# An abrasive saw on aluminum



## Brento (May 27, 2021)

My old man has a dewalt chop saw that cuts metal with an abrasive saw. I was wondering if i could put a blade in that chop saw to cut aluminum. Also what kind of blade would that be.


----------



## Nutfarmer (May 27, 2021)

I have used a carbide tipped wood saw blade in a table saw to cut aluminum. Don't use an abrasive cut off wheel to cut aluminum it will blow up in your face when it loads up with the aluminum


----------



## Aukai (May 27, 2021)

I put a 60 tooth on my Skill saw zipped right through 1/4".


----------



## MrCrankyface (May 27, 2021)

Finetoothed(60-80) wood working blade with carbide tips will work great, feed very slowly to keep the chip size down.
You can cut aluminium with coarser blades too but it can become a bit more dangerous with increased risk of taking bites that are too large for the saw to handle.


----------



## Nogoingback (May 27, 2021)

There are blades specifically for non ferrous metals.  I have one from Diablo that goes in my table saw.  Wood
saw blades will work, but the proper blade is better.


----------



## hman (May 27, 2021)

It's also a good idea to apply some waxy stick lubricant to the aluminum.


			Amazon.com
		



			https://www.mscdirect.com/product/details/05651583


----------



## Brento (May 27, 2021)

I dont want to half ass the cutting saw so i want to use the right blade to minimize any risks. Any idea what type of blade to use?


----------



## Ulma Doctor (May 27, 2021)

A carbide tipped circular saw and cutting wax is a quick way of skinning the cat


----------



## Nogoingback (May 27, 2021)

Brento said:


> I dont want to half ass the cutting saw so i want to use the right blade to minimize any risks. Any idea what type of blade to use?


Have a look at these...






						Saw Blades - Diablo Tools
					

Learn how Diablo's aluminum cutting saw blades are the best in the world, redefining cutting with their quality and performance.




					www.diablotools.com


----------



## pacifica (May 27, 2021)

Brento said:


> My old man has a dewalt chop saw that cuts metal with an abrasive saw. I was wondering if i could put a blade in that chop saw to cut aluminum. Also what kind of blade would that be.


If cutting aluminum in a chop saw or table saw do not hold it by hand like you do cutting wood. Use clamps and hold downs and proceed carefully.


----------



## Brento (May 27, 2021)

@Nogoingback were you trying to post a link?


----------



## Larry$ (May 27, 2021)

Get a blade designed for metal, negative hook. Positive hook blades will want to grab if you feed at all aggressively. Use wax or WD40 to prevent chip welding to the teeth.


----------



## FOMOGO (May 27, 2021)

I just cut up a bunch of 1/8" aluminum diamond plate. Used a 6.5" metal cutting blade in my in my 7 1/4" worm drive. Tried cutting it dry, and it gummed up the blade pretty quickly. Sprayed some WD40 down the cut lines and a little on the blade. Night and day difference. Cut 100' or better, no issues. Will order some of the wax to see how it compares. Mike


----------



## Brento (May 27, 2021)

I have a vise attached to the saw. Aluminum id be cutting is like 1-2" thick. Most id do is 4"?  I just dont know where to look exactly.


----------



## Nogoingback (May 27, 2021)

Brento said:


> @Nogoingback were you trying to post a link?


Oops: thanks for the heads up.   Fixed.


----------



## savarin (May 27, 2021)

I use my table saw with a 10" negative rake blade for ferrous and non ferrous material and hand feed up to 12mm thick.
I always lower the blade so its just a bit higher than the material thickness.
The thickest I've cut was 4", a failed aluminium casting, WD40 and it was like a hot knife through butter (well not quite but still easy)
The biggest problem I've found is the amount of hot chips that spray around


----------



## Brento (May 27, 2021)

@Nogoingback have you used the thick aluminum blade for thicker then they suggest?


----------



## pdentrem (May 27, 2021)

Maybe invest in a cold saw or find someone who does.
 Pierre


----------



## NC Rick (May 27, 2021)

I’m reading this and may have missed the answer… are we saying an abrasive saw won’t work?  I have wondered the same.


----------



## Brento (May 27, 2021)

Abrasive can load up.


----------



## savarin (May 27, 2021)

I think the abrasive saw WILL load up and possibly could ignite.
You could do a quick test with a thin blade in an angle grinder and see how fast it loads up and stops cutting, but?????


----------



## FOMOGO (May 27, 2021)

Chop saws designed for cutting metal run around half the speed of an abrasive saw 1750 vs 3400rpm. The higher speed will work, just not ideal. Mike


----------



## Eddyde (May 28, 2021)

I have done a lot of cutting both aluminum and steel with carbide tooth, non abrasive, blades on a variety off saws.
An abrasive chop saw fitted with a carbide blade will work for aluminum but not for steel. The RPM on these saws are too high for steel they. will quickly burn out the blade. Also this  style saw is usually not designed fo accuracy and adjustability.
A miter saw designed for wood can be used for aluminum but is dangerous as there is usually no, or insufficient, clamping mechanism on these saws to adequately hold the work. Hand holding aluminum on a wood miter saw is very dangerous, I had done it many times and thought it reasonably safe until I had a kickback... 
If you want to cut metal in this fashion get a proper "cold cutting" saw, designed for cutting metal with carbide blades.
IMHO, These saws are worth the investment, enabling you to cut steel and aluminum fast and relatively safe.
Here are a couple of pictures from a recent project, cutting 2.5" 1215 steel bar:
	

		
			
		

		
	



I used wax stick lube, and "peck-cut" by backing the blade off every few seconds to allow it to cool.


Safety tip: Always let the blade come to a complete stop before lifting it, otherwise the cutoff piece can possibly catch a tooth of the still rotating blade and get thrown with tremendous force!




The most variation in thickness was only .0035"


----------



## Brento (May 28, 2021)

I believe this miter saw is set up for metal. It already has a hold down to clamp the material. I was thinking to use the abrasive wheel to cut my steel and the new blade i am trying to get for cutting the aluminum.


----------



## Larry$ (May 28, 2021)

You don't need carbide to cut metal, including steel. Many cold saws come with steel blades. They are not cheap blades! One of the advantages of the steel metal cutting blades is their much thinner kerf. The blade on a cold saw rotates away from the fence! That way any small cutoff piece simply drops away and does not get bound up in the fence slot. The rotational speed of a cold saw is quite slow, very high torque that requires strong clamping. When cutting rods a matching curved insert is used in the vice to prevent the work from spinning. 

I have an old Italian made cold saw that cuts very nicely, steel blade, smooth cuts in all the materials I've cut, including steel up to 4130. Much faster than my metal cutting bandsaw. Saw is equipped with flood coolant which will help the durability of the blade but not absolutely required to be used.


----------



## Brento (May 28, 2021)

This is the saw i have and the blade that is on it. The first set of things cut ok but once i got to the 1/2" material. I am having a hard time cutting the steel. It looks almost like it is work hardening as i am cutting. Is there a different blade i can maybe use? I still have 3/4 hex material to cut and i do have a 5/16 416SS pces to cut?


----------



## Eddyde (May 28, 2021)

When cutting with an abrasive disc its best not to bear down on the machine, let it do the cutting. If you push too hard you can clog up the abrasive with molten metal. Then you'll need a diamond dresser to clean it up or toss it and start with a new disc. I also have had some limited success cleaning clogged discs by trying to cut through a piece of masonry material.


----------



## Brento (May 28, 2021)

I was worried if i cut slow as well it would cause issues


----------



## Brento (May 28, 2021)

Could you use a dressing stone instead of a diamond?


----------



## Eddyde (May 29, 2021)

Yes you can try that. Be careful, a full face shield is highly recommended!


----------



## MrWhoopee (May 29, 2021)

Brento said:


> This is the saw i have and the blade that is on it. The first set of things cut ok but once i got to the 1/2" material. I am having a hard time cutting the steel. It looks almost like it is work hardening as i am cutting. Is there a different blade i can maybe use? I still have 3/4 hex material to cut and i do have a 5/16 416SS pces to cut?
> View attachment 367488


Cutting those little pieces the way you are is probably the most painful way I can imagine, short of chewing them off. Parting them in the lathe would be preferable, and probably faster. Is that the only saw you have access to? If so, it's time to go to HF and buy a 4x6. 

The use of any power driven abrasive (bench grinder, chop saw etc.) on aluminum is a no-no. There is enough heat generated that the aluminum will "melt" into the abrasive, requiring dressing off enough material to get below the aluminum.


----------



## Brento (May 29, 2021)

I did just get one an hour ago lol. Everyone be spending my money on here lol


----------



## Eddyde (May 30, 2021)

savarin said:


> I think the abrasive saw WILL load up and possibly could ignite.


Indeed I have had that happen, though only with steel/iron chips when they build up in a clump and ignited by the sparks, a "steel wool" fire is produced. I suppose If a mixture of iron and aluminum chips ignited, the fire could be quite intense!


----------



## Eddyde (May 30, 2021)

Brento said:


> I did just get one an hour ago lol. Everyone be spending my money on here lol


Great choice! you cannot go wrong with a bandsaw!


----------



## Brento (May 30, 2021)

Reading up on updates for it and apparently its a good little saw with just minor set up tweaks out of the box.


----------



## MrWhoopee (May 30, 2021)

Brento said:


> Reading up on updates for it and apparently its a good little saw with just minor set up tweaks out of the box.


Mine cut square and straight right out of the box. The blade that came with it was cutting fine until I did something stupid.
I recommend bi-metal blades, especially for stainless. 10-14 tpi vari-pitch is a good general purpose blade, though 14 tpi seems to be more readily available.



			https://www.amazon.com/Imachinist-S64514-Bi-metal-Blades-Cutting/dp/B010BOLYP4
		










						11.37US $ 17% OFF|1pcs 64 1/2'' x 1/2'' x 14tpi M42 Bi metal Band Saw Blades Tool for Cutting Metal|Saw Blades|   - AliExpress
					

Smarter Shopping, Better Living!  Aliexpress.com




					www.aliexpress.com


----------



## Brento (May 30, 2021)

I bought some blades from HF while i was there. One of each tpi. When they go bad i will go with the starrett blades. If i didnt buy blades already id get them now bc they are like 1/3 to 1/2 the price as they are on amazon.


----------

