Best way to cut aluminum plate

[lakelover]

Simple question: What's the best way to cut 1/8" plate aluminum for a transom plate for the motor, including curves? I'm figuring a sabre saw with a metal blade. Also, has anyone ever ordered online from onlinemetals?

 

[solar7647]

Re: Best way to cut aluminum plate

Shears would be the best, You gat ones with straight blades to cut the straight and one with curved blades for the corners

 

[lakelover]

Re: Best way to cut aluminum plate

Wouldn't you think 1/8" is too thick for shears? Might be easier though if it would work.

 

[109jb]

Re: Best way to cut aluminum plate

For 1/8" plate, I have used a circular saw with a carbide blade with great results. Of course you can only do straight cuts this way. For curves, a sabre saw works well.

 

[Coho Ghost]

Re: Best way to cut aluminum plate

What I am going to suggest may be a little "spendy", but the end result will be really nice.

Check to see if there is a metal fabrication shop in your area that can do either laser or water jet CNC cutting. Give them a detailed, dimensioned drawing of what you want, and have them profile it out. The quality of the cuts are amazing.

I had a rather intricate piece of 3/8" mild steel laser cut (nothing to do with boats), and the total cost was $35.00 which included the metal. It was a few years ago, so I would expect it to cost more now.

If appearance counts, you will be very happy with the results.

Coho Ghost

 

[Shife]

Re: Best way to cut aluminum plate

A good metal shop will yield the best results, but a jig saw with the appropriate blade followed by careful sanding will do a good job too if you're patient. I'm not aware of a set of hand shears that will cut 1/8in aluminum.

I have ordered from Online Metals and had good service.

 

[fishrdan]

Re: Best way to cut aluminum plate

I've cut plate aluminum with a jig saw before and it worked well using an aggressive bi-metal blade (IE: wood blade, not a fine tooth metal blade). The trick was keeping the blade oiled so aluminum didn't pack into the blade's teeth. If the saw stops cutting well, look at the blade and see if aluminum is packed into the blade, if it is, use a pick and clear the teeth. I took a squirt can and made a track of engine oil down the cut line, so as I cut it kept the blade oiled and clear of aluminum. The down side to that is the oil will get covered in aluminum shavings and it will be hard to see your cut line, have to clean it off every so often.

 

[solar7647]

Re: Best way to cut aluminum plate

Wouldn't you think 1/8" is too thick for shears? Might be easier though if it would work.

It can be done....but if you want something faster, Harbor Freight sales a high speed compressed air metal saw for under $20. If you have a compressor it just may be what you need.

 

[Utahboatnut]

Re: Best way to cut aluminum plate

I vote the jig saw method, 1/8 is pretty thick for hand shears. Put masking tape on the table/fence of the jig saw so you dont scratch the alum while cutting. Get the appropriate blades and go slow It will work well and can be sanded to a very nice end result. A metal shop may be able to shear it for not too much $ then you might only need to do the rounded corners etc.

 

[ORBoater]

Re: Best way to cut aluminum plate

go to a welding shop that has a plasma cutter and have them do it would give you the cleanest lines. A jig saw or band saw would work also

 

[cc190cc]

Re: Best way to cut aluminum plate

An electric sheer or and sheers wont cut anything thicker than 16 guage. Use a jigsaw, i would not use a wood bit as recomended above but thats just my thought.

Chad

 

[fishrdan]

Re: Best way to cut aluminum plate

i would not use a wood bit as recomended above but thats just my thought.

I tried both a metal and wood blade, the wood blade cut faster, cleaner and didn't pack up as easily as the fine tooth metal blade. But, I was using a high quality Bosch bi-metal blade.

 

[kciv]

Re: Best way to cut aluminum plate

Circular saw with carbide blade for staights, jig saw for curves, and belt sander to please. In less time than you can drive to a sheet metal shop you will be finish. The circular saw is fast. You can probley get by with the circular saw to almost cut outside curves (lots of cuts) and the belt sander to round corners.

I use a table saw which is even easer than the hand circular saw. Now days nearly all circular saw blades are carbide.

 

[Shife]

Re: Best way to cut aluminum plate

Using carbide on aluminum is like using a axe to cut a cake. Aluminum is a very soft metal. The size and shape of the blade teeth are far more important than the material they are made of.

 

[jspano]

Re: Best way to cut aluminum plate

i used a jig saw with abunch of new blades. my cut had no real straight lines so no guides could be used. i clamped it real good and cut slow(let the saw cut do not force)

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5200 spread

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clamp city

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[jspano]

Re: Best way to cut aluminum plate

sorry

i used alum that they called 090
i believe it is .090 gauge

 

[lakelover]

Re: Best way to cut aluminum plate

This is for replacing my old wooden transom motor mount plate with an aluminum one. I only foresee three straight cuts and rounding a couple corners for 2 or 3 inches. Lots of good ideas here, thanks everybody.

 

[jspano]

Re: Best way to cut aluminum plate

if you are doing straight cuts get a blade on a circular saw and clamp 2x4's as a guide on both sides of the saw. leave a litle wigle room so not to bind up the saw. then grind the corners round

 

[109jb]

Re: Best way to cut aluminum plate

Using carbide on aluminum is like using a axe to cut a cake. Aluminum is a very soft metal. The size and shape of the blade teeth are far more important than the material they are made of.

If using a circular saw you definitely want to use a carbide blade. The reason is because the circular saw RPM's are good for wood, but are too high for metal cutting. The carbide blade will hold up to this. I agree that you don't need carbide for aluminum IF you can get the cutting speed down, but you can't with the circular saw. Carbide blades aren't exactly expensive anymore so no reason I can see not to use one.

 

[CR CRUISER]

Re: Best way to cut aluminum plate

After working in an aluminum boat manufacturing shop for 18 years, I've literally made miles of cuts in 1/8" and thicker aluminum. A circular saw with a carbide blade works for the straight cuts and a jigsaw for the curves. The most important thing is a face shield or at least safety goggles. Those little chunks of aluminum hurt or worse. Watch out that the circular saw doesn't bind up while you are cutting. It can kick back violently.

Use fairly course wood blades that are used for rough carpentry and keep them well lubricated otherwise the aluminum will start sticking in the teeth. To keep from scratching the plate, put down a double layer of masking tape, mark your lines on it with a Sharpie and cut right through the tape and aluminum. If you just tape the base plate of the saw, it will get cuttings imbedded in the tape and you'll wind up dragging them across the aluminum while you cut.

Clean up the cut edges with a file when you are done to get rid of those razor sharp corners. Regular sanding discs even the ones for metal don't work well on aluminum. They plug up.