the wheel lightly (not supposed to but he did), hold the drill in the first position then sweep upwards. Then turn 180 degrees and do the other edge. Result is a sharp drill.

 

[Heckler]

I just spruced up my galley area and installed 1mm stainless sheets on either side of the cooker (each about 400mm x 300mm if I recall) to act as a heatshield/splashback thingy.

I had the sheets cut on a guillotine there and then at ABS in Falmouth, about £10 the pair. I then drilled 'em and smoothed off the edges etc. They look nice (better than aluminium IMHO) and do the job very well.

Like it!
Stu

 

[KevO]

Thanks Stu.. :encouragement:

 

[Jaguar 25]

Another good way of finishing stainless is to use a a piece of 1 inch round timber with the end turned down or a some other means of getting it to fit into a pillar drill chuck. Put grinding paste on the bottom and apply to the sheet steel to produce a circular polished pattern. Keep moving about 3/4 inch and do it again. Produces a brilliant finish.

I have not a lot of trouble with using HSS drills in 304 stainless but for 316 regular sharpening is required and as previously stated do not let the drill rub it must be kept cutting.

 

[Otter]

Thanks everyone, I think the shiny stainless sheet wins it for around the cooker, though I'm going with white plastic for the splash back so I can cut and finish it myself.

The Corian is being cut, moulded and trims fitted today, £250 for all the materials and the fabrication work was an outstanding price, and includes free delivery. One large section includes a moulded in sink, smaller section has a lip on three sides, it'll sit on the area above the fridge. Well worth it for a professional job I reckon, something like a 2m run in the two sections.