cut aluminum with table saw?

I need to make a nice, perfectly straight, perfectly square cut about 16 inches long through .063 2024-T3. I'd love to use my table saw. If my carbide blade says it will cut through non-ferrous metals, am I good to go? Anybody cut aluminum sheet on a table saw before and have any general recommendations (or warnings )? Thanks.

I use all my wood tools

Steve,
I have a full shop of woodworking tools and with carbide blades they do superb work. I actually got the idea from a friend who owns a tool and die company. He routinely uses his table saw for cutting alum sheets.

I have a 3HP Powermatic cabinetmaker's saw with a Biesmeyer fence and use a 60 tooth carbide blade. Sweet cuts. Also, my Hitachi sliding compound miter saw makes the best crosscuts on alum angle, and really does well on large diameter alum tubing. On thinner stuff, I've found my router to be useful to clean up edges.

It is loud on the table saw as well as the miter saw, so usual precautions: gloves, ear protection, and face shield. Be very careful to feed stock slowly, and on the router and miter saw, dog down the stock in the even of kickback.

Art in Asheville
RV-8 Fastback painting.

Thanks for the tips, Art. I have a JET saw, unfortunately no Biesmeyer fence, but I really like it anyway. Hadn't thought about the router either.

In this case, I'll be cutting the sheet using a flat panel cutting jig so that I can crosscut the aluminum sheet at 90-degrees. Will it cause a problem if the skin is up on the panel jig rather than flat on the saw table? (My panel cutting jig is made of 1/2" plywood).

I'm going to Lowes/HD tomorrow so I'll try to find a 60-tooth blade. Currently only have a 40-tooth combination. My 80-tooth plywood blade recommends against using it for metal.

Thanks again.

Thank you

This is excellent news for me, and perhaps others. I am transitioning from a woodworking "habit" to a plane building "habit" and am looking at a garage...er' "aircraft manufacturing facility" that has some good woodworking tools that are taking up space. I planed to use my tablesaw as a defacto backriveting plate, but now I see new opportunities.

I have been going back and forth on the need to buy a band saw, and now I'm thinking a blade for my tablesaw may be all I need.

Now... if anyone is looking for a good, hardly used jointer, let me know.

steve

For the smoothest edge, use a hollow "ground ground planer" blade. This blade has zero set so the the teeth are not alternately "set" side to side to clear out the cut. It's the up swing or the back side of any blade that causes tare out. Also try sandwiching your flat stock aluminum between two sheets of say...3/8" plywood. This method with stop the aluminum from "chattering".
Regards.

table saw

I worked for an Aluminum company fabricating aluminum doors and frames. I used a Dewalt 18" radial saw every day to cut 6063T5 aluminum hollow shapes and solid shapes 1-3/4 by 4-1/2 with .125 walls. We used a diamond tooth blade. Youve got to be very careful cause the aluminum dosent behave like wood and it can throw it at you like a baseball as you finish your cut if the blade hangs on your piece. I would think you can easily cut thin sheet or even extrusions. I used a router and template to make all kinds of cutouts for hinges and locks. You need to feed the work slower than wood, and wear goggles cause the chips fly like little razors.

What blade did you use again? Diamond tooth? How many teeth?

A few years ago when building an RV-6 slowww build, I used a fine tooth metal blade on my table saw to rough out the tapers on the wing spar strips. Worked fine. used files and sander to finish off.

Ed Booth, Trenton, SC

Cutting on the Table

Hi all,

I am also a reformed woodworker, using a Powermatic 66. I bought a non-ferrous metal blade. It works very well on thicker aluminum. Used it to trim a light piece of folded sheet somewhere on the empennage. The piece caught in the blade, bent and shot out at astounding speed. Only a slight cut on my forearm, fortunately.

My conclusion is that the table saw is really good on thicker metal, but not so good on lightweight sheets. I used a bandsaw for cutting apart stiffiners, etc.

I agree with the above, eye and ear protection, gloves (a no-no with wood), and probably a face shield. Be very careful and deliberate.

Michael Wynn
RV 8
San Ramon

sandwich thinner material...or find a shear...

As noted- thicker materials cut great with a regular high tooth blade (not rip blade), but the thinner materials (skins) can leave a nasty edge. Consider a sacrificial 1/4" ply sandwich on cuts through the saw. It may take some experimenting- one piece on top, two pieces, one on bottom because the table saw blade direction will be different than the circular saw and crosscut saw. Stabilizes aluminum and should result in a clean cut.

If you are close to town- best to hunt down a shear. Community college, HVAC companies, sheet metal companies, gutter companies...

Perfectly straight, and quick. You'll spend more time taking the material to the shop.

Cut Aluminum with Router

A metal shear is best for straight cuts but if you do not have access, a router can be used to make straight cuts.

Rough cut the alum to plus 1/16" size. Clamp a straight edge to the sheet using it as a fence for the router. (I use a 4' level on it's side.) A router with a carbide straight bit will make a very nice smooth cut as straight as your fence. Make sure the fence is clamped to the good section and not the scrap section, this will prevent the router bit from digging in and causing nicks and making it undersize.

I have also used a router with a template bushing to cut alum, once the template is made, (accounting for the bushing dia.) hundreds of pcs. can be cut all the same size. Double back sticky carpet tape can be used to hold the template in position on the alum if you are unable to drill clamping holes.

Wipe a light amount of Boelube along the alum pre cut edge to prevent the alum from sticking to the router bit.

Don
RV-7 finish kit

Table saw

Steve,
I confess!!!! I'm a life long wood worker that is building a metal airplane because I like aluminum for the long term. If the airplane was made of wood, it would have been flying years ago. Whenever there is an opportunity to cut aluminum on the table saw, I do it with glee. Long ago I purchased a non-ferrrous metal blade from Home Depot but it is not necessary. Basic metal blades cut just great!!! Last month I trimmed the bottom edge of my canopy side skin on my table saw. I use all my wood working machines for aluminum cutting, trimming and fitting. Belt sander, bandsaw, table saw and router. I don't even give it a second thought. .032 sheet cuts great if you run it though on top of a scrap piece of MDF. I can cut beer cans if it is sandwiched between sheets of MDF. I only use the snips if I can't figure a safe way to use my table saw, or if the part is too small. My Rockwell Unisaw is my aluminum airplane building friend for sure!!!

Sincerely,
Brian from Bainbridge Island - no palm trees here!!!

thickness

...and if you need .020 and all you have is .032 a thickness planer does a GREAT job! (kidding)