Cutting Aluminum???

[John Terefenko]

I want to cut 1" thick aluminum with my tablesaw and a thin kerf carbide blade. Is this OK or is there a better blade. I know I can do this on my bandsaw which I have done in the past but I need the thickness of the kerf. I thought I remember reading somewhere that a negaative rake blade would be OK for this. What do you think and any suggestions???? Thanks for the replys.

[John Coloccia]

I want to cut 1" thick aluminum with my tablesaw and a thin kerf carbide blade. Is this OK or is there a better blade. I know I can do this on my bandsaw which I have done in the past but I need the thickness of the kerf. I thought I remember reading somewhere that a negaative rake blade would be OK for this. What do you think and any suggestions???? Thanks for the replys.

Carbide blade works OK. I'll just lay a warning out there, and this goes double for cutting aluminum with a router. If that blade digs in, even just a little, the aluminum won't splinter like wood. It'll dig in a send that metal flying backwards quicker than you'd believe. This is one of those times when you want to be VERY deliberate.

Personally, I have a little harbor freight chop saw with a fiber reinforced cutoff wheel. That's what I typically use these days on metal if I have to.

May I ask why you need the kerf? Are you making a dado? I have no experience making blind cuts with aluminum. Something tells me that's an excellent way to shoot a part across the room at very high speed. If I had to do that, I'd probably do it with a fiber reinforced cutoff blade. That way, if you screw up and angle the part into the blade, you end up grinding down the sides of the dado instead of launching your part.

[Rick Lizek]

I want to cut 1" thick aluminum with my tablesaw and a thin kerf carbide blade. Is this OK or is there a better blade. I know I can do this on my bandsaw which I have done in the past but I need the thickness of the kerf. I thought I remember reading somewhere that a negaative rake blade would be OK for this. What do you think and any suggestions???? Thanks for the replys.

As a Metalsmith I've been cutting non-ferrous for years with standard wood machines. A negative hook blade is designed to cut non-ferrous but you can use other blades with progrssive passes. Use a face shield as the aluminum is warm and can make you flinch. Lubricant is not really necessary unless it's a hard aluminum. You will not set the sawdust on fire in your saw as it doesn't get early hot enough or throw sparks. Do not use a dull blade as this is plain dangerous and you do not risk damaging even your best blade cutting aluminum.

[David G Baker]

Not sure about the blade. I have cut aluminum on my table saw and I have cut steel using fiber type blades but I won't do it again. I used a plywood cutting blade. Metal and wood don't go well together and if I had a quality table saw I would not even think about it. My saw is a Craftsman from the early 60s and I paid $135 for it used, if I ruined it no problem because I was overdue for an upgrade.
If you need to do a lot of cutting you can always take it to a shop that specializes in metal cutting..

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

Because the TS is a high speed tool you will be generating a lot of heat.
One Inch will require fewer teeth than say 3/8".

There are blades you can get that are built for aluminum (non ferrous Metals) I have two that I like fort super clean cuts in wood.

There are different kinds of aluminum each with their own machining properties. Some are gooey and gummy (not as much so as copper) some are free machining. IF you are cutting long runs of say 10 or more inches in a pass you will want coolant. Any oil, any water coolant mist sprayer, even a can of WD 40 will work as a lube and coolant.

And then there are all the hot chips. They are going to get up your sleeves, into your hair, in your under-arms and inside elbows, down your collar in your pants - everywhere and they are hot hot hot.

Other than all that, Aluminum cuts like butter.

[Dick Strauss]

John,
I wouldn't use a regular carbide blade for cutting Al. Negative rake is a must from all I've read.

Most of the blades (like those from Freud) that are made for cutting Al are only meant to go through 1/4" stock (or a 1/4" walled tubing, etc). Maybe Charles McCracken (Freud Rep and member here) can help give us the details about their Al cutting products.

I did find these Tenryu Al-Cutting blades that don't specify a cutting thickness... http://www.tenryu.com/alumi_cut.htm.

FYI-A fiber cutting wheel will quickly clog with aluminum when you are trying to cut with it. The softened/molten Al fill all of the gaps in the fiber wheel and makes it useless kind of like trying to cut Al with a solid Al wheel. Al also fills in the gaps on standard grinding wheels as well making them the wrong tool for Al. DAMHIKT!!!

Good luck!

[Rich Engelhardt]

Hello,
I've cut some Aluminum using my small (8 1/2") Delta CMS.
It makes a fair amount of,,, for lack of a beter term - dust.
There's also some fine wirelike twisty stuff.
And - there's also some fair sized chunks.

My biggest concern, using a TS, would be that those shavings would make their way into the motor.
That would probably make a mess if/when it shorted them out.:confused:



And then there are all the hot chips. They are going to get up your sleeves, into your hair, in your under-arms and inside elbows, down your collar in your pants - everywhere and they are hot hot hot.
Yep - and those nasty hot ends of the material.
The ones that raise a real blister when you pick up the cutoff (DAMHIKT):o

[William Falberg]

I can't think of anything more DANGEROUS than hand-feeding aluminum of ANY thickness into a table saw regardless what type blade you're using. If you can't clamp it down securely, as you could when using a chop saw, I wouldn't do it. You could use a skil saw with a non-ferrous blade to cut a clamped down piece of AL and control kickback by using both hands and standing clear but even then it's scary. I use a Bosch jig saw on 1" AL all the time using a 318B blade. It's easy enough to file the edges after your done and it carries little risk other than the occasional chip in the eye (wear goggles). If you don't want oil all over your shop use water to cool and clean the blade as you cut. I use a Windex spray bottle and keep pumping constantly as I go. Spraying water into a skil-saw kerf is more difficult and you'll have to go slower; enough so that it usually works out faster to just use the Bosch. Losing control of a skil saw is almost as bad as losing control of a hand-held piece. We do it here as a two-man operation - one spraying/ one sawing. Jig sawing is surprisingly fast and easy for AL cutting. And very SAFE.

[Wade Lippman]

I cut aluminum once on a my CMS with a brand new negative angle saw blade. It shed 3 carbide tips. Cut the aluminum though. But I suggest you use an expendable blade.

The other problem is that it throws aluminum shaving everywhere. They are razor shape and a pain to clean up.

To avoid that I intended on cutting an aluminum extrusion on my band saw, but photos people posted of the aluminum embedded in their tires cured me of that thought. I used a hacksaw.

[William Falberg]

My last miter saw AL cutting blade lasted 4 years before it started throwing teeth and that was because I let it over-heat. This one's been on for two years and I cut a lot of AL. Chop saws have AL tables and lend themselves nicely to improvised clamping jigs. Mine looks like a pin-cushion and I have a box full of attachments to fit every clamping situation. Each clamping jig has its own associated mounting holes on the saw.

I attach my shop-vac hose to the output stub of the saw to minimize the scattering of AL dust/chips. It does make a mess nevertheless. I never get chips hot enough to start a fire with it but I "clear the decks" before hand to make clean-up easier. If you're working wood and metal at the same time you'll have to clean up before and after. I wear a mask AND goggles when chop-sawing AL; it's pretty fine stuff when it comes flying out, but settles pretty fast also.


Watch out for thin AL; it'll bite your teeth and jump , sometimes tearing out teeth. Start the motor well above your work-piece because they jump-start so bad and drop your blade before you're ready; then lower it slowly.

When cutting thick stock it helps to spray the blade close to its hub and let centrifugal force throw the water outward into the kerf; I also spray both sides of the blade in this case to be sure the heat don't build up on one side. Keep cutting til you're through and the motor is stopped before withdrawing the blade - sometimes the off-cut will go flying on the back-stroke coming out (ZING!)

The above holds true whether you're working soft or hard AL. Inspect your blades continually for build-up and pick it clean with a knife-tip if necessary. Don't ever start a cut with a gummed-up blade. It just gets worse. When the flat of a jig saw blade gets a thin coat of AL build-up you can clean it off by cutting scrap with more-than-usual water; it will work itself off. When that build-up exceeds kerf width you'll have a harder time keeping things cool.

Don't force a jig saw: you'll get more feed speed holding it DOWN (steady) on the workpiece than pushing FORWARD. As usual - let the blade make way. Check for build-up in the teeth. There's an under-cut adjustment on the Bosch - set it for full undercutting.

I have five Boschs and rotate them as they heat up. They won't work as hard as I can and don't like over-heating. Some days in a production run I do it all day long and keep all five hot. They're faster than a water jet and much cheaper if you can stand the vibration all day. They're not as precise however and leave a lot of clean-up/filing to do. The break-even depends on how much your time is worth. Lately that's not much. Two of my Bosches are just to pay taxes.

[harry strasil]

My neighbor next to my Blacksmith Shop uses a large Radial Arm Saw that came out of a Lumberyard to cut the Aluminum for Window casings. and they cut a lot of aluminum, in the summer there is a least one semi load of windows leaving each week, bound for somewhere in the US. Mostly Schools and Large Construction projects, they do custom work for Harmon Glass.

[John Terefenko]

OK

I probably should have posted more info as to what I am looking to do. The aluminum is #6061 and is relatively soft. I have turned this stuff too make metal pens as shown. I need the kerf so I can not use a bandsaw or a chop saw with a fiber wheel.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v233/JTTHECLOCKMAN/IMGP0368-1.jpg

What I want to do is add some decorative Cetic Knots in them such as these.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v233/JTTHECLOCKMAN/comboknots-1.jpg

The cuts will be a piece of aluminum 1" by 1" square. The cuts need to be precise. They will be held in a jig with clamps holding both sides of the blank because it is imperative not to move. I need to make the cut in one pass though so I can not do a progressive cut. The blank hopefully when cut and glued will look something like this but in aluminum.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v233/JTTHECLOCKMAN/penXblanks-1.jpg

Do you all still think this is possible and what blade should I look to use??? Thanks for the replys.

[harry strasil]

6061-t6 is some hard aluminum, why not just buy some 1 inch square aluminum bar.

[John Coloccia]

One trick I use is waxing the cut line before cutting. I just grab some wax, and smear it right down the line. Cuts smoother and cooler. Seems to clear chips better as well, but that may be my imagination. Some folks touch the wax to the blade as it's spinning. I think that's absolutely crazy. :eek: Maybe if I stuck a piece of wax on a sliding panel cutter, and just cut through it like that. That sounds a bit more sane.

re: negative rake

I've personally found that it heats up a lot more than a positive rake blade, but negative rake is certainly what most recommend. I just meant that there's nothing wrong with a carbide cutting edge. You don't need anything exotic to cut aluminum.

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

I can't think of anything more DANGEROUS than hand-feeding aluminum of ANY thickness into a table saw regardless what type blade you're using.

I've done it plenty. Aside from all the hot chips, there is no heightened dangerousness over cutting MDF or plywood.
I can't even guess why you think it's so dangerous.

[John Coloccia]

I don't want to derail the thread but personally, if I were doing that, I would forget about the kerf all together. I'd simply make the cuts on the band saw, and just be sure to get the angles correct. The aluminum will stick out some on the sides, but because it's aluminum, it doesn't matter. It's not like you have to match up the grain, see? Then I'd square it all up on my disk sander and I'd have a perfect blank. Heck, you could even just slice off the excess with your bandsaw and a fence. On wood you kind of have to take the wood off the proper side or the grain will look funny. On aluminum, you can take the material off the inside angles or the outer flat side, and it won't make a bit of difference.

I know that's not how you want to do it. I'm just throwing it out there as an alternative.

[David G Baker]

I second the band saw suggestion. I have three cheap band saws and one is set up with a fine tooth blade that I use to cut aluminum, PVC, and plastics only. The only wood I cut with this bandsaw is a dowel once in a while.
Never thought about using wax as a lube/coolant on aluminum. I use kerosene as a lube when I cut aluminum by hand with a fine toothed hacksaw. It clears the chips and makes the blade move smoothly.
Another option for cutting aluminum is to sandwich it between two pieces of wood.

[John Terefenko]

If I were just slicing a piece off I do use the bandsaw with a metal blade and have had no problem. When doing the type design I showed the kerf is important because this will determine the thickness of the lines as you see in the knot. With a bandsaw blade the kerf is too thin. It is not just a case of cutting and gluing my segment on. It is a little hard to explain. I may just have to give it a try and see what happens. I will wear a suit of armour and a face shield. :)

[Rod Sheridan]

The shop I purchase metal from uses a Felder slider for cutting thick aluminum........Rod.

[John Coloccia]

If I were just slicing a piece off I do use the bandsaw with a metal blade and have had no problem. When doing the type design I showed the kerf is important because this will determine the thickness of the lines as you see in the knot. With a bandsaw blade the kerf is too thin. It is not just a case of cutting and gluing my segment on. It is a little hard to explain. I may just have to give it a try and see what happens. I will wear a suit of armour and a face shield. :)

That's if the aluminum triangle absolutely has to be flush with the sides after the cut. What we're suggesting is because you don't have to line up the grain in the aluminum ('cause there is none), the aluminum can end up oversize. Your inlay will determine it's own size, and the aluminum just buts up against it, leaving the sides a little proud of the rest of the blank. You can then just flush up the sides and your done.

With wood, you have to have the right size kerf because if you do as I suggest above, the grain will no longer match. So in other words, you have to take the wood off right where the inlay goes. With the aluminum, you can make cut as thin as you'd like, allow the aluminum to overhang and cut it flush with the blank later.

Anyhow, good luck. I hope you post the final result here. It's sure to be stunning. :D

[Dino Makropoulos]

I want to cut 1" thick aluminum with my tablesaw and a thin kerf carbide blade. Is this OK or is there a better blade. I know I can do this on my bandsaw which I have done in the past but I need the thickness of the kerf. I thought I remember reading somewhere that a negaative rake blade would be OK for this. What do you think and any suggestions???? Thanks for the replys.

I don' see a problem with the blade.
Slow feed, wax the blade and a way to keep the cutoff piece
from becoming a flying bullet.

We cut aluminum every day and the best way is to use a heavy
( Makita 10-1/4") guided circular saw with an oversized base. The base keeps both the good and bad pieces under pressure and there is no way to have an accident.

Take it easy.:cool:

[Larry Edgerton]

I use an old LU85M in the tablesaw to cut aluminum, and the same blade in the chop saw. Works for me. I joint aluminum with carbides in my DJ20 as well when it is necessary. Face sheild is a necessity.

[Bruce Page]

I have cut a lot of metal but cutting 1” Al plate on the TS would take bigger huevo’s than I could muster.

[Larry Edgerton]

I have cut a lot of metal but cutting 1” Al plate on the TS would take bigger huevo’s than I could muster.

Actually the 1" stock cuts better than the thin stuff. Its a slow feed rate but it doesn't bounce around as much. Not as bad as it sounds. I thought the same thing until I first tried it. Worst thing is cleaning up all of the shaving......

[William Diaz]

Since we are on the topic of AL, do you think it's possible to turn AL on a drill press? I have a wood lathe but my lowest speed on that is 600 RPM, but the DP I just purchased goes to 200 RPMs.

[John Terefenko]

Since we are on the topic of AL, do you think it's possible to turn AL on a drill press? I have a wood lathe but my lowest speed on that is 600 RPM, but the DP I just purchased goes to 200 RPMs.


Not sure what you are turning but the aluminum pen I turned was turned at wood speeds. No need to go lower than the 600.