Cutting discs for aluminium

**Debacle** · 28th July 2014, 06:17 PM

Originally Posted by landy

I was put onto using a circular saw blade by the engineering boys at work. Cuts really well and very clean cuts. They said aluminium is softer than hard wood so the circular saw works well. I've been doing it this way for a couple of years now with no problems. I've only used the one blade. Still very sharp.

Cheers

Nino.

I've got one of these in an electric mitre saw, works brilliantly but clamp both ends of the work and be very careful.

**Corgie Carrier** · 28th July 2014, 06:18 PM

I was told by the guys that make ally tool boxes to use the thin steel discs and put candle wax on them while you are working to stop the ally sticking.
So I bought a 10" x 3" candle from the cheap junk shop for $3 and it worked real good.

Neale

**Corgie Carrier** · 28th July 2014, 06:20 PM

Oops double post

**LandyAndy** · 28th July 2014, 07:13 PM

Thanks guys.
Most of the cuts will be with a 5" grinder.I do have a pretty strong jigsaw that never gets used,will get some blades for that too.
Candlewax sounds great.
Andrew

redrovertdi · 28th July 2014, 07:26 PM

Originally Posted by Corgie Carrier

I was told by the guys that make ally tool boxes to use the thin steel discs and put candle wax on them while you are working to stop the ally sticking.
So I bought a 10" x 3" candle from the cheap junk shop for $3 and it worked real good.

Neale

Ive been doing this to, works very well

**isuzurover** · 28th July 2014, 08:30 PM

You should also wax sanding discs to stop them clogging.

**drivesafe** · 28th July 2014, 08:59 PM

Originally Posted by landy

I was put onto using a circular saw blade

About 20 years ago I was developing new power distribution panels for Winnebago and needed to cut a lot of angled aluminium sections, so when I sourced the aluminium lengths, I asked the supplier how would be the best way to cut the sections I needed.

He told me to use a drop saw and get the special aluminium circular saw blade.

So I go to my local hardware store and get the a drop saw and ask about getting the aluminium circular saw blade.

He asked what I was going to cut and told me the special aluminium circular saw blade ( from memory ) was about $100 but for what I was doing, the wood circular saw blade supplied with the drop saw was all I really needed.

20 years later and thousands upon thousands of cuts later, both timber and aluminium, I am still using the same circular saw blade.

I have cut up to 5mm thick aluminium heat sinks and as pointed out above, just do the cuts slowly.

One other trick I have learnt, is to regularly spray the teeth with some form of lanolin spray and this stops the circular saw blade getting stuck while cutting thick aluminium or ripping thin aluminium.

**PhilipA** · 29th July 2014, 08:06 AM

Just to add anothe rthat I have not tried yet.

The contra rotating cirular saws are supposed to be the ducks guts for aluminium.
I bought a Rockwell last week from Supercheap for $59.90. They have a wax dispenser with a little wheel to push it onto the blades.

The blades are quite fine in teeth number which is the important bit.

I intend to use the saw to cut composite material which is aluminium/plastic/aluminium.

Just to clarify,with a circular saw the recommendation is to use a high number /fine tooth blade to stop getting a jagged edge. I found the normal blade OK on the composite if I went slowly.

I used a Ryobi battery drop saw to cut some 25MM angle aluminium and aluminium 20mm square tube, but the coarse blade in the drop saw sometimes ripped into the thin angle.

Regards Philip A

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