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What the BEST Choice of Tool for this Job?

Texasbowhunter

Aluminum
Joined
Oct 11, 2019
So I'm always looking for a bargain on various materials to fabricate something for around the shop/house...If I don't need it to be of a particular material I'll just go to the bargain rack and get something that is desirable or go to the salvage yard and get something there...These prices are very reasonable by the pound...And of course it maybe unknown type in the steel and or aluminum family...But if it will weld or allow what I'm fabing then why not...
Now with this said if its steel/aluminum I could just pay the $5 per cut which in my frugal wallet is a bit high sometimes, especially since I may have several various sizes and materials, so I may take the small Acetylene oxygen torch and cut what I want and go from there...
However with aluminum its a bit different I cant cut that with a torch so I have to come up with a different approach with cordless tools and was thinking that a Sawzall with a metal cutting blade might do the trick or perhaps a circular saw with carbide teeth or a 4.5" angle grinder with a circular style carbide tipped blade in it...
Now I don't own any of the afore mentioned tools but I do own the Makita brand Drills and Impact drivers and would prefer to stay Makita...
So what would be your 1st choice of a tool to cut say 4" piece of solid aluminum where there was no power available and you had to depend on doing it 100% yourself?
Thanks
Paul
 
You’re gonna hurt yourself with a circular saw or angle grinder. So Sawzall it is.
Use some kind of lube or coolant.

Why are you cutting stock where there’s no electric?
 
Cordless bandsaw?, I have a corded one, cheap make but really works, suppose you’d have to coax it along with a big section though
Mark
 
So I'm always looking for a bargain on various materials to fabricate something for around the shop/house...If I don't need it to be of a particular material I'll just go to the bargain rack and get something that is desirable or go to the salvage yard and get something there...These prices are very reasonable by the pound...And of course it maybe unknown type in the steel and or aluminum family...But if it will weld or allow what I'm fabing then why not...
Now with this said if its steel/aluminum I could just pay the $5 per cut which in my frugal wallet is a bit high sometimes, especially since I may have several various sizes and materials, so I may take the small Acetylene oxygen torch and cut what I want and go from there...
However with aluminum its a bit different I cant cut that with a torch so I have to come up with a different approach with cordless tools and was thinking that a Sawzall with a metal cutting blade might do the trick or perhaps a circular saw with carbide teeth or a 4.5" angle grinder with a circular style carbide tipped blade in it...
Now I don't own any of the afore mentioned tools but I do own the Makita brand Drills and Impact drivers and would prefer to stay Makita...
So what would be your 1st choice of a tool to cut say 4" piece of solid aluminum where there was no power available and you had to depend on doing it 100% yourself?
Thanks
Paul
It depends. I'd say a cordless sawzall is a good choice. If you have enough access, a portaband would make a cleaner cut. If you use a circular saw on aluminum, wear a faceshield and watch out for kickback. I don't recommend it. It does work, though. Use plenty of cutting fluid, whatever you do. Those chips like to weld to the saw teeth.

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If no hacksaw I would use a sawzall...

Why not get a small portable generator, then you can use whatever tool and not worry aboot losing power eh.
Shoot, it's just aluminum. Use a chainsaw..

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The reason is I'm asking for the use of battery operated tools is I don't know if the salvage yard will allow me to use there source of power...They are a business you know...They have to pay their people something...I'm just trying to cover my bases with the just in case they won't...
hacksaw only if I absolutely have to, or I'm going for a single piece of small diameter, but, cutting thru a piece of 4" aluminum or large dia. piece of round steel I would probably pay them to cut it...Or if I would like to make several cuts on various sizes a hacksaw may not be the best choice...
Chainsaw not gonna happen...I would definitely hurt myself or worse yet someone else when the blade shatters into a thousand pieces...If they will allow me to use there electricity then I would use my 4.5" angle grinder with a cut off wheel and make the cuts or my porta band or a Sawzall...and not in any particular order...
 
The reason is I'm asking for the use of battery operated tools is I don't know if the salvage yard will allow me to use there source of power...They are a business you know...They have to pay their people something...I'm just trying to cover my bases with the just in case they won't...
hacksaw only if I absolutely have to, or I'm going for a single piece of small diameter, but, cutting thru a piece of 4" aluminum or large dia. piece of round steel I would probably pay them to cut it...Or if I would like to make several cuts on various sizes a hacksaw may not be the best choice...
Chainsaw not gonna happen...I would definitely hurt myself or worse yet someone else when the blade shatters into a thousand pieces...If they will allow me to use there electricity then I would use my 4.5" angle grinder with a cut off wheel and make the cuts or a Sawzall...
Joking about the chainsaw (I have seen it done, though!). I haven't had good luck with a grinder on aluminum. Must be the wheels I use. I haven't tried any made for non-ferrous metal. I know WD-40 makes a huge difference. It keeps the your wheels and blades from clogging. For sawzall blades, my favorite blades are the Diablo carbide tipped. They, as you might imagine, are pretty brittle, though. So, I like to start the saw slow and ease into the cut. I haven't cut large aluminum bar with one, but I bet it'd breeze through it. Does in everything else. Only catch is the wide kerf and bit higher cost per blade.

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Skipped.

5" deep cut M18 portable band saw with a 16 or 18 TPI blade. No-brainer, every time. The smaller ones are bread and butter for us at a lot of shops.

Worth every penny for a red one. You won't ever regret ponying up for a Milwaukee. Avoid the Makitas and the cheap ones like the plague - they throw blades constantly. DeWalts I've heard are quirky but okay.
 
Skipped.

5" deep cut portable band saw with a 16 or 18 TPI blade. No-brainer, every time. They're bread and butter for us at work.

Worth every penny for a red one.
I started using variable pitch blades on mine a few months ago and they're pretty nice. I think they're Lenox 14/18 tpi.

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No yard here will allow customer use of saw or grinder. They do not want to lose the cutting fee.
Bill D
Yes sir...This is something that has crossed my mind...
I have always just had them do the cutting for me however at $5 a cut if I was to get multiple sizes it would certainly add up in a hurry...
Thanks
Paul
 
So I'm always looking for a bargain on various materials to fabricate something for around the shop/house...If I don't need it to be of a particular material I'll just go to the bargain rack and get something that is desirable or go to the salvage yard and get something there...These prices are very reasonable by the pound...And of course it maybe unknown type in the steel and or aluminum family...But if it will weld or allow what I'm fabing then why not...
Now with this said if its steel/aluminum I could just pay the $5 per cut which in my frugal wallet is a bit high sometimes, especially since I may have several various sizes and materials, so I may take the small Acetylene oxygen torch and cut what I want and go from there...
However with aluminum its a bit different I cant cut that with a torch so I have to come up with a different approach with cordless tools and was thinking that a Sawzall with a metal cutting blade might do the trick or perhaps a circular saw with carbide teeth or a 4.5" angle grinder with a circular style carbide tipped blade in it...
Now I don't own any of the afore mentioned tools but I do own the Makita brand Drills and Impact drivers and would prefer to stay Makita...
So what would be your 1st choice of a tool to cut say 4" piece of solid aluminum where there was no power available and you had to depend on doing it 100% yourself?
Thanks
Paul

there was a guy at school that was cutting some metal in the lathe one night and it was a bit hard . so the instructor ask what kind of steel it was . the student replied its kabocha steel. the instructor replied ok explain . so the student tells him well i work on bobcat machines and this is one of the pins out of one of the machines it was to hard to cut so i put it in my kabocha and let it cook over night to make it soft . just maybe it needed just a hint of fish sauce to help it out
 
Yes sir...This is something that has crossed my mind...
I have always just had them do the cutting for me however at $5 a cut if I was to get multiple sizes it would certainly add up in a hurry...
Thanks
Paul

then there's the loss finger or eye fee
 
My experience with yards is they don't allow abrasive saws, insurance regs is only answer I've gotten. Sawzall and porta bandsaws are ok, your yard may not agree. As for avoiding the $5 cutting fee, just buy the whole length, you will need it someday:D
 
I have a hard time moving a 20ft stick personally, I’ve used a cordless portaband lots of time. Pay and carry the stick over to my trailer, nip it in half and in it goes. No one has ever said anything about it. I wouldn’t try and cut large material, if I can’t cut it in 2min I get them to do it with a real saw. This is mostly breaking down some angle iron or small box tubing.
 
I had to transport 5 pieces of 4" PVC pipe for a well. These are 20'-0" lengths. I tied a loop over the mirror bracket and a another loop on the back of the pickup box where the hole for a ladder rack would be. I slid the pipe in the rope loops and connected them with 1" C-clamps. Then tied the pipe up tight to the mirror bracket and tight to the pickup box. I traveled about 90 miles with this load without a problem.
If you only have a car this idea may not be feasible.
 
My experience with yards is they don't allow abrasive saws, insurance regs is only answer I've gotten. Sawzall and porta bandsaws are ok, your yard may not agree. As for avoiding the $5 cutting fee, just buy the whole length, you will need it someday:D

Id certainly consider this if not for the fact I'm running out of restate in my garage...
Perhaps one day when I get the shop build where we will be moving to I'll buy a bunch of the material but until then I just have it lobed off at 2-3 times what I need just so I can have a bit more...But long lengths are not an option at this point...
 








 
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