Cutting Aluminum skin

[Tikvah]

I have the bus skinned, now I need to cut out the window openings.
I've tried my sawsall.  With a fine metal blade it is painfully slow.  With a more aggressive all-metal blade it's beating me to death and tearing up the blades.

I've thought of the grinder (that's how I started the hole), but I'm afraid of making too much heat..... I don't know, maybe the side-grinder with a thin blade.

I'm open to ideas.

The Aluminum is .080  6061-T6

Too thick for my air nibbler and too thick for my air sheers.

Dave

[bevans6]

I use plain old wood blades for aluminium.  Yes, they do beat you up a bit.  High speed, low feed.  Don't push on the tool.  wear ear protection, it will be loud...  Grinders are not recommended for cutting aluminium, you can seriously load the disc up and it can explode.  i have scars to prove this old wives tale - five stitches!

Brian

[junkman42]

Use a die grinder or any high speed grinder with cloth resin reinforced wheels.  They will not load up but if they do just run them against a piece of brick or concrete block to clean the accumulated aluminum off.  move slow and it will cut fine!  Heat should not be a problem on aluminum but could be a problem on stainless You intend to polish!  John L

[Tikvah]

Well, I got one window cut open.... Maybe I'm getting old    I feel like I got kicked by a horse.

It didn't do too bad grinding the rough edges off, but I'll need to buy some thin wheels to try cutting with the grinder. 


I'll let the group know what I decide to do.

[buddydawg]

I've done most of my cutting with a jig saw and a wood blade.  I usually start the cut with a thin grinding wheel, once it cuts thru I finish with the jig saw.  It cuts nice and easy. Debur and finished.

[Chopper Scott]

Try some thin cutoff wheels on your small hand grinder (4 1/2"). They generally wear out pretty fast so they won't have a problem with loading up. Practice on a piece of scrap with any option you choose. I didn't need to tell you that but you know how it is around here sometimes.

[boogiethecat]

I'd use a plasma cutter. It'll cut like a hot knife thru butter and go so fast that the aluminum won't even get hot... that's how I did my trailer and it was amazing...

[Nusa]

In general wood-working equipment works on aluminum. Ideally slow the equipment down if you have variable speed ability (jigsaws, routers) or by using smaller diameter blades on circular saws. Feed it slower than wood. Lubricants will help if you don't mind the mess. Any kickbacks will be more violent than with wood, so pay attention to safety, and keep people well clear of the kickback zone.

[Hal]

I used .080 also and used a router with lots of WD40 to lube the cutter. Keep it slow with a good grip on things. Its a two person job for sure, one spraying, the other cutting. Be safe, Hal

[Fred Mc]

I would line the al. with masking tape (to avoid scratching the surface) and then use a skill saw to cut the straight lines.. You can get a blade for al. but you could also use a regular carbide tipped blade.  Then cut the corners with a jig saw. I cut al. a lot with a table saw and a miter saw and use regular wood cutting blades.
No need for messy lubricant. Wear good ear protection.

Fred

[skihor]

They make a blade for a skil saw that is just for cutting aluminum. I bought one from a metals dealer when I did the diamond plate in my trailer. Many yards of cutting and still sharp. EAR PROTECTION required.

Don & Sheila

[demodriver]

IF I remember right we turned a wood blade around on our circular saw to cut alluminum when I used to do construction.

[Ed Hackenbruch]

How about a Dual Saw as seen on tv?

[Iceni John]

For cutting aluminum I use the cheapo throw-away Russian-made cutting wheels from Harbor Fright  -  at less than 50 cents each it doesn't matter that they only last for a few feet or so.   Expensive USA-made wheels don't last any longer cutting aluminum, but I do use them for cutting ferrous metals instead of HF's wheels.   So far I've cut out three openings for extra access doors, with a fourth to be done soon, and it's easy to make straight cuts with an angle grinder.

John

[Len Silva]

I've never tried it on aluminum it I'm a fan of the Roto-Zip spiral saws and they claim to have metal blades available.  If it worked, it would give you a nice smooth cut right up against the window frame.