Cutting aluminum

[Xicaque]

Please school me on how to cut aluminum. Planning on fabricating a bracket for an antenna to mount to the truck. How do I finish the edges after the cut?

I have access to pneumatic tools but I'll take all suggestions from the experts.

Thanks!

 

[Jagmandave]

Use a hack saw to cut and a file to smooth the edges.....

 

[Cypherian]

Hacksaw, sabre saw, bandsaw, plywood blade in a table saw or chop saw take it slow or by a blade for cutting metal. File , hand sand or mechanical prime and paint . Be a little easier if you said type, thickness, form of alum

Cypher

 

[drivesitfar]

XL: whatever you do don't clean up the edges on a bench grinder's stone. bad things can happen if that is done.

i'm curious what others say about cutting aluminum also so i'll be checking in.

thanks for starting the thread even if this has been discussed before.

 

[kazlx]

Bandsaw, coarse ******* file, sanding block. The sanding sponges work well too.

 

[zkling]

Bandsaw to cut and a belt sander knock the edges off. If you have a big boy belt sander, make sure to use a lite touch or your piece will disappear quickly especially with a low grit belt.

Even just a sharp deburring tool will knock the edges off.

 

[Xicaque]

XL: whatever you do don't clean up the edges on a bench grinder's stone. bad things can happen if that is done.



i'm curious what others say about cutting aluminum also so i'll be checking in.



thanks for starting the thread even if this has been discussed before.

Now you tell me!!! Lol! Learned the hard way a while back when using my Dremel kit. The guiding stones got trashed!



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[Xicaque]

Damned auto correct!!! Grinding not guiding


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[Jlarson]

Grinder with an aluminum cutoff or a plasma are my favorite. Flap disk for clean up.

 

[theoldwizard1]

Sounds crazy, but a regular circular saw with a carbide tooth blade.

Watch this video

 

[drivesitfar]

OW: now there's a guy with a plan. building a 75 foot boat on his residential lot reminds me of Noah. i'm learning to weld and loved watching all the aluminum welding in that video too.

thanks for posting the video

XL: better late than never and maybe it will help the next guy. i started a grinder safety 101 thread in the general tool section if you want to see more ways on how not to use a bench or hand grinder.

 

[kf4zht]

I built a workbench out of 8020 knockoff this weekend. Made all the attachment plates from .125 x 4" 6061 bar. Every cut was done with a chop saw and decent carbide wood blade. Cleaned up the edges with a sanding sponge. Easy as pie, only downside is cleaning up the chips it flings everywhere.

 

[doojus]

pretty good adage is "if it can cut wood, it can cut aluminum". For big sheets of aluminum I'll cut them with a tablesaw, for smaller pieces I'll use a compound mitre saw.

To clean them up I use a belt sander, although the cuts from the table saw and mitre are VERY clean, just have to maybe get a little sliver of stuff off occasionally or bevel if you want.


Used to use a portaband, not nearly as straight as what you can get with tablesaw/mitre. Also used an abrasive chop saw, again, imo a mitre with a bi-metal blade is superior.

 

[rslaback]

If you use woodworking equipment, wear long sleeves. The chips shoot out everywhere and they are hot and sharp.

 

[exmaxima1]

Sounds crazy, but a regular circular saw with a carbide tooth blade.

Watch this video

Yes, this works fine. Ideally you use a blade with a zero or negative rake on the teeth. I cut heavy 3x6 extrusions, even 3/4" thick plate on a 12" Dewalt miter saw using a non-ferrous metal blade. It helps to lube the blade with a wax stick when cutting the heavier stuff. Cuts very clean with no sanding required.

And wear a FACE shield! Damn those chips get hot!!

 

[bon3s]

We use a metabo and flap wheels to cut/clean anything at the shop we dont put through the shear... But we dont do much with the stuff... we do mostly 304/316 SS and Black Iron.

 

[pcmeiners]

Curious, do flap or belts bind up with aluminum to an extent like a grinding wheel?

 

[kazlx]

They can, but not nearly like a stone. I never really have a problem with it. Use a more open grit and you can sand some wood to help clean it.

 

[kkroger]

Aluminum is abrasive and "Sticky" it melts and sticks to tooling and grinder wheels etc.
Sanding products like paper and flap wheels flex so they shed the material better than a stone wheel. wheels load up then you have to use the dresser to clean them up. Belts and discs you can just use a rubber "Cleaner" to work them out.

 

[doojus]

i use wax on my flap discs and don't have a problem, i'd assume spraying a little wd40 on them would work too.

 

[EdT]

Wrong or not, it works well and a non-ferrous blade works well too, but not noticeably better than a wood cutting blade. I've used both with good success. The chips are annoying and will stick to your shoes and end up in the carpet which is unpopular with the management. Aluminum is about 3X denser than oak at about 170# per cubic foot while oak is only about 40-50# per cubic foot depending on the variety. That's why aluminum doesn't float.

 

[Xicaque]

Thanks for the input. I have a miter saw... I need to get to the local depot and look for a blade designed for cutting aluminum....

 

[va.grouseman]

I've been cutting aluminum sheet and plate with a 7 1/4'' skill saw with a blade of carbon tipped teeth for 25 years and it will make an almost perfect cut if you don't rush the saw.---You have to let the blade cut at it's own comfortable pace.---Cuts as easy as cutting ply-board.---But you absolutely have to have ear plugs or muffs because the decibels of that stuff screaming will destroy your hearing.---And the face has to be covered or you will need a seeing eye dog.---And those chips are hoooooot.---Anything exposed that gets popped with one of those hot chips has a tendency to make you flinch, messing up your cut.---You just have to tell yourself, I've got balls, I can take it.---The cut is first priority, the blisters are collateral damage.---As long as you can still see and hear, you will be fine.---The firmer you have your metal weighted or clamped down, the smoother your cut.---otherwise the vibration will make your metal dance.---Make you some experiential cuts first to get the feel of it.---Good luck.

 

[zkling]

Sorry, but that is just so wrong.

Although aluminum has virtually the same density as oak, aluminum cutting blades have backset teeth. Aluminum is not cut so much as it chipped out in a straight line.

Any non abrasive cutting process is a function of "chips" being created. Now those chips can vary in size by linear cutting speed and cutter geometry, but the mechanics of it is still the same.

 

[Zartan]

All great suggestions. Wood chop saw will work wonders. Get a new sharp blade with a Triple Chip Grind, and a wax stick and you'll be in great shape. If you have a bench grinder or a right angle pneumatic die grinder get a 3M EXL deburring wheel or the same in Roloc pads for the die grinder.

This deburring wheel will of course remove burrs and put a slight smooth radius on the edges, depending on how much pressure you use.

LINK

 

[ClintNZ]

Some good tips above. My main alu tools are:

210mm Circular saw with 60T 'multi material' blade - something similar in a mitre saw will also work well.

Jigsaw with alu blade - coarser teeth than a normal steel jigsaw blade, use cutting oil.

Sanding flap disc on the angle grinder. sandpaper, fine files.

...& one that hasn't been mentioned, a good aluminium file/rasp. I have a Bahco 'filemaster' that is really cool for alu work - a different coarseness on each side & a non-stick coating that stops it blinding up with chips.

Cheers
Clint

 

[bodyguy16]

Many good suggestions, mine would be to find appropriate hardware to mount it when done. You need to avoid galvanic corrosion one of the most common ways would be by using dacromet xoated hardware or straight aluminium hardware.

 

[pcmeiners]

Interesting thread, thanks for all the info. Looks like a belt sander is in my future.

 

[theknurl]

use lube.......even on sanding belts/discs

best hand file for moving lots of aluminum......

Heller Whiz Cut.....it's a vixen with the teeth offset to one side with chip breakers

when doing fine work with a mill file use file chalk.......get it at your machinists supply

 

[Xicaque]

Thanks for all the suggestions, replies and advice. Learned a lot and I see it helped others.

Great forum with great members!

 

[493mike]

I'm a little late to add on to this thread but, better late than never! I cut quite a bit of sheet aluminum on my table saw with a Freud all purpose carbide blade but, my bit of advice is to use a piece of wood on top of the metal. It will ensure all those chips of aluminum fall to the floor and not shoot in your eyes and all over the shop. Use eye and ear protection too!
Mike

 

[ez-duzit]

...coarse ******* file.

Negative! Use a Vixen file on aluminum.

For cutting, use a Skilsaw with fine pitch, carbide, aluminum-cutting blade. Also aluminum-cutting blade in saber saw; metal-cutting or carbide-toothed wood-cutting blade in bandsaw.

 

[oldmachinenut]

Sounds crazy, but a regular circular saw with a carbide tooth blade.

Watch this video

I also do his with great results, make SURE you use hearing protection!

 

[Jacko264]

Aluminium cutting blade in a jigsaw and use cutting oil on the blade
Finish off using a file and sanding paper
Graham

 

[C lectric]

I have for years used my table saw to cut up 1/4 aluminum easily and 3/8 & 1/2 a little less easily. When I had a radial arm saw using the same blade types I cut alum. there also.

I use carbide tipped blades with a triple chip tooth design and 0o rake. 60T x 10" diam.

Thinner aluminum may chatter a bit so I cover it, not the cut but right next to it, with a piece of wood. As you advance the metal rides up on the blade and then drops when the saw cuts it. With the wood clamp the riding up is controlled.

I have actually cut 1" but that really needs 2 people. One to control the piece and the other to spray the cut line with something like WD40 or any suitable lube. Just be darn sure that YOU have control of the part.

I also cut brass with the same blades.

As suggested wear hearing AND GOOD eye protection or you will pay for it. Maybe goggles AND a face mask. It is noisy and the chips may cut and do damage.

I have also routed aluminum for easing the sharp edges to a nice radius.
Just do the cut in more than one pass and again make sure YOU have control.
Advance slowly or you will load the cutter.
I clamp the part to the table, route the part as far as I can, shut of the router, move the clamps and then go again.

I use those blades also for cutting Plexiglass, Lexan and most plastics. THey do a good job. For thick , 3/4" or over, plastics you need fewer teeth and a slower feed although it will cut but may heat up and melt.

For shapes a bandsaw is a great tool. We used to use a skip tooth, 4 tpi for over 1/4. For thinner material that was a bit rough so would change to a somewhat finer tooth. To long ago for me to remember and I no longer have a bandsaw for all the details

Of course hacksaws, files, wire brushes, sanders all have their place too but more for the finishing.

 

[ez-duzit]

I have successfully used an end mill in a variable speed router for pattern routing, such as on the slots in the top of this outboard bracket/swim step under construction.

 

[mattygee]

Most woodworking/carpentry cutting tools work well enough for aluminum and brass. I just made a leaf collector with some Al sheet by cutting to rough dimension with my circular saw and to final size with flush cutter in trim router with a drywall square as my bearing guide.