LumberJocks Woodworking Forum banner

Cutting aluminum

Tags
tablesaw
2K views 15 replies 12 participants last post by  AlaskaGuy 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
I have cut aluminum on my table saw using a combination blade with no problems. I now want to do a large amount of aluminum cutting and wonder if a combination blade will hold up for such a purpose, or would it be better to buy a dedicated aluminum cutting blade.

P.S. I have to use a table saw. A band saw won't do what I need done as the cuts to be made are grooving cuts on long lengths of aluminum.
 
#2 ·
I have a Delta Homecraft 8"table saw Model 34-500 that I have put a steel cutting blade on and also use
it for aluminum. I tend to try to use tools for the purpose they were built for, or adapt them as much as
I possibly can for a different purpose. My thought was that while a wood cutting blade would cut
aluminum, it would tend to dull faster than a metal cutting blade and leave a rougher cut, which I would
have to smooth by hand. While cutting aluminum will probably not create sparks, it will create hot pieces
of metal, so be sure to clean all the sawdust out of your table saw before cutting metal.
 
#3 ·
Kind of depends on how thick of stuff you are cutting… I've had good success cutting sheet aluminium on the TS with a cheap combo blade, but I also run the motor slower than full (by about 50%) speed which helps.

Cheers,
Brad
 
#5 ·
I've been cutting metal for 30 years. Buy a good nonferrous blade. That's the way to go. I completely disagree with cheap junk blade practice. I was a professional metalsmith and did cuts you couldn't believe. Brass, zinc, Aluinum. Even routed them.
 
#8 ·
A shop I worked at used to cut thick Aluminum with a standard carbide tipped blade , using wax as a lubricant / cleaner to prevent the aluminum from building up on the teeth. They just touched the blade's teeth between cuts with the block of wax.
 
#9 ·
Same saw. One was my PM 66, the other was a Delta contractor saw. No issues with belts or trunnions. The motors were TEFC. On the router table I put a cotton cover over the vents to keep metal chips out. I could switch between wood and metal as soon as I changed from a nonferrous blade and a wood blade. Used the same router bits on both. I speak from experience, not speculation. Sounds like you folks didn't know of nonferrous blades. They do make nonferrous router bits
.http://www.carbideprocessors.com/saw-blades/saw-blades-by-material/saw-blades-for-non-ferrous-metals/
http://www.toolstoday.com/t-Aluminum_Cutting_Router_Bits_and_Saw_Blades.aspx?source=adwordsCtools1dayGaluminumblades888aluminumcuttingLP100422&gclid=CjwKEAiAkvmzBRDQpozmt-uluCQSJACvCd1lW_hhis_vsCw0bX_8T-cKPPigHPoXoDW1Zlwhvg-w9RoCOArw_wcB
 
#14 ·
most any carbide tipped blade will do. On a standard hook the gullets tend to fill up if you cut to fast. aluminum blades are usually ground negative rake. some cms blades are made that way as well. WD49 works great for a lubricant. most quality saw motors are tefc so the chips don't get into the works and the trunion is a close fit so they wont wedge in there either. I have cut aluminum and wood interchangeably for years and where I work we use a job site ridged for both frequently. we also cut aluminum on a beam saw and then go back to mdf regularly.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top