Cutting Aluminum Sheet Jigsaw

Install a metal cutting blade into a jigsaw.

Cutting aluminum sheet jigsaw.

The more teeth on the blade the smoother the cut will be. Cut through the sheet where you have put the marking. To avoid shredding sheet metal or raising a lot of edge burrs tightly sandwich the metal between two layers of thin plywood. 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. Instead of pushing it forcefully slide the jigsaw slowly and allow it to eat through the sheet metal. In terms of blades you ll want to make sure that you have something with a lot of space between the teeth. Position the saw close to the side of the aluminum where you want to begin cutting.

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. Use a 24 toothed blade or greater to cut through aluminum. When you re cutting aluminum on a band saw you ll want to crank the blade speed up to 250 feet per minute.

Clamp or hold a straightedge or square along the cutting marks and score a line with the tip of a sharp utility knife blade. 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. Work slowly and methodically.

Afterwards lower the blade approximately 0 39 inches 0 99 cm past the metal and guide the blade along the metal. Sharp edges are present on the cut sheet metal so use a metal file or sandpaper to smooth the edges of your project. Use a jigsaw if circular cuts need to be made in the aluminum. For pattern cutting drill blade starter holes instead of making plunge cuts.

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. 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. If your saw has variable speeds just consult the chart. Usually it s a matter of moving a belt to a different sized pulley.

Cut metal plate and pipe on low speed. To cut the sheets of metal rathe.