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When cutting aluminum with normal saws, try flipping the blade over, and cutting with the back of the teeth. A. good cutting wax, or in a pinch, automatic transmission fluid, should be used as a coolant.... Cut slowly.... It has worked many times for me. Also works for plastics, and if you have the patience to go slowly enough, stainless steel sheet can also be cut, but the edge is rough. John Cielo Mar, T/2, #69 ----- Reply message ----- From: "Mark Alan Stahnke \(MAS Consulting\)" <ma… [at] cox.net> Date: Wed, Aug 31, 2011 3:43 pm Subject: [Cal_Boats] Re: Chesapeake / Irene - main or jib To: <Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com>

A much simpler and safer way to do it is to use a variable speed grinder with a diamond blade. A coolant can be used to reduce the sparks but not needed if go slow. I would never use a skill saw or mitre saw, rather opt to a simple hand saw before using a power saw not designed to cut metal. If you really need a precision cut, just put a metal cutting wheel on the mitre saw. I work with power tools all day. They can kill you if you dont use them the right way or for the right purposes. /ch On Wed, Aug 31, 2011 at 7:12 PM, js… [at] yahoo.com <js… [at] yahoo.com>wrote: > ** > > > When cutting aluminum with normal saws, try flipping the blade over, and > cutting with the back of the teeth. A. good cutting wax, or in a pinch, > automatic transmission fluid, should be used as a coolant.... Cut slowly.... > It has worked many times for me. > > Also works for plastics, and if you have the patience to go slowly enough, > stainless steel sheet can also be cut, but the edge is rough. > > John > Cielo Mar, T/2, #69 > > Sent from my HTC on the Now Network from Sprint! > > > ----- Reply message ----- > From: "Mark Alan Stahnke \(MAS Consulting\)" <ma… [at] cox.net> > Date: Wed, Aug 31, 2011 3:43 pm > Subject: [Cal_Boats] Re: Chesapeake / Irene - main or jib > To: <Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com> > > > > ** > BECAREFUL cutting AL with miter saws, I have cut many times from 1" > solid-11/4" schedule 40 pipe. My experience is cutting many 12" pieces and > occasionally the blade will grab the material and rip it out of your hand > and send it flying across the room at high speed. during this failure it > broke the cast aluminum fence on the delta miter saw, nearly dislocated my > shoulder and I thank god I still have all my fingers. I thought clamping > would solve the problem and it did not. I now use an abrasive saw for cut > off. But it tends to load up after a few chops. I clean it off by cutting > steel. Just some observations not a recommendation. > Mark > Cal 2-29 > > > ----- Original Message ----- > *From:* Chris Campbell <cc… [at] lsnm.org> > *To:* Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com > *Sent:* Wednesday, August 31, 2011 12:53 PM > *Subject:* Re: [Cal_Boats] Re: Chesapeake / Irene - main or jib > > > > On 8/31/2011 2:00 PM, Helen Horn wrote: > > > I had my saw shop sharpen a many-toothed plywood 10 inch blade for my > dewalt miter saw and I was able to cut each shape to make the ends > compatible with the hardware. Then I reattached the ends (they can be made > by a metalworker) by drilling small holes for the sheetmetal screws around > the rim of the new boom, and screwed them into the end pieces. > > > Just a word of warning when using woodworking equipment to cut aluminum. > You may get sparks and they may cause unpleasant surprises if they land in > sawdust, which is likely to be present unless you clean up very well first. > I once had that happen with an old belt sander--lots of dust in the motor, > plus a little fan to keep air moving, which supplied lots of air to the > burning sawdust inside. But I've read about much larger disasters from the > same cause. It would be a shame to burn down your shop or house just to > make a new boom. > > Chris Campbell > > > > __________ Information from ESET NOD32 Antivirus, version of virus > signature database 6425 (20110831) __________ > > The message was checked by ESET NOD32 Antivirus. > > http://www.eset.com > > > > __________ Information from ESET NOD32 Antivirus, version of virus > signature database 6425 (20110831) __________ > > The message was checked by ESET NOD32 Antivirus. > > http://www.eset.com > > > > > -- /ch

aluminum is a non-ferrous metal and will not spark, if it is sparking you obviously are cutting some sort of ferrous alloy, aluminum can be easily cut with carbide tipped saws, the more teeth the better, use high rpms and low pressure slow cuts