"Joe McElvenney" wrote in message
...
Hi,

Whatever metal-working skills I acquired during my training as
a radar fitter in the Royal Air Force so many year ago have
evaporated it would seem (RAF Locking 1958). Just now I tried to
cut some short strips from a 3mm aluminium sheet using a hacksaw
and made the worst possible mess of it.

No matter how I tried, I couldn't stop the cut veering to the
right. In the end I just cut out the pieces larger than required
and filed them to shape. The end result was OK but what a waste
of material.

So, what is the technique for hacksawing a straight-ish line
by hand. I guess that as my cuts always went the same way it was
something to do with how I was standing and holding the hacksaw.
Any tips would be gratefully received.

Instead of sawing it, try scoring it on both sides with a Stanley knife,
then bend it backwards and forwards. It will snap along the scoring, quite
quickly.

Leon
--
Leon Heller, G1HSM

http://www.geocities.com/leon_heller