Hi,
I want to build a couple of pc cases and a few trays. The
front/back panels I will probably have done on a cnc machine. And the
top/side cover I'll probably have done by a shop. What I will want to
build is the base/internal box and support structures for the mother
board, drives, power supply, and such.

This could be aluminum or steel. My concern is of which material
would be the easiset/cheapest to produce. While I would like to buy
some nice equipment to do this work with, I don't really think I would
use the machines that much to warrant the expense.

I have a Jet table saw, and I've seen a few posts about cutting
aluminum on a table saw, but don't know what the minimum thickness
would be that could safely be cut on a table saw. And, cutting on a
table saw seems a bit scary.

I've seen these power cutters that look like a hand drill that
cut 18 ga sheet. I thought that I might mount one of these on an arm
and make a sliding table to get straight edges with. Not sure if this
is 18 ga steel or aluminum. And I don't know if 18 ga is thick enough
for drive cages or the bottom pan/mother board tray. I do have to
mount the power supply to the back panel and these weigh a good chunk.



So, I guess I need a suggestion as to:
1. What material and at what thickness do I need to use?
2. A means of cutting this material safely and cheaply?

Thanks