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Thread: Cutting Aluminum on TS or MS? I need Help.

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Apr 2007
    Location
    Iowa
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    231

    Cutting Aluminum on TS or MS? I need Help.

    Hey, I know we are all here to share ideas on woodworking techniques, etc. However, I have a project where I need to cut some mild aluminum stock and cylinders for a "craft" project as directed by my cute boss (wife ).

    I need to cut perpendicular to the side of the aluminum stock. Can anyone offer me advice on how to make such a cut in aluminum? What blade should I use on my table saw or miter saw? Would a masonry blade work? Maybe I should use a Dremel side cut blade in my drill press and rotate the cylinder stock against the disc while on the table?

    Any advise would be greatly appreciated. Not just for the TS or MS, but for any technique that would work. (To make this more understandable, if you had to cut an aluminum bottle in half, how would you do this?) Thanks in advance Creekers!
    Kev

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Oct 2005
    Location
    Camas, Wa
    Posts
    3,853
    A carbide blade on a table saw or miter saw works just fine. I use a 40 tooth combo blade. An Alunimun bottle would probably be safer to cut on a miter saw.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jun 2009
    Location
    Dublin, OH
    Posts
    100
    Hi Kev,

    Cary is right, a good carbide blade will work, but make sure it's rated for non-ferrous metals - which usually means the blade has a negative rake angle on the teeth - IIRC, it's usually around -6 degrees.

    If you're cutting the bottle in half through the diameter, I would prefer the miter saw, but if you're doing the length, the table saw is the way to go, I'd want to build a fixture to hold it, and then feed it through...

    HTH
    Todd

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Nov 2006
    Location
    Minnesota
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    2,285
    A regular wood-cutting blade is fine. Aluminum is pretty soft and cuts cleanly.

    Jason

    Quote Originally Posted by Kev Godwin View Post
    Hey, I know we are all here to share ideas on woodworking techniques, etc. However, I have a project where I need to cut some mild aluminum stock and cylinders for a "craft" project as directed by my cute boss (wife ).

    I need to cut perpendicular to the side of the aluminum stock. Can anyone offer me advice on how to make such a cut in aluminum? What blade should I use on my table saw or miter saw? Would a masonry blade work? Maybe I should use a Dremel side cut blade in my drill press and rotate the cylinder stock against the disc while on the table?

    Any advise would be greatly appreciated. Not just for the TS or MS, but for any technique that would work. (To make this more understandable, if you had to cut an aluminum bottle in half, how would you do this?) Thanks in advance Creekers!
    Kev

  5. #5
    use a little kerosene to lube it small paint brush on the cut line

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    Atlanta, GA
    Posts
    6,392
    I needed to cut strips of pewter for inlay. Woulda been more than my heart could handle to run it across the Forrest blades, so I got a 7-1/4" Lenox 60t blade intended for aluminum. Works perfect. However, that also means I spent some bucks on a one-trick pony that will spend most of its life in its blade rack slot, not on the TS.
    When I started woodworking, I didn't know squat. I have progressed in 30 years - now I do know squat.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    Location
    Greenville, SC
    Posts
    750
    For the robotics team I volunteer with we use a non-ferrous metals blade, and cut AL all day long. You can pick one up at Home Depot, IIRC Lowe's in my area didn't carry them...

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    Upstate NY
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    3,789
    I have done it with both saws. On the MS it broke a brand new blade. (duh, why was I using a brand new blade... Amazon refunded my money) On the TS it makes a horrible mess.
    When ever possible I use a hack saw.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Oct 2009
    Location
    Minneapolis, MN
    Posts
    74
    I cut a bunch of stair tread edgers on my TS. The trick for me is I bought a non-ferrous metals 7.25" blade like you'd use in a hand held circular saw and then mounted it in my TS. The big advantage is that the correct blade for the job only cost $10. This works well if you only have thinner metals to cut as your max above the table is reduced down to approximately 2".
    - Kirk Simmons
    - Eagan, MN

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Dec 2008
    Location
    Saskatoon Saskatchewan
    Posts
    212
    The mitre saw will work fine.

    You're gonna want hearing and eye protection. Seriously, like plugs and muffs and glasses and a shield.

    Blade lube.

    If you're cutting a bottle, you'll need to clamp it. The blade will want to grab and spin round stock.
    Darnell

  11. #11
    Join Date
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    I have used both saws. Carbide tipped 40T non-ferrous blade did fine. I prefer the tablesaw as my dust collection there is quite good and as others have stated, cutting metal makes a mess. No more mess than cutting wood but, I am acclimated to saw dust, not metal shavings ;-)
    "A hen is only an egg's way of making another egg".


    – Samuel Butler

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
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    Waterford, MI
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    Forrest WWII works for me
    Use the fence Luke

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Nov 2006
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    Trussville, AL
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    How bad was the price at HD? I've priced a few times, and the price was high enough to send me back to the bandsaw...

    Quote Originally Posted by Ben Martin View Post
    For the robotics team I volunteer with we use a non-ferrous metals blade, and cut AL all day long. You can pick one up at Home Depot, IIRC Lowe's in my area didn't carry them...

  14. #14
    +1 on clamping round stock.

    Any good carbide blade will cut aluminum without a problem, don't use a masonary blade though.

    And certainly wear safety glasses... obviously you should always be wearing them.

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    Location
    Greenville, SC
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    750
    Quote Originally Posted by Jerome Hanby View Post
    How bad was the price at HD? I've priced a few times, and the price was high enough to send me back to the bandsaw...
    Haha, not sure I paid much attention, Uncle Sam/school district was paying the bill. I want to say about $50-60.

    We recently just replaced it, about 6 teeth had came off. But I would blame this on the kids using it to cut who knows what and not the blade...

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