User Panel
User Panel
User Panel
|
Posted: 4/22/2020 10:57:43 AM EDT
[#1]
Bandsaw would my go to or scroll if it's a tight design.
There are many multi use blades, I'd see what I have VS what was recommend on line. |
|
|
|
Posted: 4/22/2020 11:03:03 AM EDT
[#2]
Just pretend its wood.
All quality wood cutting tools work - just feed slowly to keep the blade cool, and make sure that the blade has a good set to the teeth, so that the cut is wider than the blade. Binding, friction, aluminium transfer to the blade is a thing. Lubricate with parrafin, as in hold a candle onto the blade periodically. |
|
|
|
Posted: 4/22/2020 11:43:58 AM EDT
[#3]
Band saw is the simple answer.
Your next question will be, "How do I smooth the edges of this roughly cut aluminum plate?" |
|
|
|
Posted: 4/22/2020 12:32:40 PM EDT
[#4]
Router with wood working carbide bits.
|
|
|
|
Posted: 4/22/2020 12:34:13 PM EDT
[#5]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Band saw is the simple answer. Your next question will be, "How do I smooth the edges of this roughly cut aluminum plate?" Well first I'll try my Jet oscillating spindle sander, then a bunch of files I guess. Not sure which blade on my bandsaw to use. I have 1/4" 1/2" and 3/4" blades. All Timber Wolf 105" blades for what it's worth. |
|
|
|
Posted: 4/22/2020 1:03:34 PM EDT
[#6]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Well first I'll try my Jet oscillating spindle sander, then a bunch of files I guess. Not sure which blade on my bandsaw to use. I have 1/4" 1/2" and 3/4" blades. All Timber Wolf 105" blades for what it's worth. Quote HistoryQuoted: Quoted: Band saw is the simple answer. Your next question will be, "How do I smooth the edges of this roughly cut aluminum plate?" Well first I'll try my Jet oscillating spindle sander, then a bunch of files I guess. Not sure which blade on my bandsaw to use. I have 1/4" 1/2" and 3/4" blades. All Timber Wolf 105" blades for what it's worth. It is more about TPI tan the thickness of the blade unless you are trying to use it like a scroll saw. |
|
|
|
Posted: 4/22/2020 1:16:26 PM EDT
[#7]
Quote HistoryQuoted: It is more about TPI tan the thickness of the blade unless you are trying to use it like a scroll saw. ^ This. Any tight turns? |
|
|
|
Posted: 4/22/2020 1:21:48 PM EDT
[#8]
Quoted: I have a couple of 1/4" thick 6" x 14" aluminum plates I want to cut out a pattern on. I have a fully equipped wood shop but no real metal working tools. Band Saw is what I would use if it were wood but not sure about trying to cut aluminum plate on it or if it could be done what size and tpi blade would be used. any advise? Use the correct blade and a bandsaw it probably the best way to do it |
|
|
|
Posted: 4/22/2020 1:40:45 PM EDT
[#9]
Ideally you want 3-4 teeth on the material. So 12-16 teeth per inch.
|
|
|
|
Posted: 4/22/2020 2:54:39 PM EDT
[#10]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Ideally you want 3-4 teeth on the material. So 12-16 teeth per inch. OK, that helps out a lot. None of my blades have that many tpi. More like 4-7 between the sizes I have on hand. thanks |
|
|
|
Posted: 4/22/2020 3:33:46 PM EDT
[#11]
Quote HistoryQuoted: It is more about TPI tan the thickness of the blade unless you are trying to use it like a scroll saw. Quote HistoryQuoted: Quoted: Quoted: Band saw is the simple answer. Your next question will be, "How do I smooth the edges of this roughly cut aluminum plate?" Well first I'll try my Jet oscillating spindle sander, then a bunch of files I guess. Not sure which blade on my bandsaw to use. I have 1/4" 1/2" and 3/4" blades. All Timber Wolf 105" blades for what it's worth. It is more about TPI tan the thickness of the blade unless you are trying to use it like a scroll saw. You want enough teeth that there are at least 2 and 3 is better in the material. So 4 teeth per inch or a little higher. Aluminum is easy to cut and does not need much lubrication on a bandsaw. Avoid cutting to slowly. That makes extra heat. Try to avid breathing in powdered aluminum also. Unless you need tih=tgheter turns a 1/2 inch is good on width. |
|
|
|
Posted: 4/22/2020 5:05:39 PM EDT
[#12]
You have a DW 715 miter saw right? Use that to cut to rough length. Use a jigsaw to cut the pattern. You'll probably want to temporarily glue/clamp it to a piece of plywood.
|
|
|
|
Posted: 4/22/2020 8:49:03 PM EDT
[#13]
Worked with 1/4” aluminum a lot in a welding shop making outboard engine skegs. Used a band saw for the straight cuts and a hand jigsaw with metal rated blades for the curved cuts. Aluminum rated disc side grinder for smoothing and shaping the cut edge.
|
|
|
|
Posted: 4/22/2020 11:22:55 PM EDT
[#14]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Well first I'll try my Jet oscillating spindle sander, then a bunch of files I guess. Not sure which blade on my bandsaw to use. I have 1/4" 1/2" and 3/4" blades. All Timber Wolf 105" blades for what it's worth. Look for Aluma-Cut files. They are specially designed for aluminum. Regular files clog and get a surface coating of aluminum that causes additional clogging. |
|
|
|
Posted: 4/22/2020 11:23:40 PM EDT
[#15]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Router with wood working carbide bits. On 1/4" thick aluminum? That will be rough on the bit and the bearings. |
|
|
|
Posted: 4/23/2020 9:23:07 AM EDT
[#16]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Ideally you want 3-4 teeth on the material. So 12-16 teeth per inch. |
|
|
|
Posted: 4/23/2020 9:44:24 AM EDT
[#17]
Jig saw, 14tpi blade. Wear ear plugs, use wd-40 as lube (a little goes a long way). Think of it as a hardwood and you will be fine.
|
|
|
|
Posted: 4/23/2020 10:26:58 AM EDT
[#18]
I have used a carbide tipped blade on my delta 14” bandsaw to cut 1/2” Aluminum. 3/4” - 3 tpi.
I keep a carbide tipped bandsaw blade for resawing wood anyways |
|
|
|
Posted: 4/23/2020 10:33:55 AM EDT
[#19]
Quote HistoryQuoted: On 1/4" thick aluminum? That will be rough on the bit and the bearings. Quote HistoryQuoted: Quoted: Router with wood working carbide bits. On 1/4" thick aluminum? That will be rough on the bit and the bearings. it would also make an unnecessarily wide cut, which would also affect the accuracy of the cut |
|
|
|
Posted: 4/23/2020 10:36:43 AM EDT
[#20]
Metal cutting jigsaw blades are pretty cheap too. Go slow, let it eat. You can mist some coolant on it if you want too.
|
|
|
|
Posted: 4/23/2020 4:53:17 PM EDT
[#21]
Quote HistoryQuoted: On 1/4" thick aluminum? That will be rough on the bit and the bearings. https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=cutting+aluminum+with+router+ |
|
|
|
Posted: 4/23/2020 4:54:33 PM EDT
[#22]
Quote HistoryQuoted: On 1/4" thick aluminum? That will be rough on the bit and the bearings. https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=cutting+aluminum+with+router+ |
|
|
|
Posted: 4/24/2020 3:07:26 PM EDT
[#23]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Look for Aluma-Cut files. They are specially designed for aluminum. Regular files clog and get a surface coating of aluminum that causes additional clogging. Quote HistoryQuoted: Quoted: Well first I'll try my Jet oscillating spindle sander, then a bunch of files I guess. Not sure which blade on my bandsaw to use. I have 1/4" 1/2" and 3/4" blades. All Timber Wolf 105" blades for what it's worth. Look for Aluma-Cut files. They are specially designed for aluminum. Regular files clog and get a surface coating of aluminum that causes additional clogging. You need to chalk the saw/file to limit sticking. |
|
|
|
Posted: 4/25/2020 8:50:48 AM EDT
[#24]
thanks everybody. Think I am going to get a sacrificial blade for my bandsaw and give it a go. Little leery of using my router table and fucking up my CMT bits.
|
|
|
|
Posted: 4/25/2020 10:44:55 AM EDT
[#25]
Even a cheap High Speed Steel blade will be fine if it has the correct teeth per inch for the material your are cutting. Also use some type of cutting fluid. used motor oil will work for aluminum if that's all you have, it just makes a mess. Just use a small brush and to apply it.
|
|
|
|
Posted: 4/26/2020 5:10:48 PM EDT
[#26]
You can use a skill saw or a chop saw radial arm saw carbide blade is better.
Normally you'd want a course pitch unless it's a super thin material. |
|
|
|
Posted: 4/26/2020 6:59:27 PM EDT
[#27]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Even a cheap High Speed Steel blade will be fine if it has the correct teeth per inch for the material your are cutting. Also use some type of cutting fluid. used motor oil will work for aluminum if that's all you have, it just makes a mess. Just use a small brush and to apply it. Way to heavy for aluminum. There are plenty of water based lubes available. Biggest problem become drying up the cutting hardware. WD-40 is your friend. |
|
|
|
Posted: 4/27/2020 2:38:34 PM EDT
[#28]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Way to heavy for aluminum. There are plenty of water based lubes available. Biggest problem become drying up the cutting hardware. WD-40 is your friend. Quote HistoryQuoted: Quoted: Even a cheap High Speed Steel blade will be fine if it has the correct teeth per inch for the material your are cutting. Also use some type of cutting fluid. used motor oil will work for aluminum if that's all you have, it just makes a mess. Just use a small brush and to apply it. Way to heavy for aluminum. There are plenty of water based lubes available. Biggest problem become drying up the cutting hardware. WD-40 is your friend. Neither motor oil or WD-40 make good cutting fluids, motor oils smoke point is too low and WD doesn't have much in it for lubrication at all. Mineral spirits is a better cutting fluid for aluminum than either of those. On a band saw we use a wax stick product and apply it to the blade periodically, much less messy than liquids. OP can get by just fine on a band saw with a HSS blade, use at least a 12 TPI for 1/4" unless you have a lot of cuts to make - go with a bi-metal blade in that case. The width of the blade should be determined by how tight any contours are. You can get by with a wider blade if you can segment the contours into shorter straight cuts. |
|
|
|
Posted: 4/27/2020 2:58:43 PM EDT
[#29]
They make wax lube for sawing. Works good on aluminum at our shop
|
|
|
|
Posted: 4/27/2020 3:55:45 PM EDT
[#30]
We use a modified wood saw to cut alum and steel. steel we run a fine tooth blade and basically friction cut, blade speed is seriously high. run a skip tooth coarse blade for alum. both work great. just go slow and you will be fine.
|
|
|
|
Posted: 4/28/2020 2:49:07 PM EDT
[#31]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Neither motor oil or WD-40 make good cutting fluids, motor oils smoke point is too low and WD doesn't have much in it for lubrication at all. Mineral spirits is a better cutting fluid for aluminum than either of those. On a band saw we use a wax stick product and apply it to the blade periodically, much less messy than liquids. OP can get by just fine on a band saw with a HSS blade, use at least a 12 TPI for 1/4" unless you have a lot of cuts to make - go with a bi-metal blade in that case. The width of the blade should be determined by how tight any contours are. You can get by with a wider blade if you can segment the contours into shorter straight cuts. Quote HistoryQuoted: Quoted: Quoted: Even a cheap High Speed Steel blade will be fine if it has the correct teeth per inch for the material your are cutting. Also use some type of cutting fluid. used motor oil will work for aluminum if that's all you have, it just makes a mess. Just use a small brush and to apply it. Way to heavy for aluminum. There are plenty of water based lubes available. Biggest problem become drying up the cutting hardware. WD-40 is your friend. Neither motor oil or WD-40 make good cutting fluids, motor oils smoke point is too low and WD doesn't have much in it for lubrication at all. Mineral spirits is a better cutting fluid for aluminum than either of those. On a band saw we use a wax stick product and apply it to the blade periodically, much less messy than liquids. OP can get by just fine on a band saw with a HSS blade, use at least a 12 TPI for 1/4" unless you have a lot of cuts to make - go with a bi-metal blade in that case. The width of the blade should be determined by how tight any contours are. You can get by with a wider blade if you can segment the contours into shorter straight cuts. The solvent in WD-40 is what you are taking advantage of. For the most part NO LUBRICANT is needed so almost anything light weight works adequately. Buy a quart of concentrate and mix it up with water. I do this often enough I have a number of smaller submersion pumps to place in a 5 gallon bucket and have someone direct a thin stream right at the cutting point. Generally do it outside and rarely bother collecting the cutting fluid. Just us it 'one shot.' I did it on a sliding table stone saw using a carbide blade once. Larger saw designed to cut large format granite tiles. Smaller diameter carbide blade, plenty of water based cut lube. Wear a rain poncho. The stuff will get everywhere. I even used a full face mask it was spraying around so much. |
|
|
Win a FREE Membership!
Sign up for the ARFCOM weekly newsletter and be entered to win a free ARFCOM membership. One new winner* is announced every week!
You will receive an email every Friday morning featuring the latest chatter from the hottest topics, breaking news surrounding legislation, as well as exclusive deals only available to ARFCOM email subscribers.
AR15.COM is the world's largest firearm community and is a gathering place for firearm enthusiasts of all types.
From hunters and military members, to competition shooters and general firearm enthusiasts, we welcome anyone who values and respects the way of the firearm.
Subscribe to our monthly Newsletter to receive firearm news, product discounts from your favorite Industry Partners, and more.
Copyright © 1996-2024 AR15.COM LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Any use of this content without express written consent is prohibited.
AR15.Com reserves the right to overwrite or replace any affiliate, commercial, or monetizable links, posted by users, with our own.
