specs for cutting aluminum using 494607 aluminum/plastic blade on the Kapex?

[billg71]

I'm making some jigs for the router table and drill press. I'll be cutting up to 3/4x3 6061 extruded
bar and some 1/2x11 MIC-6 ground cast.

I can't find any specs for max cuts on this blade, am I OK on these materials? And are there any published specs for thickness, width and alloy cuts on these blades? And any recommendations on lubrication, if it's needed? I've cut up to 1/2x1-1/2 6061 bar dry with no problems but would I need lube for the thicker stuff?

TIA,
Bill

 

[tjbnwi]

When I’m cutting aluminum thicker than 1/16, I set the saw speed to 3.5-4.

On the bar, do a chop cut, use WD-40 for the lubricant. Speed of cut, I do it by sound and feel.

The plate, I would cut by making “vertical score” cuts, saw pulled out dropped onto the plate make a 1/8-3/16 push cut, raise the head, pull the head towards you, make another cut. Again WD-40.

Tom

 

[luvmytoolz]

As the previous person said, judging sound and feel is the way to go, but for me especially the most important thing whenever I cut aluminium is to ensure it's clamped down really solid. Any slop and it go disastrous pretty quickly. I use WD-40 on bar stock, but on extrusions I just cut dry.

 

[Crazyraceguy]

Back when I was in a machinist class, we were taught that Isopropyl Alcohol was the best thing for milling/drilling and band sawing. It has always done me well, but may not be so great for the higher speed of a miter saw? The wax type would probably be better there. It is available in stick form and spray too. (Amazon)
The beauty of alcohol is that there is no mess/residue, since it evaporates.

 

[Mini Me]

I don't bother using any lubricant at all, I used to but it seemed a lot of mucking around for the same result. I use a negative rake blade for Aluminium and it is my day to day blade for all materials. If the cut on the mitre saw looks a bit sketchy I use a sliding sled on the bandsaw and that would be my choice for Aluminium bar. I have a carbide blade on the bandsaw and it is years old and it has cut a shed load of Aluminium and Australian hard wood which is most probably at least as hard as Aluminium. Out of the two the sled on the bandsaw is my preferred method though I have also used my slider as well. If it cuts wood it cuts Aluminium and fingers!

 

[Crazyraceguy]

[member=58818]Mini Me[/member] I don't either, for thinner stuff, but as it gets thicker, there is a tendency for the chips to stick to the teeth. This galling/chip-welding adds to the load on the saw. The softer alloys are the worst for that and also the most common. A little lube is good there.

 

[Mini Me]

Slow cutting = more heat I guess and most of the stuff I cut is extruded Aluminium for jigs and fixtures etc. I don't know how I manged to make things before extrusions became readily available. Thank you China for you cheap production capacity.

 

[luvmytoolz]

Back when I was in a machinist class, we were taught that Isopropyl Alcohol was the best thing for milling/drilling and band sawing. It has always done me well, but may not be so great for the higher speed of a miter saw? The wax type would probably be better there. It is available in stick form and spray too. (Amazon)
The beauty of alcohol is that there is no mess/residue, since it evaporates.

Not so critical for the saw, but for the CNC WD-40 is the best I've found for machining aluminium, although it does stink. Anything else and it evaporates almost immediately and gums up the cutter in a few seconds, whereas WD-40 lasts a while and just needs an occasional spray to maintain.

 

[Michael Kellough]

Alcohol is nice but it doesn't last long enough except for very small pieces.

Agree with luvmytoolz that WD40 sticks around longer.

If using the track saw for a big extrusion or thicker bar I use the wax lube on the blade.

 

[Cheese]

Be careful when using alcohol folks...it's ignitable and burns with a soft blue flame.  [blink]  You'll not recognize it burning except for the heat and by that time it may become too late.

For me, I use alcohol for aluminum machining ONLY. It's absolutely clean and produces zero mess. I've used WD 40 and while it's a good lubricant, it's a mess, the stuff is spread to everything as it's atomized into the air.

Wax sticks are also good to use and don't produce a mess. Here are a couple of the ones I use.

[attachimg=1]

[attachimg=2]

 

[Crazyraceguy]

Personally, I hate WD-40, unless I am working on some old car that still has a points distributor [huh]
It sucks as a penetrant, but it was never intended to be that.
It sucks as a rust preventative and actually draws moisture after it evaporates.
It sucks as a lubricant, with the small exception of a case like this, but there are better products.
Lastly, it sucks to have that vapor in your shop environment. It will give you finishing problems (fisheyes)
The residue hangs around, even when "dry".

I learned to hate it years ago, when working in a bodyshop. You weren't even allowed to say it  [scared]

The flammability thing is only an issue when there is some volume. When it is just barely over a mist, any amount of heat will flash it to nothing, instantly. It "boils" (vaporizes) at 160 degrees (F)
If you would spray it horizontally out of a typical mist-type bottle, at waist height, it would never hit the floor. (the good stuff, 91-92%)

 

[Picktool]

Just another note, the geometry of the aluminum blades is identical to plastic cutting blades so is useful for both.
If I am cutting thick aluminum of any quantity I run my blades through a piece of scrap brass to clean any aluminum galling that might be on the blades.  Do the same with my bandsaw.

 

[Crazyraceguy]

rst is correct. I don't even own a "metal" blade for my miter saw. I've always used the ones intended for solid surface, since we always have those around. TCG with either -5 or 0 rake work fine.