hi,
i am working on a project that requires i cut thin strips of aluminum and then “cold weld” a small frame together. i have been told that i can make these cuts on a table saw with a carbide blade..anyone have any experience with this? any special precautions i should take?..thanks.
-eric
Replies
How thick is the aluminum? And what type? Are the pieces big enough to control on the saw? We used to cut Alum. siding on a radial arm saw with a fairly fine tooth plywood blade, no carbide needed, in fact I don't think I'd waste a carbide blade unless I had a whole lot to cut, like months of daily cutting. The dust is kind of neat. The noise is a lot more that with wood.
Edward
You can cut aluminum and non-ferrous metal on a table saw. A "sharp" negative hook blade is the preferred blade. Some wax or WD40 as a lubricant is necessary in most cases. I've cut a lot of metal on a table saw and each case has it's own special set-ups. What do you mean by cold weld? How thick is the aluminum you are cutting? More info and I might even have a picture with a set-up. It's not anymore difficult than cutting wood but a sharp blade is a must or it can be dangerous. The aluminum will not damage the carbide.
Rick
Edited 9/22/2002 9:51:16 AM ET by rsl
the stock is 1/4 inch...by cold weld i just mean an epoxy laced with steel that is made especially for joining metal ( i don't know much about metal work...it's just the term the epoxy label used)..thanks for the advice.
This may be just metal-working trivia, but since the question came up, the term "cold-weld" does have a specific meaning completely unrelated to adhesives. If two similar metal surfaces are extremely clean and smooth, and they are pressed together at, say, 1,000 atmospheres (around 15,000 psi) or more, the surfaces can bond directly, even at moderate temperatures. I worked with high pressures in the early to mid-80's, and have forgotten a lot of details, but I recall that 15,000 psi may sound like an awful lot, but is not all that hard to reach. As a result, the cold-weld process can occur unexpectedly, such as between tightly threaded parts that are torqued to excess. Direct bonding can also take place between non-metallic surfaces, such as a smooth glass stopper left in a bottle for a long time. An appearance of cold-welding can also occur when two glass-smooth surfaces are pressed together until the thin air layer between them is squeezed out, and atmospheric pressure then holds them together, like with a suction cup. That is different; the bond will generally fail in a vacuum.
Jim
1/4" thick or width of the strips? Zero clearance inserts are a given as far as I'm concerned. A face shield would be a better choice as the chips can be a bit hot and getting one in the face might make you flinch. I've never really found a need to use a dust mask because the cut produces chips not dust. The softer aluminums cut a lot easier and quieter. Push sticks of course and you might find a feather board clamped to the fence helpful as it will keep the chips down so just safety glasses will suffice. The negative hook blade is the same one used on radial arm saws. I've used a regular positive hook sixty tooth as well but the negative hook is less aggressive. Start out with a partial depth of cut to get a feel for the process.
Rick
First, a zero clearace throat plate should be used. Depending on how narrow the strips are going to be, you may want to sandwich the metal between two pieces of plywood or masonite to keep the edges from 'curling' down. GOOD safety glasses and a dust mask are a MUST in this situation.
SawdustSteve
I first just used a combination carbide blade and it worked fine except for the burr on the underside of the piece.Freud sells a non ferrous metal cutting blade. It works great and eliminated the burr and all of the filing. I do a lot of copper work in addtion to my woodworking. Cutting metal on the table saw works well. Watch out for the chips. A face shield is a very good idea since chips spray out into your face.
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