Cutting alluminium sheeting

yotaman · Post by **yotaman** » Sun Jul 29, 2012 7:06 pm

Without having a fancy cutting machine or special plasma cutter what advice can anyone give me to successfully cut alloy sheeting. Is there perhaps a special disc for this?

WayneSchalk · Post by **WayneSchalk** » Sun Jul 29, 2012 7:15 pm

Jigsaw with the right blade. The challenge is cutting in a straight line

jacques kotze · Post by **jacques kotze** » Sun Jul 29, 2012 7:24 pm

I'm using a normal roll saw for cutting wood, I use a normal wood blade but Aluminium blades is available. I cut up to 3mm aluminum.

kfxnando · Post by **kfxnando** » Sun Jul 29, 2012 7:36 pm

from my understanding and limited experience, most blades that can cut wood, will cut aluminum sheeting!!

am busy with a little project that I could display here later, and the heat sink for the electronic components is cut with something very similar to an offcut machine with a steel blade!!!

DO NOT USE AN ANGLE GRINDER with A NORMAL CUTTING DISK ON ALUMINUM

to file aluminum one uses plumbers chalk, or normal chalk to stop a file from getting clogged up with filling!!
when porting aluminum cylinder heads, we used grease to stop the pear shape cutter from clogging up

so you could try either use chalk or grease to stop the blade from retaining the aluminum filing, however doubt that the big open teeth blades will clog up easily!!

hope this helps!!

Keiler · Post by **Keiler** » Sun Jul 29, 2012 7:39 pm

i use babygrinder with slimline blade, very thin blade and finnish off burrs with a file for the odd cuts on thin sheets,
get most of my stuff pre-cutt from NFM, save you time and you can decide on buying p/kg which sometimes work out cheaper than per sheet specialy with odd size offcuts

yotaman · Post by **yotaman** » Sun Jul 29, 2012 8:00 pm

Tks for the tips and advice to all you guys

Buffel 1 · Post by **Buffel 1** » Sun Jul 29, 2012 8:07 pm

with the best effort in the world have I not been able to cut it straight
Leave it for a pro

Hi-Hilux · Post by **Hi-Hilux** » Sun Jul 29, 2012 8:12 pm

Clamp net vir jou 'n straight edge langs jou lyne, dan sny mens reguit

Post by **Polarbear2008** » Sun Jul 29, 2012 9:26 pm

Ek stem saam met die comment oor die jigsaw eerder as die angle grinder, want die "waste" is baie minder met n jigsaw en ook die afwerking daarna.

Post by **Mud Dog** » Mon Jul 30, 2012 1:11 am

A jigsaw with a straight-edge works well but there are special thin blades for cutting alu / copper with a grinder. A normal blade creates too much heat and clogs. Even better is if you have a variable speed grinder and cut on a slow speed with the thin blade .... cuts are fairly clean.

MOFASA · Post by **MOFASA** » Mon Jul 30, 2012 7:10 am

Mud Dog wrote:A jigsaw with a straight-edge works well but there are special thin blades for cutting alu / copper with a grinder. A normal blade creates too much heat and clogs. Even better is if you have a variable speed grinder and cut on a slow speed with the thin blade .... cuts are fairly clean.

You can make any grinder variable speed, all you need is a light dimmer switch in a box on connected in the power cord between the plug and the grinder....

Then all you do is adjust the speed, but dont turn it down to much as it will burn out the armiture or the brushes due to overheating as the fan does not spin fast enough to cool the windings.......

Traveler · Post by **Traveler** » Mon Jul 30, 2012 7:42 am

I use a long spirit level that I clamp to the surface, and then it serves as the guide for the saw. Works very well. A long piece of angle iron can also do the job.

I have a couple of sheet of aluminium that is looking for someone to take over.

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