msg wrote:
JIMMIE wrote:

I have some door kick panels, some brass and a couple of Al ones. I
have used these before to make enclosures but in the past I always cut
them with a reciprocating saw then did a lot of filing to get the
edges straight and pretty. I was wondering if I could cut these using
my table saw. The motor is sealed so I don't have to worry about
getting metal shavings in it. Anyone here ever done this before. If so
what kind of blade did you use? Were there any special techniques you
applied?

It seems like this would save me a lot of finish work if I could do
it.

Jimmie

I have used high speed small table slitting saws to cut small pieces
of non-ferrous; for larger projects, I have used a table saw, radial-arm
saw or circular saw, with the blade reversed (old plywood blades
generally).
Except for the large kerf, I get straight edges. For most projects however
I resort to the hand hack saw and file

One can make a high speed slitting table saw from a lateral mounting of
a dremel tool; use multiple emery cutoff wheels on the arbor or a diamond
wheel.

Michael

Michael

I've heard of people cutting non-ferrous metal with a table saw.
If the metal is not too thin it should work, thin metal may curl up and
bind in the saw, or worse go flying off the table!
If you must cut thin metal back it with a piece of thin hardwood.

I've also heard of people mounting the blade backwards so the teeth face
away from the work to cut aluminum. Not sure how this helps, but others
say it works.

ken scharf wrote:

snip
I've also heard of people mounting the blade backwards so the teeth face
away from the work to cut aluminum. Not sure how this helps, but others
say it works.

Perhaps I should have said 'backward' rather than 'reversed' as the latter
may imply reversed rotation. Mounting the blade opposite to its normal
orientation is what I meant and that has worked for me on light gauge
metal. For thicker Al and brass, I have used the dremel slitting saw
method.

Michael