Which is better suited for a jig.....corian or phenolic?

[Ted Calver]

Baltic birch for the initial test, then aluminum would be my choice for this purpose. It cuts easily on a table saw with a metal cutting blade (I didn't want to risk dulling my freshly sharpened carbide blade). I've built jigs with corian and it's great for some purposes as long as you are gluing it together or bolting through it. If you need to drill and tap a connector it's not so good and you will need HeliCoil inserts for a decent connection.

[Alex Zeller]

I use to install glass for a living. Almost all commercial store fronts are made from aluminum. We would cut it with both chop and table saws without an issue. Normally we would use a non-ferrous carbide tooth blade but on occasion we would use a wood carbide tooth blade. The aluminum gets hot and will burn, the thicker it is the worse it will be. The same goes with the blade, the duller it is the hotter the aluminum will get. We used bees wax in a stick form on the teeth to help it cool and lubricated. Aluminum is one of the few metals that can easily be worked with but it's not cheap. I haven't priced out the others so they may be in the same ball park.

[Dick Strauss]

The consumer level blades made to cut non-ferrous material on a 10" saw are meant for thin material on the order of 1/16" thick like angle, etc.

[Jamie Buxton]

The consumer level blades made to cut non-ferrous material on a 10" saw are meant for thin material on the order of 1/16" thick like angle, etc.

Forrest has blades that they spec to cut 3/4" thick aluminum.

[Don Bunce]

Aluminum can be cut with a saber saw, and cleaned up with a belt sander or a file.