OT: Cutting Aluminum Stock

[krw]

Wrong, you certainly can cut circles with a circular saw. When you cut circles with a circular saw you get semicircles.

[me]

Took a moment to follow that... but you get credit for being much funnier in the end than me.

[DD_BobK]

DDan-

I'm no expert on the exact TPI that would work best.

My experience in using carbide tipped "wood" cutting tools for aluminum began about 25 years ago when I hired a GM engineer about 10 years older than me.

He taught (& showed me) that "anything you can do in wood can be done in aluminum with decent, sharp carbide tipped cutters". They did all sorts of quick & dirty prototyping in aluminum using wood working tools. I was skeptical but he showed me and we did lots of messing around.

Later I researched the "correct" types of cutter & saw tooth grinds, not that I ever sharpened a tool using this knowledge.

I've had best luck with triple chip grind, for long lasting dedicated blade for aluminum. But for a few cuts (like not production work) I have found that just about any sharp carbide tipped wood blade will cut aluminum.

Also.... it looks like I was a bit too quick with the copy & paste of the description of the 108T blade it's a 15" ! A 15" blade with 108T actually is a "coarser" blade than a 10" 80T.

I think for a 10"; 80 T would be fine as would 60T.

You just want to feed at a steady rate such that the blade cuts the aluminum but not such a slow rate the saw isn't really working; its a trade between cutting & just rubbing. Of course oyu don't want the jam the blade into the work but neither do oyu want the saw to be loafing.

As long as the blade is sharp and the feed / speed is ok, his "melt & re-weld comment" IMO is bologna.

Thinner material material needs smaller teeth. I wouldn't cut anything thinner than 1/16" on a chop saw unless I got tricky with the fixturing (wood sandwich)

I have sandwiched thinner material between to pieces of plywood to cut it on a chop saw or table saw.

cheers

[terry]

Realising question is about Aluminum. But recently cut off a quantity of 'steel' shelf brackets about one eighth inch thick, using a 5 inch metal cutting blade in my bench saw (it replaced the 10 inch blade so the tip speed would have been quite low). The blade was adjusted to be barely above the thickness of the work being cut. Fed slowly and used eye protection, most chips/sparks went downwards. Seemed like a good method. Very little wear of the cutting wheel. Could be used for Al.?

[DerbyDad03]

Well, you could if your circular saw was mounted upside down to act like a table saw.

I've used the following method to cut circles on my table saw many times...

[DerbyDad03]

Thanks!

All of that makes perfect sense.

It's a tradeoff between the "100%, A1, gnat's-butt, perfect blade for the job" and blades that will get the job done is an acceptable manner.

Based on how I've been cutting it in the past (w/ the fiber wheels) I'm sure that any improvement gained by using one of my wood cutting blades will be worth it.

Thanks again!