# cutting aluminium extrusion on the table saw



## mickthetree (3 May 2013)

Afternoon all.

I have some C section Aluminium extrusion 50mm x 50mm x 3mm which I need to cut down to 40mm x 40mm. Can I do this on my tablesaw (kity 419)? Do I need any different type of blade? Trend do a blade specifically for Ali:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/121077994010

I have about 6 metres worth of cuts to make.

Anyone got any experience of cutting Aluminium this thik?

Cheers


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## Racers (3 May 2013)

Hi, Mick

Yes you can but a band saw with a fine blade would be better, it spits less hot swarf than a table saw.
I have cut some big aluminium heat-sinks with mine using a bit of oil as lubricant.

Pete


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## mickthetree (3 May 2013)

Hi Pete

Ok, thats for that. I think I'd rather keep my bandsaw dedicated to wood as the guy who had it before me cut ali on it and I could never get it out of the tyres (which I've just replaced).

I dont much like the sound of hot spitting swarf!! Great name for a band, but not so good for my workshop.

I might give this a miss and put the money into buying the right size angle iron in the first place.


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## Lons (3 May 2013)

Hi Mick

I cut a length of ali box section using a negative rake blade but it wasn't a pleasant experience and there were sharp bits all over the place for weeks. it cut ok but I wouldn't do it again unless desperate.

I do use my mitre saw to cut to length without a problem but as Pete says, the swarf is pretty hot and feels a bit like welding spatter - not nice.

Bob


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## No skills (4 May 2013)

How about on your router table (? or maybe not, assuming ownership), could build a custom guard to keep the swarf at bay.


Just a thought.


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## Eric The Viking (15 May 2013)

Hacksaw, then clean up with a router bit.

I got excellent results with a simple straight bit in the router (no lubrication). Sorry that I can't remember what size cutter it was, but I had some L-section that needed to be asymmetric. I needed a run of about 18". I think I improvised a router table outside (where thrown chips didn't matter as much). I agree with Mick about bandsaw tyres - I know you can, but the cleanup afterwards isn't worth it.

I've also machined brass with a router cutter very successfully, again without lubricant. I had to convert some spigoted plumbing fittings into compression ones, done with the aid of the router table and an MDF jig (for the curious I measured the angle of the bevel that compresses the olives at 30 degrees). That was done on the 'proper' router table.

E.


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## AndyT (15 May 2013)

I briefly had a summer job in a warehouse full of aluminium extrusions. I remember that to cut them to length they used an electric chop saw with a big, coarse-toothed blade. The reason was that if you used a fine-tooth blade the chips of hot ali would stick to the teeth and clog it, where the bigger chips were thrown free.
Do bear in mind though that this was a long time ago and was for quick cuts. I mention it just to make the point that very fine tooth blades are not always the right choice for soft metals.
If I were you I would talk to the saw supplier - Cutting Solutions is often recommended IIRC.


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## No skills (15 May 2013)

Funny you mention that, the Bandsaw/chop saw we used to have ran a suprisingly course toothed blade. Only thing you had to be particularly carefull with was material that had large voids inside and thin walls - stuff like that had to be clamped to the machine to stop snatching and brown overall moments


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## spinks (18 May 2013)

Bit late to the discussion, but also lets not forget that ripping a 3m length of ali will cause alot of heat, causing distortion on the extrusion!


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## DTTech (27 May 2013)

Myself, i'd either go with the band saw and specific blade (I hear you about debris in the rubbers though). But my prefered method would be on a Miller.


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