I need to cut 1/16"-inch aluminum angle stock. And, to be clear up
front, I'm a total newbie to metalworking (and not too experienced with
tools in general).

So, I bought a 6-inch cutoff saw from Harbor Freight with aluminum oxide
grinding discs. Turns out that this is not safe to use with aluminum
stock; the disc make shatter.

It's been suggested that I put a saw blade on the same machine (any
6-inch blade with a 5/8" or 7/8" arbor should fit). I found this one, a
diamond segmented blade:

http://www.toolbarn.com/product/makita/A-94708/

But now I'm suspicious of making assumptions about what a given tool can
cut. Would this be good for cutting aluminum? Or should I keep
searching for a carbide blade?

If the answer is carbide, can anyone recommend a good source for these?
I'd need one the right size, and (as I understand it) a large number of
small teeth, since the stock I'm cutting is so thin.

Thanks,
- Joe

--
"Polywell" fusion -- an approach to nuclear fusion that might actually work.
Learn more and discuss via: http://www.strout.net/info/science/polywell/

Joe Strout wrote:

I need to cut 1/16"-inch aluminum angle stock. And, to be clear up
front, I'm a total newbie to metalworking (and not too experienced with
tools in general).



Welcome to our little group on the Internet.

So, I bought a 6-inch cutoff saw from Harbor Freight with aluminum oxide
grinding discs. Turns out that this is not safe to use with aluminum
stock; the disc make shatter.

Hope you did not learn it the hard way.

It's been suggested that I put a saw blade on the same machine (any
6-inch blade with a 5/8" or 7/8" arbor should fit). I found this one, a
diamond segmented blade:

http://www.toolbarn.com/product/makita/A-94708/

But now I'm suspicious of making assumptions about what a given tool can
cut. Would this be good for cutting aluminum? Or should I keep
searching for a carbide blade?

That is an interesting question. Diamond is used to machine aluminum in the
manufacturing world but I am not sure how the blade you describe would work.
I'd just buy a carbide blade since it works great. Go to Home Depot or the
other home improvement stores and look for a carbide tipped blade for
cordless circular saws. By the way how many rpm does this saw turn?

If the answer is carbide, can anyone recommend a good source for these?
I'd need one the right size, and (as I understand it) a large number of
small teeth, since the stock I'm cutting is so thin.

As long as you are careful feeding the saw blade into the cut, a coarse
blade will be fine in this application.


Wes

Wes wrote:
Joe Strout wrote:

I need to cut 1/16"-inch aluminum angle stock. And, to be clear up
front, I'm a total newbie to metalworking (and not too experienced with
tools in general).



Welcome to our little group on the Internet.

So, I bought a 6-inch cutoff saw from Harbor Freight with aluminum oxide
grinding discs. Turns out that this is not safe to use with aluminum
stock; the disc make shatter.

Hope you did not learn it the hard way.
It's been suggested that I put a saw blade on the same machine (any
6-inch blade with a 5/8" or 7/8" arbor should fit). I found this one, a
diamond segmented blade:

http://www.toolbarn.com/product/makita/A-94708/

But now I'm suspicious of making assumptions about what a given tool can
cut. Would this be good for cutting aluminum? Or should I keep
searching for a carbide blade?

That is an interesting question. Diamond is used to machine aluminum in the
manufacturing world but I am not sure how the blade you describe would work.
I'd just buy a carbide blade since it works great. Go to Home Depot or the
other home improvement stores and look for a carbide tipped blade for
cordless circular saws. By the way how many rpm does this saw turn?
If the answer is carbide, can anyone recommend a good source for these?
I'd need one the right size, and (as I understand it) a large number of
small teeth, since the stock I'm cutting is so thin.

As long as you are careful feeding the saw blade into the cut, a coarse
blade will be fine in this application.

Wes

Freud makes carbide-tipped circular saw blades especially designed for
cutting aluminum. Spray the blace first with WD-40 for a lubricant and
works like a charm. Only drawback is little chips spray all over the
place. Goggles are mandatory.

I use a 10" blade in the B&D mitre-box saw I use for woodworking. Don't
know how small Freud makes these blades, though.

Tove

That diamond wheel is for masonry, not metal. If you use it on AL it will
gum up the blade.

Why not use a bandsaw, the 4x6 model from Harbor Freight is a bargain, and
designed to cut metal.

Tony

"Joe Strout" wrote in message
...
I need to cut 1/16"-inch aluminum angle stock. And, to be clear up
front, I'm a total newbie to metalworking (and not too experienced with
tools in general).

So, I bought a 6-inch cutoff saw from Harbor Freight with aluminum oxide
grinding discs. Turns out that this is not safe to use with aluminum
stock; the disc make shatter.

It's been suggested that I put a saw blade on the same machine (any
6-inch blade with a 5/8" or 7/8" arbor should fit). I found this one, a
diamond segmented blade:

http://www.toolbarn.com/product/makita/A-94708/

But now I'm suspicious of making assumptions about what a given tool can
cut. Would this be good for cutting aluminum? Or should I keep
searching for a carbide blade?

If the answer is carbide, can anyone recommend a good source for these?
I'd need one the right size, and (as I understand it) a large number of
small teeth, since the stock I'm cutting is so thin.

Thanks,
- Joe

--
"Polywell" fusion -- an approach to nuclear fusion that might actually
work.
Learn more and discuss via:
http://www.strout.net/info/science/polywell/

In article , Wes
wrote:

That is an interesting question. Diamond is used to machine aluminum in the
manufacturing world but I am not sure how the blade you describe would work.
I'd just buy a carbide blade since it works great. Go to Home Depot or the
other home improvement stores and look for a carbide tipped blade for
cordless circular saws. By the way how many rpm does this saw turn?

I haven't been able to find a 6" carbide blade with a 5/8" or 7/8"
arbor. I'm still looking, though. (The saw turns at 9000 RPM.)

As long as you are careful feeding the saw blade into the cut, a coarse
blade will be fine in this application.

Good to know, thanks.

Best,
- Joe

--
"Polywell" fusion -- an approach to nuclear fusion that might actually work.
Learn more and discuss via: http://www.strout.net/info/science/polywell/

Joe Strout wrote:
In article , "Tony"
wrote:


That diamond wheel is for masonry, not metal. If you use it on AL it will
gum up the blade.


Thank you.


Why not use a bandsaw, the 4x6 model from Harbor Freight is a bargain, and
designed to cut metal.


You mean this one?

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=47840

The problem with small bandsaws is you can't cut sizable sections out of
large sheet, for instance. I run into that problem a lot with my 4x6"
horiz-vert bandsaw. If all you will be cutting is small angle and
tubing, the bandsaw will work great, though.

Jon

In article , "Tony"
wrote:

That diamond wheel is for masonry, not metal. If you use it on AL it will
gum up the blade.

Thank you.

Why not use a bandsaw, the 4x6 model from Harbor Freight is a bargain, and
designed to cut metal.

You mean this one?

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=47840

That does look reasonable. But it's $100; my cut-off saw was $18 (on
sale). I'm still trying to determine if I can make that work, or if I
need to return it and invest in something else.

I'm not familiar with band saws; would you recommend it over a miter
saw, like this one?

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=91995

This is a little cheaper ($80), and of course can cut miters; it's not
clear to me whether a band saw does that. And from what I've been told,
a carbide blade (perhaps with a little lubricant) should work fine on
aluminum.

Thanks,
- Joe

--
"Polywell" fusion -- an approach to nuclear fusion that might actually work.
Learn more and discuss via: http://www.strout.net/info/science/polywell/

Joe Strout wrote in
:

Joe,
As someone who cuts large amounts of aluminum extrusions, angles, rounds,
etc, on a mostly daily basis, I strongly suggest you invest in a miter
saw, and a *nonferrous metal* carbide tipped blade. There _is_ a
difference between a carbide blade for wood, and a nonferrous metal
blade. The grade of carbide, for one, and the amount of support for the
tooth for a second. The miter saw will most likely come with a carbide
blade for wood, which you can use for wood working projects. Buy a
quality nonferrous metal blade for aluminum.

A carbide tooth flying off the blade at speed is not something you want
to be in the immediate area of, especially dead in line with the blade.



--
Anthony

You can't 'idiot proof' anything....every time you try, they just make
better idiots.

Remove sp to reply via email

According to Joe Strout :
In article , Wes
wrote:

That is an interesting question. Diamond is used to machine aluminum in the
manufacturing world but I am not sure how the blade you describe would work.

That is done with PCD (Poly Crystaline Diamond) formed tools,
not a bunch of diamond chips embedded in the sides of a blade (as in
the one indicated). I would expect it to gum up rather badly with the
typical Aluminum alloy from hardware stores and the saw blade indicated.

cordless circular saws. By the way how many rpm does this saw turn?

I haven't been able to find a 6" carbide blade with a 5/8" or 7/8"
arbor. I'm still looking, though. (The saw turns at 9000 RPM.)

As long as you are careful feeding the saw blade into the cut, a coarse
blade will be fine in this application.

Good to know, thanks.

While we're about it -- orient the aluminum angle like this:

/\
/ \

when cutting it. The angled sides make them appear slightly thicker to
the teeth. If you set it up like this instead:

|
|___

the upright section would be vibrating like mad.

Good Luck,
DoN.
--
Email: | Voice (all times): (703) 938-4564
(too) near Washington D.C. | http://www.d-and-d.com/dnichols/DoN.html
--- Black Holes are where God is dividing by zero ---

According to Joe Strout :
In article , "Tony"
wrote:

[ ... ]

Why not use a bandsaw, the 4x6 model from Harbor Freight is a bargain, and
designed to cut metal.

You mean this one?

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=47840

Hmm ... not that one. That is hand held. You want one with a
stand which can be left working on its own. This one:

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=93762

That is similar to mine (which came from MSC some years ago). The
prices (and the colors) vary from time to time. When I got mine, it was
a "$200.00 bandsaw", and it is back up to there now.

Looking at MSC, their prices are way up, but this one is pretty
much what I got:

http://www.use-enco.com/CGI/INSRIT?PMAKA=505-6841&PMPXNO=2898793&PARTPG=INLMK3

and that one *does* still list the automatic cut-off.

That does look reasonable. But it's $100; my cut-off saw was $18 (on
sale). I'm still trying to determine if I can make that work, or if I
need to return it and invest in something else.

It has the advantage that you can load it with a stack of
aluminum "V"s (like this) in the vise:

/\
//\\
///\\\
////\\\\
/////\\\\\

then start up the saw, and walk away leaving it cutting while you do
something else. The saw shuts off automatically when it completes the
cut. (Probably spritz the blade with kerosene or WD-40 to keep the
teeth from gumming up). You can get blades with teeth fine enough to
handle the thin aluminum with no problems.

I'm not familiar with band saws; would you recommend it over a miter
saw, like this one?

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=91995

This is a little cheaper ($80), and of course can cut miters; it's not
clear to me whether a band saw does that. And from what I've been told,
a carbide blade (perhaps with a little lubricant) should work fine on
aluminum.

The miter saw would be much noisier.

It would spit chips like mad, so you absolutely need eye
protection.

You would need to be directly at the machine operating it full
time. No way to leave it cutting while you do something else (unlike
the bandsaw).

Good Luck,
DoN.
--
Email: | Voice (all times): (703) 938-4564
(too) near Washington D.C. | http://www.d-and-d.com/dnichols/DoN.html
--- Black Holes are where God is dividing by zero ---

As Don said, the bandsaw on the stand,

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=93762


assuming you anticipate a lot of cutoff work. If you only have a few
pieces, then try a hacksaw and a 16 tooth blade..

Miter saws are for carpenters. :^)

Tony

go back to harbor freight - they have a metal cutting saw that was recently
on sale for just over $50 - looks like a circular saw - works great on
aluminum and on steel up to 1/2 inch thick (maybe thicker, 1/2 was what I
was cutting) - it has a slower speed carbide blade


"Joe Strout" wrote in message
...
I need to cut 1/16"-inch aluminum angle stock. And, to be clear up
front, I'm a total newbie to metalworking (and not too experienced with
tools in general).

So, I bought a 6-inch cutoff saw from Harbor Freight with aluminum oxide
grinding discs. Turns out that this is not safe to use with aluminum
stock; the disc make shatter.

It's been suggested that I put a saw blade on the same machine (any
6-inch blade with a 5/8" or 7/8" arbor should fit). I found this one, a
diamond segmented blade:

http://www.toolbarn.com/product/makita/A-94708/

But now I'm suspicious of making assumptions about what a given tool can
cut. Would this be good for cutting aluminum? Or should I keep
searching for a carbide blade?

If the answer is carbide, can anyone recommend a good source for these?
I'd need one the right size, and (as I understand it) a large number of
small teeth, since the stock I'm cutting is so thin.

Thanks,
- Joe

--
"Polywell" fusion -- an approach to nuclear fusion that might actually
work.
Learn more and discuss via:
http://www.strout.net/info/science/polywell/



--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

On Aug 21, 1:46 pm, Joe Strout wrote:
I need to cut 1/16"-inch aluminum angle stock. And, to be clear up
front, I'm a total newbie to metalworking (and not too experienced with
tools in general).

So, I bought a 6-inch cutoff saw from Harbor Freight with aluminum oxide
grinding discs. Turns out that this is not safe to use with aluminum
stock; the disc make shatter.
...
- Joe

An Exacto razor saw and miter box from a hobby store will cut a few
pieces of 1/16" aluminum angle with less fuss than the power tools
mentioned. You may have to file the ends square but that is a good
skill to learn anyway.

jw

Joe Strout wrote:

I haven't been able to find a 6" carbide blade with a 5/8" or 7/8"
arbor. I'm still looking, though. (The saw turns at 9000 RPM.)


Respect the RPM limit of anything you find.

Wes

On Aug 21, 4:13 pm, Joe Strout wrote:


Why not use a bandsaw, the 4x6 model from Harbor Freight is a bargain, and
designed to cut metal.

You mean this one?

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=47840

That does look reasonable. But it's $100; my cut-off saw was $18 (on
sale). I'm still trying to determine if I can make that work, or if I
need to return it and invest in something else.


How about a jigsaw? They are available for about 25-30 bucks, and
metal cutting (hacksaw) blades are readily available. These should
work fine for 1/16 inch aluminum (get a fine tooth-- high tooth per
inch- blade).

"Joe Strout" wrote in message
...
I need to cut 1/16"-inch aluminum angle stock. And, to be clear up
front, I'm a total newbie to metalworking (and not too experienced with
tools in general).

[snipped]

Hey Joe! Good to see you on here! These guys can supercharge your
metalworking education.
Congrats -
Pogo (JCD)

On Wed, 22 Aug 2007 03:35:39 -0700, Jim Wilkins
wrote:

On Aug 21, 1:46 pm, Joe Strout wrote:
I need to cut 1/16"-inch aluminum angle stock. And, to be clear up
front, I'm a total newbie to metalworking (and not too experienced with
tools in general).

So, I bought a 6-inch cutoff saw from Harbor Freight with aluminum oxide
grinding discs. Turns out that this is not safe to use with aluminum
stock; the disc make shatter.
...
- Joe

An Exacto razor saw and miter box from a hobby store will cut a few
pieces of 1/16" aluminum angle with less fuss than the power tools
mentioned. You may have to file the ends square but that is a good
skill to learn anyway.

jw
23 years ago, when we moved into this house, I needed many angle clips
to attach shelving to the wall studs in my basement shop. I had
several feet of 1" angle which had been bent from ~1/16" flat steel
stock. (OK, I just did a quick check - 0.07") So I put a jewelers
blade in my over arm jig saw and cut lengths as required, probably 50
or 60 pieces. Mind you, I didn't push too hard, but I was surprised at
how few blades I broke. I did all the cutting with the open angle
facing down to the table.
Gerry :-)}
London, Canada

On Tue, 21 Aug 2007 11:46:47 -0600, Joe Strout wrote:

I need to cut 1/16"-inch aluminum angle stock. And, to be clear up
front, I'm a total newbie to metalworking (and not too experienced with
tools in general).

So, I bought a 6-inch cutoff saw from Harbor Freight with aluminum oxide
grinding discs. Turns out that this is not safe to use with aluminum
stock; the disc make shatter.

It's been suggested that I put a saw blade on the same machine (any
6-inch blade with a 5/8" or 7/8" arbor should fit). I found this one, a
diamond segmented blade:

http://www.toolbarn.com/product/makita/A-94708/

But now I'm suspicious of making assumptions about what a given tool can
cut. Would this be good for cutting aluminum? Or should I keep
searching for a carbide blade?

If the answer is carbide, can anyone recommend a good source for these?
I'd need one the right size, and (as I understand it) a large number of
small teeth, since the stock I'm cutting is so thin.

It's not worth it. Where I work, they routinely cut 1" thick aluminum
plates with a skil-saw. Just get an ordinary blade - maybe 32 TPI, if
circular saw blades come that fine.

You won't get as fine a kerf as you would with, say, an X-Acto saw,
but it should cut the aluminum without exploding. :-)

Cheers!
Rich

On Aug 21, 1:46 pm, Joe Strout wrote:
I need to cut 1/16"-inch aluminum angle stock. And, to be clear up
front, I'm a total newbie to metalworking (and not too experienced with
tools in general).

So, I bought a 6-inch cutoff saw from Harbor Freight with aluminum oxide
grinding discs. Turns out that this is not safe to use with aluminum
stock; the disc make shatter.

It's been suggested that I put a saw blade on the same machine (any
6-inch blade with a 5/8" or 7/8" arbor should fit). I found this one, a
diamond segmented blade:

http://www.toolbarn.com/product/makita/A-94708/

But now I'm suspicious of making assumptions about what a given tool can
cut. Would this be good for cutting aluminum? Or should I keep
searching for a carbide blade?

Cutting aluminum is like cutting rubber or even butter. Really. It's
soft and gummy compared to "hard" metals. It'll gum up the teeth of
almost anything you mentioned already :-).

If the answer is carbide, can anyone recommend a good source for these?
I'd need one the right size, and (as I understand it) a large number of
small teeth, since the stock I'm cutting is so thin.

A large number of small teeth is good. Something that gets gummed up
is not good. See e.g. McMaster-Carr page 2323 for nonferrous cutting
blades.

For casual use, woodworking saw blades will do just fine on aluminum.

Tim.