I cut plate on my table saw. I wear full leather, face shield, and ear protection. Not my favorite method but it works fast and clean. I cut dry using a standard carbide wood blade. I line of lubricant would likely be a good idea. Be careful, it's hot and loud.

 

Skill Saw with a GOOD blade, wax or Crisco will keep the blade alive for a long time, a good $30 blade is better than 15 $10 blades.

 

i see no problem with the table saw or circular saw if done right you will get a straight square cut although if its from a bigger piece i would use a straightedge and circ saw just go slow and wear good protection those lil chips fly fast and can be hot lol when your done you'll have aluminum confetti :laugh:

 

Well, here's two things that don't work - too S L O W

6.... 4 1/2 inch wet circular saw - diamond blade (use for wet cutting concrete driveway pavers)
7.... 4 1/2 inch wet tile saw (like a small table saw) - use for wet cutting ceramic tile

Table saw (forhire) - maybe I'll get there. Just now that sounds dangerous - what if the blade grabs? Burn motor or throw 1/2 inch plate across the room... Scary even thinking about it. If this were 1/8 or 3/32 inch plate, maybe I'd feel more confortable trying that.

Skill saw (TozziWelding) - well the blade turns in a better direction, compared to a table saw. "GOOD blade" - $30 blade is better than 15 $10 blades." Yikes, my $5, 24 teeth carbide blades (1/8 inch cut) don't even make your minimum investment!

I think the circular saw (table or skill) would be ok for long cuts - not so good for meeting cuts (where the saw arc cuts a curve deeper at bottom than at the top.

Table/Circular saw (umahunter) - i see no problem with the table saw or circular saw if done right . Yeah, if done right... sigh, moving along...

Sorry tackit , my fabrication shop wants $18 per cut. The plate cost me $22.

I think I'll try my Sawz-all next with a 'rough' say 14 teeth/inch blade.

 

go get a non-ferrous metal cutting blade for your skill saw, Aluminum is a pretty soft metal and actually cuts pretty easily, alot of guys just use a regular carbide wood blade but the metal cutting blades will cut better and be safer. A bandsaw would work pretty well too

 

with ANY of the listed tools - wax is going to be your friend. I have used able saws for similar and had good results but as previously mentioned use every available form of PPE you have available.

 

with ANY of the listed tools - wax is going to be your friend.

Yep, I used a candel !

a recip saw which ma flex and wander or give slight bevel of course i dont know how straight you need ??

Yep, I used a Sawz-all and I wandered way off - embarrassing... but I got the job done!

I use a worm drive saw with a half decent blade in it and I have 5years on the blade, a tin of Crisco, or a stick of wax is your friend. I hate table saws, ever since I saw one launch a door my buddy was ripping in to a wall.

I almost bought a worm drive as my 1st circular saw - wish I had many times.
Ditto on the "wax is your friend".
Yeah... the table saw is dangerous enough without me trying to feed it 1/2 inch aluminum.

Does your LWS rent equipment? Might consider renting a plasma cutter.

I'm to cheap... alum plate cost $22 and... "I want it now!"

I haven't tried that thick but my makita 18v lithium ion circ saw

Wow, Makita, Wow lithium ion... I'm in the lower league... deWalt + 117volt

Look Thanks All !!!
The job is Done - crappy = not a staight line to be seen but for what I have in mind, that should be fine.
AND... I still have all my fingers and didn't send anything flying into a wall!
Much Appreciated!

 

after rereading i think the table saw would have trouble if its only a 7 1/2 model it likely will be under powered a skill saw will give a staight square cut vs a recip saw which ma flex and wander or give slight bevel of course i dont know how straight you need ?? if you dont wanna use your skillsaw maybe worth hitting up harbor fright with the 20percent coupon for there metal circ knockoff http://www.harborfreight.com/7-1-4-quarter-inch-metal-cutting-circular-saw-8897.html hell if it blows up after the cuts you can take it back cost ya less then half of the shops quote :cool2:

 

I use a worm drive saw with a half decent blade in it and I have 5years on the blade, a tin of Crisco, or a stick of wax is your friend. I hate table saws, ever since I saw one launch a door my buddy was ripping in to a wall.

 

I'd rather see a door launched than a saw with a spinning blade.
I'll take broken ribs over a missing appendage any day.

 

This thread may help:

http://www.boatdesign.net/forums/metal-boat-building/cutting-welding-2-5083-plate-20190.html

 

The thing is he has been doing it for years, and as always complicity will hurt you. Thank God he was off to the side or he would be speaking with a higher voice. I am not a carpenter so I have no use for a table saw, yet I have one in the shed

 

aint that the truth ive just got a portable dewalt but ive seen some bigger units launch material at a surprisingly fast and powerful rates hell ive seen the lil portable launch stuff with enough power to put a good dent in a metal door :dizzy:

 

I've done the table, circular, and jigsaw methods on aluminum before. Sawzall is just asking for a ****-up IMO.

Are you cutting 20x10 sections out of a larger plate or small pieces out of a 20x10 plate? I'm guessing the later...

A vertical bandsaw would really be the way to go, but since it's not listed...

Working with pieces that thick and small on a small table saw IS scary, two person operation IMO. But I wouldn't.

Circular saw, less scary but ehh. Not really ideal for small pieces IMO.

The jigsaw is what I would use for small parts, but be aware it is all too easy to go off line and most people will then over compensate the other way and then end up with a wandering cut line. But that can be smoothed with a die grinder or prevented altogether with a guide and a steady hand.

A good jigsaw (I use Bosch) with a nice roller guide works well. I prefer to use blades that aren't so fine of a pitch, aluminum tends to clog them up too fast.

Looking at them, they are Bosch for Hardwood, 101BF.

Don't use full throttle, heats up the aluminum too much and it will gum up any blade at that point. And I use a fair amount of WD40 for lube. But the WD will wash away most ink and pencil lines, so I scribe them pretty deeply. And wear long sleeves and tight fitting safety glasses or goggles because the jigsaw cuts on the up stroke, shooting chips right in your face as you watch your cut line.

I guess I really prefer a jigsaw because I often need to cut curves, and without a vertical bandsaw, a jigsaw is really the only other option.

Did I mention I LOVE my vertical band saws?

 

Does your LWS rent equipment? Might consider renting a plasma cutter.

 

I haven't tried that thick but my makita 18v lithium ion circ saw with a nice freud carbide wood blade works surprizingly well for cutting steel. Though it does eat up the battery fast. But I got 6 of them so usually not a problem. I've cut 2" 1/4 wall tube with it no problem.... the blade you use on any saw will make a huge difference. The $20 blades I use were on clearance for $5 each so I bought all they had

 

cool beans look into a skill worm drive if ya get a chance in the future ive got a regular saw while ordering a motor for my worm drive and much prefer the worm its just got straight power :blob3:

 

Agreed. I have a couple of circular saws. For fine work I use a left handed Porter Cable ( I haven't been able to justify a good Fein trac saw yet), but for heavy ripping I grab the wormdrive every time. I've got 6. A 7/14" for dirty work like concrete and cement board, a 7 1/4 for alum/steel and an 8 1/4" for heavy rips and bevels on 2x materials, a modified one that takes a 10" blade (want to upgrade it to the 14" blade version one day) for cutting 4x materials in one pass like headers, as well as a parts saw that still runs but got smashed up fairly good when it fell 3 floors and a 8 1/4" spare I nabbed for cheap at a yard sale.


As far as the table saw, I'd have no issues cutting alum on it. For 1/2" I'd have probably done it in 3 or 4 passes rather than one shot, raising the blade a bit each time. Most people who have issues with a table saw aren't cutting right. Be sure the curf stays open using a wedge if needed. Often wood will bend when cut and close up a gap. The next issue is people often try to feed in a piece thats too big by hand, and the material twists or tips and binds the blade. A good set of infeed/outfeed rollers or a table extension will help greatly to reduce this. The other big issue is people often tend to force a cut rather than make several passes. If I must rip thick materials I'll always make several passes raising the blade each time rather than take a full cut ann at once and bog the saw.

And always stand on the side of the material behind the fence when possible.

 

+1 on the worm drive monster AS LONG as you have a good material rest, not gonna prop something on a foot or knee and trim it one handed.

 

yup ive done plenty of 2x4s that way wouldnt even try with metal that could end up bad

 

At any welding store , at least around here, they sell some grease especialy for cutting aluminum. It is exactly like beef talow but has very little smell If you try some you will never be with out again. it makes drilling tapping cutting bandsawing of aluminum almost trouble free. Mac

 

Someone on welding web (maybe it was Kevin Morin) turned me on to using spray pam as an aluminum cutting, drilling, tapping lubricant. It's very convenient to apply, lasts a while (stays put for a lot longer than most other thinner lubes, and only a little bit is necessary to keep the cut lubricated), and just generally works great for "teeth process cutting" aluminum.

 

I cut 1/2" aluminum plate with my 8" Milwaukee Metal Cut Saw all the time. Not much different than a standard skil saw. More power and better chip collection, but a regular skil saw with a good carbide blade will work for this small job. Wear heavy gloves, leather and a full face shield. The skil saw will throw a LOT of chips.

Much prefer the skil saw over a table saw. Table saw with enough power to cut 1/2" aluminum, WILL throw things with great force.

For the guy who recommended renting a plasma. Obviously, you don't have a lot of experience with hand held plasmas. I've got a Hypertherm PM 1250 and even that doesn't do a great job on 1/2" aluminum. Still requires a lot of cleanup. Surely not a "weld ready" edge like that of a saw and carbide blade.

 

shallow cuts on a table saw give you an awful long tooth contact area and the cutting force is directed back at you. raise the blade as high as you can and the cutting force is directed downward and you have the shortest tooth contact area.

 

Some of the best saws are the old stuff u can get at yard sales or farm and estate auctions. Not a bit of plastic to be found on them. They have torque that can rip your arm off and often can be had well under $20. I have an old 1/2" electric drill along those lines. don't remember the brand off hand but its goes right along with "they don't build them like they used to"