Cut Aluminum Sheet With Circular Saw
This is a handy trick for things that are too big for the band saw.
Cut aluminum sheet with circular saw. We cut a ton of aluminum at work using circular saws using non ferrous carbide tipped blades on 7 1 4 saws. In our test it cut through rebar like a hot knife through butter. Place the piece of aluminum you need to cut on a pair of saw horses. You can t cut through thick blocks of metal with this one however.
To safely and efficiently cut through metal with a circular saw you ll need to operate at a maximum no load rpm of 5 000. Lubricate the blade for additional protection. Thick using a ferrous metal cutting blade. There are two main types.
Brace the metal by applying pressure with your nondominant hand holding it at least 2 feet 0 61 m away from your saw. Types of circular saw blades for cutting aluminum. A quality saw is key. Brace the corrugated metal with your nondominant hand and start to cut.
Jig saw or reciprocating saw. All of the major blade manufacturers offer non ferrous blades for cutting aluminum. Makita for the most part for trimming shaving and cutting thinner sheet i just run the blade dry it s easier and less to clean up. Cut metal with your circular saw.
People have lost fingers because of this issue no matter the type of blade use lubrication to keep the blade from gumming up with debris or catching on the material. Measure the piece of aluminum with the tape measure. The biggest risk of cutting aluminum with a circular saw is the blade grabbing the material if the blade catches on the material you risk injury. Press the base plate of your saw against an edge where you want to start cutting.
Before cutting aluminum with a circular saw determine what type of aluminum you need to cut such as aluminum siding or an aluminum sheet. You can cut mild steel up to about 3 8 in. Metal cutting blade this type of blade has smaller teeth separated by sturdy slots. Otherwise you may end up overheating the metal and cause serious harm to yourself and your power tools.
For cutting thicker sections i ll use walter cool cut. Secure the aluminum to the saw horses with a clamp. It is ideal for thinner sheets up to 11 gauge. Hot metal chips will fly.
The amana and freud are a full kerf of 125 which reduces the trend to flex if you are cutting a lot while the tenryu and diablo offer blades with a thinner kerf which puts less load on the motor and cuts easier really useful if your saw is under powered. For thicker sheets of aluminum use a blade with just six teeth per diameter inch. Not so much for. Obviously the circular saw is great for straight cuts.