Cutting Aluminum

dontolbert · Post by **dontolbert** » Wed Aug 19, 2009 7:33 am

I've cut aluminum on my chop saw several times and found that if you wrap the area to be cut with one turn of plain black electrical tape, you get a really clean cut. It's like using a zero clearance guard on the saw. Use a carbide tipped blade and protect the area from sparks (vaccum all old sawdust first). Works great!

regnar · Post by **regnar** » Wed Aug 19, 2009 8:09 am

I have used my miter saw like others. I also suggest that you use a clamp or 2 to secure the work to the saw. Saftey glass are pretty much a must. Unlike wood the aluminum chips fly everywhere and it seems like its always heading towards your face. I have used just a HSS plywood blade but a nice carbide works a whole lot better. I also squirt a little bit of WD40 on the cut line, it was recommended to me. Reason for it was so that the hot aluminum doesnt weld to the blade and heat up. Never had any welding so I keep doing it. The biggest piece I have cut is 1 1/2 x 4 1/2 and it went surprisingly smooth.

tom_k/mo · Post by **tom_k/mo** » Wed Aug 19, 2009 9:03 am

Speaking of aluminum chips flying everywhere... I installed Aluminum Soffit & Fascia on my house back in '80. I made a small sled jig that my Skill saw fit in and would cut pieces from the 10' soffit pieces. My FIL was a siding installer and told me to take a plywood blade and turn it BACKWARDS in the saw, so the back side of the teeth hit the aluminum. I was a little skeptical at first, but it worked WELL. It cut the soffit and fascia material just fine, with NO chips flying everywhere and made a real clean kerf.

rcf · Post by **rcf** » Wed Aug 19, 2009 12:41 pm

I've always used an air powered die grinder, they're cheap nowadays, around 30 bucks, and a 4 in cut off wheel. It leaves a very clean edge, with no distortion or overhearting. You can also use it for other metals, even steel. I've sucessfully cut 1 1/4 angle iron with ease. I've also used the same cutoff wheel on a Rotozip tool with equal sucess.

timster68 · Post by **timster68** » Wed Aug 19, 2009 1:17 pm

Out of curioisity, which die grinder do you use?

timster68 · Post by **timster68** » Wed Aug 19, 2009 1:17 pm

Out of curioisity, which die grinder do you use?

timster68 · Post by **timster68** » Wed Aug 19, 2009 1:23 pm

Thanks for all the tips. I think I found some 6" aluminum oxide discs with a 5/8" arbor. That should work in the Shopsmith, right?

JPG · Post by **JPG** » Wed Aug 19, 2009 5:51 pm

timster68 wrote:Thanks for all the tips. I think I found some 6" aluminum oxide discs with a 5/8" arbor. That should work in the Shopsmith, right?

IF they are truly 'cutoff wheels'. Use with caution - stay clear of direction in which flying pieces would travel.

timster68 · Post by **timster68** » Wed Aug 19, 2009 7:04 pm

They are - I bought them this afternnoon and they're actually 7" in diameter. I'll use the saw guard, but I'm not hooking it up to my dust collector since it is half full of sawdust. I think I'll just use a shop vac I have laying around once all the cuts are complete. Plus I remember a while back at a traveling academy RIck covered the way tubes with carboard as he was sharpening chisels which protected them from the metal dust.

-Tim

billmayo · Post by **billmayo** » Wed Aug 19, 2009 8:17 pm

timster68 wrote:Thanks for all the tips. I think I found some 6" aluminum oxide discs with a 5/8" arbor. That should work in the Shopsmith, right?

I have always told that cutting/grinding aluminum with a cutoff disk or grinding wheel was very dangerous. The cutoff disk or grinding wheel would become clogged from the aluminum grindings/dust, overheat and explode. I have never been around to see one do this as I believed this was true and never did it. Was this an old wives tale or is there some truth to it?

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