Cutting aluminum

Greetings from Schweißfan,

Cutting aluminum but what is the best way to do it ?

The question is not only how to cut aluminum, but also with what, because there are several different ways to cut aluminum.

In terms of tools, we have different options for cutting aluminum. Of course, we are limited here, when it comes to the depth of the material, it will no longer work with a cross-cut saw or a band saw, for example. Whereas it is of course possible with an angle grinder, it’s just a question of how neat and straight the cut has to be and whether you have to weld the cut edge at the end.

Let’s start by cutting aluminum with a normal cut-off wheel and an angle grinder. We always have the problem that there is abrasion from the cut-off wheel in the aluminum. The disadvantage here is that this dirt, i.e. the abrasion from the cut-off wheel, comes up in the weld seam, resulting in pores in the weld seam. This is of course bad for durability or tightness.

Either you have to rework with a file to remove the abrasion from the cut-off wheel. Or really see if you can cut the whole thing with a different tool.

With the cross-cut saw, for example, we have the advantage that the cut remains metallically bright. In other words, we cut a metal plate with this and do not feed anything into the material, i.e. It stays bright and is of course easy to weld, but it has to be said that we are limited by the diameter of the material.

It is of course exactly the same issue with the band saw, although here again the problem is that if you use it to cut aluminum, oil, you also have the problem of contamination.

Here you have to clean the whole thing optimally before welding and of course we are again somewhat limited by the diameter of the material. But let’s be honest, I suspect that a chop saw and normal band saw will be perfectly adequate for normal use.

At least I would say that when I think back over the last ten years, this tool has always been completely sufficient for me. As I said, it always depends on what exactly you have in mind.

Of course, if you have the opportunity, I always recommend using impact shears to cut sheet metal. Of course, this is not always the case. Alternatively, you can always use a jigsaw, because the sheet metal always remains metallically bright and you can weld it afterwards. A little tip, if you don’t have to weld, a little oil always helps. Then the saw blade of the jigsaw runs even more beautifully and cleanly on aluminum.

Let’s come back to the angle grinder, which, as I said, is probably a tool that almost everyone has at home. Very good grinding and cutting wheels are now available for this purpose. Which can be used optimally for aluminum, steel and stainless steel. One example is the Norton multi-disc, which is really suitable for almost everything, hence the name Multi.

We use it for everything, it also works very well for aluminum, although there is an extra disc for aluminum. We also like to use it because it is really very easy to work with. Take a look at the video below, you can also find the disk here in the text and simply an overview in video form, I am definitely very enthusiastic about the parts.

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