On Friday, April 8, 2011 2:51:42 PM UTC-7, Bob La Londe wrote:
I bought a piece of stainless shim stock ... and it
just occurred to me that I have no idea how to cut it cleanly without
curling or damaging the edge.

Well, tinsnips are OK, a full bench shear is better, and if the edges
matter I've used etching after putting a pattern on in Kodak photoresist
(the spraycan type, UV exposed...) like printed circuit fabrication
uses.

Fastest material removal was with some mild nitric acid solution,
but that's a bad idea if you don't have a fume hood, because there
are some brown gasses involved.

"whit3rd" wrote in message
...
On Friday, April 8, 2011 2:51:42 PM UTC-7, Bob La Londe wrote:
I bought a piece of stainless shim stock ... and it
just occurred to me that I have no idea how to cut it cleanly without
curling or damaging the edge.

Well, tinsnips are OK, a full bench shear is better, and if the edges
matter I've used etching after putting a pattern on in Kodak photoresist
(the spraycan type, UV exposed...) like printed circuit fabrication
uses.

Fastest material removal was with some mild nitric acid solution,
but that's a bad idea if you don't have a fume hood, because there
are some brown gasses involved.

Nitric acid will not dissolve 300 series stainless. Fact is, it's 300
series that's used to contain and dispense nitric in volume. (55 gallon
drums and smaller).

Harold