Circular saw vs miter saw for aluminum

[Johny96]

I have 2 inch 1/4 inch thick aluminum square tubing I need to cut. I want to get a saw but dont know which one. What works better for cutting aluminum a circular saw or miter saw?

[OscarJr]

Assuming you have the proper blade and the saw spins the blade at the appropriate RPM, both saws should yield an acceptable quality of cut. A mitre saw is typically a more flexible version of a circular saw itself would be able to tilt one or both ways clockwise/counterclockwise in addition to turning left-right on the base.

[ryanjones2150]

I have a dewalt miter saw that cuts aluminum 95% of the time. It’s cut way more aluminum than wood, I can tell you that. Still has the blade that came on it. The chips don’t feel good on your skin when you use it, so I use a face shield when I cut.

And ear plugs.

I also have a table saw with the same history. You don’t need a special blade, just keep an eye on the teeth as sometimes they load up with aluminum schmoo.

[aametalmaster]

Yup my tables saw has cut many 3/8" sheets of alum...Bob

[Franz©]

My preference goes to worm drive saws in the hand held category and overarm type saws in stationary setups.

Table saws can and generally will get inexperienced operators into trouble fast if the sheet starts hopping on the table. A sheet of aluminum coming back at you in Warp Drive hurts.

Whatever saw you choose, be absolutely sure what you're cutting will remain firmly attached to the table until you finish cutting.

Waxing the blade is always a good move too and tends to extend blade life.

[Olivero]

I got a special blade, diamond tipped i think, for aluminum.

It was night and day difference, cut's like butter now.

Ryan, get yourself one, you deserve it. You might be able to cut straight with one

[tarry99]

Everybody has there favorite chop saw...........for me it's this Evolution w/ a 15" carbide blade which makes easy work out of aluminum, mild steel , Chrome Moly , plastic , ETC.......you name it......have to be careful with the razor sharp chips it spits out.......but a small price to pay for the overall performance...........slow rpm.... 2 years on the same blade.....store it under the cart when done, will cut 45's and compound miters if you have a fixture to hold the material.

[Helios]

My preference goes to worm drive saws in the hand held category and overarm type saws in stationary setups.

Table saws can and generally will get inexperienced operators into trouble fast if the sheet starts hopping on the table. A sheet of aluminum coming back at you in Warp Drive hurts..

Well, I'd rather have that than have a radial hARM saw come after me like a rabid crocodile. BTDT but still have both arms and all 11 fingers!

[OscarJr]

Everybody has there favorite chop saw...........for me it's this Evolution w/ a 15" carbide blade which makes easy work out of aluminum, mild steel , Chrome Moly , plastic , ETC.......you name it......have to be careful with the razor sharp chips it spits out.......but a small price to pay for the overall performance...........slow rpm.... 2 years on the same blade.....store it under the cart when done, will cut 45's and compound miters if you have a fixture to hold the material. [ATTACH=JSON]{"data-align":"none","data-size":"large","data-attachmentid":599859**[/ATTACH]

Ooohhhh, the EVO Saw380. I want that puppy! I have the cheapo Rage 14" with the multipurpose blade, and it serves well for what it is, but I'm sure that EVOSAW 380 is a beast with a good blade on it!

At my school we bought one of the smaller Rage 3 10" saws for their solar car project and it's worked great for them. It has a double bevel on the saw support for ±45° clockwise/counterclockwise, and the base has it's own swivel for miter cuts as well.



About $350 or so. They also have a R255SMS which only has a single bevel, and of course cuts miters.

[tarry99]

Ooohhhh, the EVO Saw380. I want that puppy! I have the cheapo Rage 14" with the multipurpose blade, and it serves well for what it is, but I'm sure that EVOSAW 380 is a beast with a good blade on it!

Ya know it really does work well to cut through even big pieces of steel bar stock ,structural shapes , plate or aluminum ...if it fits it cuts!......the key is just light pressure on the blade and let it "eat"........noisy yes....and the chips......so ear , eye protection and a long sleeve shirt is a must and be persistent to broom the floor after making a mess.....comes with a 14" blade but the 15" is a must............I still love it!

[OscarJr]

Ya know it really does work well to cut through even big pieces of steel bar stock ,structural shapes , plate or aluminum ...if it fits it cuts!......the key is just light pressure on the blade and let it "eat"........noisy yes....and the chips......so ear , eye protection and a long sleeve shirt is a must and be persistent to broom the floor after making a mess.....comes with a 14" blade but the 15" is a must............I still love it!

Nice. Yea the aluminum blade just has more teeth than the 15" steel blade (80 vs 70). Tooth rake angle looks to be the similar. Do you use any kind of cutting wax to keep the teeth from loading up with aluminum bits? Probably not because I'm sure it then makes a mess on steel or other stuff. I should have bought one when it was $359, now it is $379 cheapest I found.

[ryanjones2150]

I bet EVO1000 still wouldn’t cut through Olivero’s thick skull....some things just shouldn’t exist. Fortunately most like Oli are still being hid under the stairs or in the basement.

[Franz©]

You guys with the Evil saws need to hunt up Strawberry U's world famed chopsaw housing made from an old basement oil tank. Maybe he can find the picture where he left it (NOT the MardiGras pics Carey) and post it here.
He really outdid himself on that project. Of course he was single then and had more shop time.

How many thumbs are still attached Heli?

[Ltbadd]

Same answer as posted on another forum, EVO360

https://www.discountsteel.com/items/..._EVOSAW380.cfm

A circular saw is for sheet metal or thin plate, not square tube

[ryanjones2150]

Any you guys put a cold cut saw blade on an abrasive blade saw? I’ve heard it’s a bad idea....but cmon, what could possibly go wrong?