Cutting Aluminum Track?

[Retroman]

Need to cut a light Gage Contractors Wardrobe floor track. Do I need a Non ferrous blade or will the metal blade on my Morse Metal Devil do the job. Need a good glean cut. Was also considering a blade for my Miter saw. I would think just something with a high tooth count for the cleanest cut.

 

[Steve_P]

I'm not familiar with what you're cutting, but I've cut extruded aluminum just fine with a Diablo fine tooth carbide wood blade- before I got a metal devil. I think anything carbide and fine tooth will be fine.

 

[Rusted Nut]

Diablo makes an aluminum cutting blade for miter saws, they work really well. Cut slow.

 

[Pig_Pen]

I use an 80 tooth nonferrous miter saw blade from Amazon to cut aluminum angle and aluminum bar stock. It works amazingly well. Twin Town was the brand name.

 

[dnschmidt]

It will work fine. The key to metal cutting blades is the triple chip grind.

 

[mike93lx]

I've never changed a blade to cut aluminum. Regular carbide wood cutting blades have always worked fine for me. Table saw, miter saw and circular saw

 

[RTM]

Way overkill, a fine tooth hacksaw blade will do it in about a minute. Almost Any fine toothed powered blade should work.

The stuff is a touch above Kleenex thickness, bigger concern is keeping it from bending while you maneuver it to the saw.

 

[Nieros]

Diablo makes an aluminum cutting blade for miter saws, they work really well. Cut slow.

Seconding this. It changed my life with t-track extrusions.

 

[ez-duzit]

Any fine tooth carbide blade should do. Though I keep a 5-1/2" Skilsaw setup with an aluminum-cutting carbide blade dedicated to cutting alloy plate.

 

[mike93lx]

Seconding this. It changed my life with t-track extrusions.

Changed your life? Wow, must be amazing

 

[Nieros]

Changed your life? Wow, must be amazing

I'm not sure if it's sarcasm or not... but having 90 degree cuts on the end of extrusions the first pass has saved me a lot of time. I felt like an idiot for not checking for a miter blade before.
If you're doing it once or twice, whatever. Clean it up with a file. If you've got 30-40 cuts to make to put together a station/ setup jig it's instantly worth the $50 investment.

 

[mike93lx]

I'm not sure if it's sarcasm or not... but having 90 degree cuts on the end of extrusions the first pass has saved me a lot of time. I felt like an idiot for not checking for a miter blade before.
If you're doing it once or twice, whatever. Clean it up with a file. If you've got 30-40 cuts to make to put together a station/ setup jig it's instantly worth the $50 investment.

Very sarcastic.

I get the same result with a regular wood blade on my miter saw

 

[ez-duzit]

BTW, I tend to favor using my table saw and a sled or miter gage for precision cutting off aluminum extrusions, ie when a metal-cutting bandsaw is not quite up to taking off just a tiny amount to make the final cut.

 

[Nieros]

Very sarcastic.

I get the same result with a regular wood blade on my miter saw

Ah, charming.

Well it's nice that you're able to add your experience with a regular saw blade to the conversation.

 

[The Cobbler]

any decent carbide wood blade will work fine on a miter saw. just don't ram the blade into the work as it can grab & fly. slowly bring the blade into the work and cut slowly . it will be fine.
we cut tons of aluminum thresholds, nosing etc this way

 

[Firebrick43]

Ah, charming.

Well it's nice that you're able to add your experience with a regular saw blade to the conversation.

Several of us have had the same experience . I have no issue on my mitre saw cutting 80/20 and T tracks. I do use WD-40 as a lube (one of the few actual good uses for it) but the cuts have excellent perpendicularity and the faces coplanar

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

Second the wd-40

 

[mike93lx]

Ah, charming.

Well it's nice that you're able to add your experience with a regular saw blade to the conversation.

Glad to help and receive your endorsement

 

[Robinson1]

A 60 tooth carbide blade in a miter saw will do a fine job. Wear your safety glasses. I’ve cut hundred of pieces of aluminum angle, carpet trim and random extrusions (shower door track especially) with great results

 

[Vvmvbb]

Whatever methods you use, I recommend ear protection (in addition to the usual eye protection) when cutting aluminum. Can get very loud.