Aluminum is the most abundant metal, so it is hard to cut them into pieces. However, knowing how to cut the aluminum is getting easier with the development of technology. First, I will show you what equipment you should prepare to implement the process. Then there are seven steps of how to cut aluminum.
Especially, I have some tips recommend to you in order to make the process easier and shorter. The most important things are some warnings which provide you to avoid the injury when cutting aluminum sheet. Let’s start.
Table of Contents
The preparation
Before knowing how to cut aluminum, you need to prepare these tools to help you implement the process as well as protect yourself from being hurt. Such equipment can be found in the supermarket, or you can borrow your neighborhood to save money.
- Jigsaw
- Full security goggles
- Noise-reducing headphones
- Mask(optional)
- Full face shield
- Gloves
- Long sleeve shirt
- Clamps
If there is lots of aluminum to cut, I recommend you should use the thermal lancing equipment. At that time, you need to follow the thermal lance instruction. All of the tools and the process is written for a limited amount of aluminium.
The safe process of cutting aluminum
There are seven steps to know how to cut aluminum. In these seven steps, I also demonstrate how you keep yourself from being injured.
Step 1: Use a full-face shield
Always keep in mind that the dust of aluminum is toxic as well as flammable. It is an important concern which can affect your future health. The aluminum dust is super small which we cannot see by normal eyes. Normally, they use the microscope to define it.
If you breathe a specific amount of the aluminum dust, it can cause Alzheimer’s type. To prevent this issue, you can use a full-face shield to cover your nose as well as your eyes. However, to protect yourself safely, you need these things:
- Respirator
- Security goggles
- Gloves
Step 2: Choose the jigsaw
There are two main types of equipment which offer you a super simple way to cut aluminum -woodcutting saw and carbide tipped blade. However, you can replace the woodcutting saw with jigsaw because the jigsaw creates narrow kerfs.
Anyway, if you are not sure what lubricant is appropriate with a saw blade, ask experienced people for advice or consult with the seller at the market to have an overview about the best lubricant for your type of metal cutting blade.
Step 3: Cover the cutting lubricant with saw blades
This step makes you feel convenient to use many kinds of lubricants which are from standard to saw wax. The purpose of this step is to avoid the gleam and slippage.
Step 4: Change the appropriate size of a blade
Using the small diameter of the saw blade is recommended for the better results. The right blade size is seven¼ inches. Adjusting the saw blade into this size will totally decrease your speed which is safer for users.
However, there is an easy method to slow down the speed that is buying the saw blade with an appropriate size or a volatile speed router. This solution is quite expensive, but the probability of being hurt reduces.
Step 5: Slow down to make an exact cut
When you want to have circular shapes of aluminum, you should use a jigsaw. Always remember to slow down. No matter what you do, safety is the priority component. Takes your times when cutting enhances your cutting line and ensures that you will not be injured.
Step 6: Use a clamp
The following step is to guarantee that your fingers stay away from the saw blade. Because of the sharpness of the saw blades, it is easy to be damaged. That is the reason why you use clamps to ensure that you put your fingers in the safe zone which the saw blade cannot cut your fingers. It is indeed one of the ways to minimize the injury.
Step 7: Move the saw blade straight to the aluminum
The last step is to move the saw blade straight the aluminum or vice versa. Always remember to slow down. You can slow down the process by using the wood cutting saw, like hacksaw, miter saw, table saw, angle grinder, but it will take more times than you expected. Keeping the aluminum’s surface clear can avoid the unexpected troubles.
Furthermore, using a bridge is crucial for reducing the kickback and securing a saw. Make sure that the blade does not jut out more than ¼ inch.
Some tips for you
- Be careful! Let the equipment do its work slowly and accurately. You should generate your energy correctly to control the cut.
- Buying the used saw blade is recommended because the saw blade can be dulled.
- Using the light properly is a crucial element to getting the best result. It is rather tough if you intend to cut paper in the dark. Hence turn on your light or wait for the sunlight is wise.
Warning
- Consult clearly about the saw blade size which is appropriate for your work. Ask as many as professors about these kinds of things to make sure that you are satisfied with the carbide blade size
- It is better to wear wide goggles. As I mentioned above, the dust of the aluminum will impact your health in the future. Therefore, it is reasonable to wear a prescription glasses which prevent the debris.
- Wearing gloves playa major role in protecting your fingers from the sharp saw blades. Whenever you cut the thin aluminum, protecting yourself means a precious present from the manufacturer. Also, wearing long-sleeve is needed because there will be a huge amount of metal shards which is hot and even sharp.
Conclusion
To sum up, the idea of how to cut aluminum is simple, you just need a razor-sharp to go through the aluminum. You can find such equipment at your near market. However, using the used one saves your money. The only important criteria in how to cut aluminum is always keeping in mind that safety is the first priority. The solution for this issue is looking for a fickle speed router which you can adjust the speed.
