Cutting aluminum with the Kapex 60

[Cheese]

But to me it is like using that Porsche cabrio to haul your furniture.

Like this?

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[rst]

Easy to tell his handicap...way too much money to have common sense

 

[Cheese]

Easy to tell his handicap...way too much money to have common sense

Well if our new task is rating handicaps...this guy just nudged the meter a bit higher.

Hauling timber in a Ferrari FF. You'd imagine that someone that spends $175,000+ on a car could afford a truck. Or if he's really a cheapskate...would be willing to rent a truck from Menards for $19.95 an hour?

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[squall_line]

Easy to tell his handicap...way too much money to have common sense

Well if our new task is rating handicaps...this guy just nudged the meter a bit higher.

Hauling timber in a Ferrari FF. You'd imagine that someone that spends $175,000+ on a car could afford a truck. Or if he's really a cheapskate...would be willing to rent a truck from Menards for $19.95 an hour?

[attachimg=1]

Hauling timber in a Ferrari FF is what the kids these days call a "flex".  The ultimate "I have enough money that I don't care, this is how I'm going to get my lumber" move.

 

[luvmytoolz]

Easy to tell his handicap...way too much money to have common sense

Well if our new task is rating handicaps...this guy just nudged the meter a bit higher.

Hauling timber in a Ferrari FF. You'd imagine that someone that spends $175,000+ on a car could afford a truck. Or if he's really a cheapskate...would be willing to rent a truck from Menards for $19.95 an hour?

We used to get heaps of people doing that in the timber yard, we'd try to warn them what would happen if they had to brake hard, but almost all said it'll be fine. Saw more than a few with busted windscreens as a result. That and the people who borrowed a box trailer to pickup packs of flooring or framing, and would have it forked on top of the cage!

 

[Cheese]

Hauling timber in a Ferrari FF is what the kids these days call a "flex".  The ultimate "I have enough money that I don't care, this is how I'm going to get my lumber" move.

Oh thanks for that... now I'm getting it. I'm kind of a watch guy and every watch discussion eventually leads to a flex this ...flex that discussion. So flexing is the modern day equivalent of lighting cigars with $100 bills that was popular back in the 60's.

Still, flex or not, that Ferrari FF guy should have had his as_ kicked. Just sayin ...a $19.95 rental from Menards...

Which brings me to one of my favorite photos. I know nothing about this photo but can only romanticize about the fact that this guy spent every cent he had on the car of his dreams...an F40. Complete with his Ferrari red britches.

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[dicktill]

I would like to thank the O.P. and those that had positive suggestions for how to cut aluminum. I just had to do this today with my Kapex 120, and it was easy-peasy with a non-ferrous blade, Tapmagic edge lube, a fat fence spacer, and locking the slide/using it as a chop saw! The only issue was trying to un-learn how I usually use the Kapex.

Thanks, Dick

 

[kmickey]

Yes, WD40 here definitely is more like a release agent than a lubricant.
I also have special fluid for assisting with cutting threads in steel. Maybe that would work? On the other hand, having to spray it on the workpiece - and thus on the saw bed - worries me a bit. Getting oil or oily substances there perhaps might make it on the surface of wood cut after the aluminum, making it more difficult to finish with stains, etc.?

WD-40 is one of the most misused/understood things out there.  WD-40 = water displacement, formula #40. It’s a great degreaser/cleaner, and very short term lube - like minutes.  Lots of people use it on their bike chains and then wonder why they don’t last. It’s because they forced all the grease (and dirt), but are now running a dry chain. WD does make bike lube, but that’s completely different stuff.

 

[Packard]

If you chop, stand the stock up against the fence.

If you slide clamp the stock down on the table and maybe put some wood on top, or slide a little slower.

It’s also helpful to put some kind of lubricant the aluminum. WD-40 or even denatured alcohol, especially if you slide slowly.

When I was in a vocational school machine shop(many years ago) they taught us that denatured alcohol was the best thing for aluminum. Of course this was before "Tap Magic" or anything more specialized was put into use. The main point was no oil
What's that other stuff? A9? something like that. It's more of a paste type stuff, supposed to be ok, but I have never tried it myself.

In the early 1970s, I was a salesman for a company that made SIPs (Structural Insulated Panels) before they came up with the name “SIPs”.  The panel skins were aluminum over a treated paper honeycomb.  Cutting the skins was never a problem.  But the chop saws wanted some lubrication. 

I used to travel around the country with my German Shepherd Dog back then, but had to keep him on a short leash when around the chop saws.  They regularly used use sticks of animal fat (mostly from pigs) for the lube.  The smell drove my dog to distraction. 

These sticks were sold as a purpose-intended lubricant, and not just something that the mechanics thought was useful.  It did make a big difference in the ability to slice through aluminum.

I would note that almost all the blades in use back then were high-speed steel.  I did not know of anyone using carbide back then. 

 

[luvmytoolz]

WD-40 is one of the most misused/understood things out there.  WD-40 = water displacement, formula #40. It’s a great degreaser/cleaner, and very short term lube - like minutes.  Lots of people use it on their bike chains and then wonder why they don’t last. It’s because they forced all the grease (and dirt), but are now running a dry chain. WD does make bike lube, but that’s completely different stuff.

Yes! This drives me up the wall! The ones that really make me raise an eyebrow is when they say they use it on outdoor steel surfaces to protect it!

 

[Packard]

WD-40 is one of the most misused/understood things out there.  WD-40 = water displacement, formula #40. It’s a great degreaser/cleaner, and very short term lube - like minutes.  Lots of people use it on their bike chains and then wonder why they don’t last. It’s because they forced all the grease (and dirt), but are now running a dry chain. WD does make bike lube, but that’s completely different stuff.

Yes! This drives me up the wall! The ones that really make me raise an eyebrow is when they say they use it on outdoor steel surfaces to protect it!

I had a padlock on my pool gate.  It would get difficult to open.  I used WD-40 and it was slick as it could be for about two days.

I switched to Lock-ease, a graphite lube, and it would work fine the entire season.  WD-40 is great for its intended purpose.  But it is not all things for all situations.

 

[Mini Me]

I have two weapons of choice when cutting Aluminium, my mitre saw or my bandsaw. I made a sliding sled for the bandsaw and using that cutting aluminium is a no fuss low stress job. I only worry about lubricant on thick stuff and even then not always because carbide blades are tough things when it is all said and done. My BS blade is a Trimaster carbide which is at least five years old and even though it has cut lots of aluminium it is still going strong. I would venture that some hardwood timbers would be harder than aluminium and we don't lubricate blades when cutting them.

 

[rst]

In the last 43 years I’ve cut hundreds, maybe thousands of feet of commercial aluminum storefront, 6061 anodized, mostly 3/32 thick with a old Sprunger and 1/4” blade.  I don’t use any pub but after cutting a lot, I will run the blade through some old brass hardware to clean off any galling.  I do the same with my chop any sliding saws.  The blade is probably  close to 30 years old.