Cutting Aluminum with Kapex and General Purpose Blade (495388)
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promhandicam
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yes.
Rob-GB
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It could.
But....
I'd buy a cheapo triple chip/neg rake type blade and save the Kapex one for wood.
In two workshops I have had experience of cutting Duralium and Brass on a table saw using a neg rake/triple chip blade, slow and steady allowing the saw to do the work.
Duralium was in a pattern makers shop making molds for reconstituted stone products and the brass was reducing the width of some 90° angle strips as the size required was not made, good old architects [wink]
Eye protection is a mega serious requirement in doing this though, btw.
Rob.
But....
I'd buy a cheapo triple chip/neg rake type blade and save the Kapex one for wood.
In two workshops I have had experience of cutting Duralium and Brass on a table saw using a neg rake/triple chip blade, slow and steady allowing the saw to do the work.
Duralium was in a pattern makers shop making molds for reconstituted stone products and the brass was reducing the width of some 90° angle strips as the size required was not made, good old architects [wink]
Eye protection is a mega serious requirement in doing this though, btw.
Rob.
Cheese
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It'll work, the only question is will you damage the saw blade (chip carbide teeth) accidentally.
The Festool blade for cutting aluminum that's designed for the Kapex has a TC tooth configuration, while the wood cutting blade has an ATB tooth configuration. The ATB teeth come to a very sharp point so that they shear the wood fibers cleanly and leave a smooth finish. The TC teeth are less pointed so there is more support for the chip load. It's a crap shoot because the tubing is only 1/8" wall thickness, but accidents do happen.
I'd be tempted as Rob said, to purchase a cheapo aluminum blade to cut the tubing. If you're cutting aluminum now you'll probably cut some more aluminum sometime in the future.
The Festool blade for cutting aluminum that's designed for the Kapex has a TC tooth configuration, while the wood cutting blade has an ATB tooth configuration. The ATB teeth come to a very sharp point so that they shear the wood fibers cleanly and leave a smooth finish. The TC teeth are less pointed so there is more support for the chip load. It's a crap shoot because the tubing is only 1/8" wall thickness, but accidents do happen.
I'd be tempted as Rob said, to purchase a cheapo aluminum blade to cut the tubing. If you're cutting aluminum now you'll probably cut some more aluminum sometime in the future.
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Festool standard blades have been known to cut aluminum without damage. Lots of guiderails, MFT/3 fences and MFT/s extrusions cut like butter. Usually accidentally and rarely admitted. At JLC a very kind FOG member brought me a couple of shorter guiderails for something that I am working on and when I discovered that I couldn't fit one in my suitcase the Festool crew was happy to cut off a few inches with the Kapex. And this just before the start of the show where they would be demoing that saw and having a huge number of people picking up and examining the cut-offs for quality.
If you were doing more than a few I would agree that you should look for the recommended blade. Just make sure to wear normal protection gear and clamp your workpiece.
Peter
If you were doing more than a few I would agree that you should look for the recommended blade. Just make sure to wear normal protection gear and clamp your workpiece.
Peter
That's light enough it will probably be OK but when I tried cutting an aluminum bar 1/2 by 1 inch with my RAS with a negative hook blade it consistently grabbed hard. The blades they sell for cutting aluminum have extreme negative hook. If it grabs in something that light, it should still cut through it but might distort the tube.
Brice Burrell
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overanalyze
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It can be done. Be very careful and slow the cut down. Make sure both sides of the cut are clamped well.
We just cut a small piece of aluminum z-track the other day. The blade grabbed the piece and pulled it into the guard. We got lucky...it only bent the blade, cracked the clear guard, and bent the washers on each side of the blade. I say lucky because no one got hurt.
I don't say that to scare you but to urge you to clamp the piece down...we didn't.
Thankfully it was our cheaper Oshlun blade and not the Festool one.
We just cut a small piece of aluminum z-track the other day. The blade grabbed the piece and pulled it into the guard. We got lucky...it only bent the blade, cracked the clear guard, and bent the washers on each side of the blade. I say lucky because no one got hurt.
I don't say that to scare you but to urge you to clamp the piece down...we didn't.
Thankfully it was our cheaper Oshlun blade and not the Festool one.
Cheese
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Like overanalyze said, you must clamp the rectangular tubing down securely.
However, I would not clamp both sides of the cut. Only clamp one end of the material.
If for some reason a tooth catches, the unclamped piece can then eject itself from the setup. By having both ends clamped, if a tooth catches, the metal can't go anywhere and that's when things bend and break.
However, I would not clamp both sides of the cut. Only clamp one end of the material.
If for some reason a tooth catches, the unclamped piece can then eject itself from the setup. By having both ends clamped, if a tooth catches, the metal can't go anywhere and that's when things bend and break.
