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12-30-2006, 08:09 AM
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#1
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4 Rivet Member 
1978 31' Excella 500
1961 26' Overlander
Harmony
, Pennsylvania
Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 312
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quick question on aluminum cutting
My hubby wants to know if he can cut a piece of aluminum sheeting on his table saw with a regular blade or is it necessary to buy a special blade for one cut?
TIA
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12-30-2006, 08:44 AM
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#2
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Vintage Alum. Enthusiast

1959 24' Tradewind
Phoenix
, Arizona
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: I currently do not own a 2nd Airstream
Posts: 4,360
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Personally, I would not attempt it. The best tool for cutting aluminum, IME, is an electric shear. I found one on Craig's List for $75, worth every penny. If cutting aluminum is not a common occurence, a hand shear or tin snips will do the job.
Brad
FF
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4CU 2699 / AIR 10 / TAC AZ-1
I'm haunted by aluminum.
Charter Member of the 4 Corners Unit.
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12-30-2006, 08:48 AM
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#3
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Rivet Master 
1956 22' Flying Cloud
1953 32' Liner
1955 22' Safari
Valley View
, Texas
Join Date: Jan 2006
Posts: 3,971
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Cutting aluminum
It won't be pretty. Maybe dangerous if it grabs and kicks back. Aluminum needs a fine tooth to get a smooth cut. Got a band saw? Better yet...wait till the closest shop with a shear opens up and bum a cut from them. You will like the results better in the end. Whats ya makin'?
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12-30-2006, 08:59 AM
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#4
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4 Rivet Member 
1972 21' Globetrotter
nc
, North Carolina
Join Date: Feb 2006
Posts: 253
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cutting aluminum
i have cut aluminum lots of times, you have to put your blade on backwords.
that way the saw will not kick back. you must wear safety glasses.
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12-30-2006, 09:20 AM
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#5
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Moderator

2015 25' FB Flying Cloud
2012 23' FB Flying Cloud
2005 25' Safari
Santa Rosa Beach
, Florida
Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 13,219
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I have cut aluminum strips as wide as 4" (1/8" thick) many times using a sabre saw with a high quality metal cutting blade. The results have been excellent. I would think that this method would also work on thinner stock if it was well clamped with a good solid backing.
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SuEllyn & Brian McCabe
WBCCI #3628 -- AIR #14872 -- TAC #FL-7
2015 FC 25' FB (Lucy) with ProPride
2020 Silverado 2500 (Vivian)
2023 Rivian R1T (Opal)
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12-30-2006, 10:31 AM
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#6
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More than one rivet loose

Currently Looking...
Los Alamos
, New Mexico
Join Date: Feb 2006
Posts: 3,756
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An Abrasive blade, Plasma Cutter or Shear would be best. If the saw grabs the alumnum and throws it someone will get slived pretty good or impaled.
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Michelle TAC MT-0
Sarah, Snowball 
Looking for a 1962 Flying Cloud
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12-30-2006, 12:13 PM
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#7
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Rivet Master 

1973 23' Safari
1977 23' Safari
2018 25' Flying Cloud
Palmer Lake
, Colorado
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 4,138
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air-driven shears are available at Harbor Freight for about $20. Unless you can bum a cut on a bench shear, you will need an aluminum file (a steel file that has teeth cut especially for aluminum--soft aluminum will clog a regular file). More rules:
1. If you use aviation snips, NEVER close the jaws all the way--when the tips meet, it causes a serious stress riser in the sheet at that point and usually a small crack perpendicular to the cut. You'll find that electric or air shears never close the jaws all the way.
2. Get used to using the left and right cruve-cutting models of the aviation snips. They can both cut straight lines, too.
3. Always file the cut edge to remove burs and stress risers.
4. If you're cutting a large sheet, use a saber saw for rough cut, then trim with a bandsaw. Tape the bandsaw table to prevent scratches. Make sure the sheet is held reasonably firmly down on the table so it doesn't vibrate and grab. If vibration is controlled, bandsaws can cut very thin sheet.
5. Think "prevent scratches" all the time.
Zep
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12-30-2006, 12:57 PM
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#8
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Rivet Master 
1984 31' Airstream310
Dunsmuir
, California
Join Date: May 2004
Posts: 1,336
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I cut aluminum on my unisaw all the time. I use a special blade from harbor freight (I ordered mine, didn't see one in the local store). Makes great cuts. Name brand blades are also available (Freud) but for the amount of cutting I do it didn't seem worth the additional cost.
If you follow proper safety procedures I think you can do this safely. First issue is to be sure that you have adequate infeed/outfeed table to fully support the stock. Kick back can occur if you allow the work to come up off of the table after the cut and contact the the back of the blade. If the stock you are cutting from is bigger than your table, I'd suggest you find another way. In my experience abrasive blades make messy cuts.
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1984 310 Limited Motorhome
Courtesy Parking (W/S/E/Wi-Fi) on I-5 in Northern California, 70 miles from Oregon border
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12-30-2006, 02:30 PM
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#9
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4 Rivet Member 
1978 31' Excella 500
1961 26' Overlander
Harmony
, Pennsylvania
Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 312
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Thanks
Thanks everyone. I had already checked Harbor Freight and told him about the shears. I think that we'll probably go and get a set.
Melody Ranch - I'm not quite sure what he's making. He was working on the rear of the unit, on the hose storage box. He's beginning to be a bit like Dr. Frankenstein out there.....
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12-30-2006, 02:47 PM
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#10
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Rivet Master 
2003 22' International CCD
Kiln
, Mississippi
Join Date: Dec 2005
Posts: 2,779
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My office has an attached machine shop - our guys repair all our oceanographic gear there and the machinists are excellent. They cut aluminum on a regular table saw with a carbide wood blade all the time, this is a government run shop and safety is never ignored. I have cut aluminum stock 2.5 inches thick on a table saw before. That was the way I was tought on high school shop class - a while back.
You must feed it slow - have a block of wood above the blade to keep it from kicking up and wear gloves and goggles for safety.
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Michael & Tina with Layla and Preston BZ The family has grown. 2003 22' INTERNATIONAL CCD
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12-30-2006, 03:33 PM
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#11
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Rivet Master 
Airstream Dealer
Corona
, California
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 16,497
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Quote:
Originally Posted by wannaroam
My hubby wants to know if he can cut a piece of aluminum sheeting on his table saw with a regular blade or is it necessary to buy a special blade for one cut?
TIA
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You can also cut aluminum with a "razor knife."
Using a straight edge, score the aluminum 8 to 10 times.
Then try to bend the metal at the scoring.
It will snap in two.
Dress the edge with a file if you wish.
We do it every day.
Andy
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12-30-2006, 03:42 PM
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#12
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Rivet Master 

1973 23' Safari
1977 23' Safari
2018 25' Flying Cloud
Palmer Lake
, Colorado
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 4,138
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Quote:
Originally Posted by clancy_boy
..have a block of wood above the blade to keep it from kicking up and wear gloves and goggles for safety.
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Whoa!! I've never seen gloves recommended around a rotary saw of any kind. It makes sense from the aspect of holding the aluminum sheet, but not from getting close to the blade. I'd be conflicted...
Zep
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12-30-2006, 03:50 PM
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#13
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Rivet Master 
1971 21' Globetrotter
Currently Looking...
Currently Looking...
Currently Looking...
Arvada
, Colorado
Join Date: May 2006
Posts: 3,598
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Aluminum
We cut aluminum on our Jet Cabinet saw at our aircraft sheetmetal shop all the time. Usually to cut off a large flange that is needed to contact the dies on the press brake. Large radius bends are needed to bend .125 2024-T3 and require a very wide bottom die so we have to cut off the flange to final demension after bending, usually on U or C channels. We do however use a blade made for nonferous metals
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12-30-2006, 04:37 PM
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#14
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Rivet Master 
2003 22' International CCD
Kiln
, Mississippi
Join Date: Dec 2005
Posts: 2,779
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Zeppelinium
Whoa!! I've never seen gloves recommended around a rotary saw of any kind. It makes sense from the aspect of holding the aluminum sheet, but not from getting close to the blade. I'd be conflicted...
Zep
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Zep, I agree - gloves and long sleave shirts have always been taboo around a saw of any kind for me (long hair too - but that's a different story). I am talking about aluminum sheets that take two or sometimes three to handle - no one is near the blade and the gloves are to protect the guys from the more probable injury from the raw edge of the sheet of aluminum and not the blade. BTW - the saw guard on the shop saw would almost make getting your hand near the blade an act of stupidity, government shop and all it has to stay in place.
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Michael & Tina with Layla and Preston BZ The family has grown. 2003 22' INTERNATIONAL CCD
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12-30-2006, 05:23 PM
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#15
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Rivet Master 

1973 23' Safari
1977 23' Safari
2018 25' Flying Cloud
Palmer Lake
, Colorado
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 4,138
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Quote:
Originally Posted by clancy_boy
Zep, I agree - gloves and long sleave shirts have always been taboo around a saw of any kind for me (long hair too - but that's a different story). ...
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Cool, I was hoping that was the answer. thanks.
Zep
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01-01-2007, 08:23 AM
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#16
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4 Rivet Member 
1978 31' Excella 500
1961 26' Overlander
Harmony
, Pennsylvania
Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 312
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Well, two hours later and $$$$ lighter we finally came home from HF.
I should know better than to encourage him to go to a tool store....
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