When cutting Aluminum using a circular saw, the blade you choose to use can have a huge impact on the outcome of your aluminum cuttings. It is important to select the right type of circular saw blade to improve the cutting quality and reduce the risk of damage to both the saw blade and the Aluminum.
So, what type of circular saw to cut aluminum? Let’s find it out in the following area.
A circular saw is a widely available power tool, and it has enough power to cut nonferrous materials. It is not only the saw itself that determines how effective cutting you will have. It is also the type of blade and the power adjustment that determines whether you will be able to cut metal or not. Moreover, the cutting efficiency depends on some other facts, such as the cutting angle and what types of measures you have taken care of for cutting, etc. Up to this point, you have known that cutting Aluminum depends on saw blades and power used. Now let’s see what type of circular saw blade can cut Aluminum effectively.
There are different things to think through when choosing the right type of circular saw for aluminum cutting. Aluminum is a nonferrous metal, and cutting it requires a stronger and more powerful machine. When buying a circular saw, consider the following facts.
Circular saws have multiple power options; one is a corded power option, another one is a cordless power option. The corded power option requires a continuous power supply. On the other hand, cordless circular saws have a battery-based power feature. And for cutting Aluminum with a circular saw, you should have a corded power circular saw. It is lighter than the cordless version that gives better control while making cut with it.
Cutting nonferrous metal requires you to have a safety guard in your circular saw. While cutting metal with a blade, the shooting wastes of metal pieces can cause serious injuries to the eyes and face. And for that reason, it is important to have a circular saw that has a metal waste collector and fixed upper guard for your safety.
Motor power is another major consideration for a circular saw. A 7.25 circular saw has a bigger motor with greater power. For cutting Aluminum, your circular saw must generate enough power to reach the required RPM for smooth cutting. A circular saw needs to reach 3900 RPM for cutting metal smoothly. So make sure your saw generates this much RPM.
Aluminum is a nonferrous metal, and you can cut it with a regular nonferrous metal cutting circular saw blade. But cutting Aluminum with a steel cutting blade will not give you the same result that an aluminum cutting blade can give. The blades designed for aluminum cutting certainly have some specifications. The specifications of the blade make the difference in the cutting result. And knowing those specifications can help you select the right type of blade for your better cutting experience. Now let’s see those specifications that can help you choose the right blade for effective aluminum cutting?
It is the width of the cutting outline of the materials, which is equal to the width of the blade as long as the blade teeth are not bent left and right. Nonferrous metal cutting blade teeth are not bent because they may reduce the required spinning strength. And in the case of the aluminum cutting blade, the kerf of the blade means the width or thickness of the blade. Aluminum is a valuable metal, and for reducing the wastage of this metal, it is preferred to use thin kerf blades during cutting. A regular thin kerf blade will heat up in continuous cutting. For that reason, it is recommended to select carbide-tipped blades with thin kerf for cutting Aluminum.
The more teeth a saw blade has, the finer the cut will be. But the number of teeth of a blade has an issue with cutting speed. It means the more teeth of your blade mean, the finer the cut. Although having more teeth means you will need more time to cut Aluminum. Especially if the metal you are cutting is thick. But when you are cutting a thin aluminum metal sheet with your $200 or $50 circular saw, you can also use blades with high TPD to get smoother cuts.
The gullet is the gap between blade teeth. Gullet has lots to do with clearing the waste from the cutting area. When a blade has a higher teeth count, it means the gullet space is less than usual, and the material waste clearance area is less. It is fine to use the less gullet-spaced blade for thin aluminum sheets.
This is basically where the teeth are bent. For having greater control and precision, you are recommended to use a negative or zero hook angle.
A Blade with a bigger diameter can cut deeper than a smaller diameter blade. Besides, the blades the speed is also related to the diameter of the blade you are using. A bigger diameter blade has bigger teeth and gullet, which means the cutting will be faster. The diameter of the blade is also related to the kerf of the blade. The bigger the diameter, the wider the kerf of the blade will be. For cutting a thick aluminum sheet, it is suggested to select a bigger diameter blade, at least above 7 inches.
Most of the aluminum cutting blades are made of reinforced carbide-tipped metal. When buying a blade, you have to look for if the blade has any protective coating over the metal or not. Without a protective coating, the blade may easily cause serious heat issues and damage over time.
It is important to have the durability of a blade, especially the one cutting nonferrous metals. And for that, the blade should have special teeth pattern. And aluminum cutting blades have teeth with TCG (Triple Chip Grade) pattern. This pattern helps to prevent chipping on the surface and effectively minimizes the risk of blade damage.
Any circular saw with the right blade type can cut Aluminum properly. And buying the right type of blade requires you to know the specifications of the aluminum cutting blade. With this detailed discussion, you will be able to select the right blade.
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