[How-To] Cutting aluminum plate

Excellent advice! Thank you everyone. I ended up cutting it on my horizontal mill - one of the few things I can do better on a horizontal than I could on a vertical. It took about 10 passes, but eventually it got there.

I'll keep the table saw in mind for next time - sounds scary but effective. I have only a Port-a-Band, which has a throat of about 4". Probably could have inclined the cut but that did not occur to me. I don't have floor space for a 4x6.
 
rwm said:
I just used my table saw with an aluminum cutting blade to make 2 cuts 36" long in 3/4" MIC 6 aluminum. Worked fine and the finished edge is smoother than my vertical bandsaw. I highly recommend a feather board. I have 2 feather boards; one on the table and one on the rip fence.
Robert
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Brave man, I have cut aluminum plate with a sliding compound miter feeding into the material, it woks but have had the aluminum catch and make a big bang. In particular with the softer aluminum alloys. It is bad enough just cutting wood on a table saw, it is all about rigidity and controlled feed rate. It would be interesting to see how a sliding table saw would work, but cutting metal between the blade and the fence on a table saw, scary. :eek 2:
 
my old vertical metal bandsaw has a 18 1/2" throat, and cuts nice.
Dave
 
I cut a lot of aluminum plate on my table saw. A woodworking blade works but a non-ferrous (triple chip) blade works best. I regularly cut flat bar stock on my wood working miter saw. I also use my 14" Delta band saw. It all depends on which machine seems easier to use at the time.
 
mksj said:
Brave man, I have cut aluminum plate with a sliding compound miter feeding into the material, it woks but have had the aluminum catch and make a big bang. In particular with the softer aluminum alloys. It is bad enough just cutting wood on a table saw, it is all about rigidity and controlled feed rate. It would be interesting to see how a sliding table saw would work, but cutting metal between the blade and the fence on a table saw, scary. :eek 2:
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I agree, it's kind of scary! I am very concerned about kickback. That is why I use 2 feather boards. As long as I can keep the geometry correct I don't think I will have a problem. It's when your work get crooked that you get kickback. Or if the kerf closes. If I see that I will stop and bend or wedge it. That particular saw does not have a riving knife but that would be a good idea.
I am curious if anyone has had kickback when cutting aluminum on a table saw? If so, what do you think caused it?
Robert
Gloves and a full face shield!
R
 
I use a metal cutting blade on my table saw to cut aluminium.
The thickest section I cut was 3 inches by 12 inches long.
To date it has never kicked back but I have twisted the cut once or twice but never jammed.
Just beware of the chips, they are very fine and they go everywhere, in your ears, up your nose, in your mouth, down your neck etc etc.
 
Be very careful with the circular saw. Place I worked at did a LOT of aluminum cutting on the table saw with a non ferrous blade. worked great most of time. There was the one time that it did catch and kick back. took a chunk out of the operators pelvis and then thru a block wall and landed in the parking lot. Make very sure you are not in the line of fire at any time. Had that operator been just a little more in line it could have been REALLY bad, not that a chunk out of your pelvis is good.

That said I still use the table saw but with GREAT caution.
 
Once when cutting aluminum one of the fine chips found its way onto the prongs of a plug that wasn't fully seated in the socket. Nice brilliant arc.
 
I've also used a wood blade on my table saw to cut aluminum, but it's really better to get the correct blade.
There's a significant difference in tooth shape between the two: the non-ferrous blade on mine has teeth with
pretty much zero rake. Probably has a lot less tendency to pull the work into the blade than with a wood blade.
 
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