Dremel disk to cut copper heatsink??

**jamesavery22** · 02-01-2003, 03:25 PM

Im trying to chop up a heatsink to put on my gf4 and it just ate up about 6 of my metal cutting disks. in the middle of cutting one of the disks broke in half and nailed me in the forehead, glad I was wearing glasses

Im looking for new disks right now and I want to know what the best disk is to cut copper? I am looking at a bunch of diamond cutoff disks on ebay right now, is there anything better? Thanks

**Korndogg** · 02-01-2003, 03:30 PM

i find that the heavy duty cut-off wheels cut damn near anything... i just get them at the local hardware store..

the diamond cutoff wheels you're talking about.... is that this: http://dremel.com/productdisplay/dis...5&color=cc0000 ? i've seen those around, but they cost so much i've never bothered to try one.

**jamesavery22** · 02-01-2003, 04:19 PM

Originally posted by Korndogg
i find that the heavy duty cut-off wheels cut damn near anything... i just get them at the local hardware store..

the diamond cutoff wheels you're talking about.... is that this: http://dremel.com/productdisplay/dis...5&color=cc0000 ? i've seen those around, but they cost so much i've never bothered to try one.

Yeah I used the heavy duty cut-off wheels for cutting cases and aluminum heatsinks for awhile... But Im all out now. This copper hs just ate those disks up.

That is one of the disks I was looking at.. but it doesnt say metal "Great for cutting, sawing and carving of hard materials, such as marble, concrete, brick, porcelain, ceramics, hard epoxy and soft and hard wood." Think I'll get one and find out =)

**thebove** · 02-01-2003, 07:11 PM

the fiber reinforced heavy duty cutting wheels should do fine. i cut out the metal (steel, not aluminum) on 2 80mm fan mounts and a 120mm fan mount, plus 2 120mm blowholes and a 12x12 curved window all with just 2 of the heavy duty disks. they should do pretty good.

**jamesavery22** · 02-01-2003, 07:55 PM

My #540s cut pretty good. I only had 2 though and eventually went through both. Gonna buy some 540s and 420s as well as that diamond one and just see which works best.

**zackbass** · 02-01-2003, 11:02 PM

How thick is the heatsink? The problem with cutting copper is that it is pretty soft and gums and chews things up. For a job like this a hacksaw would be my tool of choice would be my tool of choice (and might be a bit cheaper).

**Jabberwocky** · 02-02-2003, 12:08 AM

Yeah no kidding! You are severely over-analyzing your project! Just get a hacksaw with a nice fine-toothed blade. You will get a much straighter cut than grinding it apart with a dremel! You can always use your dremel to smooth out the edges afterwards if you really want to use it!

The other option is to drop by your local machine shop, or school metalwork shop and ask them to zip it through their bandsaw. That would be the easiest and cheapest thing to do.

**jamesavery22** · 02-02-2003, 03:39 AM

Originally posted by Jabberwocky
Yeah no kidding! You are severely over-analyzing your project! Just get a hacksaw with a nice fine-toothed blade. You will get a much straighter cut than grinding it apart with a dremel! You can always use your dremel to smooth out the edges afterwards if you really want to use it!

The other option is to drop by your local machine shop, or school metalwork shop and ask them to zip it through their bandsaw. That would be the easiest and cheapest thing to do.

I ended up using a hacksaw for the sides. But the heatsink is made of A LOT of pretty thin fins. If I try and use a hack saw on the part that will cut the fins it will rip them off (already tried on a different one =) It works fine for the base, just not the fins.

**GB_Cobber** · 02-02-2003, 09:59 AM

Originally posted by jamesavery22

I ended up using a hacksaw for the sides. But the heatsink is made of A LOT of pretty thin fins. If I try and use a hack saw on the part that will cut the fins it will rip them off (already tried on a different one =) It works fine for the base, just not the fins.

Pack the gaps between the fins with match sticks or whatever fits and if possible cut along the length of them with the hacksaw rather than across the fins.

**meat322** · 02-02-2003, 11:32 AM

i have a tungsten carbide tip for my dremel. It will cut stainless if i wanted to and it goes through copper and aluminun like hot butter

**jamesavery22** · 02-02-2003, 07:01 PM

Originally posted by GB_Cobber

Pack the gaps between the fins with match sticks or whatever fits and if possible cut along the length of them with the hacksaw rather than across the fins.

Because of the size I have to cut across the fins =) Else the heatsinks wont be wide enough for the memory plus the design would be terrible. The only thing I can pack between the gaps would be a piece of paper folded maybe once or twice. The gaps are 1.5mms. Plus the fins on the ends would still get ripped off unless I clamped the sides also.

Originally posted by meat322
i have a tungsten carbide tip for my dremel. It will cut stainless if i wanted to and it goes through copper and aluminun like hot butter

Mmmmmmmmmmmm searching for one right now =)

**bootlog** · 02-03-2003, 03:07 AM

Use the heavy duty reinforced cut off discs. The exact Dremel model is 426A. The A is very important because they are improved 426, much stronger and more durable.

Good Luck.

**meat322** · 02-03-2003, 08:21 AM

Originally posted by jamesavery22

Because of the size I have to cut across the fins =) Else the heatsinks wont be wide enough for the memory plus the design would be terrible. The only thing I can pack between the gaps would be a piece of paper folded maybe once or twice. The gaps are 1.5mms. Plus the fins on the ends would still get ripped off unless I clamped the sides also.

Mmmmmmmmmmmm searching for one right now =)

http://www.dremel.com/html/home_fr.html <~~~ model #9901 is the one i have

**CrawlingEye** · 02-03-2003, 09:05 AM

Hrmm... I wonder how the Diamond wheel would work?

(part # 545)

Says:

Great for cutting, sawing and carving of hard materials, such as marble, concrete, brick, porcelain, ceramics, hard epoxy and soft and hard wood. Mandrel #402 is included.

Nothing regarding metal.

More on-topic, though. I have cut copper (not a heatsink but copper pipe) with reinforced metal cutoff wheels (#426) and it cut very easily but took a couple of them to get the job done with. Copper tends to heat up and literally make the wheels fall apart, after a couple minutes of consistent cutting.

**vertices** · 02-03-2003, 11:10 PM

Originally posted by thebove
the fiber reinforced heavy duty cutting wheels should do fine. i cut out the metal (steel, not aluminum) on 2 80mm fan mounts and a 120mm fan mount, plus 2 120mm blowholes and a 12x12 curved window all with just 2 of the heavy duty disks. they should do pretty good.

Damn dude! How the hell did you do that with only 2 ?!?!?

Cutting that much steel I probably would have went through at least 6 of them. That is some incredible life of those discs. I wish I could get them to last that long.

Thread: Dremel disk to cut copper heatsink??

Thread Tools

Display

Dremel disk to cut copper heatsink??

Posting Permissions