Can I cut Rockler's T-track with my miter saw?

[Leonard]

I'm building an assembly table with Rockler's T-track and I'll need to cut some specific lengths. Can I use my power miter saw and not ruin the blade? Other options might be a hacksaw, grinder, I don't know.

 

[Mike Davis]

Aluminum can be cut with standard carbide blades but you do risk chipping or losing a tooth or worse.
If only a couple cuts I would use a hacksaw, slower but safer.

 

[mikeyt]

Hacksaw

 

[Wiley's Woodworks]

Ditto on hacksaw. You're making small cuts. If you want the cuts to be as perfectly square as your miter saw would cut, buy a plastic miter box.

 

[Rushton]

I regularly cut aluminum t-track with my miter saw and carbide tipped blades. Just make a slow cut and don't lift the blade out of the cut until you've turned off the saw and the blade has stopped. I don't doubt that it's possible to chip a carbide tooth in the process, but I've never had it happen over 20 years of doing this.

 

[Martin Roper]

A multitool works if you have a bunch of cuts. Then tidy up the ends on a disc sander.

 

[Mike Davis]

We cut a lot of aluminum at work but they buy special blades.

 

[demondeacon]

I have done this more than once without issue. Just make sure you have eye protection and wear long sleeves.

 

[Ricksmi]

I cut t-track without issue on my miter saw and take it slow and use a good blade with the track facing down not up.

 

[HITCH-]

I use a junk blade that is no longer ideal for cutting wood but OK for the occasional job such as yours. I would never cut aluminum with a good blade.

 

[Mike Davis]

Amazon.com

 

[bob vaughan]

Feed slowly and wear a full face shield. Those chips go everywhere and they can sting. There are specific blades for aluminum but those are used by people cutting aluminum all day long. Four or five crosscuts should make little difference. A pro tip I got once was never trim an edge if you can help it. Always make a full kerf cut when you can.

 

[kserdar]

I use one of these : https://www.amazon.com/D1080N-Diabl...16869d70e3b89ca&ref=&adgrpid=65583250281&th=1

cuts like butter

 

[Gotcha6]

Commercial glass installers use carbide blades and miter saws regularly to cut aluminum window frame components with the above precautions of safety glasses and long sleeves, along with using a high tooth count blade with a negative rake angle and securely clamped material. For a couple of cuts, a hacksaw or even a coping saw will do the job and finish up with a file or sandpaper.

 

[bob vaughan]

Desperation process: Cut with a hack saw and trim the end square with a router bit . Clean up the smeared edges with a file.

 

[Oka]

Or Cut with a hacksaw close -then trim to the line with a toothed metal cutting blade. It will clean the edge nicely, but do not cut through alum with it. Cutting alum with a metal cutting circular blade will heat it up too much and totally gum it up. However, I have found, cutting 1/16 or less to clean it up works out well, leaves a smooth cut.

 

[mkepke]

I dunno guys..I'm with Rush (Rushton) and a few others. I've done a lot of hobby cutting of aluminum on regular woodcutting carbide saws (and routers - it pattern routes pretty well).

Cutting aluminum will wear your sawblade a tiny bit more than a hardwood, because it is much harder. So what? Sawblades are wear items - maybe your sawblade gets dull a day earlier than it would have cutting only lumber.

To put it in perspective, I can tell you that one cut in dirty lumber will dull your blade faster than a bunch of cuts in aluminum.

Dedicated non-ferrous blades are for people that cut a lot of aluminum..they have a harder grade of carbide so that they wear more slowly, a thinner kerf so the saw needs less power and a tooth-grind balanced for wear, strength and chip-size. That's great if you need to cut aluminum all day to make money.

-Mark

 

[mpeele]

I seem to cut a lot of aluminum and brass and now have a non ferrous blade. The only blade I would not use to cut aluminum is a high tooth count with HiATB teeth. The blades that have come on the miter saws I have bought have had ATB-R teeth and not a high tooth count which work fine. I have even used a ATB-R blade on my table saw for cutting 1/8" sheet stock. With either a non ferrous or wood blade applying lubricant such a WD-40 helps. The biggest difference between the non ferrous and wood blade is the cut quality. I think that is contributable to the rake angle and the fact that I think the blade body is a bit heaver than a wood blade. The carbide on the wood blade and non ferrous is the same.

I use router bits in a table mounted router for cutting slots in aluminum set at the lowest speed and take verry shallow ( < 1/32" ) cuts.

You will have aluminum scarf every where.

 

[Gotcha6]

"To put it in perspective, I can tell you that one cut in dirty lumber will dull your blade faster than a bunch of cuts in aluminum."

This holds doubly true if the lumber has been used for concrete forms. AMHIKT.

 

[mkepke]

"To put it in perspective, I can tell you that one cut in dirty lumber will dull your blade faster than a bunch of cuts in aluminum."

This holds doubly true if the lumber has been used for concrete forms. AMHIKT.

Did you stop when you saw sparks?

Asking for a friend.

-Mark