Drilling 10mm ali plate.

I've got a 10mm ali plate sump guard for my gaylander but, it weighs a fhookin ton and affects the handling ever so slightly...

What's the best way to lighten it?

A 6mm plate the right size is going to cost about £70 plus my time to make it fit whereas my tank grade belly plate fits the existing subframe but causes some unpleasant handking characteristics.

Could I drill it out with a decent quality hole saw to lose some weight or would it burn the hole saw out?

Would it be easier to get a double skin ali tipper body side from the scrappers and cut one skin off and make a new plate?

I've got drills, a grinder and a bench but not much time or brass.

Suggestions welcome.

Bushwwacker: that only weighs about 5pounds a square foot and how big is that guard?

it doesn't sound like its made of alloy. try a magnet on it.

It's about 3sq foot but bearing in mind the standard guard is about 2 -3 mm thick polythene with a monkey metal heat shield for the exhaust it's a fair difference on what are effectively ford focus springs and shocks...

I reckon the ali plate on the subframe is 40 -50lb...

bushwwacker said:

It's about 3sq foot but bearing in mind the standard guard is about 2 -3 mm thick polythene with a monkey metal heat shield for the exhaust it's a fair difference on what are effectively ford focus springs and shocks...

I reckon the ali plate on the subframe is 40 -50lb...

Click to expand...

i think 40lb sounds right for 10mm to me, though i would have said around 20/25kg

edit: whoops i did 3ftx3ft, not 3sqft

bushwwacker said:

It's about 3sq foot but bearing in mind the standard guard is about 2 -3 mm thick polythene with a monkey metal heat shield for the exhaust it's a fair difference on what are effectively ford focus springs and shocks...

I reckon the ali plate on the subframe is 40 -50lb...

Click to expand...

trax said:

i think 40lb sounds right for 10mm to me, though i would have said around 20/25kg

Click to expand...

3sqft x 5lbs = 15 lbs. 1'' aluminium plate weighs 14.112 pounds a sq foot, where steel weighs 40 pounds a sqft

I believe a picture is in order before comment

You could use conventional hole saws if you flood the cutting area with paraffin to keep the teeth from clogging, and keep the speed down.

Weights seem a little high to me.

Peter

I need to see pics of this 'thing'

i think he bought an anti ied device

I'll get some pics later and an accurate weight but it does bugger tge handling up...

listerdiesel said:

You could use conventional hole saws if you flood the cutting area with paraffin to keep the teeth from clogging, and keep the speed down.

Weights seem a little high to me.

Peter

Click to expand...

I`d use a pedistal drill (bench press?) i dunno ??
and for each hole make a little "dam" around the cutting site of each hole.
use putty or summit to hold the parrafin/very thin oil/simular diesel??
as it will cool the sawblade and lubricate, but will be time consuming and dam messy...

not got a sheet metal shop nearby, to punch some holes in it for you ??

easye1 said:

I`d use a pedistal drill (bench press?) i dunno ??
and for each hole make a little "dam" around the cutting site of each hole.
use putty or summit to hold the parrafin/very thin oil/simular diesel??
as it will cool the sawblade and lubricate, but will be time consuming and dam messy...

not got a sheet metal shop nearby, to punch some holes in it for you ??

Click to expand...

You wouldn't punch 10mm, especially if it was Dural.

10gauge you could, but the OP said 10mm.

Peter

Hmmmm yes..........

wonder why bushy wants bombproof bash plate anyway....