And you can use the same technique anytime you need a straight cut on aluminum or other light gauge sheet metal even steel.
Cutting aluminum sheet with a saw zaw.
The preferred way to cut this material is with a miter saw but a circular saw still works.
Choosing the right blade for cutting aluminum.
Not so much for.
Here i show how i cut 1 8 thick 6061 aluminum on the table saw with an 80 tooth blade.
This is a handy trick for things that are too big for the band saw.
For example you can not use a carbide blade for this project because it will get very hot when operating at high speeds and it can get clogged.
Obviously the circular saw is great for straight cuts.
This works amazing for things like diamond plate but i ve cut as thick as 4 aluminum had to cut it from both sides to get the blade deep enough and it worked just fine.
You can cut aluminum with a sabre saw but it requires a certain technique and the right sort of equipment because aluminum is a particularly soft metal you can only cut it with certain types of blades.
Use a pair of snips if you want to avoid power tools altogether and are working with thinner more flexible metal or need to make curved cuts.
Standard woodworking blades with carbide tips still work but require extra precautions.
Clamp or hold a straightedge or square along the cutting marks and score a line with the tip of a sharp utility knife blade.
When a circular saw is your only option follow these steps to safely cut through aluminum sheets or plates.
With a skill saw.
Use a circular saw to make long straight cuts in thicker sheets of metal.
Cutting diamond plate to deck my new custom built trailer for my mobile dj system.