In terms of doing all the things for which we love thin aluminum sheet (hammer forming, bending, shaping, cutting, welding, getting horrible splinters in our skin deep enough to puncture an artery) which is the preferred aluminum alloy? Most books seem to vote for 3003, except for one of my catalogs which pushes 5005, and some other discussions I've read which seem to adore 5052. We're talking thin sheet, maybe around 0.040 inch thickness, used for things like aluminum skins, race car interiors, and hammer formed art work. Does 5052 even come in sheets of that sort? And is the cost/availability difference of 3003 versus 5005 such that one is the best all-around winner?
- posted
19 years ago