Dremel tool with thin cutoff blade will go through it like butter, if I understand what you are doing. Water jet is other possibility that may or may not work. Gordon Williams ----- Original Message -----=20 From: "RussellMc" To: "Microcontroller discussion list - Public." Sent: Friday, June 17, 2011 11:13 PM Subject: [OT]:: How can I most easily cut a Coke can into two vertical halves? > Looking for a way to most easily, cheaply, quickly, ... cut > alumin[i]um softdrink cans (Coke, Pepsi, ...) into two pieces with a > "vertical" cut. ie left with two U shaped pieces when viewed from top. > No specs on amount of deformation or roughness of edge etc. Target - > two half barrels which are not obviously rough edged or deformed. > > - Two pieces to be as close to halves as reasonably possible (ignoring > assymetry caused by tab and hole). > > - Metal not to be bent or deformed. Clean cut with no need for > smoothing desirable. Minor post cut tidy up OK. > > - Ease of cutting probably important. Low cost more important than > speee BUT speed is good. Cottage industry / "appropriate technology" > method preferred although, if a high tech method was very cheap and > very fast it may be OK. > > - Both ends ideally left in place. > Opened end may possibly be OK to remove. > > LASER cutting an obvious choice. > How much power needed? (focus, conductivity, ...) > Could a properly focused DVD writer LASER be used (bursts balloons but > seems unlikely) > That would be an acceptable "high tech" solution. > > Hacksaw or any hand saw tens to be brutal on such a deformable can. > > Flame? Hard to be neat or accurate. > > EDM - electro erosion. Speed? Would work. > > Maybe slipping over a slit mandrel would work with one end removed. > End removable greatly undesired if possible. > > Suitable feed to a suitable high speed blade with good support ...? > > Blown abrasive cutting? > > ??? > > > Russell > --=20 > http://www.piclist.com PIC/SX FAQ & list archive > View/change your membership options at > http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/piclist --=20 http://www.piclist.com PIC/SX FAQ & list archive View/change your membership options at http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/piclist .