Cutting Aluminum Sheet Jigsaw

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 jigsaw.

When you re cutting aluminum on a band saw you ll want to crank the blade speed up to 250 feet per minute. Install a metal cutting blade into a jigsaw. Using a softer piece of material such as wood as a backer will allow the chisel to push through the metal and prevent wear on the chisel s tip. Then bend the sheet back and forth a few times to snap it.

Cut metal plate and pipe on low speed. Clamp a guide to your aluminum on both sides of your saw. For cutting sheet metal choose a finer blade with 21 to 24 teeth per inch. Work slowly and methodically.

For pattern cutting drill blade starter holes instead of making plunge cuts. To avoid shredding sheet metal or raising a lot of edge burrs tightly sandwich the metal between two layers of thin plywood. If you are making a long cut you may need to apply cutting oil to the blade of the jigsaw to keep the blade cool. Use a 24 toothed blade or greater to cut through aluminum.

Cut through the sheet where you have put the marking. Cutting aluminum sheet metal with a hammer and chisel is relatively straight forward line up the edge of the chisel along the line you wish to cut and strike the chisel with a hammer. The more teeth on the blade the smoother the cut will be. Instead of pushing it forcefully slide the jigsaw slowly and allow it to eat through the sheet metal.

Slowly push the jigsaw forward following the cutting line. Cutting sheet metal is slow work with a jigsaw and even more so if you are working with corrugated metal. To cut the sheets of metal rathe. Usually it s a matter of moving a belt to a different sized pulley.

In terms of blades you ll want to make sure that you have something with a lot of space between the teeth. Clamp or hold a straightedge or square along the cutting marks and score a line with the tip of a sharp utility knife blade. 2 make precise cutting marks on. Position the saw close to the side of the aluminum where you want to begin cutting.

Use a jigsaw if circular cuts need to be made in the aluminum. If your saw has variable speeds just consult the chart.