Subject: Re: Cutting Aluminum

From: edd@mindspring (edd)
Date: Sat, 29 Mar 1997 04:27:48 GMT

Working in the entertainment trade, Aluminum is a regularly used
material for many applications.  We typically use "woodworking"
machines for milling aluminum of many forms.  Routers are indeed used
with up or down cutting spiral carbide bits, as are mitre saws, and
tablesaws depending on the application needed.  A hold down is
recommended such as fingerboards or clamps.  Wear protective clothing
including, but not limited to gloves, longsleeve shirt, face shield
AND goggles and definitely ear protection. 
	 Run aluminum at a slow, even speed and do NOT let go of the
stock until the blade is away from the stock.  Use a carbide tipped,
triple chip grind blade with a very shallow hook angle.  Additionally,
try to use a lubricant on the blade such as a wax machinist lube, or a
light oil.  Watch out for edges, which can either be burnished, or
filed after milling.
	Gas cutting and welding of aluminum is very tricky and should
only be done by, or in the presence of an experienced welder.  You'll
find Aluminum machines very much like Acrylic or polycarbonate.

I wish you well with your endevor,

Chris

On 3 Mar 1997 17:35:43 GMT, [email-masked] (John Paquay)
wrote:

>In article <[email-masked]>, [email-masked] says...
>>
>>Can anyone give some advise on cutting aluminum tube and sheet. Thickest
>>piece would be about 1/4". I have both table and radial saws that I
>>could use. What would be an appropriate blade and technique?
>
>A few years ago, FWW ran an article about milling aluminum with
>a router -- a proposal I thought was pretty ridiculous, considering
>that router runs nearly 100 times the speed of the average milling
>machine setup.  My dad though, being a machinist/woodworker,
>tried it for himself and was pleased with the results.
>
>Cutting thin aluminum on a circular saw is definitely the most
>troublesome operation, but it can certainly be done.  In my
>experience, it's wise to find a way to hold the material very
>securely in some sort of fixture (don't try to do it holding it with
>your hands, or just pressed against the miter fence), and feed
>slowly.
>
>If you intend to do it often, use a band saw, which is a more
>appropriate tool, and is also far less susceptible to damage from
>aluminum filings falling into the saw's works.
>
>
>-- 
>John Paquay
>[email-masked],  [email-masked]
>http://www.physics.purdue.edu/~jep/
>----------------------------------------------------
>Without my wings you know I'd surely die...
>            --Kansas, Icarus (Wings of Steel)
>----------------------------------------------------
>

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From: [email-masked]
Date: Sat, 29 Mar 1997 05:03:45 GMT

I believe it should be Negative Hook Blade
"Common sense is so...uncommon."FLW
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