Speaking of extrusions...

[Lee DeRaud]

What's the right tool for cutting this stuff? Yeah, a standard hacksaw will handle T-track, but I'd hate to try to get a precision cut on anything bigger.

Only possibilities that come to mind are:
1. Fine-toothed blade in the bandsaw...don't know if that is precise enough for doing complicated jigs
2. Metal-cutting blade for the CMS...where would I get one?

[tod evans]

nonferrous chopsaw blade amanna and others make them most are a tripple chip, neg rake design. i keep a blade of this type on my chopsaw and find it gives nice cuts on hardwood trim for several thousand feet before needing sharpened. tod

[Andrew Ault]

My neighbor has a SCMS with a carbide toothed blade made for non-ferrous metals. It does a great job on aluminum...a clean cut. He said the blade was like $90 or so and will last pretty well before needed to be repaired/sharpened.

Another friend uses a metal blade in his 12" ordinary bandsaw. Again - it works really well. I intend to get one for my saw next time I'm near the industrial tool place here in San Diego.

I use a high tension hacksaw. The high tension variety are much easier to control and cut faster and cleaner. I use a bi metal blade and it works great. My neighbor with the metal SCMS was pretty amazed how well the hacksaw did.

[Rick Lizek]

Like Todd said. Non ferrous blade is a standard blade recommended for radial arm saw use. The negative hook reduces climbing. Should run about $60. You can use a regular carbide blade, just feed into the cut slowly so it doesn't grab. I cut non-ferrous a lot, aluminum, brass, etc and use a table saw for the most part. Any place that sell blades will have one.

[Lee DeRaud]

Thanks, all! Looks like a blade for the CMS is the right answer.

[JayStPeter]

I regularly cut Al with standard carbide blades on my CMS and table saw. A high tooth count, low hook angle blade is preferable but I have an old Freud 50-tooth TK combo blade that I use regularly. Just make sure you can get a good grip on the part when cutting. Slower feed rate and keep your DC off (flaming hot Al shards into DC bin not good).

Jay

[Dev Emch]

Lee....

A good starret hack saw with a fine tooth blade will work. Get the yellow handled, high tension frame. Its nice.

But when you really want square cuts and smooth surfaces, I turn to this solution. I know not everyone has one but this is what I use to cut stock into blanks.

It does such a killer job that I once took a 3 inch 4140 chome molly steel billet and cut off two slices so thin and accurate that I could staple the two together using a desk top paper stapler.

[Jay Knoll]

Lee....

A good starret hack saw with a fine tooth blade will work. Get the yellow handled, high tension frame. Its nice.

But when you really want square cuts and smooth surfaces, I turn to this solution. I know not everyone has one but this is what I use to cut stock into blanks.

It does such a killer job that I once took a 3 inch 4140 chome molly steel billet and cut off two slices so thin and accurate that I could staple the two together using a desk top paper stapler.


Dev

You've got all the toys! (err, TOOLS, yeah that is what I meant!) How about a shop tour?

Jay

[Bruce Page]

A bandsaw won't do much better than a hacksaw. I've cut Al on my cms using the standard blade without problem.

[Lee DeRaud]

But when you really want square cuts and smooth surfaces, I turn to this solution."We're gonna need a bigger boat!":eek:

[Dev Emch]

Bruce...
Normally your right, but this bandsaw is special. Its mounted on a pivot making it work like a huge chop saw on steriods. I cut four 8 inch channel iron sections with 45 degree mitres. These were then welded together to form the main structure of my new RAS base. Base tips the scale at over 300 pounds. The mitres were dead nuts on even down the web. No wondering. The four sections fit together like a picture frame. I like to see a hack saw do that. I would also like to see a hacksaw cut a 1/32 inch perfectly flat slice off a 3 or heck, 6 inch diameter steel round billet.

And Lee, I forgot. Shame on me! Shame shame shame shame on Me!!!!! I was so into the moment with my FMB saw.

Carbide cuts aluminum. It does a wonderful job at it. In fact, the majority of late model Oliver 287 shapers were obtained from the aerospace industry. We now use them on wood but for the first few decades of their life, they cut airplane parts.

You can use any saw equiped with a nice carbide blade. And for that matter, if you want to put an OGEE on the edges, go for it using your router table.

And here is proof. This is a photo of an oliver 287 shaper pulled out of Boeing. Its equiped with a collet spindle which was often used with slitting saws. The chips you see are made of the same stuff that those air liner thingies are made out of.:D

[Lee DeRaud]

And Lee, I forgot. Shame on me! Shame shame shame shame on Me!!!!! I was so into the moment with my FMB saw.

Carbide cuts aluminum. It does a wonderful job at it. In fact, the majority of late model Oliver 287 shapers were obtained from the aerospace industry. We now use them on wood but for the first few decades of their life, they cut airplane parts.

You can use any saw equiped with a nice carbide blade.Good to know...I suspected as much, but I had visions of buggering up a $100 blade to make a $25 jig.:p

[Dev Emch]

Even though my forrest blades can snitzle Al, I am not brave enough to use them. I use cheaper carbide tiped blades bought at the borgs. Al will dull your good blades faster and if you shove the saw or item into the blade to fast, you may chip a tooth or two. So enter your work at a nice slow but constant speed. Think like a robot or machine. Slow, steady constant feed. Dont coast because that can overheat a blade. As long as chips are flying, your good to go.

[Bruce Page]

Dev, I agree completely, a power hacksaw or bandsaw is the tool of choice. Even the cheap HF bandsaw will do a decent job. I was referring to the typical 14” bandsaw – by the time you clean up the mess, you’d be better off using a hacksaw with a good blade. That’s the way that I do it, or I’ll just mill it in half depending on the size.

[Dan Forman]

Bosch makes several blades for cutting aluminum for jig saws. Check out the T 123 X Progressor. I just used it to cut through some pretty hefty Woodhaven track, worked fine. I used a makeshift guide and it worked quite well. It costs a lot less than the alternatives mentioned (given that you have the saw).

Dan

[Scott Donley]

Good to know...I suspected as much, but I had visions of buggering up a $100 blade to make a $25 jig.:pSO? What's the problem with that ?:)

[Lee DeRaud]

Good to know...I suspected as much, but I had visions of buggering up a $100 blade to make a $25 jig.:p

SO? What's the problem with that ?:)
I do that often enough by accident, I don't need to do it deliberately.:eek: