Cutting Aluminum Sheet Jigsaw

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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. Use a 24 toothed blade or greater to cut through aluminum. Afterwards lower the blade approximately 0 39 inches 0 99 cm past the metal and guide the blade along the metal. The more teeth on the blade the smoother the cut will be.

In terms of blades you ll want to make sure that you have something with a lot of space between the teeth. For cutting sheet metal choose a finer blade with 21 to 24 teeth per inch. 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. Then bend the sheet back and forth a few times to snap it.

When you re cutting aluminum on a band saw you ll want to crank the blade speed up to 250 feet per minute. Instead of pushing it forcefully slide the jigsaw slowly and allow it to eat through the sheet metal. Cutting sheet metal is slow work with a jigsaw and even more so if you are working with corrugated metal. 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.

Slowly push the jigsaw forward following the cutting line. Use a jigsaw if circular cuts need to be made in the aluminum. Sharp edges are present on the cut sheet metal so use a metal file or sandpaper to smooth the edges of your project. To avoid shredding sheet metal or raising a lot of edge burrs tightly sandwich the metal between two layers of thin plywood.

Cut metal plate and pipe on low speed. Clamp or hold a straightedge or square along the cutting marks and score a line with the tip of a sharp utility knife blade. Install a metal cutting blade into a jigsaw. Cut through the sheet where you have put the marking.

Position the saw close to the side of the aluminum where you want to begin cutting. If your saw has variable speeds just consult the chart. Usually it s a matter of moving a belt to a different sized pulley. Clamp a guide to your aluminum on both sides of your saw.

Work slowly and methodically. Do it carefully and slowly to make sure you get the shape right.