Cutting Aluminum with Miter Saw????

[evodawg]

I've been installing a lot of shower enclosures lately and getting sick of
using a Hack Saw to cut Aluminum. I'm wanting to use one of my many Miter
Saws. What blade would be best for cutting extruded aluminum without
burning or discoloring it???

Thanks,
Rich
--
"You can lead them to LINUX
but you can't make them THINK"
Running Mandriva release 2008.0 free-i586 using KDE on i586
Website Address http://rentmyhusband.co.nr/

[Robatoy]

0 to -5 degree rake, ATB, and a slow feed..and SERIOUS safety glasses.
I do that all day long. No fear.

[Nova]

evodawg wrote:
> I've been installing a lot of shower enclosures lately and getting sick of
> using a Hack Saw to cut Aluminum. I'm wanting to use one of my many Miter
> Saws. What blade would be best for cutting extruded aluminum without
> burning or discoloring it???
>
> Thanks,
> Rich

A blade designed for cutting non-ferrous metals. Which exact blade would
depend on the thickness of the material. See:

http://www.toolmarts.com/nonferrous.html

--
Jack Novak
Buffalo, NY - USA
nov...@verizon.net

[Frank Boettcher]

On Fri, 15 Aug 2008 22:26:44 GMT, evodawg <evo...@nospam.com> wrote:

>I've been installing a lot of shower enclosures lately and getting sick of
>using a Hack Saw to cut Aluminum. I'm wanting to use one of my many Miter
>Saws. What blade would be best for cutting extruded aluminum without
>burning or discoloring it???
>
>Thanks,
>Rich

Blades have been mentioned in this thread already so I won't go there.

However, my first real adult job was as a puller in an extrusion
plant. A puller guides the extrusions (multiple from the die) on a
carbon table until the billet is pressed out. Then before the next
billet pushes out the previous extrusion, the puller has to cut the
ends off relatively evenly with a portable circular saw. We were
issued a "wax stick" (a waxy substance of which I am not sure of the
composition) and before we cut the aluminum, we stuck the stick into
the blade while it was running. The aluminum cut like butter.

Remembering that, later in life, I've used a toilet wax seal for the
same purpose and it had the same effect.

Frank

[Robatoy]

On Aug 15, 9:27 pm, Frank Boettcher <fboettc...@comcast.net> wrote:

There ya go! Aluminium! The most versatile (and abundant) metal on
the planet. I use that stuff for a lot of straight edges, jigs, saw
horses, you name it. And most extrusions are sold by the pound.
Good stuff.

[Leon]

"evodawg" <evo...@nospam.com> wrote in message
news:Eonpk.13$482.11@trnddc06...

My Forrest WWII did a wonderful job of cutting the aluminum fence on my Kreg
miter gauge in an unintended spot. This was totally unintentional of
course.
Slow and easy.

[Swingman]

"Leon" "evodawg"

> My Forrest WWII did a wonderful job of cutting the aluminum fence on my
Kreg
> miter gauge in an unintended spot. This was totally unintentional of
> course.
> Slow and easy.

ROTFL ... I have a similar, but what I would rather think of as cleverly
placed, "zero clearance upgrade" on the fence of my miter gauge fence.

Too bad that it's at an obscure angle that will never be used again.

--
www.e-woodshop.net
Last update: 5/14/08
KarlC@ (the obvious)

[rich]

Many years ago I cut a ton of Alum picture frames on a Makita miter
saw, and used an ordinary crosscut blade, with carbide tips. I used a
wax candle for lube, and fed the saw slowly. Worked like a charm.
You might check with a local picture framer, as they use a saw for all
Alum picture frames.

[mac davis]

On Sat, 16 Aug 2008 07:46:53 -0500, "Leon" <removespa...@swbell.net>
wrote:

but then again, you "meant to do that", right?

mac

Please remove splinters before emailing

[B A R R Y]

Leon wrote:
>
>
> My Forrest WWII did a wonderful job of cutting the aluminum fence on my Kreg
> miter gauge in an unintended spot.

Same here, with an Incra fence! 8^(

[evodawg]

evodawg wrote:

> I've been installing a lot of shower enclosures lately and getting sick of
> using a Hack Saw to cut Aluminum. I'm wanting to use one of my many Miter
> Saws. What blade would be best for cutting extruded aluminum without
> burning or discoloring it???
>
> Thanks,
> Rich

Thanks guys for advice

[Leon]

"mac davis" <m...@davisbajasplinters.com> wrote in message
news:6avda411c4qf8496h...@4ax.com...

>>
>>My Forrest WWII did a wonderful job of cutting the aluminum fence on my
>>Kreg
>>miter gauge in an unintended spot. This was totally unintentional of
>>course.
>>Slow and easy.
>>
> but then again, you "meant to do that", right?

Uh err uh yeah! It was a part of the "plan". I forgot...... ;~)

[beecrofter]

Better to go with a tripple chip grind than an atb, wax the teeth so
the chips don't pack and cram the gullets.

Plenty of good non ferrous metal blades on the market.