Cutting Aluminum Sheet Jigsaw

To avoid shredding sheet metal or raising a lot of edge burrs tightly sandwich the metal between two layers of thin plywood.

Cutting aluminum sheet jigsaw.

Sharp edges are present on the cut sheet metal so use a metal file or sandpaper to smooth the edges of your project. 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. Cut metal plate and pipe on low speed. To cut the sheets of metal rathe.

The more teeth on the blade the smoother the cut will be. When you re cutting aluminum on a band saw you ll want to crank the blade speed up to 250 feet per minute. Then bend the sheet back and forth a few times to snap it. Use a 24 toothed blade or greater to cut through aluminum.

Install a metal cutting blade into a jigsaw. Afterwards lower the blade approximately 0 39 inches 0 99 cm past the metal and guide the blade along the metal. 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 jigsaw if circular cuts need to be made in the aluminum.

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. Do it carefully and slowly to make sure you get the shape right. Work slowly and methodically. Usually it s a matter of moving a belt to a different sized pulley.

And you can use the same technique anytime you need a straight cut on aluminum or other light gauge sheet metal even steel. Slowly push the jigsaw forward following the cutting line. Position the saw close to the side of the aluminum where you want to begin cutting. In terms of blades you ll want to make sure that you have something with a lot of space between the teeth.

Instead of pushing it forcefully slide the jigsaw slowly and allow it to eat through the sheet metal. If your saw has variable speeds just consult the chart. Cut through the sheet where you have put the marking. For pattern cutting drill blade starter holes instead of making plunge cuts.

Cutting sheet metal is slow work with a jigsaw and even more so if you are working with corrugated metal. For cutting sheet metal choose a finer blade with 21 to 24 teeth per inch.