How to Cut Aluminum the Easy Way - Kevin Caron
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- Опубликовано: 6 сен 2024
- From www.kevincaron.com - Artist Kevin Caron is starting a new public art sculpture, which will be made of aluminum. To cut the sheets of metal, rather than using his Beverly shear or plasma cutter, Kevin chooses his jigsaw to cut the aluminum and shows you how to keep from scratching the metal. See more how to videos at www.kevincaron.com
At the fiberglass boat shop I worked at, one guy would always tape the bottom of the jigsaw and make his cut and there would wind up being a bunch of scratches needing to be buffed out because the tape would pick up some of the cut particles and drag them across the surface. So I usually taped the work surface, did my layout on the tape, and peeled it off after cutting.
Now that's a good tip!
Good to know thanks. Tape on the saw works great with wood. But the shavings can’t damage the surface like metal shavings
I appreciate the way you explained the available options!
I love talking with people instead of at them. Makes for a better video I think.
Also make sure your blade is not in an orbital motion, rub some paraffin wax on the blade every few inches, and set the entire work piece on a sheet of 2" foam insulation to cut into so you don't have to hang it over the edge of the table. Keep a small wire brush handy to clear any aluminum chips that will stick to the teeth. And wear ear plugs.
Excellent tips, thanks.
Thank you so much!! It's just simple and direct to the point! After I searched for the Aluminium cutting services with the cnc and other things, they are all very costly just for the cutting price!.. Now I will be able to do it myself at home.....Thank you!!
After 8 years. Still big thank you🙏
Hell, been doing this since 2006 full time.
Jigsaw with metal blade du. I have been thinking about the best way of doing this for 2 months. Thanks for showing me the obvious option for someone that only has Ryobi tools.
I have a lot of fun figuring out how to make a tool do something it was not made for.
If you only use a tool for what is made for you’re not being creative enough. And the tools will get boarded. You definitely don’t want boarded tools. 😋
I have given up on post hole diggers. I just use a monster shop vac now.
You are my Hero! Just started Basic Metalworking/Welding Class at the Morean Art Center...You just ROCK!!!
Wow! Thank you!
Great! haha I just got a cutting torch. I was reading on, I think the Miller welding forums, people saying not to use that torch for aluminum. I was going to get a saw from Home Depot that is like, $299. BUT, this way will save me a lot of money. All your videos save me time. Money, well, I see your toys and then I have to buy them. LOL So, hey, at least you save me time.
I do what I can....
Intuitively I thought the jigsaw would be a great tool for trimming off an aluminum column. Thank you thank you for verifying my first guess! The jigsaw I used for cutting plywood 60 years ago is still the go-to tool in my shop!
Sometimes the old tools are the best way to go!
Thanks again for the information. Have been taking Mig and Tig at a nearby adult school and your videos help answer questions I have when in my shop trying to fabricate on a budget. Your demonstrations are great too.
Thanks for watching!
I cut lots of thin and medium gauge sheet material at work (= wheelchair customization). I agree with Kevin that a jigsaw is a good idea. However, he left out some important details. I recommend using a specific alu cutting blade or wood blade because the standard metal blades quickly get gummed up while the alu specific blades last much longer. It's also a good idea to clamp the sheet down onto a flat surface to avoid vibration. Thin gauge material can start to resonate at certain cutting frequencies if you are using a variable speed jigsaw. The blade can also seize if the sheet sags while you are cutting it because it is incorrectly supported. I do not find that using alu specific lubricant is needed unless you cut very thick material (e.g. 1/2" inch). My preferred tool is a Bosch 18V cordless jigsaw with a Bosch alu blade.
Great tips!! thanks for watching and posting!
Cutting fluid when you're either cutting or drilling this stuff (aluminum lubricant) helps tremendously.
Got me on that one! Don't remember off the top of my head what blade was on there.
Thanks for posting..
I like using:
Ammonia, Alcohol, and some blue dish soap.
Household ammonia is ammonium hydroxide. This solution contains 5% to 10%
Ammonium hydroxide is used as a refrigerant gas because ammonia absorbs heat from its surroundings.
Dexron:
works wonders when you're using carbide burrs to cut aluminum with a die grinder.
You can also cut 1/2 in. Aluminum sheet with a carbide ply saw blade.
Great tips! Thank you for watching and posting.
@KevincaronSculpture Love your channel.❤️ I'm glad you've made a dream come true!
I use a Makita Cordless 5-⅜" Metal Cutting Saw. I've used it to cut ¼in steel plate. You can also buy metal cutting blades for regular skill saws.
Thanks. I'm a girl cutting a sheet for a camping table. Needed a quick tutorial on how to do it best with what I've got.
Hope this helps! Thank you for watching and posting.,
God, people can be so negative today! (See comments below) I really appreciate u making this video and feel less than intelligent for not considering this option.
Thank you!
Great to have you on the other end of the internet Lauren!
Thanks for posting.
16GA and thinner can be cut much faster and cleaner with electric shears. I have Milwaukee. Yes, they cut out a 1/4" swipe of material, but the time saved and accuracy, as well as the ease of use makes it a no-brainer for me. The shears will cut a nice curve too. I had no trouble cutting a 10" radius making a set of aluminum kayak pontoons.
They are nice if you have a set.
For awkward heights I have sometimes found it useful to put my saw or small shear on a hydraulic lift table. That way I can position exactly even with the table and move the saw instead of the metal.
Nice video Kevin, I learnt some stuff today so thanks heaps.
Works great for smaller pieces. When you start ripping a full 4x8 sheet it gets a little harder to hold up the pieces. Will have to set one up someday to play with. Just need a new aluminum piece to work on.......
You bet!! Shears up to 1/8 inch work great but they get pricey for the bigger units.
Thanks guys! That's a tool even I own! Good tip on the duct tape, too!
Great idea. You could also use a pneumatic air nibbler.
A jigsaw with a metal blades cuts like butter through aluminium. Easy to do as Kevin says. Noisy, but easy to do!
Great video! It's all about getting er done! Thanks for the insight
Kevin how would you cut in the middle of the aluminum? I would like to cut out a door for a tiny camper. I plan to use the piece i cut out and the rest of the aluminum.
Plunge cut with a skill saw or jig saw. Watch this, ruclips.net/video/boIQA21F__I/видео.html
Good point, thanks for posting...
Clogs the teeth in those bits. I ended up using a circular saw with a wood finish blade. 50 tpi. Worked great.
yeah, got to go slow so the bits don't overheat. Still learning.
@VisorBlue get one with a good variable speed control, most of the time using a jigsaw to cut metal you don't want to be screaming along at hi RPM's, if your doing long cuts you don't want to have to hold the trigger down half way and get cramps too.
Also get one with a quick change blade holder, not the stupid screw grip type. Makita do some very nice ones
Thanks, learned that one in the Navy...
How long does the battery last, inches wise....
Not sure, but with a cordless recip saw, you definitely want the battery near full voltage (charge). As voltage goes down, the motor will tend to pull relative to the material, rather than power through and knock chunks off as the teeth pass through. Increasingly important as teeth-per-second across the material goes down, since that pulling action before the material breaks away will pull the motor voltage down and just get worse and worse.
I have to cut some 1/16 diamond deck aluminum just straight cuts mostly. To me it seems I could cut it as we do galvanize 18 gauge by sandwiching between plywood then running through the table saw. wish me luck
You got this!
i use a 1mm cutting disc coated in a thin layer of pig lard. cuts clean and super easy
And it smells like bacon when it gets hot!!!!
Thank You, Kevin. That is very helpful
You can cut thin aluminum like that with a one hand router and a cheap 5 buck Ryobi fluted bit.. Perfectly clean, controlled, not risking getting caught up like a jigsaw.. That's how they cut/trim aluminum for trailers at the factory.
If you have one! The guy I made this video for is working out of his basement with the most basic tools.
Thank you Sr. For The Idea,Great Video Some times the old school way is the best...
Thanks for watching!
I work with aluminum sheet all the time, and using a jigsaw to cut sheet metal will definitely leave scratches, even with the tape on the bottom of the saw, just think where all those metal chips are going as you cut, under the pad. I now use an electric shear to cut my aluminum, but I still get scratches from the tool.
Thanks for the info!
when i cut sheet ALU with a Jigsaw i set the small blade guide wheel real tight at the back of the blade ,,,, seems to not grab as much ,,,, also i use a little lube , Turps works great ,,
Thanks for posting. Will keep this in mind.
Genius !!!!
Using a jigsaw to saw. Why didn't I ever try that...
1/4 inch aluminum stock i need to cut in half, lengthwise. In your opinion woud an abrasive wheel or a circular saw bade,made for aluminum w/(teeth)? Might take more than 1 abrasive wheel at $3 each,where circuar blade/teeth $32,but then I'd be done with it. I have no choice but to use a 7.25 skil saw,and HD/owes has blades,but no one there had any experience
I would go with the circular saw. Just go slow and let it cut. Maybe rub some bar soap on the blade sides to help keep it clean. The aluminum will try to stick to the blade.
@ornametalsmith Great tip! When I need to cut the next set of panels I will give it a try. But first I have to play with the new toy!!
great idea.... thank
Nice metal shop like that should have a unishear. A jigsaw works great on heavier guage (18 guage and up) metals. Lighter guage will tend to jump around.
Have to check it out!
Thanks for watching.
"do you wanna know how I'm gonna do it?" It would have been a short video if he had said "No!"
I've been cutting my artwork out w/ a jewelers saw. While that's what I need for some intricate work, THIS would be very helpful in cutting down larger sheets to smaller ones rather than spending 6 hours w/ my little jewelers saw. What kind of blades do you use on the jig? Is there any problem w/ stutter w/ lighter gauges like 18 or 20? THANKS so much for this time saving idea!
+Stephanie Michaud Just a metal cutting blade with a higher tooth count.. Don't use the most aggressive blades.. You have to go slow and give the blade time to cut. Don't get in a hurry.. You will just clog the blade. For the thinner sheets try using a wood backer board to cut against.
+Kevin Caron, Artist Thank you. I figured it had to be small teeth and YES, must go slow. I'm so averse to power tools (they've always scared me since I was little and I'm nearly 50 now and still scared of them) I hadn't even thought about using my husband's to be able to cut the metal. I'll ask him to give this a shot. It'll save my arm and shoulder! Again, THANK YOU for the video and advice! now I also know about a Beverly Shear so that's on my list of must-have too. I've been painting sculptures for so long after a dozen years as a graphic designer, tools for metalworking are all new to me.
That was actually super helpful. Thanks!
Thanks Kevin, that's a great idea. I wish I had thought of that before I use a1/4" piece of uhmw and countersunk some small machine screws to hold it on. Mine looks like overkill now. Great job!
Good video. I need to cut .032" aluminum sides for a teardrop trailer, and hoped you would suggest a jigsaw, since aviation snips seem to distort the metal. To those complaining about the length of the video, I've seen plenty of vids where people babble for 20 minutes, shake the camera, trip over garbage, and tell you essentially nothing.
Thanks for watching Larry, Hope it helps!
Hi Larry, I was lookimg at the video for exactly the same purpose, cutting 0.032'' aluminium for a a teardrop. How did you get on this this method and that thickness, any other recommendations having done it?
@@KevincaronSculpture and thanks Kevin, there's always people out there who find this content really useful.
@@MrRustyT Hi Russell. I haven't cut it yet, but did buy some saber saw blades with 32 tpi. I'll need to cut mine (for the sides of the teardrop) before attaching it to the trailer, so I'll get a sheet of 3/4 plywood, some saw horses, and lay the aluminum down flat. I'll also make sure the aluminum is always supported under the cut, since it will tend to flop around with the blade. Btw, this is for an existing teardrop I made 8 years ago, where I used sheet laminate (formica) for sides and aluminum on the top. The laminate faded badly since I let it sit outside with the same side facing south. Doh!
@@LarryCook1960 Hi Larry, thenkds for the reply. It would be good to know how you get on as I'll be tackling mine in a few weeks. I'm going with a thicker aluminium as I was worried about the thinner stock oil canning.
exactly what I used to punch a nice square cutout for a cat5e jack. Drill bit by 3 steps up till it hits the side of the trace, ad used this to insert and cut the square
Well bigger is easier but you can do it with any size. Just have to go a little slower and give it a chance to chew.
hi mate what sort of blade and at what speed for saw ? jim south australia
The blade is just a low tooth count metal blade from the orange store. If I remember right it is a metal cutting blade. And I just tried to go as slow as I could on the cutting speed to keep the blade from caking up with the aluminum.
Got any ideas how to cut lots of ventilation slots in 3mm sheet?
A plasma cutter, a grinder with a cutoff wheel, a jig saw, skill saw with a metal blade. That's about all I got.
I never would have thought of that. Great tip!
Great idea - am going to try this - thanks!
Would be ideal but they can be expensive for the larger models..
Thank you so much for the tip it's much easier to cut it
Happy to help. Glad it works for you. Thanks for watching and posting.
I watch all of your videos. Thank you.
Lots of hearsay on the internet. Some guy said use woodblade since AL gums up metal blades. I did and even sprayed it down with WD40 and it took forever just to cut 1.5 inches on a .125in thick plate. I have 40 to go. Looks like you went through the sheet like butter with metal and just clean it often and maybe place wood under the plate to clean the blade as it cuts. Anyways, thanks for the demo.
Good tip on the wood block to clean the blade. Thanks for watching and posting.
Thanks my friend ❤️💪🙏
No problem 👍
It varies depending material type and thickness. I've cut just under 4ft ¼in steel for a project at home. for exp. I use it for topping fence posts to height. I've done 20 alum. 2x2 sq. posts on one charge
If all you need is a straight cut use a skill saw with a carbide blade and protective face shield. It cuts easy but chips fly everywhere.
I was hoping for more facts and less ham. What blade manuf? How many TPI? What speed are you runnin the DeWalt? Are you using it straight up and down or a little oscillations?
The blade was Milwaukee, but not sure of the TPI. The speed was about 4 out of 8 on the dial. And it was running straight up and down> Just remember that this is an old video> So not sure anymore.
when you say, "nice and slow", do you mean
A. moving the jigsaw through the metal slowly,
or B. have the jigsaw blade going up and down nice and slow?
I have found that for drilling metal, slow RPM with high pressure is good. I expect same applies for cycles per second on the blade, except you prolly don't need much pressure on the material for each tiny tiny tooth on the blade to pull off a tiny tiny chunk of metal, so just moderate pressure (speed of cut through the material) just enough that the blade keeps cutting. You don't want a drill or a saw blade spinning / cycling without cutting, but at low cycle rate, you can't push too hard or the teeth will pull on the material more than break pieces off of it.
You need to state how many teeth per inch your blade is. Aluminum tends to clog jigsaw and band saw blades.
Thanks, will keep that in mind for the next time.
@@KevincaronSculpture Harumpf! You took the time to answer that comment, perhaps you could have just answered. I'll help you out: 8 TPI (though I use about 4 TPI when I chew steak).
Really!? so, is that a special blade on the saw? by metal blade, do you mean "special blade for cutting metal" ? (obviously I'm new to this). It is good of you to share this info. Thank you.
That's funny, I've always used a jigsaw to cut aluminium sheet and just today I received a plasma cutter I bought on eBay - mainly to cut aluminium because I find the jigsaw so slow and tiring to use. Am I in for a bad surprise?
Not at all Dave! I think you will find the plasma to be much faster for cutting. Just make sure you have CLEAN air coming in to it and have fun.
Excellent! Thank you!
You are welcome!
Use a carbide tiped circular saw instead.
Just make sure you have your aluminum clamped down and spray it down with some wd40.
Great tip! Thanks for watching and posting.
Could I cut a piece of 1" wide, 1/4" thick 6061 aluminum stock this way? Thanks....
If that's all you have go for it.. Get a wide blade and use a straight edge to keep you in line. Just remember to GO SLOW!
Give the blade time to cut and you should be fine.
Thanks!!
Don't see why not. You may have to cut a little slower but should work just fine.
You know Kevin,If you mount a jig saw,on lets say a router table type deal.Get a router mounting pad,and install a jig saw in its place you can get pretty good control by guiding your material instead of you saw.Just slow it down going around bends and corners.
Guess you notice that I can't go sleep yet/
Paisano
Hi Kevin. Thanks for the tip. I've got a 1/2" aluminum outboard bracket to cut into. Think it'll still work? I can go real slow. It's not a big notch.
Ooops.. Aluminum alloy is probably what it is... www.pbsboatstore.com/Cook-Mfg.-65012.htm?feed=Froogle&gclid=CI2-8q_zrr4CFcUDOgodxgIADA
Kevin , I want to cut out frogs and other semi-detailed stuff. Any suggestions?
Its more common for guys to have a jigsaw than a router. I've had a jigsaw for years as they come in handy! Never needed a router though.
thanks for the idea i am making an rc car body out of sheet metal and i need a way to cut it I guess i could use metal shears.
good idea using duck tape on the bottom of the jigsaw great video Kevin keep them coming...
...
how thick this is? i gotta 1/2 inch thick aluminum plate that i wanna cut...
kinda sceptic abut a little jigsaw cutting it, don't belive it can do it
Long as the blade is long enough to stick though the metal you are good to go. Just have to go SLOWLY!! It will take awhile but no reason the saw will not do the job.
right, thanks a lot :D
"may the (arc) force be with you"
for 1/2 inch you will want to use a band saw. If you do try a jig saw some oil will make all the difference in the world. Without oil a jigsaw blade will clog with aluminum real fast.
I tried to cut some aluminum (3/16" thick) with my jig saw, using metal blades, but they were completely useless after about 1/2" of cutting. The orbital setting was on zero. I tried both high and low speed settings, but I couldn't get more than 1/2" cut per blade. What blade did you use to cut this arc and how many blades did you use?
Okay...so I just read through the blog and discovered the answers were already there. Maybe I wasn't going slow enough, but if it only took you 3 minutes to cut that section, I was going slower than you. I didn't use any cutting oil, either. I'll try that next time.
Very helpful, thank you! And never mind the trolls, spend your time creating! :)
Thank you,,
Hi Kevin. What advice can you give regarding distortion when welding panel steel please? Cheers Vaughan
Not much, I tend to stay away from the really thin stuff.
Thank Kevin .
thanks for the demo. Good to see this done before actually doing it myself. But there sure is a lot of wanker comments (they'll move out of their Pa's basement someday).
Love it! It's like the red green show with the duct tape 😂 Good advice though...am about to use this method for my aluminium.
I use a jig saw to cut thicker sheet. the aluminium clog up and the heat melt the fine saw teen. On the coarse teeth . it cut a bit better but still clogs up the teeth tightly. Jig saw may not be a good option. I switch to small hand grinder with t carbide bit. that cut much much better - but do not have the luxury of cutting tight curve of the jig saw
Have to go real slow with the jig saw blade. That's the only way I have found to not clog up the teeth. But a combination of both tools will work pretty good also.
How thick was the aluminum sheet? 3/16?
1/8th inch.
Yep, I had accidently found out you can use a saw on aluminum with no problems
Yes! Just go slow and give it a chance to cut. A little bar soap or wax on the blade helps keep it from clogging as well.
thanks mate
You're welcome!
nice vid kevin.what about using power shears?
More awesome tips as usual!
Great job
Wow, you're killing me, 3 minutes to say "Use a jigsaw" yeah, that's pretty funny lol
Got to keep you guys guessing!
THANK YOU!
What kind of blade did you use?
Just a metal rated blade I got from Home Depot. Don't remember the brand.
NICE! A tool I can afford. Any recommendations on metal cutting jigsaws?
I want to shape letters(after the cut), do I use a grinder(circular) or course sand paper on a vibrating sander to round out the edges?.
Grinder with a soft pad would be my first pick. Maybe a pencil grinder for in the corners..
Thanks
I have a project I want to try out. What do you recommend to precisely & easily cut out an aluminum soda can. I want the top of the cylinder to be cut out, the part where the soda stays in between the inner lining next to the opening where you open the soda. Thanks in advance.
Don't have a clue.
Sorry.
I'm interested in starting into metal art. Can you use the jigsaw for more detail as well? What would you recommend if not? Any sugestions on starting would be great as well. Thanks so much!
I am cutting alluminumxhannel For window screens and most of the songs of used really tear up the aluminum What do you suggest
What amp Jigsaw would you suggest using for 14 ga aluminum?
Genius!
Sure, that's what the jig saw is for in wood working. No reason why it can't do the same for metal. Just slower..
As for getting started in metal art,, get your name out there soon as you can. People can't buy your work if they don't know you are there.. Get a website going soon as possible. Promote yourself!