If the aluminum doesn't get hot enough to burn you it should be fine. Aluminum is a big no no for grinding wheels though. As a young kid working in a machine shop I got reamed out pretty good by an old machinist that the wheel can get hot and explode on you. I don't know if you can really do that or not, but I do know that grinding wheels get all clogged up if you try grinding aluminum on them and if you keep trying to grind with a clogged wheel they just get hot and don't really grind anything any more. Using a cutoff disk on aluminum I would at the very least make sure that I wore goggles and kept all of my body parts out of the plane of the disk in case it did decide to come apart.
I have used carbide blades on a chop saw and a radial arm saw to cut aluminum. I have also used a table saw, but I highly don't recommend it. On the chop saw and radial arm saw the important thing to do different than cutting wood is to clamp the material on both sides of the blade. When doing wood you normally only clamp one side or just hold it with your hand. If you don't clamp both sides and cut slowly, especially as you are finishing the cut, you take the chance of the blade grabbing the part and launching it accross the room. Take those precautions and they really do a great job. Brian Kraut Engineering Alternatives, Inc. www.engalt.com -----Original Message----- From: krnet-bounces+brian.kraut=engalt....@mylist.net [mailto:krnet-bounces+brian.kraut=engalt....@mylist.net]On Behalf Of Chris Johnston Sent: Wednesday, July 12, 2006 7:45 PM 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. Chris Johnston North Richmond NSW AUSTRALIA _______________________________________ Search the KRnet Archives at http://www.maddyhome.com/krsrch/index.jsp to UNsubscribe from KRnet, send a message to krnet-le...@mylist.net please see other KRnet info at http://www.krnet.org/info.html
