I've been cutting aluminum with woodworking tools for years. It's like anything else, you just have to be carefull and use a bit of common sense. I wear a full face mask when I'm using a table saw.
i would use a jig saw for this cut, one hole and in under about 30 seconds of cutting you would be finished.
YOU DO NOT GET A KICK BACK WITH A TABLE SAW! Are you guys deaf or cant you read? I have come to realize i am just a idiot. Working quietly away in my shop enjoying inventing trying and doing things that a lot of you know how to do faster better longer louder. You will have to excuse my stupidity. I am having fun. I know I shouldn't be but i am. I should be running around carrying my worry bag with me where ever i go. Always checking over my shoulder to see if my buddies are agreeing with me so i dont venture out into the unknown. Somehow i wasnt made that way. I guess I should have posted the thread "Cut aluminum with a jig saw." There you go. i goofed again. What can i say? I dont use the words "I would have" BTW . I like "I did" much much better. Don
Francisco its over Spin Saw is Canadian for Rotozip. I said I was wrong can't you ? I seen some popcorn a moment ago, would you share some with me Wicked ?
Francisco your reply have been spot on there really is nothing to be learned here. Using a rotozip to cut aluminum is not the best way. its not a clean cut for sure its gumming up the blade on the vid and looks bad to. The result is a mess. There has been a lot of good advise here a carbide blade is a must. DONT PUT A BLADE IN BACKWARDS. GET THE RIGHT KIND OF BLADE ... Concerning the problem with circular saws The reason people put the blade in backwards is cause the teeth gum up and that happens cause the tooth angle is too aggressive.There using blades that are ok for wood but no good for aluminum. The kind of blade you want is a non ferrous blade. If that is not available go for a CARBIDE blade with less tooth angle. The saw blades used for sliding mitre saws are less aggressive have a look at them as an example . I get my blades from my fastener supplier at 55 bucks for a 10 " 80 tooth use a lube like wd 40 some like wax i dont. Be really careful when you get a kickback be clear or you will get hurt. I have had non ferrous carbide blades explode releasing the teeth into my arm. And that can happen using the proper tools in the proper way. JUst because someone gets a job done using the wrong tool for the wrong job with out getting hurt does not make it an option.
At the sign shop we made our own aluminum lighted sign boxes etc. and put the carbide blade in backwards, waxed the hell out of it, put on heavy clothes - leather gloves - eye protection and ear plugs (it is extremely noisy) and went to town. It would wreck a blade but it worked, just don't go too fast.
We cut up 3 powder tankers up with a circular saw and a carbide bit with bees wax and no problem. everything has the potential to be hazardous even with the proper tools. just my .02 but what do i know my air lines are PVC!
OK, I will share, The piece of metal shot out of the saw.... I felt it hit me in the face.... it knocked me to the ground.. I felt my face, around my eye around my eye orbit. I pulled my hand back, I viewed my blood in my hand, my right eyes vision slowly went dark... a cold sweat came over me and I prayed to god, I raced into the hose, a line of my blood trailing me , I went to the mirror, I saw my eye with that peice of metal in it, I vomited and thoughts raced through my head, the eye had taken a direct hit, holy god what have I done, the peice of metal had gone right through eye wear and a face sheild. I went to a surgeon, I was kept awake the entire time, he carefully removed the metal bit from my eye, he was patient with me, I blacked out twice from the fear of my possible reality. He did his best and finest work, the rest was up to my body and god, he had to keep the pressure down within the eye itself to avoid the damage to the tiny blood vessels within the back of the eye. I had a head band placed around my head, both of my eyes were covered, both eyes had to be isolated from stimulation so as not to move the injured eye. So there I was, No vision being led around by my loving wife who looked sadly at me, I imagined. I sat in a chair up right for seven days, I could only sit, I could lay flat on my back while I sleep, for seven days I would think of all of the possible out comes of this day, to have a dead eye. I went back to the surgeon and God had been kind to me, I had significant damage to the muscle group that focuses the retina, I can no longer see perfectly, I no longer have fighter pilot vision, I can not read a news paper with out cheaters, I can with my left eye but not with righty, I also have floaters, I have to have my pressures checked every six months due to complications and future problems may result, I may have retinal detachment under G. Anything that jars my head could cause me to detach my right eyes retina, including Drag Racing, jogging, a simple fall, sky diving, dirt bike racing. I realize that you can get injured at any time anywhere, you should never fear so much that you do not live, create, flourish, Please do create, please do make cool stuff, use every machine that there is, all I ask is that anything you can do to prevent sitting in a chair for seven days should be considered. I was very very lucky, my back is wet with sweat just sharing this experience with you, I just would want to spare anyone this experience. I do not mean to offend anyone here, It is one of my life missions to keep everyone out of Eye surgeons chair due to injuries, surgeon supports me. Thank You. Frank.
I'm impressed but not entirely sold on it because of high saw speeds! <object classid="clsid27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=9,0,28,0" width="957" height="56"> <param name="movie" value="/media/NavMain.swf" /> <param name="quality" value="high" /> <param name="wmode" value="transparent" /> <embed src="/media/NavMain.swf" quality="high" pluginspage="http://www.adobe.com/shockwave/download/download.cgi?P1_Prod_Version=ShockwaveFlash" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="957" height="56"></embed> </object> Metal Devil® Metal Cutting Circular Saw Blades Metal Devil® metal cutting circular saw blades are designed with different configurations for steel, stainless, aluminum, thin steel, and even steel studs. Important differences between blade configuration allow for specialty applications - number of teeth on the blade, carbide grade and the shape of the teeth. (1) per card <table width="321" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" height="31"> <tbody><tr> <td valign="top" align="left"></td> <td valign="top" align="left"> </td> </tr> </tbody></table>
Guys, in the last six years the company I work for has sold over 5.7 million dollars of hurricane shutters. The vast majority of those are configured from aluminum extrusion or aluminum panels. At each stage of production, from 24 foot stock to 3 foot tall field cuts, it is all done with chop saws, table saws, jig saws and angle grinders. Every saw blade we have ever used has been a fine toothed carbide wood blade. The thickest cuts have been 3/8 stock. It all cuts like wood till it soaks up the heat, then it gets grabby. Lube is your friend when working with this stuff. All of my installers still have all of their fingers and toes and most importantly their eyes. They all wear eye pro when cutting and drilling.
The reason I keep saying "what?", is because I cut a bunch of aluminum and now I can't hear. Actually I can hear, I hear ringing all the time.
My "only" concern is free hand feeding into a table saw blade, Free hand. Yes you can cut aluminum, yes you can cut it on a table saw, yes you can use a wood blade. Please use a roll feed or an anti kick back device, they are cheap, my bad day cost 8 grand to date, I could have bought a roll feed for 200, a good anti kick back for 60, I spend that much in a week on lunch and coffee. Guys I'm not trying to make anyone feel silly or look bad or tell them how to live, I respect all of you, your opinions and your experiences. I am honestly just trying to keep my fellows from having a bad day. I'm sorry if anyone feels offended, that is not my intent, I think that by this point anyone should have enough info about this to make their own informed decision. Thank's FTP
http://www.mcmaster.com/#aluminum-cutting-router-bits/=8wg89d I have a couple of these that I use in my die grinder. To cut small straight pcs I use my 4 1/2 grinder with a thin carbide blade coated with parafin wax this pretty much eliminates the kickback, get it at weld supply house. Large flat sheet I use a foot shear or power shear from my former employer. I steer clear of the table saw, power hand saw and reversing of the saw blade, kickback noise, and jambing are to high of risk. Ear protection full face protection and some form of inhalation protection is a must for ALL cutting operations
Carbide teeth are welded to the disc. The teeth are cut directionally. Running the blade backwards at high speed and then forcing it through a piece of metal is not safe, to say the least. The Carbide tips are brazed or welded to the disc. trying to cut with it backwards will loosen the welds and chip those carbide teeth off, sending them in all directions.
The Jalopy Journal
