Cut alum angle with miter?

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water bouy

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Thinking about framing the floor of the boat and wondered about using my miter saw to cut all the angle it needs. Google turned up a 10" cut off blade at Home Depot and the guy swore it was all I need. It would certainly cut way down on time if it doesn't hurt the Ryobi. Anyone else do it that way?
 
Bouy - I have the basic Dewalt 12" miter saw and have had the same
40 tooth carbide blade on it for at least 8 years.
miter saw.jpg
as a former aluminum sign cabinet builder, I have cut solid 3/4" aluminum stock
with it. countless cuts on 4x4x1/4" aluminum angle.
and hundreds and hundreds of cuts on 1/8" and less material with this blade.
a 10 or 12" saw is definately all you need. If you want to save your Ryobi,
check your local pawn shops prior to purchasing new.
you do not need a metal-specific blade. a 40 tooth GP will do just fine for you.
you will soon learn your limits..... and how to avoid injury from flying HOT chips.
even the smallest metal chip in the eye can put you in the emergency room. (quickly).

Question: what tooth blade do you have on your saw now ?




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That is great to hear Johnny. This blade is a Diablo and it was only $5 so I figured I'd give it a try. I cut all the alum planks with a skill saw and a similar kind of blade. Wish I had thought of the miter last summer. I bought it to cut burl walnut for grips I was making and never gave metal a thought.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Diablo-10-in-x-3-32-in-x-5-8-in-Metal-Cut-Off-Disc-DBD100093L01F/202831056
 
no no noooooooo that blade is for a chop saw - ferrous (steel) only.
it is good for steel rebar and small bar stock.
not for non-ferrous metals such as aluminum and copper.
it will only melt its way through the metal.
you need a regular tooth general purpose 10/40 blade (for a 10" miter saw).
10-40 Blade.JPG
I think I paid about $85 for the 12/40 blade I have now and it has really, really
pulled its weight through thick n thin...... But, I was using it in a commercial setting.
the Dewalt 10/40 blade is about $23 and will last you for many, many years.

it is not advised to use a coarse-tooth blade in a metal chop saw.
saws.jpg


oh - and tell that yo-yo at HD to read up on BLADES before endorsing any product.

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Glad I asked. Yeah my circular saw basically melted through the planks. I'm required to wear safety eyeglasses now that I'm down to one eyeball. Long story.
 
I cut quite a bit of aluminum for my 1654 FB GRIZZLY build using a table saw, a circular saw, and a miter saw, listen to Johnny! I used all carbide blades, and yes I did end up losing some of the carbide cutters!
PS----Safety glasses for sure and long sleeved shirt!
 
I use Diablo blades on both the miter saw and a table saw (for sheets).

Works great.

Be aware, sharp chips fly everywhere. Need goggles, gloves and a shirt. These chips are like tiny xacto blades.
 
Rich said: cheaper carbide blades losing their carbide chips while cutting metal. Spend the money.
not necessarily..... Carbide is a very brittle metal. It does not have
to hit a nail or hard pine knot to break a cutter off. Handling it
roughly by just tossing it into a drawer or dropping it on the floor
could chip a tooth. The same is to be said about expensive router bits.
Do not keep router bits in a can or tupperware box !!

If you have a blade that you paid $20-100 for, and it chucked some teeth,
you can take it to a tool sharpening shop and they can replace the carbide cutters,
give it a good cleaning and "slightly" sharpen the rest of them for about $10.
so you don't have to toss a good blade just because a tooth or two is gone.
also - don't let residue build up on blades and store them lightly oiled in a drawer,

https://www.dekalbsaw.com/sawfaq.html





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I find it better to use a hand hacksaw for cutting small pieces of angle to use making connections to existing ribs - I use the skill saw or chop saw cutting larger pieces, but the little 1" & smaller pieces come shooting out of the saw, sometimes getting bent along the way or worse yet bending teeth on the saw.

For the bits of flying aluminum chips I wear my welding mask to protect my eyes with the welding glass tilted up.
 
How do you guys collect all of the aluminum shards? Do you have a vac hooked up to the saw? My biggest peeve of cutting aluminum is that those tiny pieces will be around until the end of time if they find their way out of the shop.
 
I personally do not have a vac system on my saws.
sweeping up as soon as you are done is a good practice
to have in the work area.
if you start walking over any hard debris such as metal chips,
PVC or plexiglass it sticks to your shoes and then track it into your house
and if you have hardwood floors, they could suffer pits and scratches as you walk.
everyone should adopt a clean standard within the work area.
 
Bouy - once you get your metal cutting station set up
and get started, you will quickly find your "zone" as to
the technique that suits your skill level and equipment used
and what safety measures to put in place. bystanders such
as kids and pets are to be kept out of the cut area at all times.

when cutting angle for your brackets, mark the size and drill
the holes prior to cutting. drilling the holes after the cut is
a bit awkward - but can be done. if your saw has a large throat,
it may be more easier and safer to use a piece of wood as a backer.
Brackets.JPG
Good Luck !!





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wmk0002 said:
How do you guys collect all of the aluminum shards? Do you have a vac hooked up to the saw? My biggest peeve of cutting aluminum is that those tiny pieces will be around until the end of time if they find their way out of the shop.

I did some aluminum cutting outside with a miter saw set up on sawhorses. As I walk through the shards I drag them into the house and then vacuum them up off of the carpet! #-o Not the best idea!!! :lol:
 
eyPGF8E.jpg


Those are the little devils! I bet if I pre drilled them I could screw them to a piece of wood then cut them but not cut fully through the wood to keep them from flying around & getting stuck in the saw...just take a piece of angle and go through and make a big batch of them all at once and be done with it.
 

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