Hi Chris, I use to make aluminium balustrade and had all the "proper" tools for cutting aluminium, over time we found that tungsten timber power saw blades worked just fine and much cheaper. After selling the business I built an aluminium ski boat and used exclusively tungsten timber blades and router bits to cut and shape aluminium. The tricks are to go slow and a thin smear of Vaseline on the surface where the saw blade teeth start their cut (i.e. if power saw is on top of aluminium the Vaseline on bottom surface as teeth on a circular saw would be cutting up the material)
I have used hand held circular saw, drop saw, radial arm saw, saw bench, electric plane (very carefully) and large and small hand held routes. Saw blades are much better than cut off blade, though the 1mm cut of blades are pretty darn good. Regards Barry Kruyssen Cairns, Australia k...@bigpond.com http://www.users.bigpond.com/kr2/kr2.htm -----Original Message----- From: krnet-bounces+kr2=bigpond....@mylist.net [mailto:krnet-bounces+kr2=bigpond....@mylist.net] On Behalf Of Chris Johnston Sent: Thursday, 13 July 2006 9:45 AM To: KRnet Subject: KR> cutting aluminium I need some advice on cutting some inch aluminium c section, I was going to have the parts cut by water jet but they want a set up fee, jig fee, cutting fee, Tuesday fee etc, so took my business elsewhere, so I bought a couple of 1mm thick cutting discs, which are great for cutting alumimium, every one uses them on aluminium here, as they don't generate much heat, but still want to check just to be 100 per cent safe, is it ok to cut the metal with a disc, its 6061 T6, I am worried about affecting the temper, common sense sais so long as it does not get any hotter than ambient, it would be ok.
