Cutting 1/8" Aluminum Diamond Plate

[daveleb55]

I'm going to attach some diamond plate to the front of my trailer, and I've been having some difficulty cutting it. I burned out two blades on my jigsaw and only cut about 4 or 5 inches. I think the stuff might be "hardened," making it that much more difficult to cut.

Any suggestions?

DaveL

[linuxmanxxx]

Get the place you bought it to cut it to size with their press sheers.

[Redneck Teepee]

What he said......any Sheetmetal shop can shear to size plus it will look much better that a sawed edge.

[Dale M.]

Use medium tooth wood cutting blade, not fine hack saw blade, and do not force it.... Cut from back side and gently move saw forward under little pressure as it nibbles its way through material.... SAFETY GLASSES or FACE SHIELD REQUIRED, it will throw chunks of metal everywhere... I have cut up to 1/8 materials this way... Other option is take it to metal shop and have it sheared as others have mentioned..

Dale

[tony.latham]

I think you're using some extra cheap blades or something along that line. Try a different blade. I don't think you can harden aluminum that much. Are you sure the blades aren't galling? (Aluminum balling up in the teeth?)

Tony

[aggie79]

Bosch makes the best jig saw blades in my opinion.

Other options are to cut it with a table saw or "Skil saw" with a carbide blade. If you do either of these wear eye and hearing protection and be careful of hot shards of aluminum.

[KCStudly]

Kerosene makes an excellent lube for cutting aluminum. Seriously.

It will help keep your blade from clogging.

Do use caution, tho. It's not especially volatile, but it is flammable.

[Jack Olsen]

Generally speaking, anything that cuts wood will go throughout aluminum. Don't treat it like cutting steel, but be careful with fastening/controlling the material. A jigsaw with a wood-cutting blade should go right through it. A bandsaw will glide through the stuff. You can even use a table saw or a circular saw -- just watch out for heat and kick-back.

[Dale M.]

As other mentioned a skill saw or table saw with carbide blade will do it, but danger level is increased and chance of injury is increased... I have done it and only recommend it as last resort if jig saw and wood blades and use of lubricants will not get the job done.... Again, be careful.... Safety gear is a must...

Dale

[dales133]

Yep skill saw with a blade with alot of teeth works well.
Otherwise a temple cutter router bit run along a straight edge.
Second option works well but makes more mess and if you go to fast starts melting instead or cutting

[KCStudly]

I would be very leery about using a standard wood cutting circular saw and wood blade. Too coarse of a tooth count and too rapid feed rate can jam the blade causing sudden stoppage and damage.

Karl (my work shop owner and professional master fabricator) uses a dedicated metal cutting circular saw. I realize that this is out of the scope budget wise for most people to consider, but there are some nice features. It has a closed guard and chip bin built into the blade cover so most of the hot chips get caught.

One of the key things is to not allow the blade to become pinched. As the stresses in the metal are relieved, the blade swath behind the cut can tend to close up, pinching the blade as it tries to enter the cut resulting in kick back. The key is to support both sides of the work and shortly after the blade enters the cut, stop and place a clamp across the open end to keep the gap from closing.

[KCStudly]

Forgot the linky: https://www.milwaukeetool.com/power-tools/corded/6370-20

[halfdome, Danny]

I use an 10", 80 tooth, metal cutting, carbide tipped table saw blade for all my aluminum & non Ferris metal cutting.
It cuts .040 4' x 10' sheets and 1/8" aluminum diamond plate almost like butter.
I was about $100 a few years ago and worth every penny.
You need to take precautions when cutting thin stock so it doesn't creep under the saw fence and bind up.
I use a 1/8" piece of hardboard about 8" wider and longer than the fence and notch out the center to receive my saw fence.
Then it's just a matter of dropping it over the fence and placing the stock to be cut on top of it to avoid the metal from creeping under the fence.
I use the same set up for cutting plam on the table saw.
Make sure you wear a face shield, dust mask and hearing protection when cutting aluminum.
Danny

[daveleb55]

Thanks for all your help, guys. It sounds like I need to find someone who has done this before, has the right tools, etc.; rather than attempting this myself.